Shirley Kay Pemberton, 79

Shirley Kay Pemberton, 79, loving wife, mother and grandmother, passed away at Banner Desert Hospital in Mesa, AZ, on April 20, 2019. She was born March 2, 1940, in Tama County, IA, the oldest daughter of Loren Charles Henry and Loretta Lorraine (Hoeppner) Busch. She was raised in Crystal Township where she attended the Crystal Township country school through the sixth grade, and then Gladbrook Community School, graduating with the Class of 1958. Following graduation she attended business school in Omaha, after which she worked in the office at Fisher Controls in Marshalltown for a short period of time. On March 25, 1960 she married Ted K. Pemberton in Gladbrook, IA. They lived in Marshalltown for 2 years, and then moved back to the Garwin area, where they began farming, and took over the Pemberton family farm in 1969, which they continued to operate until 1983. Shirley worked at the Singer Sewing Center in Marshalltown for approximately 2 years beginning in 1972 where she demonstrated and sold sewing machines, fabric and notions. In 1974 she began working in the office at Garwin Community School, and the following year she became the School Board Secretary, a job she held until she left Iowa to move to Arizona in 1985. She worked for BTI Consultants in Tempe, AZ, for over 20 years, retiring in 2005. She enjoyed playing cards, ballroom dancing, sewing, cooking, and oil painting. She is survived by her husband of 59 years, Ted, of Tempe, AZ; daughter Deb (Jeff) LaFayette of Dallas, TX, son Steve (Laurie) Pemberton of Norwalk, IA; 4 grandchildren: Adam Pemberton of Monroe, NY; Jake (Julia) Pemberton of Norwalk, IA; Lena (Ben) Bickley of Ridgefield, WA, and Daniel LaFayette of Fayetteville, AR; 3 siblings: Colleen (Jim) Byrd of Wills Point, TX; Dan (Donna) Busch of Keystone, IA; and Judy (Stan) Hall of Celina, TX; and sister-in-law Maxine (Roger) Bottema of Dysart, IA., and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. She is preceded in death by her parents Loren (1997) and Loretta (2010), and her brother Jerry (1986). The Garwin United Methodist Church will host a visitation from 6:00pm to 8:00pm on Thursday, May 23, and a memorial service at 2:00pm on Friday, May 24. Inurnment will be in Garwin Union Cemetery in Garwin, IA.