"Shirley was such an outgoing, loving lady. My sons and I with her daughter, Barbara, spent a week at Bob and Shirley?s cabin in Minnesota after my family moved away from Arizona. It was wonderful to spend time with my best friend for that week and get to know her wonderful parents. I always treasured that time together. When Shirley and Bob moved to Phoenix I was able to see Shirley from time to time and she was always with a smile and hug. Barbara, you took such wonderful care of her, you?ll be greeted heartily when reunited in Heaven."
In loving memory of
Shirley M. Greiner
December 1, 1922 - February 19, 2021
Shirley M. Ellis Greiner, the youngest daughter of Clyde W. Ellis and Mina Mae Packard was born December 1, 1922, in Trenton, Missouri. Mrs. Greiner passed away Friday, February 19, 2021, at Avista Senior Living in Phoenix, Arizona, from complications of congestive heart failure.
Shirley met Robert R. Greiner, a US Army Air Corp Sgt., in 1943 while working at the Glen L. Martin airplane factory, where Shirley was a parts supervisor. They were married two years later on September 29, 1945 in Omaha, Nebraska. They had been married nearly 63 years, when Bob passed away on Father's Day, June 15, 2008 in Trenton, Missouri.
She was a professional seamstress for nearly 50 years and raised their four daughters as Bob climbed the corporate ladder, moving 20 times crisscrossing the Midwest. After Bob retired, he and Shirley spent ten years as "Snowbirds", pulling their travel-trailer from Minnesota to Weslaco, Texas, where they spent the winter having fun with other retired folks from Trenton.
From a musical family, Shirley had a fine soprano voice and loved music. She was a talented quilter and amateur painter. Her favorite color was blue. She was an excellent cook and baker, especially Christmas cookies. Her pie crust would melt in your mouth. She loved gardening and bird watching. Shirley was a descendant of the Mayflower passengers and a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was an exceptional volunteer in her church and her community. She was a devoted and loving caregiver to family, friends and neighbors, her entire life.
Her most memorable times were spent at the family cabin in the Northwoods of Minnesota, catching those big crappies. The last of her generation, she was a hardworking, independent Christian woman who strongly believed that her purpose on this Earth was to help others, and so, she gave of her time and talents wherever she lived.
"G.G." as she was affectionately called by the youngest in her family, is survived by her four daughters: Mrs. Cheryl Ann Bibler (William), Mrs. Barbara Lynn Janson (Richard), Mrs. Janet Sue Kinney (Ronald) and Patricia Marie Travis, 7 grandchildren, and 6 great-grandchildren.
Shirley will be fondly remembered for her generosity, humility, and sweet personality. She will always be admired for her work ethic and her determination in the face of adversity- even until her final days.
A Celebration of Life will be held in honor of this extraordinary woman, Mrs. Shirley Greiner on Saturday, March 6, 2021 at 10:00am, Hansen Desert Hills Mortuary (Courtyard), 6500 E. Bell Road Scottsdale, AZ. Due to Covid services are limited to family, close friends, and fellow quilters.
Shirley will come home to join her husband and the Tapscott-Ellis family in the Trenton Masonic Cemetery in late April 2021 when a gathering of family and friends will say goodbye to our beloved Mother, Grandmother and Great-grandmother, knowing she is finally at rest with the Lord.
In lieu of flowers, Shirley requested donations be made to:
St. Mary's Food Bank in Phoenix https://www.firstfoodbank.org/
The Arizona Quilters Guild https://arizonaquiltersguild.org/ or
Devereux Schools Arizona https://www.devereux.org/site/SPageServer/?pagename=az_index