" Shirley has always had a special place in my heart! As my teacher at Central Webster High School, she was an inspiration! I enjoyed my classes with her and learned many important lessons from her. It was in her classes that I decided that teaching Home Economics - Family and Consumer Sciences was the career for me. We even car pooled together for one year! I have now taught for 37 years! The Tapper family was also good friends of the Greufe family. Norman and Shirley were in card club with Weldon and Anne. The children in both families have enjoyed activities together. Our hearts go out to you all as you celebrate the life of Shirley. She was a very special lady with many talents! She will be very missed! Scott and Lisa Tapper "
In loving memory of
Shirley Ann Burke Greufe
August 16, 1931 - April 5, 2017
Shirley Ann Burke Greufe, 85, Webster City, died April 5, 2017, at Mary Greeley Hospital in Ames. Mass of Christian Burial will be Wednesday, April 12 at 10:30 AM at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church with Rev. Stephen Meyer officiating. Visitation is scheduled for Tuesday at St. Thomas Aquinas beginning at 5:00 PM with a Recitation of the Rosary at 4:45 PM and a scripture service at 7:00 PM. Burial will follow the funeral luncheon at Calvary Cemetery in Webster City.
Shirley Ann Burke Greufe, daughter of Patrick and Ida Marie (Beebe) Burke was born August 16, 1931 at Sioux City. She attended the Blairsburg Consolidated School and also, the Prairie Mound rural school near Homer. She graduated from Webster City High School in 1949. She then attended Iowa State University, graduating in 1952 with a B.S. degree in Home Economics Education. She taught school in Blairsburg and Garner. On January 3, 1953 she married Norman F. Greufe at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Webster City. They farmed near Blairsburg until 1955 when they moved to a farm near Homer, where they farmed until his retirement in 1994. She taught high school English and Home Economics at Central Webster High School in Burnside beginning in 1970 until her retirement in 1994. She was preceded in death by her husband in December 1994, and her son, John Greufe, in September 1989. Since 2001 until the time of her death, she lived in Webster City.
She is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Kathy and Bob Josten of Webster City, Jeanne and Carl Hill of Webster City, Carolyn Greufe of Des Moines; sons and daughters-in-law, Tom and Vickie Greufe of Kansas City, MO, Jim and Nancy Greufe of Elkhorn, NE, Bob and Lori Greufe of Mesa, AZ and Tim Greufe of Parker, CO; 20 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren. Also, surviving are brothers and sisters-in-law, Marvin and Joyce Burke of Fort Dodge, and Rick Johnson of Minneapolis, MN and Linda Johnson of Litchfield, MN, and sisters-in-law and brother-in-law, Mary Ann McCoy of Orinda, CA and Barbara and Ron Songer of Denison.
She enjoyed reading, art and angel collecting, scrapbooking, philanthropy, genealogy, volunteering, hosting celebrations, spending time with family, vacations at the lake, and extensive travel. She toured European countries more than a dozen times, enjoyed more than 10 Caribbean cruises and toured Egypt. She was an active member of St. Thomas Aquinas Church, past president of the Webster City Women's Club, member of the FB Neighborhood Club, and member of the American Association of University Women. In 2013, she wrote and published her autobiography.
Memorials may be directed to St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School or Kendall Young Library in memory of Shirley.
Write a personal tribute for the family at www.fosterfuneralandcremation.com.
Tributes
"Mrs. Greufe was a loyal and dedicated teacher at Central Webster Schools. She always was there for her students and wanted to help them reach their potential. We attended a lot of proms with her over the years as she was a junior class sponsor."
"Deepest Condolences to the Greufe family. "
"Our condolences go out to all of Shirley's family. Shirley was a wonderful woman who gave me Inspiration and comfort when my husband passed. It was her words of wisdom that helped me get through one of the roughest periods in my life. I enjoyed visiting with her when she came to Colorado. She was a very wise woman who had a living smile for everyone she met. Shirley will be very missed. Love and prayers to her wonderful family your always in my prayers. "
"Shirley was my home economics teacher at Central Webster High School and could handle all objections that teachers encounter and with great humor at times! Nineteen years ago we reconnected when my husband and I decided to build our ranch style home with the Webster City High School Building Trades Project. Shirley was slated to get her home built first but was undecided on a house plan! So our home was built first. My husband and I designed our home and Shirley visited the site often during the year long project eager to learn the process required. Students basically built our home with direction from the instructor, my husband and myself! She showed interest in our plan with some revisions since she needed more small rooms for her growing family at the holiday times. We donated our house plan to her, and she was very grateful for it. We only visited her building site once during her construction! But the finished home looked beautiful and I give her great credit to accomplish this as a widowed women in her retirement years! "
"So glad to have met Shirley while she was enjoying her family at the lake. May great memories keep her in the hearts of all her loved ones. Lovingly, Dan and Trish Patitz, lakeside neighbors of Tim."
"My condolences to the family. Mrs. Greufe was a wonderful home-ec teacher at Central Webster High School. I learned a lot from her. May she rest in peace. Diane Johnson Schonauer - Class of '82"
"So sorry to hear about your loss. You have my sympathy."