Shirley Oppe

Shirley Evelyn Belford Oppe, 90, of Peoria, IL, passed away peacefully on Monday, January 12, 2026, at her residence at Proctor Place Senior Living surrounded by her five daughters.
Shirley was born on May 6, 1935 in Wyoming, IL, the daughter of E. Delbert Belford and Charlotte (Eckley) Belford. She married Eldon Paul Oppe on August 9, 1952 at St. Mary's Cathedral in Peoria.
She is survived by five daughters - Debbie (Terry) Bowen of Pekin, IL, Karen (Rick) Schotthofer of Chillicothe, IL, Cindy Oppe of Milwaukee, WI, Angie (Tom) Osten of Rochester, MN and Becky (Ed) Talaga of Grand Rapids, Ml., ten grandchildren, nine great grandchildren, one sister, Barb Zachman of Pekin, IL, and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by one son, David Michael, her parents, her husband of 66 years, two sisters and five brothers.
Shirley worked at Peoria Plastic Company for a number of years in the office and enjoyed her time there. She later worked part-time for Whitledge Flower Shop and liked working outdoors and meeting new people. She was very much a social butterfly. Her final job was working at Kohl's, in Peoria, in the jewelry department.
Shirley and Eldon took many trips after he retired. They enjoyed a trip to Hawaii that was the highlight of their many travels. They enjoyed visiting their grandkids in Michigan, Minnesota and Texas. They were such dedicated grandparents and loved their family wholeheartedly.
After Eldon passed away in 2018, she continued her trips to see the grandkids on her own. She was quite the traveler and would take off at a moment's notice. She also traveled throughout the United States and abroad with family and church friends.
Her Catholic Church was an integral part of her life. When Shirley and Eldon moved to Peoria in the 50's, they joined Holy Family Catholic Church. They were members there until they moved to Edelstein in 2000 and joined St. Edward's in Chillicothe. After Eldon died in 2018, she moved back to Peoria and rejoined Holy Family until the day she died. She had many wonderful friends with Fr. Paul and the Sisterhood, the Bible Chicks and the Flower Ladies.
In spite of missing Eldon terribly, she led a life of constant travel, visiting daughters throughout the Midwest and meeting and making new friends wherever she went. Her final years were spent at Proctor Place Senior Living in Peoria. She was surrounded by wonderful residents and staff. Everyone seemed to know her and she was well cared for and looked after. Even though she teasingly called it her prison, she loved it there.
We thank Pam, her hospice nurse, who was so helpful and attentive to Shirley's every need. She taught Shirley's daughters how to care for their Mom up to the last moment of her life. She was such a blessing.
We also want to thank everyone who came to visit Shirley and bring flowers and gifts in her final weeks, especially Fr. Greg for his spiritual support. It meant so much to her to have such wonderful friends and family in her life. The family will forever be grateful for your love and support.
A visitation will be held at Holy Family Catholic Church (3720 N. Sterling Ave, Peoria) on Friday, January 23, 2026 from 5:30 - 7:00 PM with a recitation of the Rosary at 5:00 PM. A funeral mass will be at Holy Family on Saturday, January 24, 2026 at 10:00 AM following a visitation from 9:00 - 10:00 AM. Fr. Greg Jozefiak will officiate. A graveside service will follow the luncheon at St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery, (2105 W. Heading Ave. West Peoria.)
In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (make checks payable to them at P.O. Box 1999, Memphis TN 38101), Holy Family Parish or The Franciscan Friars.
Tributes and condolences may be left at www.wrightandsalmon.com