"Amy really was the kindest, sweetest lady. I met her when I was in high school and Kathleen and I became close friends. Honestly, her spirit was among the most gentle I?ve ever seen. Kathleen, Suzanne, and David...I know you must be feeling lots of sadness right now. Your mom left a legacy we could all be proud of...kindness. Lots of love to all of you, her beloved family. ?"
In loving memory of
Amelia (Amy) Shults
May 28, 1928 - August 6, 2020
Amelia (Amy) Shults passed away on Thursday, August 6, 2020. She lived the last decades of her life in Phoenix, Arizona, and was a grand 92 years of age when the Lord welcomed her home.
Amy was born in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, on May 28, 1928, and began her life as the daughter of Susannah and William Neisius. Life on the farm as a child was an endearing memory for her.
Amy and Howard began their life together in Phoenix. They shared 55 years of marriage and enjoyed living in both Grand Junction and Flagstaff. It was in Flagstaff that Amelia worked as an Administrative Assistant to the Vice President at Flagstaff Medical Center. She developed a great love for this position.
Other aspects of Amy's life included her devotion to the Catholic faith, her enjoyment of theater and music, and her everlasting dedication to nurture and care for her family and friends.
As a young adult in Phoenix, she treasured her role as usher for theatrical and musical events. One of her greatest enjoyments came when she sang with the choir in the musical production of "Carmen" at NAU, and her delight with the production of "Sound of Music" in Flagstaff was obvious as she joyfully hummed along with each musical moment. Not to be forgotten was the annual tradition of getting that T.V. on and tuned in for Wizard of Oz!
Family was always first with Amy. Hawaiian vacations with Howard always created cherished memories for her. Welcoming grandchildren into an ever-expanding family with loving smiles, rocking, and lullabye singing brought her joy. Exceptional cooking skills filled hearts as much as tummies throughout the years. Such delicacies included homemade chicken noodle soup to make you feel better, coconut covered ice cream balls that often were topped with a candle, peppermint tea and candy, enticing banana nut bread and bran muffins and cranking the handle to make homemade ice cream. How she added wonderful memories to her family's lives through this gift of food!
Special friends were important to Amy, and she enjoyed them through activities such as line dancing, playing bingo and participating in yoga at her senior center in Phoenix, and her involvement with the local Post- Polio support group.
Amelia is survived by her three children, Suzanne, Kathleen and David, her daughter- in- law Suzie, her two brothers, Willis and Leon, nine grandchildren, and 11 great grandchildren. ( The 12th is on the way!) She was preceded in death by her husband, Howard, her parents, and her sister, Germaine.
Amelia's family will be honoring her life at a small gathering at 9:00am on Friday, August 21st at Francis Catholic Cemetery in Phoenix.
Tributes
"When I learned of Amy\'s death I thought to myself, I have lost my sweetest and kindest friend. Amy and I met when both of us moved into the Beatitudes around the same time. We were both adjusting to a new way of life and Amy would be so supportive and always ready to listen as I talked about caring for my husband who was very ill She knew I was heartbroken and her words were medicine for my soul. Whenever we visited I always felt better when we went our separate ways. Although we were friends for only a few years I am so happy that I had the privilege of knowing her and will always remember her with great fondness. For me Amy will always be a model of courage in facing the challenges of this aging process. Rest in Peace dear Amy. Julie Bresnahan"
"I\'ve known Amelia longer than anyone alive. It\'s been over 85 years. I called her Sis and she called me Bro. There were fun times and conflicts. If you haven\'t guessed, I\'m her brother, Willis. We were both products of central Wisconsin. We had an 80 acre dairy farm near the small town called Cadott. Amelia was given the job of taking care of me. Part of that job was to take care of my hygienic needs. Which was to wipe my butt after a BM. It used to be my older sister, Germaine\'s unpleasant job. One morning while I was sitting there in the out house with my pants around my ankles, she burst out laughing at me. That angered me and wouldn\'t let her take care of me anymore. You guessed right, Amelia got stuck with the job. Our farm life was a great adventure. I was probably a real pest to my sisters. They wouldn\'t let me play dolls with them. They would jump out of the hay mow into a stack of hay; I tried it and busted my head and they weren\'t allowed to do that anymore. Amelia used to like to play school the cows while they were waiting to be milked. Our short tenure on the farm had to end. Our farm was sold. Germaine was married and moved to her husband\'s family farm. The doctors said our father needed to move to a dryer/warmer climate for his health. We loaded our 1940 Hudson with an extra spare tire tied to the front and a canvas water bag hanging from the bumper. Don\'t know how long it took; we had 7 tire blow-outs. This was during the war, there no tires for civilians. Not much to laugh about on this trip. In Phoenix we stayed in a trailer for a while and then moved to a Mom/Pop store somewhere what is now Hatcher Rd. This is when our younger brother,Leon came on the scene. We then we moved to our house on 15th street. Amelia graduated from Phoenix Union Hi and went to work for a eye/ear/nose doctor. She was a good typist and was able to take short hand. I remember when her future husband came on the scene, he had a new red Ford convertible and an Indian stroked 80 motorcycle. He became like a big brother to me. When they moved to Colorado, I stayed with them for 2 years while I went to college. I was Amelia\'s on site babysitter the 3 children. After my time in Colorado, I went to the military, started my family. We each had our lives so most of our story was normal family contact. I do want to thank Kathleen, her children and our nephew, Dennis for helping her with her stay in the rest-home. I do want to thank you who read my ramblings. I was able reflect upon our lives one more time. Good by Sis, hasta que nos encontremos nuevo "
"To the sweetest Grandmother there ever was... The memories I have of you are irreplaceable. From my early childhood up until this very year you were the most caring, supportive grandmother a girl could ask for. I feel so lucky to have had you in my life for so long and will forever cherish all of the wonderful times I had with you. Love you so much, you will be greatly missed. xoxo Heather "
"Dear Grandma, You were such an important person in my life. It?s hard to imagine not sharing its joys and challenges with you now. I miss you so much. You?ve always been a source of encouragement and love, and I will treasure the many memories I have of time we spent together. I couldn?t be more proud to be your granddaughter. Love always, Melanie"
"You were always one of the most inspiring women in my life. Always so kind even at times when most wouldnt have been (myself included). In some of my roughest times you were there for me. I feel like you understood me more than most. You will be missed more than I would ever try to explain. Love, Travis and The Pendell family "
"So dear little Mom, You are missed every day; every moment that I would be talking to you. I think about you and what you did for me in the past and in the present. We shared many joys and some struggles of day to day life. Thanks for the never ending support you gave me, and my children through the years...thanks for being my bff and \"partner\" for so many years. My love, Kathleen"
"Amy became part of my life when I was 19 years old. She embraced me from the beginning. She helped me learn how to cook and how to be a gracious hostess. She celebrated with us in good times and supported us in the bad times. No one could ever ask for a better mother-in-law."
"Thank you, dear Mother, for all you did, and all you were. Respect and Love, David"
"Mom, I miss you so much! I miss being able to pick up the phone and call you. I miss your smile and your laugh. Your passing has left such an empty place in my life and I don\'t think that space will ever be filled. I have so many wonderful memories of you, of the fun times we used to have together. I love you, Mom! "