Shirley St. Aubin

Shirley Ann (Claeys) was born June 10, 1942, in Grandview Township to Francis and Annabelle (Johnson) Claeys. She grew up on a farm South of Ghent and graduated from Central Catholic High School in Marshall. Shirley then attended the Minnesota School of Business in Minneapolis. On November 28, 1964, she was united in marriage to Dennis St. Aubin at St. Eloi Catholic Church in Ghent. The couple farmed and raised their family near Ghent. Shirley worked as an office worker at a variety of places including the ASC Office, Soil and Water Conservation Dept, Harvest States, Rye’s Nursery, Greenwood Nursery and Bridal Impressions. She also worked at the Lyon County Fair with the open class entry forms. Shirley loved the outdoors. She enjoyed bird watching, flowers and was a Master Gardener. She enjoyed photography and took photos of nature, weddings and many family and social functions. She also enjoyed gardening, canning, baking and cooking. Family was the most important part of her life. Shirley was a very devoted wife, mother, sister and daughter. She was the “organizer” of her family and was known to her grandchildren as “Grandma Cookie.” Shirley was a member of 4-H and the Minnesota Master Gardeners. She died Thursday, February 11, 2010, at the Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD after a short battle with leukemia (AML). Shirley is survived by her husband, Dennis, of Marshall, children Todd (and Traci) of Marshall, Tammy (and Tom) Balko of Redwood Falls, grandchildren John, Brad, Michaela, Rebecca and Alex, mother Annabelle Claeys, siblings Bonnie Prieto (and Mike Colburn) of Camarillo, CA, Paulette (and Tom) Como of St. Cloud, Linda Peterson (and Kirk Redlin) of Fruitland, ID, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her father, Francis Claeys. Memorials preferred to the Leukemia - Lymphoma Society or National MS Society.