Shirley J. Ausbourne, age 84, died on Thursday, April 29, 2021 at Edenbrook of Wisconsin Rapids.
A visitation will for Shirley will take place at Hansen-Schilling Funeral Home, 1010 East Veterans Parkway, Marshfield on Friday, May 7, 2021, from 4:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. A committal service of Shirley’s remains will take place on Monday, May 10, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. at Hillside Cemetery. Friends may meet in the funeral home parking lot at 12:45 p.m. and proceed together to the cemetery.
Shirley Jane Ausbourne was born on December 18, 1936 at the Salvation Army Hospital in Wauwatosa, WI. She spent her early years at Northern Colony in Chippewa Falls, WI. She then spent a period of time at Bethel Nursing Home in Arpin. In the mid to late 1970s, as adult family homes came into existence, she moved from Bethel to various locally established AFHs. Twenty-eight years ago, she was placed in the Lori Weiler AFH and was with the family for 6 years. Most recently, she resided with Betty Petersen before needing nursing care when she then returned to Bethel. Upon Bethel’s closing in early 2019, Shirley moved to Edenbrook of Wisconsin Rapids where she peacefully passed on Thursday, April 29.
Shirley loved kitties and had at least one or two cat Beanie Babies with her at all times. She usually had a pencil in her hand and would ask any person within earshot to write their name in the little spiral notepad she carried with her. She had lots of words and names memorized and would print them in rows and rows in her notepads. Shirley also could put a 500-piece puzzle together in a jiffy! While she was, for the most part, non-verbal, her caregivers figured out her needs and wants. Shirley could be very feisty when expressing her dislikes, but she also endeared herself to her many caregivers throughout the years while enjoying the simple things in her life that made her happy!
She is survived by many, many caregivers, including Lori Weiler, who assumed guardianship for Shirley in 2003.
Thank you to all the caregivers and others who were attentive to Shirley’s needs, with special thanks to Betty Petersen, Tanya Kundinger and Sarah Bliven, in addition to all the CNAs and nurses at Bethel and Edenbrook. Others to be acknowledged are the wonderful case managers who carefully and thoughtfully placed Shirley in loving homes throughout the years: Lynn Meinders and Susan Kress.
Shirley was afforded one last extraordinary display of kindness. A cemetery plot was anonymously donated and offered to someone in need. Thus, Shirley’s final resting place will be in a beautiful site at Hillside Cemetery. To the party responsible for this overwhelming act of generosity, please know that this means more than you will ever know. God bless you.
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Shirley Jane Ausbourne, please visit our floral store.