Shirley Dee Zuehlke, 92, of Eau Claire WI, passed away peacefully on September 24, surrounded by family. Shirley was born on July 14, 1932 in Eau Claire, WI, to parents, Edwin T. and Inez (Wiggins) Hanson.

Shirley was a 1950 graduate of Eau Claire High School and later earned a Bachelor of Science degree from UW Eau Claire. Her chosen field of study was medicine, and she dedicated her post graduate employment to serving the community as a Medical Technologist ASCP with Sacred Heart Hospital where she mentored and trained UW Eau Claire Interns and headed the Hematology Department during her tenure.

Family always came first to Shirley and was her primary focus above career and her other interests of which there were many. Shirley loved to make things with her hands and that passion led to her development of amazing knitting skills that were the product of tireless effort and later in life dedicated study under masters in places such as Norway, Sweden, England and Iceland. The high-quality mittens, sweaters, hats and scarves she crafted and always gave away remain treasured possessions of her children, grandchildren and friends. Shirley's other interests, which she never failed to pursue with great vigor, were kittenball and gymnastics as a young person followed by skiing, Taekwondo, biking, golf and later in life taking her Border Collie "Zip" to the dog park in her signature black Jeep nearly every morning, winter and summer. Shirley was also a "baker extraordinaire" beginning this journey as a young person spending countless hours working with her father in the kitchen of his Madison Street restaurant, Hanson's Café. Her specialties were Lefse and frosted donuts. Everyone knew her baking day was Saturday and many would drop in for coffee knowing there was a slice of Dutch apple pie, blonde brownie or sweet roll to be had.

On March 14, 1953, Shirley married Keith Zuehlke and together they started their family of five children in a Chippewa Street apartment near downtown Eau Claire. Soon after the birth of their first child in 1954 the young couple built a house on what was formerly known as Truman Avenue, now Taft, where they lived until 1974 when the wide-open spaces of rural Wisconsin called and they built an Alpine-style home on acreage south of the city. After retirement, the lure of the West and the Rocky Mountains became too strong to ignore. In 2001 Shirley and Keith moved to Steamboat Springs, Colorado where they thrived until eventually relocating to Orlando, Florida in 2020 to be closer to family.

Shirley is survived by her loving husband of 71 years, Keith Zuehlke: brother Edwin T. (Janet) Hanson of Eau Claire; son Brad Zuehlke (Donna Goetsch) of Chippewa Falls; daughter Stephanie Zuehlke; daughter Karolyn Zuehlke of Orlando, FL; son Reed (Brita) Zuehlke of Orlando, FL; daughter Robin (Dan) Edmunds of Chanhassen, MN; grandchildren, Tonia (Scott) Brooks; Chris Brisson; Kendall (Marcus) Severson; Dieter Zuehlke; Daniel Zuehlke; Kizaray Edmunds; Nakia (Tyler) Gehl; Maverick (Harley) Edmunds and 5 great-grandchildren.

Shirley was preceded in death by her parents, Edwin T. and Inez (Wiggins) Hanson and many whose lives she touched with kindness.

Celebrations of Life will be held in Florida and Wisconsin:

DATE: October 12, 2024 TIME: 2:00 – 4:00 PM LOCATION: E4555 483rd Avenue, Menomonie, WI 54751

DATE: November 23 TIME: 2:00 – 5:00 PM LOCATION: 2835 Stanfield Avenue, Orlando, FL 32814

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to Partners for Global Health at

www.p4gh.org.