Shirley Bontje

Larchwood, Iowa

  Shirley Bontje Live Stream Link:

      Shirley Bontje age 85 of Sioux Falls, SD, formerly of Larchwood, IA, passed away Friday, November 6, 2020, at the Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, SD.

     Private Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 9:30 a.m. Monday, November 9, 2020, at The Church of St. Mary in Larchwood, IA with Fr. Sunny Dominic, celebrating.  Cremation will follow the services and burial will be held at a later date in the Larchwood Cemetery at Larchwood, IA. 

     Public visitation without the family present will be from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Sunday, November 8^th at The Church of St. Mary in Larchwood.  Social distancing and masks will be required.

     Memorials may be left to Dougherty Hospice House where Shirley volunteered for over 10 years.

     Shirley Ann (Galles) Bontje was born on September 20, 1935, to Albert and Evelyn (Ludwig) Galles on a farm near Remsen, Iowa.  She attended country school and graduated from Remsen St Mary’s High School in 1953.  She graduated from McKennan Nursing College in 1956.  On September 14, 1957 she was united in marriage to John “Jack” Bontje in Remsen, IA.  The couple made their home in Larchwood for 50 years until moving to Sioux Falls in 2007.  She worked as a nurse for John Morrells Packing Plant, McKennan Hospital, West Lyon School, Fellowship Village Nursing Home and several Hospice facilities.  In her retirement years, she volunteered for Avera sewing quilts, rocking babies and baking cookies for Doherty Hospice House.

     Shirley and her husband, Jack, enjoyed spending their winters in Arizona.  Shirley loved to camp, golf and quilt.  Shirley loved spending time with her family and enjoyed traveling around the United States and internationally to visit grandchildren and great grandchildren.  Shirley was a member of the America Legion Auxiliary in Larchwood.

     Survived by her children: Jay (Steph) Bontje of Tea, SD; Kristy (Larry) Haviland of Geneseo, IL and daughter-in-law, Deb Bontje of Beresford, SD; 7 grandchildren, Nikki (Cody) Hendrix of Sioux Falls, SD and their children, Colton and Marlee; Jason (Laura) Bontje of Overland Park, KS and their children, Harrison and Hudson; CJ Bontje of Sioux Falls, SD and his daughter, Clairyssa; Christopher (Sadie) Bontje of Pueblo, CO and their children, Taylor and Preslee; Kelli (Jaime) Haviland of Houston, TX and their children, Isabelle and Jack; Lyndsy (Blake) Haviland of Atlanta, GA; Adam (Rachel) Haviland of Lindsborg, KS and baby Wyatt due in December 2020; sister, Clara Schreier of Dell Rapids, SD; brothers, Paul Galles and Ron (Connie) Galles both from Remsen, IA; and sister-in-law, Lynn (Joe) Galles of Remsen, IA and lots of loving in-laws, nieces and nephews.

     She was preceded in death by husband, Jack; parents, Albert and Evelyn; sister, Cleo Patch and brothers, Fred Galles and Joe Galles, and one grandson, Jon Robert Haviland.