Shirley J. Nelson, 85, of Bismarck, formerly of Washburn, ND died of bladder cancer on February 6, 2021 at Edgewood Vista, Bismarck.  Visitation will be held from 3:00 PM until 5:00 PM on Friday, February 12, 2021 at Goetz Funeral Home, Washburn.  Private family services will be held.

Shirley Jean Yunker was born in Washburn, ND, on March 15, 1935 to Irene (Thyberg) and Edward Yunker.  Irene died when Shirley was 3 years old.  Her aunt Annie Thyberg and others cared for her.  Annie and Edward later married and Annie adopted Shirley.  They lived on a farm west of Washburn and added 6 more children to their family.

Shirley attended Washburn High School and was active in choir and other social clubs.  During high school, she and 2 friends formed a popular trio.  They entertained at many school and community events and remained lifelong friends.

Shirley married Bruce Christian Nelson in Washburn on June 28, 1953.  They lived on the Nelson farm west of Washburn and had 2 children; TJ was born on November 28, 1954 (deceased in November of 1974 and a daughter Julie was born on May 9, 1956.  Julie married Wayne Petersen in 1977. They had 3 children; Ben (Jessica) Petersen, Katie (David) Goetz and Dane Petersen.  Shirley loved being "nana" to Michael Gerlach (Erica), Trey Peterson, Parker, Nevaeh and Liam Kongslie and Layla and Corbyn Goetz.  Michael and Erica made her a great-great grandmother to Lyle Gerlach in 2020.

Shirley, Bruce and their children lived in Fargo, ND where Bruce attended NDSU.  They later moved back to Washburn where Bruce was a rural mail carrier.  They later owned and operated Nelson's Super Value.  Following TJ's death, they sold the grocery store and moved to Mandan where Shirley worked at Welk Steel and Bruce continued working a route in Mandan.  They moved back to Washburn in 1982 where Bruce continued driving the rural mail route.

Shirley and Bruce enjoyed traveling.  Each and every car trip began and ended with singing!  They spent several winters in Gulf Shores, Alabama.  They celebrated their 60 ^th Anniversary together in 2013.  Bruce died in 2013 and Shirley continued to live in their home in Washburn until she moved to Edgewood Vista in 2020.  The family was members of First Lutheran Church and Shirley was still attending until moving to Edgewood Vista in December 2020.

Shirley is survived by a daughter and son-in-law:  Julie and Wayne Petersen of Washburn; three grandchildren:  Benjamin Jon (Jessica) Petersen and family, Katherine Irene "Katie" (David) Goetz and family and Dane Michael Petersen; three sisters:  Marilyn (Lyle) Lutrell, Becky (Bob) Salveson and Kathy (Jim) Kaiser and two brothers:  Gordon (Mary) Yunker and Doug (DeAnn) Yunker, Shirley also enjoyed being an aunt to fourteen nieces and five nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Bruce; her son, TJ and a brother, Donald (Patti) Yunker.