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Shirley Oliver, age 86, formerly of Ft. Calhoun, NE, entered eternal rest on January 4, 2025, at Accura HealthCare in Stanton, IA.

Shirley Elizabeth Oliver was born February 28, 1938, the daughter of Louis and Nina (Calebretto) Kriegler in Omaha, NE. Shirley attended school in East Omaha until early in her 9th grade year when she quit to assist her mom at Given’s IGA Grocery Store and help care for her younger siblings, Ralph and John. She later worked at Harold’s in East Omaha as a courtesy clerk and moved in with her brother Donny and wife, Margaret. While working at Harold’s, she met the love of her life, Albert (Ben) Oliver in 1959. Ben was working as a meat cutter. They told their parents they were attending a Christmas Eve party; however, they eloped and were married on Dec. 24, 1960.

Shirley and Ben moved to Ft Calhoun, NE, when Nina purchased the Longhorn Bar. Ft. Calhoun became their permanent home to settle and raise a family. Three children would bless this marriage: Chan, Dominee and Corey.

Shirley worked mostly as a grocery checker at various times throughout her life, first at her mom’s store, then Harold’s at the courtesy counter, as a checker at Price Chopper in Council Bluffs with Ben, and later at Pioneer Foods in Ft. Calhoun, NE. Shirley stayed at home when the kids were little and later went back to work when the kids were in high school. Shirley contributed to the family income even in those early years. She was an avid coupon clipper and participated in rebates whenever she could find a deal. She started a night-crawler business mostly on her own with Chan and Corey providing the night-crawlers. She assisted Ben in managing his lawn furniture and picnic table business for many years.

Shirley enjoyed roller skating, bowling and ceramics in her younger years. Her main hobbies were cooking and baking, which she learned from her mom and grandmother, Rosa. Shirley would make home-made soups, cookies and other baked goods. She had a very generous heart and would bake large trays of cookies during the holidays to share with family and friends. She often made soup for anyone she knew who may have been sick. She and Ben enjoyed going to the horse and dog races or to the casino. She enjoyed family vacations fishing in Minnesota, family cookouts and gatherings, doing crossword puzzles and reading. She and Ben loved being at home playing cards or board games, watching football or working in their yard. Shirley also collected donkey and elephant figurines. She was very detail-oriented and wrapped the most beautiful gifts, creating her own unique bows for each package.

After Ben’s passing, Shirley became a member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Ft. Calhoun and enjoyed many outings with Ed and Monica Smith. She enjoyed babysitting and spending time with her grandkids and assisting Corey in his cleaning business. She loved talking to her family and friends over the phone in those later years. She participated in “Books on Tape” through the NE Commission for the Blind for many years. Despite all the health issues Shirley had to endure throughout her life, she never let anything slow her down and remained very independent, living in her own home until relocating to Stanton, IA, at the age of 85.

Left to cherish her memory are her sons: Chan Oliver (Annie) of Ft Calhoun, NE; Corey Oliver (Nancy) of Blair, NE; and her daughter, Dominee (Stan) Morris of Corning, IA. Her grandchildren: Nathan Oliver (Courtney) of Omaha, NE; Conner Oliver of Blair, NE; Chance Oliver of Omaha NE, Wylie Oliver of Omaha, NE; Jamie Bohanan (Lucy) of Corning, IA, and Lindsey Davis (Kiel) of Creston, IA; brother Ralph (Sandy) Givens of Ft. Calhoun, NE; sister-in-law and best friend, Margaret Kriegler of Omaha, NE; 7 great-grandchildren, many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Preceding Shirley in death was her husband, Ben, in 1999; brothers Donald Kriegler and John Givens; parents Nina Knoblauch and Louis Kriegler; great grandparents, Dominic and Rosa Calabretto, and several other close relatives.

SERVICES: Funeral and Burial Services for Shirley are Private Family Only.

MEMORIALS SUGGESTED TO: The Nebraska Commission for the Blind, Ft. Calhoun Fire and Rescue, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Ft. Calhoun or the Ronald McDonald House.

~~~Obituaries courtesy of the Nebraska Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair, Nebraska Public Library~~~

Find a Grave Memorial #277961862