Mass of Christian Burial will be held July 14 at St Columbkille Catholic Church in Churdan for Shirley Richards, 83, of Churdan. Father John Gerald will be celebrant. Interment will be at St Patrick Catholic Cemetery west of Churdan.
Shirley Ann Richards, the daughter of Rudolph and Clara (Saliger) Tasler, was born December 4, 1937, on the family farm in Churdan. Shirley departed this life on July 7, 2021, at Greene County Medical Center in Jefferson at the age of 83 years, 7 months, and 3 days.
Shirley attended and graduated from Jefferson High School in 1956. On September 6, 1958, Shirley was united in marriage to Lloyd Richards at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Jefferson. Shirley and Lloyd farmed the Tasler farm and raised two children, Mike and Denise. They moved from the farm into Churdan in 1994. They continued to farm and later sold seed corn for the Pioneer Seed Company, along with their son.
Shirley was an active member of St. Columbkille Catholic Church and was very involved with the Catholic Daughters of America, arranging many funeral lunches over the years. She was also very active as a “pink lady”, volunteering her time at the Greene County Medical Center in Jefferson. Shirley loved to cook. She loved gardening and working in her yard, which always had to be immaculate. She was always very caring and generous, especially to her grandchildren. She loved spending time with her family.
Shirley and Lloyd enjoyed wintering in McAllen, TX, for many, many years. They spent six months out of the year, eventually purchasing a home in McAllen. They enjoyed playing many rounds of golf and being with their many friends.
Memorials are suggested to St Columbkille Catholic Church.
Shirley is preceded in death by her husband Lloyd; her parents; sisters Laverna Tasler and Barbara Young; and brother Randy Tasler.
She is survived by her son Mike and his wife Heather of Jefferson and their children Jason, Krista, Cole, Clarissa, Bryanna, Joshua and Tyler; daughter Denise and her husband Bryon Holst of Forest City and their children Kylie and Rachel; great-grandchildren Tajia, Taya, Emilee, Jaxon, Adysen, Hallee, Chesney, Zeppelin, Cassandra and Emerson; her brother Eddie Tasler of Glenwood Springs, CO; sister-in-law Beth Diffley of Minneapolis, MN; nieces and nephews; other relatives; and many friends.
The family is assisted by Slininger-Schroeder Funeral Home, Jefferson.
