Shirley Gradl

We lost a beautiful soul today. Shirley M. Gradl passed from her earthly life on July 28, 2024, to join her loving husband in heaven. A funeral service will be held at 11 AM, on Wednesday, August 7, 2024, at the Furlong Funeral Chapel, Galena, IL, where friends may call after 10 AM until the time of service. The burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery, Galena. Mom was born in Chicago on 08/09/1927 to Mary Louise Tinsman and Clifford R. Brown. A brother, Richard, and a younger sister, Wilma, rounded out the family.  In 1942, at the age of 14, she met the man who was to be her husband for 73 years until his death. She met Robert “Bob” Gradl, “cute,” as they say in Hollywood. She and a girlfriend were walking down The Avenue (Michigan) in Roseland when rain started pouring down.  Being teenage girls, they just hopped into an unoccupied car parked at the curb to wait it out. When he returned to his car, Bob was surprised (to say the least) to find these two trespassers. They continued to bump into each other around the neighborhood over the next few years. When the war broke out, Bob joined the Army Air Corps. They corresponded throughout the years he was away and, upon discharge, were married on June 29, 1946.  This is when she would say her REAL life started. On June 18, 1947, she gave birth to Bonnie. Fourteen months later, a boy, Daniel, showed up. Another daughter, Valerie, came along in 1952.  Our young family moved to Dolton, Illinois, where we lived and prospered for many years. Mom was active in Dolton’s Junior Women’s Club and was instrumental in building the library there. She worked with the PTA every year her kids were in school, the Girl Scouts in the 50’s, and was a sponsor of Mai Kai, a Tri-High-Y girls club in the 60’s. She loved children and teens and had fond memories of all who passed through her life, no matter how briefly.   Our mother was a voracious reader, reading everything cover to cover, whether it be magazines, newspapers, or books. In Mom’s later years, slot machines became a source of enjoyment. She loved everything about it. The sounds smell and striking up conversations with people.  While a jackpot would have been a bonus, it wasn’t necessary for a successful day.  After her family had grown and started families of their own, Mom and Dad moved to the Galena Territory. She and her dad participated in various activities in the Territory, such as bowling, Vultures, and all social functions, and they made many friends.  All who met her loved her. She was FUN and VERY FUNNY. Mom was an extraordinary, ordinary woman. Shirley leaves behind her son, Daniel and Joyce Gradl of Carmel, Indiana, and two daughters, Valerie Williams of Homewood, IL, and Bonnie and John Swedler of Galena and Sun City West, Arizona. Seven grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. We want to thank Doctor Mary Koenigs for many years of care and Father Howard, who helped Mom fulfill her lifelong wish to become a Catholic. Also, the original Lunch Bunch of ThunderBay3 (occasionally known as the “Winos”) (you know who you are) for all the laughs. She never forgot you.