Shirley Ann Kokal

Shirley Ann Kokal

Shirley Ann Kokal passed away on October 2, 2024, at St. Mary's Hospital in Duluth, Minn., at the age of 91 after being diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer in February 2024.

She was born Shirley Ann Bloomquist on August 19, 1933, in Leonidas, Minn., to Leo "Gilbert" and Alma (Anderson) Bloomquist. Gilbert's parents immigrated to the United States from a Swedish settlement in Vaasa, Finland. Alma's mother came from Trondheim and her father from Alvdal, both in Norway. Shirley was the second of six siblings and grew up in Grand Marais, Minn. She graduated in 1951.

She and her older sister, Thelma, set off to become teachers after high school and helped one another pay for college while working for room and board in places where they could attend school. Shirley studied for one year at the junior college in Eveleth, Minn., and later graduated from Mankato State College with a degree in Elementary Education.

For nearly 40 years, Shirley taught in elementary schools, mostly first grade. She began her career in southern Minnesota at Bricelyn. She looked so young that the parents of her students came to observe her class to make sure she was an actual teacher! She later taught in Gilbert, Minn., then Boulder, Colo., before moving back to Minnesota and teaching in several county schools including Cook, Idington, Forbes, and Cherry.

On June 14, 1957, she married Grant Kokal. She had lived with his family while attending junior college when he was in Korea with the Marines during the war. Grant's mother thought Shirley was something special, so she wrote to him about her while he was overseas. Her matchmaking worked. A few years after he returned to the U.S., Grant and Shirley tied the knot in Iowa at the "Little Brown Church in the Vale." They were married for 38 years until his passing in 1996.

After retiring from teaching in 1993, Shirley was an avid baker, cook, wine maker, gardener, berry picker, bird enthusiast, babysitter and dog watcher. She made the best jelly, had a wonderful Swedish pancake recipe and created amazing potica. Shirley was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother and never hesitated to help family and friends or volunteer at church. And she was always bringing people food! A loaf of bread, pie, cake, brownies, rhubarb crisp, cookies, pickled beets, carrots, squash, and of course potica and jelly. She loved singing and playing with her grandchildren, "visiting", and chatting with everyone she met.

On August 1, 2020, she married a former high school classmate, Charles McElevey. Over the last four years the newlyweds traveled frequently between Washington and Minnesota, and road tripped across the country through many states including Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska and Texas.

Shirley was incredibly fortunate and thankful to live 90 years in wonderful health, with no gray hair! It was hard for her to believe she had lung cancer this past year because she never smoked. We will miss her cheerful disposition and happy spirit every day. She was a delight to be around.

Shirley was a member of the United in Christ Lutheran Church, VFW, Minnesota Education Association, National Education Association, and Sons of Norway.

She is survived by her husband Charles McElevey of Mossyrock, Wash., his son Mike (Judy) McElevey of Portland, OR, their sons Elliott and Carson, and his daughter Sue Wieand of Seattle, Wash., her daughters Amanda and Monica; her son Brett Kokal of Eveleth, Minn., his sons, Grant, Garret and Gavin; her daughter Brynn (Jeff) Evanson of Frisco, Texas, their sons Nick, Owen and Andrew; her brothers George (Florence) Bloomquist and John (Carol) Bloomquist both from Grand Marais; and many nieces, nephews and other relatives.

Shirley was preceded in death by her first husband Grant, her parents Alma and Gilbert, stepmother Lydia, sister Thelma, brother David, and baby brother Leo Jr. (3-days old). Interestingly her father and sister also lived until the golden age of 91-there must be a fountain of youth near Lake Superior!

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, October 12, at 10:30 a.m. at the United in Christ Lutheran Church in Eveleth, Minn., with Pastor Jeanne Madsen officiating. Visitation will begin at 9:30 a.m. and lunch will be served after the service. Burial with be at the Eveleth Cemetery.

Thank you for the kind thoughts and prayers over the last several months and to the many caregivers that supported our sweet Shirley during her treatments at Mayo Clinic in Rochester and St. Mary's in Duluth. In lieu of flowers, memorials of the donor's choice are preferred.

Arrangements were entrusted to Cron-Sheehy Funeral Home, Eveleth. www.cron-sheehy.com