Shirley Ann Massop

Shirley Ann Massop (Karstedt), age 86, of Mapleton, died Saturday, October 30, 2021 at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato.

Memorial Mass will be held at 11am, Saturday, December 4, 2021 at St. Teresa’s Catholic Church in Mapleton with visitation starting at 9:30. Burial will take place at a later date at Calvary Cemetery in Mapleton. Please share a memory of Shirley with her family and view her service via livestream at www.mankatomortuary.com.

The family prefers memorials be directed to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (www.stjude.org/donate or by mail at 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105), St. Joseph’s Indian School (www.stjo.org or by mail at 1301 North Main Street, Chamberlain, SD 57325), or to the Mapleton Museum (Maple River Heritage Inc, P.O. Box 474, Mapleton, MN 56065)

Shirley Ann Massop was born on March 13, 1935 to George “Pat” and Viola (Possin) Karstedt on a small farm northeast of Mapleton. She started school in a one-room country school, then they moved to Mankato for two years. After this, they moved back to Mapleton where she spent the rest of her school years. She graduated from Mapleton High School in 1954, then she went on to Mankato Teachers College. In 1956, she married Joseph “Joe” Massop. They lived in Mapleton the rest of their lives. They had four children, Joseph Ronald, Steven Jon, Coleen Ann, and Susan Ann.

She had several jobs to help tide the family over. In 1964, they started their own business. Shirley was the bookkeeper and handyman. She retired in 1999.

Shirley liked her flower garden, sewing, curling, reading, and playing bridge. She has made over 100 quilts. Shirley loved having her grandchildren and great-grandchildren visit her. She taught religion for 25 years at St. Teresa’s Catholic Church. She put on the Christmas pageant with the first through sixth graders for most of those years. She was on the parish council for twelve years, one of which she was the president.

Shirley and Joe loved to travel. They traveled the world over, including all 50 states in the USA. In 1976, she was chosen to curl in the US Women’s Curling Team, a team of 20 women from all across the US. They curled in every rink in Scotland.

In 1990, they started to spend their winters in Phoenix, AZ. The weather was better for her asthma.

Shirley was preceded in death by her mother and father; two brothers, Robert and Elliot Karstedt; a sister-in-law, Margaret Karstedt; and a son-in-law, Kipp Goodrich.

She is survived by her husband, Joe; four children, Joseph (Gina) Massop, Steven (Cindy) Massop, Coleen (Jeff) Lindemann; and Susan (Wayne) Peterson; 11 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; 1 great-great-grandchild with two more on the way; brother, David (Pam) Karstedt; and many nieces and nephews.