Shirley Birkholz, 91, Garrison, died on Thursday, February 14, 2019 at the Garrison Hospital. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday at 10:00 am at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Garrison. Burial will be held at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery in rural Mandan at 2:00 pm.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday from 2 to 6 at Thompson Funeral Home in Garrison.

Shirley May Ostby was born May 29, 1927 to Ole and Erna (Roeder) Ostby of Douglas, ND. She attended a one room country school through the 8th grade followed by studies through correspondence and then graduating from Underwood High School. Shirley was a rural country school teacher for several years and then employed as a secretary, cashier and accounting assistant for 39 years with Otter Tail Power Company in Garrison, retiring in 1992.

Shirley married David Birkholz on July 13th, 1947 and had made Garrison their home until his death in February of 2013. Shirley had recently been a resident of the Benedictine Living Center in Garrison.Shirley was an active member of St. Paul Lutheran Church and the Hugh P. Minehan American Legion Auxiliary Post #49, both in Garrison. She was a member of the McLean County Garrison Planning and Zoning Commission and volunteered at the Norsk Hostfest, Camp of the Cross, Lutheran Thrivent, North Dakota Governor's Cup and the Benedictine Living Center.

Shirley is survived by her sisters, Carol Foree', Modesto, CA, Audrey Mohn, Champaign, IL, Lora Bendickson, Minot, ND, LeAnn Watson, Clinton, SC; sisters-in-law, Celesta Ostby and Patricia Ostby, both of Garrison, ND; brother-in-law, Melvin (Pat) Birkholz, Garrison, ND; numerous nieces and nephews; and special friends, Dee and Marj Edwards.

She was preceded in death by her husband David, parents, Ole and Erna Ostby, brothers, Norman and Vernon Ostby, brothers-in-law, Jay Foree', Fred Mohn, Bernard Bendickson, Norman Pigeon, Edwin Birkholz, Roy Lucas, sisters-in-law, Adeline Birkholz, Lorraine Lucas, nephew, Steven Ostby, and great nephew, Alex Bendickson.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the donor's charity of choice.