Shirley Chapin
Oct. 16, 1932 - Dec. 16, 2020
Shirley Colleen (Retherford) Chapin, 88, of Fort Morgan, passed Wednesday, December 16, 2020 at Valley View Villa in Fort Morgan.
Shirley was born in Shaw, CO on October 16, 1932 to Marion Ellis Retherford and Ruby Catherine (Barnett) Retherford. Shirley lived with her family for many years in Akron CO. She met Bobby Joe Chapin of Weldona, CO and they were married on September 18, 1950 in Gehring, NE. After their marriage they lived in Scottsbluff, NE where Bobby worked at the ordinance plant until he was drafted into the Army. Their daughter Cyndi was born while Bobby was in the service.
The family moved to Denver after Bobby was discharged from the Army. Shirley worked as a bookkeeper at Bankers Warehouse for several years during which time their son, Terrie, was born. They moved several more times as Bobby, who worked for Western Electric, was transferred to different parts of the west.
In 1959 the family moved to the Morgan area where they soon purchased a farm and ran a dairy southwest of Fort Morgan. Shirley was very proud of how straight her corn rows were. After several years they returned to the Denver area so the family could enjoy spending time together playing with snowmobiles and boats.
Shirley went back to school to study computer programming. She worked for years at Miller International,
Inc. where she and Bobby became friends with several coworkers including Dean and Dixie Holm with whom they participated in car rallies with her 1972 Porche 914. They became lifelong friends.
Bobby and Shirley enjoyed traveling to places around the country and around the world including Germany, Austria, Spain, and Australia.
Shirley and her husband returned to Fort Morgan in March of 1999 where they purchased their dream home. They enjoyed reacquainting themselves with old friends in the area. Shirley was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, brothers James Edward Retherford and William Eldon Retherford, and grandson William Joseph Schueller, Jr.
Shirley is survived by daughter Cyndi Eberhart, and son Terrie and Sherry Chapin both of Fort Morgan, brother Ronnie Elwin and Janice Retherford of Denver, grandchildren, Tami (Chapin) and Sean Surdey of Wilmington, IL, Bobby Evan and Mary Francis Chapin of Fredric, CO, Richard Chapin of Oshkosh, WI, six great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be Tuesday, December 22, 2020 at Heer Mortuary Chapel in Fort Morgan at 11:00 am with services following at 1:00 pm. Interment will follow in the Memory Gardens Cemetery in Fort Morgan.
Heer Mortuaries and Crematory are in charge of arrangements.