Shirley Corkrean

Shirley Corkrean, 92, of Winterset, passed away on Sunday, December 25, 2022 at the Iowa Senior Jewish Life Center in Des Moines. She is now reunited with her husband, Gene, who passed long ago in 1975 and her two sons, John and Richard.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, December 30, 2022 at the St. Joseph Catholic Church in Winterset. Family will greet friends one hour prior beginning at 9:30 a.m. Burial will be in the Winterset Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be directed to the Winterset Public Library and the St. Joseph Catholic Church.

Shirley was born in New Sharon, Iowa on November 16, 1930, the daughter of Alfred and Anna (Van Rheenen) Palmer. She graduated from Earlham High School. Her first job out of high school was at the local telephone company as a phone operator. She met her soon to be husband, Gene Corkrean, at the Winterset skating rink and they were married at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Winterset on August 18, 1951. In 1971, she took a job in town at Union State Bank in the accounting department where she worked for 25 years before retiring.

Along with her husband Gene, they raised eight children and farmed in the Winterset area. She was a dedicated homemaker and farmwife, staying very busy caring for her children, tending to a large garden every summer, and running kids into town for school, church and sports activities. She was a member of the St. Joseph Catholic Church and the Altar and Rosary Society.

In retirement, Shirley continued to enjoy many sport activities of her grandchildren, traveled with the Union State Bank travel club with her sister-in-law, Barb Corkrean as her travel companion, bowled in a local league, and enjoyed yearly summer trips to Lake Okoboji with her kids and grandkids. After many years of cooking for a large family, her favorite vacations were cruises with all the wonderfully prepared food.

Shirley was an avid reader. She loved working crossword puzzles, she crocheted many blankets for family, enjoyed watching Iowa State football and basketball, and played cards and Scrabble weekly with her adult kids. She was a big supporter of the Winterset Girls’ softball team and followed their games virtually on her phone after getting to the softball diamond became too difficult.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Alfred and Anna (Van Rheenen) Palmer; her husband, James Eugene “Gene” Corkrean; her sons, John Corkrean and Richard Corkrean; and her brother, Bill Palmer.

Shirley is survived by her children, Steve Corkrean (Nancy) of Winterset, Kathleen Thomas (Terry) of Ankeny, Colleen Ewers (Marc) of Des Moines, Patty Denison (Mike) of West Des Moines, Terry Corkrean of Ankeny, and Laura Adams (Dave) of Ankeny; 14 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren; brothers-in-law, Pat Corkrean (Nancy) and Larry Corkrean (Debby) and sisters-in-law, Pat Corkrean and Mary Corkrean all of Winterset.

Thanks to Dr. Joe Kimball and staff at Madison County Health Trust, Dr. Lazaro Rabang and staff and nurses at the Iowa Senior Jewish Life Center and Suncrest Hospice nurses.