Obituary of Shirley Mae McFarland

Shirley M. McFarland, age 92 of Iowa City formerly of Marshalltown and Estes Park, Co, died Wednesday, July 14, 2021, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. Memorial services will be held at 11am Friday, July 23, 2021, at the First Presbyterian Church in Iowa City with internment in the church’s columbarium. Visitation will be one hour prior to the services on Friday at the church. In lieu of flowers memorials donations can be made in her memory to Iowa Public Radio, NAMI of Johnson County or Eastern Iowa Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Foundation. To share a thought, memory or condolence please visit the funeral home website @ www.gayandciha.com. Shirley Mae Miller was born January 8, 1929, in St. Louis, Missouri the daughter of Walter and Esther (Burgman) Miller. Following graduation from high school, Shirley enrolled at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa. It is here that she met her future husband, Robert A. “Bob” McFarland. They were married on February 7, 1948, in Webster Groves, Missouri. She later received her BA degree in English Literature from the University of Iowa. Her husband’s career in education had their family living in a number of communities in the state of Iowa where she not only raised her family but was very involved in many of the communities’ activities. While living in Marshalltown, she volunteered as a tutor for many of the minority students in the schools. She continued this when she and Bob moved to Estes Park, Colorado in their retirement. She was active in church as a deacon but also in the choir, active in the senior center, and was a PEO sister. Shirley’s family includes her three children, Sandra McFarland, Patricia McFarland and Robert McFarland (Barb); 11 grandchildren, Tabitha, Karissa, Christiana, Shoshanna, Ariana, Seth, Aj, Raina, Elijah, Cameron(Kenna) and Lindsay; 14 great-grandchildren, Micaela, Lucas, Cassie, Leah, Bella, Brodi, Ethan, Oliver, Gavin, Aiden, Maxwell, Grayson, Maeven and Delmer. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, Dr. Robert McFarland; and brother, Walter Miller Jr.