Shirley Ann Ostwald

Funeral services for Shirley will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Whittemore with Reverend Mark Resner presiding. Burial will be in the St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the services from 10:00-11:00 a.m. at the church.

Shirley Ann (Holdren) Ostwald was born on February 5, 1936, in Titonka, Iowa, the daughter of Orville and Irene (Walker) Holdren. She grew up on a farm south of Lone Rock and attended country school in her early years before graduating from Algona High School. After high school, she began her career at Security State Bank in Algona.

On March 24, 1957, Shirley was united in marriage to Melvin Ostwald at Good Hope Church in Lone Rock. Together, they made their home in Whittemore, where they raised their two sons, Randy and Mark. Shirley later worked at Farmers State Bank in Whittemore, faithfully serving the community for 25 years.

Shirley was a devoted member of St. Paul Lutheran Church, where she actively participated in the serving circle and often filled in as the church organist or pianist. She found great joy in traveling with Melvin, especially on bus trips to Canada, Washington, D.C., and the Ozarks. Together, they cherished taking their grandchildren on special trips to Okoboji. In her younger years, Shirley enjoyed making wedding corsages and mints, as well as bowling and playing round robin with the Whittemore card club. Most of all, she treasured time spent with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Shirley died Thursday, June 19, 2025, at the Algona Manor Care Center. She was 89.

Left to cherish her memory are her husband of 68 years, Melvin Ostwald of Algona; sons, Randy Ostwald of Bancroft and Mark Ostwald of Algona; grandchildren, Anne (Jason Carney) Ostwald of Boone, Brandon (Stephanie) Ostwald of Algona, and Shauyna (Aaron) Smith of Wesley; seven great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Orville and Irene Holdren; her daughter-in-law, Kris Ostwald; and her sister, Marjorie (Jack) Davis.