Alice Ruth Shirk

Funeral services for Alice R. Shirk, age 103 of Clark, will be held on Saturday, January 15, 2005 at 10:30 AM in the United Methodist Church at Clark with the Reverend Warren Rhodes officiating. Music will be provided by Dorothy Fuller as organist. Casketbearers will be grandson Don Keyes, Steve Shirk, John and Mike Fuller. All other grandchildren, great grandchildren, friend and family should consider themselves as honorary casketbearers. Burial will follow in the Rose Hill Cemetery at Clark. Visitation will be held on Friday from 4-7 PM at the Furness Funeral Home at Clark and 1 hour preceding services at the Church Saturday morning. Alice Ruth Shirk, age 103, Clark, died on Sunday, January 9, 2005 in Beverly Healthcare Center at Clark after a brief illness. She was born on March 26, 1901 in Boras, Sweden, the daughter of William and Alma (Carlson) Palmquist. The family immigrated to the United States when she was six years old and settled in Minnesota where her father farmed. She graduated from Winnebago, MN high school and in 1919 the Palmquist family moved to Clark County. Alice taught for five years in various township schools in the Clark and Naples area. On January 2, 1924 she was united in marriage to John Shirk. The couple farmed from 1924-1968 when they retired and moved to Clark. They enjoyed travels to Florida, Texas and Arizona. Mr. Shirk died on April 29, 1970. In 1994 she moved to the Colonial Apartments in Clark, and from 1999 to 2004 she lived in the Fay Wookey Memorial Living Center at Clark and then in August of 2004 she became a resident of the Beverly Healthcare Center at Clark. She was a member of the United Methodist Church at Clark and the United Methodist Women, a 58 year member of the American Legion Auxiliary, Red Cross Volunteer, the Rebecca Lodge serving as the Noble Grand, Senior Citizens of Clark where she was also the Senior Citizen Snow Queen and had received the Lions Club International Foundation Outstanding Citizens award. In her free time she loved playing cards, crocheting rugs, tatting, having coffee with friends and relatives, visiting, volunteering and having parties. Grateful for having shared her life are her children, Betty Keyes of Clark, Joyce Brush and husband Louie of Clark, Perry Shirk and wife Jean of Tucson, AZ, Lois Eske and husband Elton of Prescott, AZ and Jacquin Fuller and husband Thomas of Eau Claire, WI; a sister, Marion Healey of Kansas City, MO; 9 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren, 1 great-great granddaughter and many nieces and nephews. Preceding her in death were her parents, he husband, a son-in-law, Robert Keyes, three sisters, Margaret, Ella and Thora and three brothers, Harland, Roland and a brother in infancy. Also preceding her in death were three grandchildren, Glenn Shirk, Brett Eske and Gayla Keyes.