Obituary: Shirley Kittelson

Shirley Kittelson

Eden Prairie, Minn.

Shirley (Geisler) Kittelson passed away peacefully from leukemia on Thursday, September 21, 2023, at the age of 86, surrounded by her loving family. A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Sunday, November 5, 2023 at First Lutheran Church, Harvey, N.D. Pastor Katie Rodriguez will officiate and burial will be at Hillside Cemetery, Fessenden, N.D. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church.

She was born on March 31, 1937, in Harvey, N.D., to Walter and Frieda (Pepple) Geisler. Shirley grew up in Hamberg, N.D., and attended grade school in Hamberg and high school in Fessenden, N.D. On January 29, 1956, she married Clayton Kittelson at the Concordia Lutheran Church. Their first home was on the Kittelson family farm north of Hamberg, where they had three daughters.

From 1960 to 1963, Shirley and Clayton lived in Bottineau, N.D., before returning to Hamberg to the farm where they farmed small grains, and also owned and operated the Hamberg Locker Plant from 1963 to 1979. After the passing of Clayton in 1989, Shirley worked as a service provider for people with intellectual disabilities from 1989 – 2016. She eventually settled in Harvey, N.D. In May 2018, Shirley moved to Eden Prairie, Minn., and became a well-known and active member of the Summit Place Independent Living community.

Shirley was active in the Hamberg, Fessenden and Harvey Lutheran churches. She was proud of participating in the "Merry Maids" homemakers club for over 50 years, and was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, Red Hat Ladies and Craft Club.

You only had to meet Shirley once to remember her for a lifetime. Shirley will be fondly remembered by all who knew her for her cooking, baking (homemade buns!), canned pickles and the "Shirley Shuffle." She enjoyed sewing matching dresses for her three young daughters, reading, antique glassware, clothes shopping, and she gardened every year until her passing. She had a passion for ice cream, country music, and listening to and attending Daniel O'Donnel concerts. She loved lutefisk, and attended the Norsk HostFest over 30 times. She was in her element playing bingo, card games and dominoes with friends. Shirley was an unwavering fan of the Twins, never missing a game and kept tabs on the personal lives of all of the players. Her contagious smile, regular check-ins with loved ones (usually texting), and her birthday and holiday cards will be deeply missed.

Shirley is survived by her two siblings: Terry (Cheryl) Geisler, Aberdeen, S.D., and Jan (Tom) Nermyr, Kerrville, Texas, as well as her three daughters: Jonell Rittmiller, Fargo, N.D., Peggy (Randy) Lembke, Foristell, Mo., and Cindy (Bill) Gafford, Chaska, Minn. She also leaves seven grandchildren: Amy (Chris) Blair, Adam (Ashley) Baker, Amber Baker, Chad (Julie) Lembke, Lindsay Gafford, Brittany (Tom) Moor and Kevin (Samantha) Gafford, as well as her seven great-grandchildren: Libby, Maddox, Abigail, Cora, McKenzie, Eleanor and Lucy.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Walter and Frieda Geisler; her husband, Clayton Kittelson; her companion for 20-plus years, Marvin Gisi; and her son-in-law, Vincent Rittmiller.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Arrangements by Nelson Funeral Home, Fessenden, N.D.