Shirley Ileen Ogden

1930 - 2021

Shirley Ileen (Iverson) Ogden, loving and devoted wife and mother of five, at the age of 90 experienced one final change of address as she entered into her heavenly home on Saturday, August 14, 2021 in Canton, Ohio.

Shirley was born on November 8, 1930 in Norway, Illinois to a 100 percent Norwegian heritage bestowed by Ingolf and Ada (Thompson) Iverson and raised on a farm where she learned the value of hard work.  She graduated from Serena (IL) High School in 1948 and married Wilbur Ogden, a 1945 Serena High School graduate, on October 8, 1950.  In 2020, they celebrated 70 years of marriage.  After their marriage, Shirley and Wilbur, who is the inventor of the battery-operated smoke detector, first lived in St. Charles (IL) for one year and then moved to Aurora (IL) where they successively lived at four addresses for over 66 years before relocating to Canton in 2019.  Together they raised five children, Steven Ogden of Fairview, TX; Thomas Ogden of Canton, Ohio; Daniel Ogden of Waco, Texas; Rebecca Ogden of Canton, Ohio and Jonathan Ogden of Algonquin, Illinois.  

Shirley’s passion and first priority in her life for the past 70+ years was her relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, with whom she is now seated in heaven, and her desire was for others to share in this love for and relationship with Jesus.  This included foremost her family of whom she wanted all to have an abiding love for Jesus.  She also expressed this with whomever she had occasion to contact as she and Wilbur worked tirelessly together to communicate this gospel to others through various leadership roles in their churches, as part of a Bible study group and prayer meeting each Monday evening in their home for many years, through hosting those in their home in need of short-term lodging and in a ministry of providing counseling services to any who desired this.  Shirley was a fantastic cook and could have had a successful restaurant featuring home cooking – Mama Shirley’s would be the place to be for a great meal.  She served as a hostess par excellence, mentor to younger women and matriarch of Mom’s Hearts Cry Prayer Group among others.  

Although she held a bookkeeping position for the three years after high school graduation and before she married and had her first child, once she became a mother, that became her job and her highest calling.  And she did it well in the manner of a Proverbs 31 woman, rising early to prepare for the day and to make sure her family had what they needed for the day.  While not perfect, there was no doubt in the minds of her children that they were dearly loved and treasured.

Shirley was a master gardener with a genuine green thumb as outside she cultivated a large vegetable garden and beds of beautiful flowers and inside she maintained many potted plants and various succulents wherever she lived.  As she aged and could no longer maintain her gardening, she often lamented this loss.  Shirley loved cardinals and her house was heavily decorated with pictures, sculptures, throws, plates and various knick knacks featuring the state bird of Illinois.

Shirley was preceded in death by her parents Ada and Ingolf Iverson.  She is survived by her husband Wilbur, children Steven, Thomas, Daniel and his wife Carol, Rebecca, and Jonathan and his wife Rose, parents to Shirley’s granddaughters Aliyah and Keira, who were the loves of her life.  When her husband Wilbur joins her in glory, at that time, a joint memorial and home-going service will be held in Aurora to celebrate their exemplary lives and their final address.

A memorial service for both Will and Shirley will be conducted on Saturday, July 29, at 11 AM at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 10 N. Edgelawn Drive, in Aurora with Dan Haas officiating. A visitation will held at the church beginning at 10 AM and a reception will follow at 1 PM at the Fireside Grille in Sugar Grove. Interment with military honors will be a private ceremony at the Fox River Cemetery in Norway, LaSalle County. All that knew Will and Shirley, fellowshipped with them and/or were impacted by their lives through the many years are most certainly welcome to join the family for a time of remembrance and a homegoing celebration of their lives as they have changed addresses, entered and been transformed into glory and have exchanged corruptible for incorruptible.

A memorial donation may be made to Hope Ministries International, PO Box 20456, Canton, OH 44701

Condolence's may be left for the family through the online guestbook HERE.