Shirley Ann Grimmius Blenderman

On October 12, 1932, in Palermo Township, IA two events of note happened. That day there was quite a snowstorm and Shirley Ann Grimmius was born in the family home to Ben and Emma Grimmius. Shirley grew up in rural Grundy Center out on the family farm and attended country school until the ninth grade, walking a mile down the gravel county road to get back and forth from school each day. At her very foundation, she was a farm girl from Grundy Center. She completed high school in Grundy and graduated with high honors for scholastic excellence. Her greatest fear as a youngster, was not being able to compete with the town kids. She worked hard and was the first female from Grundy Center to attend Drake University.

After college, her career took her to Monroe, Iowa and she eventually ended up in Des Moines. She took great pride in being a business teacher and part of the business department at East High School, and loved her role as head of the Pep Club. There was no place finer than Dear East High. Her children knew the East High Pep song from a young age as it was frequently sung while working in the kitchen. Shirley was awarded Iowa Business Teacher of the Year, and was a pioneer in achieving higher education, having received a BA in Education and an MA in counseling, both from Drake University. She was a 50-year member of Eastern Star and was an active member of Delta Kappa Gamma. She retired from DMPS in 1996 after 30-years of service.

Her birth family was very close. Her father, Ben and his brother, Leno, married sisters Emma and Hannah. A family of double cousins resulted, and made for exceptional family gatherings, including cousins Carmen, Linda, and Jim, and Shirley’s brother, Willis. 3 o’clock tea time and Sunday dinners were spent uptown around Grandma Dutch’s (a nickname resulting from being an immigrant from Holland) house speaking broken high German. Her aunt Wilhelmina Stohr was a role-model and a friend and the two of them remained very close until Myn’s death.

On June 5, 1955, Shirley married Gordon Blenderman in Des Moines, IA. They were married for 65-years and together they loved to travel and shared this love with their children for 2 weeks every summer, exploring every corner of the United States. Shirley carried with her a positive attitude, honesty, and love for her family. Two weeks after losing an eye to cancer, she and GK traveled to Paris. They continued their worldwide travels for many years enjoying different cultures, scenery and together, looking for her favorite red zinnias.

Together, Shirley and Gordon had three children, Marcy (Brian) Davidson, Craig (Ann) Blenderman and Amy (Walter) Cherry. They also had 7 grandchildren, Natalie, Rexford (Elise) and Blake Davidson, Taylor (Casey) Wilson and Morgan (Jeff) Roadman, and Jenna (Jake Johnson) Cherry and Britt Cherry. She was blessed with 3 great-granddaughters, Charlie and Remi Wilson, and Grier Davidson. Shirley was steadfast in her support of her husband and her family and was a consistent advocate at the highest level. Her passion was her ability to manage many things at one time, and to make sure that her children had both a strong faith and an education foundation to build from. She expected only the best from each of them.

Shirley loved Grundy Center and Drake University. Because of this, a scholarship fund will be established in her name, with the recipient being a female from Grundy Center High School attending Drake University. Anyone wishing to contribute to this fund should direct memorials to the family.

Services will be private due to COVID-19. Those sending cards, please include a favorite memory of Shirley. Gordon’s address is 6169 Brandywine Drive in Johnston, IA 50131.

Our family would like to thank all of the wonderful people that have been part of Shirley’s life through nine busy decades. She has been blessed to know each of you and to consider you a friend.

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