Mankato Mortuary
1001 North Riverfront Drive
Mankato, MN 56001
507-388-2202
Shirley Grundmeier, 93, of Mankato died Friday April 27, 2018 at Pathstone Crossing.
Funeral will be 10:30am Friday, May 4 at Centenary United Methodist Church. Interment follows at Minneopa Cemetery. Visitation will be held Thursday from 4 – 7 pm at Mankato Mortuary and one hour before the service at the church on Friday.
Shirley was born to parents Leslie and Jennie Ruth. Soon after high school, she was hired by a large department store on the east coast. There she met and married Carl Miller and had three children: Alex, Judy and Rick. When the marriage ended, Shirley brought her children to Mankato and began working at the high school. She met college professor Winston Grundmeier in a “Great Books” club and learned they shared a love of great literature, classical music, movies, history, and traveling. They married and began 50 years of a wonderful life together.
After finishing her Masters degree at Mankato State University, Shirley taught vocal classes there and at Bethany College. Her passion for singing and performing on stage led to major roles in many musicals and concerts with Sweet Adelines. Like Win, Shirley believed in a strong education. With her scholarship programs, she helped many students achieve their dreams of a theater or music degree. She was also active in church and local civic groups. Shirley was loved by many with her very outgoing, engaging personality. Everyone she met was made to feel like her friend.
Shirley is survived by her daughter Judy Brown and son Rick Miller, sister Kay McKelvey, brother David (Kerry) Evans, daughter-in-law Brenda Miller, sisters-in-law, Joan Krummel and Judy Grundemeier, grandchildren, Bonnie (Dale), Tim, Ryan (Nikki) and Sara, five great-grandsons, many nieces, nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Winston, son Alex, sister Dorothy, daughter-in-law Julie and brothers-in-law, Paul, Harlan, and Alan.
Memorials are preferred to Blue Earth County Historical Society.
