Shirley R. Jorgensen

JEFFERSON, S.D. -- Shirley Rae (Phillips) Jorgensen, 69, of Jefferson died Sunday, May 6, 2007, at a Sioux City hospital following a long and courageous battle with cancer.

Memorial services will be 11 a.m. Saturday at McCook Lake United Methodist Church in McCook Lake, S.D., with the Rev. Ken Parks officiating. Visitation with the family present will be 10 a.m. until service time Saturday at the church. Arrangements are under the direction of Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel in Sioux City. Condolences may be sent online to www.meyerbroschapels.com.

Shirley was born March 6, 1938, in rural Sanborn, Iowa, the daughter of Leora Alice (Rubsam) Phillips and William Raymond Phillips. She graduated from Central High School in Sioux City in 1956.

She married Donald Jorgensen of rural Jefferson on Oct. 5, 1957, at Riverside Methodist Church in Sioux City. She worked for four years for the South Dakota Geological Society in Vermillion, S.D., to support her husband as he completed college studies at the University of South Dakota. She graduated with honors from the University of Houston in 1975, with a degree in elementary education.

She taught in the Houston School System, the Lawrence, Kan., School System, Al Sanabar Al Ain in United Arab and Northeast College in South Sioux City. She especially enjoyed teaching English as a Second Language, which she did for four years in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates and for years at Northeast College in South Sioux City.

She moved to Lahore, Pakistan in 1960, to accompany her husband. She recalls that she was six months pregnant and their entire savings was less than $50 when they arrived 11,000 miles from Sioux City. The couple also lived in Denver, Colo. two times, Huron, S.D., Houston, Texas, Lawrence, Kan. Al Ain, United Arab Emirates and Evergreen, Colo. In 1996, they moved to the Dunes near Sioux City before moving to a home in rural Jefferson along the Missouri River late that year.

She enjoyed traveling in the United States and abroad, especially, if the travel exposed her to a new culture. She was active in the McCook Lake United Methodist Church. She was active in the Siouxland Friends and Neighbors Book Club, as she was an avid reader.

She was known as being both reserved and yet friendly. She was known as a "quiet leader". She had numerous interests from crosswords to sports. She especially enjoyed the Kansas University basketball.

Survivors include her husband, Donald Jorgensen; three children, Sonya Norton of Omaha, Dane Jorgensen and his wife, Kristi of rural Lawrence, Kan., and Diana and her husband, Russell Laird of La Marque, Texas; five grandchildren, Eric Jorgensen, Ryan Jorgensen, Kaitlin Jorgensen, Rachel Laird and Erin Laird; a sister, Joyce Olson of Valley, Neb.; and a brother and his wife, Robert and Delores Phillips of rural Jefferson.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Ray and Leora Phillips of Sioux City.

A contribution to the Boomgar's Cancer Center in the memory of Shirley can be made.