Shirley Ann Biewen

Family matriarch, therapist, school counselor and searching spirit Shirley Ann Biewen, 90, of Hopkins, MN, died peacefully on August 26th, 2025.

Shirley was born on November 22, 1934, in Des Moines, IA. She graduated from Austin High School and later earned her B.S. and M.S. degrees from Mankato State College. In 1956, she married Eugene R. Biewen, also of Austin. Their five children were born between 1957 and 1962. The family lived in Adrian and Rochester, MN before settling in Mankato in 1967.

Shirley served as a guidance counselor at Faribault and Spring Lake Park High Schools until her retirement in 1994. Intensely curious, she amassed thousands of books, their pages marked with paper clips and sticky notes. She had especially large collections on psychology, relationships, and spirituality. As she aged, she expressed hope that the world would be a better place for her having been here – which was certainly the case. Of all her life's accomplishments, she was most proud of her family.

Shirley was preceded in death by her parents, Raymond and Gladys Ellis, and her sister, Sheryl Skare. She is survived by her children and their spouses: Paul (Amy) Biewen, Ann (Rich) Cammack, Sara Biewen (Thomas) Stout, John Biewen (Ewa Pohl), and Todd (Cindy) Biewen; sister Cindy Petersen; fifteen grandchildren; former husband Gene Biewen and his wife Noël Van Tol; and other relatives and friends. The family plans a private memorial celebration.