Shirley Jean Kinney

1931 - 2019

Shirley Jean Kinney

Des Moines - Shirley Jean Kinney was born on July 11, 1931, to Arthur and Helen (Templeton) Rouse. In the early morning of November 15, 2019, she left this earth to join the angels she so loved.

Shirley grew up and lived her entire life in Des Moines, Iowa. She married Robert Kinney on February 7, 1953, and together they had five children.

Shirley's life was centered from the beginning on her family, which she always put before herself. The oldest of eight children, she left East High School before graduating to help care for her siblings and was a second mother to them after their mother's death. She worked hard at the Iowa Theatre, the Grand Theatre, Charleston Court, Woolco, the Marriott, and County Seat, spending the money she earned primarily on her children and later her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her generosity shone especially bright on Christmas and birthdays, when she put her ability to stretch a dollar to its highest use. In addition to mothering her siblings and her own children, Shirley was a caregiver to her grandmother for a time and found great joy in babysitting and supporting her grandchildren and great-grandchildren over the years. She could be found at nearly every one of their baseball games, music concerts, school plays, and graduations. In recent months she looked forward to luncheons reminiscing with her siblings.

In addition to her family, Shirley loved dancing, country music, and crossword puzzles. She was a regular at the country music jams at Armstrong Union Hall and Eagles Lodge, where she danced late into the night alongside friends and family. While her life was simple, she always had an appreciation for the glamour of the big screen, especially The Wizard of Oz, John Wayne and Audie Murphy Westerns, and Shirley Temple. She was whip-smart, always looked her best when leaving the house, and could pull off the slyest of winks and an effective stink eye right up to the end. She will be greatly missed and always remembered.

Shirley is survived by her children, Deborah (Craig) Edwards, Joseph (Sharon) Kinney, Kathy (Dr. Tim) Nicolino, Peggy (Jim) Warner, and Cynthia Steinbach; her siblings Diana (Larry) Smith, Marilyn (Ed) Anderson, Patricia LeFleur, and Ronald Rouse; fourteen grandchildren, and fifteen great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, Art and Helen; her husband, Bob; her grandson, Michael; her grandmother, Nellie Cross; and her siblings John "Bud" Rouse, Anna Bainter, and Constance McWilliams.

Services will be held at Hamilton's Funeral Home, 605 Lyon Street, Des Moines. Visitation will be from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Monday, November 18th with funeral service at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, November 19th. Burial will follow at Laurel Hill Cemetery.