WAUSA — Funeral service for Shirley JaNeil (Craig) Eckstrom, 91, McLean, will be held at 10:30 a.m., June 5, at Thabor Lutheran Church, Wausa. PMA Richard Bloomquist will be officiating the service.

Interment will take place at Woodlawn Cemetery, Wausa.

The visitation will be 4-7 p.m., June 4, at Stonacek Funeral Chapel, Randolph.

Shirley died May 31, 2025, at Osmond General Hospital after multiple health issues. She was born Dec. 27, 1933, on a farm northeast of Osmond, the daughter of Aura and Dorothy (Salisbury) Craig. She had two brothers and two sisters, Harold Craig, Russell Craig, Faye (Craig) Babst, and Mildred (Craig) Jacobson. She was baptized Jan. 22, 2002, at Thabor Lutheran Church, Wausa. She attended rural country school east of Osmond, and graduated in 1951 from Randolph High School. Following high school, she graduated from Norfolk College of Business in Norfolk. She also loved to draw and do calligraphy in her younger years. Shirley met the love of her life,Dean Eckstrom, in early 1955 at a dance in Randolph, shortly after Dean got out of the service. Shirley and Dean were married on Aug. 18, 1955, at the United Methodist Church, Randolph. They were married for 59 years prior to Dean passing away Nov.26, 2014, at Mercy Medical Center, Sioux City, Iowa, following a car accident. The couple had five children, four sons and one daughter. They farmed with their family near McLean their entire lives.

Shirley was a member of Thabor Lutheran Church, Wausa. She was a devoted wife and loving mother to her children. She worked beside her husband doing farm work, taking care of livestock, and milking cows for many years, as well as taking care of the house, cooking, cleaning and preparing many meals for her family and hired men, often taking meals out to the fields when they didn’t want to take a break to come in.She loved spending time with her family and was always interested in what they were doing. In her spare time, she loved seeing the flowers coming up every spring, along with bird watching. She also loved doing word find puzzles, looking through books and magazines on health improvement, home interior update magazines, and had many recipe books/ magazines as well, always hoping to try to make something new.

Shirley is survived by her four children, Barry Eckstrom, Sr., (Sherry), Pierce; Brian Eckstrom, McLean; Todd (Sharon) Eckstrom, McLean; and Cynthia (Damon) Hartmann, Rapid City, S.D. She is also survived by many grandchildren, step grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews; two sisters, Faye Babst, Lincoln, and Mildred Jacobson, Oak Creek, Wis.

She was preceded in death by her parents;husband, Dean Eckstrom; one infant son, Kurt David Eckstrom; two brothers, Harold and Russell Craig; grandson, Barry Dean Eckstrom, Jr.; and a step great-grandson.

Pallbearers will be her grandchildren, Stephanie (Eckstrom) Bonertz, Bryce Eckstrom, Jacob Eckstrom, Caleb Eckstrom, Cherise (Hartmann) Evans and Christina Hartmann.

Honorary pallbearers will be her remaining grandchildren and great-grandchildren and step grandchildren.