Yvonne Ruth Shields

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m., on Thursday, March 1, 2018, at Northview - North Mankato Mortuary, with a visitation one hour prior. A private family burial will be held at a later date.

Yvonne was born in Rapid City, SD, on April 23, 1942, to Russell and Rubana Phillips. She attended school in Rapid City, graduating from Rapid City High School in 1960. In 1964, she met Tom Shields, who was serving in the US Air Force at Ellsworth AFB. She said it was the best blind date she ever went on.

On July 9, 1966, she and Tom were married at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Rapid City. She and Tom had four daughters. In 1972, the family moved to Eagan, MN and to Mankato, MN in 1976. In 1989, Tom and Yvonne moved to North Mankato, MN, where she lived until a month before her death. 

Throughout her life, Yvonne had many jobs. In Rapid City, she worked as a waitress at a drive-in restaurant, and as an operator at the phone company. In Eagan, she operated an in-home day care, and in Mankato she used her skills as a seamstress to alter dresses for a bridal shop in Mankato and later worked for 20 year as a press operator and an order processor at Carlson Craft in North Mankato.

While she enjoyed her various jobs, her love for her family and her passion for caring for others – especially children – is what was most important to her. She was the mother of every child’s dreams and she loved her role as a mother, a grandmother, and a great-grandmother. She loved all of her children and grandchildren unconditionally, and they experienced that love from her throughout her life. She did whatever was needed to ensure her family had what they needed, always putting her own needs second. She was also a second mom to many of her girls’ friends and could always be counted on to listen, provide a shoulder to cry on, or offer kind words and helpful advice.

In Eagan, she operated a daycare in her home, where she ensured that the children had nutritious meals, exercise, and fun activities every day. Yvonne was also a Girl Scout troop leader for 10 years, leading the Mankato area Girl Scout Cookie Drive for several years. Her Scouts recall her infectious laugh, the fun activities she organized, and her ability to make each one feel special.

To ensure that her family had nutritious food, Yvonne spent many summers in Mankato canning and freezing enough vegetables and fruits from the family’s garden to last until the next summer. She made the best dill pickles, but was known for her 10-day sweet pickles, which were often requested by her friends and extended family. At her children’s request, she worked as a homemaker from 1976 to 1985, when her youngest daughter went to junior high. 

Yvonne had a life-long love of reading, which she passed to her daughters.  Especially in the summer, she would take the girls to the public library, where the girls would check out a few books and she would check out at least seven books for herself, which she would read before the week was up. When her girls asked how to spell a word, her answer was, “look it up in the dictionary.” She didn’t do this because she didn’t know the answer but because she wanted to encourage her daughters’ to be independent thinkers and to teach them the importance of reading.

Even in retirement, Yvonne continued to share her love and passion for caring for others. She visited her mother, who lived in senior living communities in Mankato, every day, sometimes taking her out for lunch or shopping, but more often simply spending time with talking or simply sitting with her. Her special joy, however, was caring for her grandchildren. She looked forward to any opportunity to spend time with them. Later in life, she enjoyed visits from her great-grandchildren. And although her daughters were grown, she still always put them first and was there as a mother and a friend for them anytime they needed her.

Yvonne’s passion for caring for others extended to the family pets. Most recently, the family’s Basset Hounds, Constance and Danni, and the family’s cat, Blake were the objects of her great affection. She ensured that they had were well fed, were given plenty of treats and pets, and had at least one comfortable bed (with blankets on cold nights). Yvonne’s caring disposition also extended to her extensive collection of indoor plants and her outdoor flower garden.

In her retirement, Tom and Yvonne enjoyed going on cruises to the Caribbean and Alaska, and taking a cruise on The Heritage schooner along the coast of Maine. They also took a fishing trip in Canada and took many trips around the United States, most notably for her, a trip to the East Coast to see the fall colors. Of Tom, she said that she couldn’t have picked a better man to be her husband and that she was so happy he had chosen her.

When Yvonne made a friend, they were usually friends for life. She kept in touch with several friends from school in Rapid City and with friends in the various places they lived. Shortly after moving to Mankato, she joined a group of women who lived in the area and enjoyed having monthly coffee and coupon exchange as well as the all-important cookie exchange at Christmas. Yvonne didn’t take the easy way out. She made pecan pie tarts which were very labor intensive but a hit with her friends. For the last 5 years, she always looked forward to meeting a group of ladies for lunch every Monday. She considered each one a dear friend and always enjoyed the time she spent with them. Her friends remember her kindness, warm smile, infectious laugh, and willingness to step in and help whenever needed.

Yvonne was a gentle, kind woman with a beautiful smile and wonderful laugh. Though usually quiet, she was fiercely protective of those she loved. She was a true friend who was never afraid to say or do what was needed to protect her family and friends. Her strength of character guided her through everything she did and every decision she made. Her daughters have been blessed to have her as a role model of a life well-lived by a woman who was well-loved.