Shirley A. Fisher

October 5, 1940 - July 22, 2024
Shirley A. Arneson Fisher, 83, of Olathe, KS, passed away July 22, 2024.
Shirley was born October 5, 1940. She spent most of her childhood in Rosedale, KS and raised a family in Gladstone, MO. She is preceded in death by her loving husband of nearly 63 years, Mervin E Fisher, who passed away in 2020.
She is survived by 5 sons and daughters, Tim (Beth) Fisher, Cindy Fisher, Steve Fisher, Alan (Wanda) Fisher, and Stacy (Terry) Schneider; 8 grandchildren: Stephanie (Matt) Lund, Nick (Ashley), Justin, Jeremiah, Daniel (Michelle), & Christopher Fisher; Terry and Benjamin Schneider; 8 great-grandchildren: Zach and Hayden Lund; Ryan, Caitlyn, Colin, Silas, Evelyn and Sophia Fisher; her brother, Larry Arneson (Anita) and her sister, Sandra Arneson Lee (Ernie).
She was preceded in death by her mother, Edith Arneson Bukowski, her father Clifford Arneson, and her brother Raymond Arneson.
Shirley was the first granddaughter on the Arneson side and was known as being sweet-natured. She took piano lessons in elementary school, and remembered church hayrides and school dances in junior high.
When her children were school age, Shirley kept a busy household running smoothly. She had a system of waking everyone up on a tight schedule in order to share a single bathroom and eat breakfast. Her trips to the grocery store routinely required two carts, so the kids took turns going with her. She kept a calendar on the kitchen wall with due dates for bills and taught her kids that the family could buy what they could afford. Sometimes they could not have what they wanted, because she would only buy something if she could afford it for everyone.
She dressed like June Cleaver, said to resemble Jackie Onassis, and kept an immaculate home. When her kids came home from school, they remember being greeted by their mother with fresh baked cookies ready. They would have a snack with their mom while watching the current talk show before going out to play or do homework while she started dinner. When her children had the measles or other common childhood diseases, she was ready with tea, buttered toast and board games. In summer evenings, she enjoyed a little bit of quiet, sitting on the backyard swing under the sycamore tree.
Shirley was thoughtful and giving of her time. The family went "visiting" on occasional Sundays to see grandparents or Mervin's aunt. Relatives remember that she sent them long letters about her family. She included pictures of the kids and always wrote the date on the back. Shirley was a room mother, a library volunteer, a den mother, and a volunteer at the local nursing home. She supported neighbors and relatives when their health declined, and she babysat many grandkids to help out her adult children.
Once her kids were grown, Shirley enjoyed walking with a neighbor, and later, water aerobics. She was frequently on the phone or doing things with her sister, Sandie. She kept busy tidying up the yard, quilting, crocheting, working at Hancock Fabrics and watching her grandkids. She was known for having freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies on hand to send home with family when they visited. She enjoyed simple things with Mervin: going out to eat, sitting on the deck after dinner, and fishing at Smithville Lake. On colder evenings, they enjoyed a fire and a movie. Christmas was her favorite holiday with family around her.
Even as she aged Shirley noticed details, as her hearing and vision were excellent. If someone was about to trip over something on the floor, she alerted them. If others at a facility were not doing what they were supposed to do, she told staff. She longed to pick up sticks in the lawn after a storm. She loved chocolate, strawberries, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and beets. Mervin brought her chocolates or strawberries every afternoon while he was living, and she missed him terribly when he was gone. She teared up easily when people did or said something nice, and at the same time, she was sassy and direct about what she wanted. She enjoyed television, including Sound of Music, Home Alone, the Golden Girls, and the Andy Griffith show.
Burial will be at the Union Cemetery. The cemetery is at 75 and Gleason, across the street from the Monticello Methodist Church located at 23799 W 75th St, Shawnee, KS 66227. https://www.interment.net/data/us/ks/johnson/union/index.htm
The graveside service is anticipated to be Saturday, October 12. Final arrangements will be announced at a later date.