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Shirley Eileen Sontag passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, November 11, 2023 at the age of 83 years old.

Shirley was born on July 31, 1940, to Fern and Ernest (Larson) Parent and grew up in New Richmond, Wisconsin.  She was part of a large family of 14 brothers and sisters.  Shirley graduated from New Richmond High School.  On November 18, 1961, Shirley married Richard (Dick) Sontag and they moved to Stillwater, Minnesota.  In early 1962 they moved to Junction City, Kansas where Dick was stationed in the military. In 1963 Shirley had her first child, in an army hospital at Fort Riley Kansas.  In 1964, Dick was discharged from the military, and they moved to St. Paul, Minnesota where they had two more children.  In 1977, they moved to Scandia and then in 1988 to a dairy farm in Center City.

When her children were young, Shirley enjoyed camping with her family.  Each summer they would spend weekends camping and fishing. She never loved being out in the boat, but she loved to eat fish. One of her favorite vacations was a month-long camping trip to Alaska.  

Shirley worked at several schools in the Forest Lake school district.  When she retired, in 2005, she had been working at Wyoming Elementary for several years. She loved working at the elementary school and seeing the children every day and always had a story to tell about them.  Shirley loved children, babies and toddlers in particular. She was a great playmate for her grandchildren and never minded getting dirty or wet.

Shirley loved gardening and was proud of her flower gardens.  Shirley also loved to bake and almost aways had something ready in case company stopped by.  She never visited someone without a plate of cookies or bars and could tell you everyone’s favorite.  During her retirement years, she spent winters in Arizona or Texas. She loved to ride her bike around the RV Park, meet new people, and visit. 

Shirley is survived by her husband Richard; children Karen (Fred) Scott, Steven (Lisa) Sontag, and Michael Sontag; grandchildren, Jill (Josh) Bender, Mark Sontag, Abigail Scott, Emma Scott, and Amanda Tolman-Sontag; and great-grandchildren Oliver, Royal and Maren Bednar; brothers Tom (Bev) Parent and Jim Parent; sisters Gert (Bob) Mullen, Rita (Harry) Johnson, and Barb (Don) Prinsen.  She is preceded in death by her parents Ernest and Fern; siblings Joey, Mary, Donny, Gloria, Billy, Sharon, and Bernadette, and Betty; grandson Robert (Bobby) Sontag and granddaughter Sara Schmitt.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, November 20, 2023 at St. Bridget of Sweden Catholic Church in Lindstrom. Visitation will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, November 19 at Grandstrand Funeral Home in Lindstrom and also one hour prior to mass at church, on Monday.  Interment will follow the service at Hillside Cemetery in Center City.

Arrangements are by Grandstrand Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Lindstrom. www.grandstrand fh.com.

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