Shirley G. Pospishil, 89, of Wayne, died Friday October 4, 2024, at Faith Regional Health Services in Norfolk.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 11 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Wayne Visitation will be from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Wayne with a Vigil Service at 6:30 p.m. Burial will be in Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Greenwood Cemetery in Wayne.
Memorials may be directed to Shirley’s family for later designation.
Arrangements are with Hasemann Funeral Home of Wayne.
Shirley Gay (Lindsay) Pospishil, 89, was born Dec. 21, 1934 at her family farm home southwest of Wayne, to Francis Marion and Amy Ruth (Hamm) Lindsay. She attended school at District 57 and Wayne High School (graduated in 1952). Shirley married Gerald “Jerry” Pospishil Dec. 30, 1952 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church at Wayne and were married for 55 years. Shirley and Jerry wanted to share their love and adopted Steve and Becky. Shirley then blessed her family as a stay-at-home farm wife/mom for 16 years. She worked at several pharmacies in Wayne during her lifetime. She lost her husband, Jerry, in 2008 and then retired and moved into town in 2009.
Shirley worked hard on the farm growing up and helped neighbors as well. She made meals for farm help. Shirley enjoyed bowling for years with a couple’s group and a lady’s group. She was a part of a couple’s card club. She was a part of an extension club (Happy Homemakers) for years. She enjoyed many mother/daughter weekends with special friends and helped with the kids’ 4-H clubs (helped teach kids how to sew). She was a great seamstress and would make Barbie clothes and many clothes for Becky to wear which included her homecoming skirt, graduation outfit and many other items.
She raised chickens and cleaned them for good eating and selling (whole chicken for $1.25) and had a big garden. She had a great love for dogs and cats and would even take in strays or babysit pets for others when needed. She hosted many big family meals for the holidays and traditionally large weekend meals and we all enjoyed her wonderful cooking (our favorite meal was roast beef, potatoes/gravy). Loved camping with family and friends. She attended and supported kids activities such as band performances, sports… great cheerleader for Steve while he wrestled.
A great joy for her was being around family. She would help care for her nieces and nephews, Steve and Becky, and then a great joy of her grandchildren, Lucas and Emily. She also became a so-called “BIG” Grandma to Minh, Steve and Gai’s grandson. The grandkids loved Grandma’s cats and dogs, playing tractors or Bob the Builder or dolls/barbies. Grandma enjoyed attending their school performances/sporting activities. She was thrilled to welcome Grace (Lucas’s wife) to our family (July, 2023). She was proud to know Emily was pursuing a career in physical therapy. Grandma would say “This is what I live for!
Survivors include her son, Stephen Pospishil (Diem Gai Nguyen) of Lincoln; daughter, Rebecca “Becky” (Russell) Longe of Wakefield; grandchildren, Lucas (Grace Lindsay) Longe of Wayne, Emily Longe of Wayne, Trung, Minh, Tia Nguyen of Lincoln; sisters-in-law Donna Wareham of Richland Center, Wisconsin;,Fauniel Pospishil of Irene, South Dakota, and Cathy Varley of Wayne; nieces; nephews; cousins; friends; and special friend, Merrill Baier of Carroll.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Gerald “Jerry”; parents, Frank and Amy (Hamm) Lindsay; brother, Bryce Lindsay; mother and father-in-law, Leonard and Viola (Meister) Pospishil; brothers-in-law, Dennis Pospishil, Don (Nadine) Pospishil, Erwin (Polly) Pospishil; grandchildren, Baby and Zachary Longe.
