Shirley Mae Doeling, age 93, of Carrington, ND, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, January 2, 2019. Prior to her passing, Shirley was visited and comforted by family members at Your Life Senior Living in Pensacola, FL.

Shirley Doeling was born on June 3, 1925 in Estabrook, ND. She was the eldest of two daughters born to Jemima Frances and George Stephen Weller.

Shirley grew up in Carrington and graduated from Carrington High School in 1943. She attended secretarial school and at age 19 moved to Portland, OR where she worked in the business office of a fastener company. Shirley always said the employees from ND worked twice as fast as the rest of the secretarial staff, but unfortunately, were never paid twice as much! Shirley made several lifelong friends in Portland and had fond memories of her time there. In 2012 daughter Dee accompanied Shirley to Portland for a memorable reunion.

When Shirley returned to Carrington she worked in the business office at the Carrington Creamery. She met her husband-to-be at a local dance and on May 13, 1956, Shirley married Herman Richard “Dick” Doeling. They had four children and Shirley worked as a full time mom and office manager for the H. R. Doeling Tax Business. Shirley was a talented baker/cook and her family especially appreciated her Sunday morning caramel rolls, parmesan fried walleye fillets, sour cream banana bread, and the fact that she kept the cookie jar full.

Shirley was an active participant in Grace Lutheran Church. She served as both member and leader in the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League. Shirley was blessed to serve alongside many who would become close friends.

At age 50 Shirley underwent treatment for cancer. This prompted her support of the American Cancer Society (ACS) and service as a leader in local ACS fundraising campaigns. Once she reached the five-year survival mark, being a cancer survivor was part of her identity and she was quick to speak a word of encouragement and comfort to others with cancer.

Shirley enjoyed traveling. One especially meaningful trip was when she drove her mother and Grandma Katie in 1952 to California to visit family. They were on the road by 5 am and supper was a bottle of “pop” (soda) and cookies! Later in life, Shirley and Dick traveled to Mexico, Aruba, Australia, and Italy. She also enjoyed meeting her daughters and granddaughters in a selected city for a weekend of shopping, dining, shopping, theater, and shopping. It was common knowledge that Shirley could out-shop us all!

Once Shirley and Dick retired, they volunteered regularly at Carrington’s Daily Bread and found great fulfillment in helping those in need.

Shirley and Dick celebrated their milestone anniversaries with family. Their 25^th was in Carrington and their 50^th was celebrated on a Caribbean Christmas cruise with all their children and grandchildren. Her husband Dick would often smile and lovingly declare, “I married an exceptional lady.”

Shirley is preceded in death by her parents Jemima and George Weller and grandparents, Katherine and John Summers, Mary and Joseph Weller.

Shirley is survived by: husband Dick Doeling; son Paul Doeling; daughters: Dee (Forrest) Ramsel, Linda (Robert) Spencer, and Mary (Paul) Hlavinka; sister Mary Catherine Feld; grandchildren: Jessica (Jonathan) Miller, Janelle Ramsel, Katie (Bobby) Duke, Gena Hlavinka, Alexander Spencer, and Zachary Spencer, and great-grandson Eli Miller.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Carrington’s Daily Bread, 875 Main Street, Carrington, ND 58421 or to Grace Lutheran Church LWML, PO Box 436, Carrington, ND 58421.

Visitation will be held on Friday from 9:00AM-7:00PM with family present from 5:00-7:00PM at Evans Funeral Home, Carrington.

Funeral Service will be Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 10:30AM at Grace Lutheran Church, Carrington.

Burial will be held at the Carrington Cemetery.