Shirley Courtney Celebration of Life

Thursday, April 23, 2015 3:31 pm

A memorial Celebration of Life for Shirley Courtney, of Decorah, is Sunday, May 3, a date chosen by her children as a tribute to the anniversary of their parents’ life together. Family and friends will gather from 2-4 p.m. at the St. Benedicts Catholic Church hall, 307 W. Main St., Decorah.

Shirley Courtney died peacefully Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015, at Gundersen Lutheran in La Crosse, Wis. She was surrounded by her children. Shirley was born Oct. 17, 1928, in Decorah to Evelyn (Berg) Bernatz and attended Decorah Public Schools. She was united in marriage to Peter F. Courtney May 3, 1949, at St. Benedicts Catholic Church. Shirley and Pete lived on the Courtney family farm near Bluffton until 1966, when they moved to Decorah. Shirley worked as a bookkeeper for several local businesses. In 1975 she began working at Aase Haugen, where she became the bookkeeper and stayed for over 20 years. Shirley and Pete raised four children: Jeffrey (Kathy Hansen) of Newaygo, Mich., Joni (Kent) Eubank of Coralville, Jay (Patricia Triska) Courtney of Coralville and Joel (Elizabeth Hennings) Courtney of Waukon. Shirley also was blessed with 12 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Shirley and Pete loved to dance, enjoying Nob Hill on a Saturday night. In her leisure time, Shirley always loved crocheting, reading and crossword puzzles. Both were very involved with the Kilties Drum and Bugle Corp. Shirley had a special friend, Carsten Hovden, also of Decorah. For the last 16 years, they enjoyed each other’s company as they traveled, fished and talked. 

Shirley was preceded in death by Peter, her husband of 44 years, in 1993 and her mother, Evelyn in 2000.