– Shirley Ann (Gagner) Slininger, 80, died on Sunday, September 17, 2023 at her home in Rochester. Shirley was surrounded by her family and friends as the heavenly Angels received her into heaven.
Shirley Ann (Gagner) Slininger was born on June 7, 1943 to Wilfred and Alma (Bruneau) Gagner in Crookston. She grew up and attended school in the Red Lake Falls area.
She was united in marriage to Ralph Russell Slininger on August 3, 1966. Shirley was a homemaker and mother for many years, raising four children. She also was a professional commercial office cleaner and worked in the healthcare field in her later years caring for her family and many “kin” children and grandchildren. She was an avid traveler, taking in all the breathtaking views of her spiritual and life journey.
Shirley was an avid gardener and loved having lots of house plants. She enjoyed quilting, embroidery, knitting, and sewing clothes from patterns. She would make beautiful ensembles for her family to wear. She loved to bake and cook large meals for the family. Shirley liked to play bingo and would go on the occasional casino trip to eat and play a few games. She loved to go bowling and enjoyed playing as well as watching. She loved playing solitaire and rummy with her family. She painted on canvas and colored adult coloring pages in her pasttime, she would give these pages away as gifts to her loved ones. She enjoyed reading and the occasional crossword puzzles.
She enjoyed the outdoors, fishing, hiking and camping. One of her favorite moments she always reminisenced about was walking on the beaches in Florida with her family by her side. Aside from traveling, her favorite TV shows were Gilmore Girls, Heartland, and Good Witch, westerns and many more to pass the time. She loved to go shopping and enjoyed Sunday afternoons with all her family. Children were always gathering around her for a hug.
Shirley always had her heart and arms open to help anyone in need, she cared for many people over the years and was truly loved and embraced by many.
Shirley is survived by four children, Carey Slininger, Grand Forks, ND, Renae (Slininger) Cooley, Rochester, Craig (Tammy) Slininger, Leroy Slininger, Chatfield; grandchildren, Jennifer Daniels, Christine (Tom) Somvilai, Tristin Slininger, Katie Strand, Cearra Strand, Starr Strand, Seth Strand, Skyla Strand, Kortney Cooley, Seneca (Michael) Coates, and Josh Amundson. She is also survived by great-grandchildren, Landen Chute, Kayden Chute, Emma Benoit, Corey Benoit Jr, Allen Somvilai, Tailina (Nick Cheng) Somvilai, London Somvilai, Rivalynn Somvilai, Koah Somvilai, Jasmin Guajardo, Bentley Strahl, Kenneth Strand III, Esme Strand, Winter Brown, Leilyaina Slininger, and Jaydah Coates; great-great-grandchildren, Azeo Cheng-Somvilai, Saila Somvilai, Kai Somvilai, Mira Bella and Stella; brothers, Jerry (Jan) Gagner, Fountain Hills, AZ, Jim (Noreen) Gagner, Erskine, Willard (Nasreen) Gagner, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, Steve Gagner, Spokane, WA; sisters, Ella Gagner, Little Canada, Lou (Doug) Hagl, Red Lake Falls, Kathy (Robert) Hochreiter, St. Paul, Sharon (Mark) Nelson, Red Lake Falls, Mary Jackson, Denver, CO, and Deb (Nick) Thompson, Prescott Valley, AZ. Shirley is also survived by many nephews and nieces; “kin” children; “kin” grandchildren; and other relatives and friends.
Shirley was preceded in death by her former husband, Ralph in 2011; infant daughter, Baby Girl; her parents, Wilfred and Alma Gagner; one infant brother, Leon; and one sister, Jan Sherman; grandsons, Andrew Slininger, Sebastian Cooley, and Kenneth Strand Jr.; and granddaughter, Alex Ellingson.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1:30 p.m., Friday, October 6, 2023 at the St. Bernard’s Catholic Church in Thief River Falls, with Father Craig Vasek presiding. Burial will follow in the St. Bernard Cemetery, Thief River Falls.
Visitation will be from 5–8 p.m. on Thursday, October 5, 2023 at Johnson-Green Funeral Service in Thief River Falls, with a 7 p.m. prayer service on Thursday evening and also at the church for one hour prior the funeral Mass.
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