Shirley R. Weitzell

Shirley R. Weitzell, 64, of rural Gladbrook, died Tuesday, August 10, 2010, at the Iowa River Hospice House. Memorial services were, Friday, August 13, 2010, at Mitchell Family Funeral Home. Inurnment was in Chapel Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, Shirley requested memorials be given to either Marshall County Animal Rescue League or Iowa River Hospice. For condolences, please visit www.mitchellfh.com. Mitchell Family Funeral Home is caring for Shirley and her family. Phone 641-844-1234. Shirley Rae Furrow was born on April 30, 1946, at Mercy Hospital in Marshalltown. She was the daughter of Jesse Raymond Furrow Jr. and Ruth Christine (Jennings) Furrow. Shirley graduated from Green Mountain High School in 1964 and attended nursing school for a year before enlisting in the United States Army in February, 1965. Shirley honorably served our country as a medical corpsman at Sandia Army Hospital in New Mexico and was honorably discharged in June, 1966. On August 30, 1975, Shirley married Mike Weitzell at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. After discharge from the Army, Shirley returned to Marshalltown and worked at Strand‚s Baking Company, Party Pak Popcorn, So-Fro Fabrics, Taylor’s Maid-Rite, Animal Clinic-The Vet, Meskwaki Casino and Marshall County Animal Rescue League, before retiring in 2008. Shirley‚s love was for her family, her many friends, animals and sewing. Embroidery was her passion, creating beautiful things with her friends to share with everyone. She loved her log home in the country that she and Mike built, gardening and growing flowers. During her 2-1/2 year battle with cancer, Shirley found hope, comfort and courage at Bliss Cancer Center in Ames and completed her journey at Iowa River Hospice House in Marshalltown. Surviving her are her husband Mike of Gladbrook; her children Dawn Bruns of Waukee, IA, Joseph Weitzell of Canada and stepson Bret Weitzell of Des Moines; her grandchildren Zac Stroud and Luke Karmann of Waukee, IA, Jessica Weitzell and April Weitzell, both of Tampa, FL, and step-grandson Cody Weitzell of Des Moines; her brother Joe Furrow of Marshalltown; and sisters Patty Wichardt of Pella, IA, Sharon Mino of Minneapolis, MN, and Kris Kanner of Los Angeles, CA. She was preceded in death her parents and her sister Sandy Fay Furrow.