Shirley Davis, 91

Sept. 24, 1927 —

May 17, 2019

 

CRESCO - Shirley Davis, age 91 of Cresco, Iowa passed away on Friday, May 17, 2019 at Evans Memorial Home in Cresco. 

Private family graveside services will be at a later date in Cedar Hill Cemetery. Lindstrom Funeral Home is assisting the family.

Shirley Arvesta Davis was born on Sept. 24, 1927, in Albion Township, Howard County, Iowa, the daughter of Charles and Clara (Mandelko) Bigalk. She received her elementary education at the Lincoln School in Albion Township and graduated from Cresco High School in 1945. She worked briefly in Independence and Sioux City, Iowa before being employed as a medical secretary at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. 

In 1954 she entered the U.S. Department of State Foreign Service and served tours of duty at embassies in New Delhi, India; Santiago, Chile; and Mexico City, Mexico. After resigning from the Foreign Service, she moved to San Francisco, Calif., and worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 1966, she began her career with Standard Oil of California (now Chevron) and retired from there in 1988 after 22 years of service.

On Sept. 7, 1971, she married William B. Davis at St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Reno, Nev. In 1988, she and her husband moved to Cresco to spend their retirement years.

Shirley is survived by her nieces and nephews and their families and many friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Bill, who died in 2003; three brothers, Roger, Clinton and Arvid; and three sisters, Thelberta Norman, Carol Downey and Beryl Lahr.

Memorials may be directed to Zion Methodist Church, Cedar Hill Cemetery, Cresco Public Library or an organization of your choice.