Shirley Jean Olson, 87, of Maquoketa, Iowa, passed away at home on Friday afternoon, October 23, 2026.

Shirley Jean Gilmore was born on July 29, 1939, in Clinton County, Iowa, to Paul and Maxine (Crist) Gilmore. She grew up in the area and graduated from Lost Nation High School. On June 7, 1958, she was united in marriage to John E. Olson in Lost Nation, Iowa. Together, they built a life centered on family, hard work, and devotion to one another. They were blessed with two daughters, Deb and Dawn.

Shirley began her working years at A&W, where she met John, and later worked briefly as a receptionist at Jackson County Public Hospital. She went on to dedicate 27 years of service as a teacher’s associate at Maquoketa Community High School before retiring. Through her years of service, she was part of the school community and the lives of the students she encountered.

Shirley was a woman of faith who was a member of the United Church of Christ in Maquoketa. She enjoyed playing cards at the YMCA and Senior Center, activities she participated in for many years. She found happiness in life’s simple pleasures, especially vegetable gardening, picking berries, and preserving the fruits of her labor to enjoy throughout the year. She also loved flowers and took pride in the many flower gardens she maintained at her home in the country.

A devoted sports fan, Shirley cheered for the Chicago Bears, the Iowa Hawkeyes, and the Indiana Fever women’s basketball team. She enjoyed many kinds of music and especially enjoyed playing the organ. During their years together, Shirley and John shared a love of adventure and the outdoors, enjoying camping, boating, motorcycle riding, and horseback riding.

Those left to cherish Shirley’s memory include her daughters, Deb Olson of Sebring, Florida, and Dawn and Tom Hare of Maquoketa; three grandchildren, Katie Davis, Brian and his wife, Madison Hare, and Autumn and her husband, Kurt Woodward; four great-grandchildren; her sister, Judy, and her husband, Blayne Keeney, of DeWitt, Iowa; brother-in-law Jim and wife Bonnie Olson of Blairsville, GA; and several nephews and a niece and several cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, John, who passed away on December 6, 2001; and her brothers, Jerry and David Gilmore, brothers-in-law, Buddy and Don Olson, and sister-in-law Myrna Olson.

A celebration of Shirley’s life will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, October 30, 2026, at Carson Celebration of Life Center in Maquoketa. Visitation will take place from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. before the service. Burial will follow at Mount Hope Cemetery in Maquoketa.

Online condolences may be left at www.CarsonAndSon.com.