Shirlee A. Olmstead

Shirlee A. Olmstead, age 81, of East Peoria, formerly of Ottawa, passed away Monday, April 2, 2012 at Manor Care at Riverview in East Peoria. Funeral services will be held 10:30 a.m. Friday, April 13th at Faith Lutheran Church with Pastor Peter Ward officiating. Interment will follow in Harding Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 12th at Gladfelter Funeral Home. Shirlee was born August 3, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois and resided in the Ottawa, IL and Serena, IL areas much of her life. She married Ralph W. Olmstead November 25, 1956 in Ottawa. He preceded in death January 9, 2010. Surviving are her sons, Mark (Debbie) Olmstead of Rockton, IL and Craig (Karin) Olmstead of East Peoria. She also leaves grandchildren, Matthew, Elsa and Will Olmstead; and a brother, Kenneth (Betty) Blake of Elkhart, IN. She was preceded in death by her mother Hazel Caroline (Schroeder) Blake. Shirlee attended McKinley Grade School in Ottawa, graduated high school from Augustana Academy in Canton, SD in 1948, and from Augsburg College in Minneapolis, MN in 1954. Upon returning to Ottawa in 1954, Shirlee joined Northern IL Gas Company as a Home Service Advisor before joining her husband to work on the farm. Shirlee commenced her teaching career in the fall of 1968 at Community Unit #2 (Serena & Sheridan) and served there for 22 years. She had great passion and energy for teaching little children and taught over 900 Kindergarten students during that time. Shirlee was involved in countless activities including a Vacation Bible School teacher, a Cub Scout Den mother, 4-H leader, and served as President of the Mother Association at The Howe School. Shirlee was an active member in her church congregation and sang in the choir during many of her younger years. She very much enjoyed travel throughout the United States and Europe and resided some of the winter months with her husband in Sun City, AZ during their retirement years. Memorials may be directed to Faith Lutheran Church, Pleasant View Lutheran Home, or the Ralph & Shirlee Olmstead Educational Scholarship Fund