Shirley Mae Klipping, 72, of Freeport IL, died peacefully on Monday December 2, 2019 after a long struggle with complications from West Nile virus. Shirley was born May 28, 1947 in Freeport. She was the daughter of the late Carl & Leatha (Burgy) Neumann. She was a graduate of Freeport High School. Shirley married David Klipping on February 20, 1972.  She is survived by her husband David of Freeport, daughter Beth Klipping of Holdrege NE, son Brad (Lindsay) Klipping of Ventura CA, and sister Della (Russell) Spencer of Rotonda West, FL. She was preceded in death by her dear brother, Karl (Korky) Neumann of Cypress, TX.

Shirley was an exuberant soul and always the life of the party.  She loved life and seemed to have enough energy for three people.  She was very creative and always seemed to be busy making something.  Whether it was painting ceramics, decorating for the holidays, cooking or crafting, she loved to create and then give her creations to friends and family.  Shirley had a special talent for making beautiful quilts, picking just the right pattern and fabrics to suit whomever she was making the quilt for. Making quilts for those she loved brought her tremendous joy. If you are lucky enough to have one of her quilts, know that you have a piece of her heart.  Shirley also loved Christmas and Christmas music, and in true Shirley style, the music was always loud, everybody had to sing along, and there was always A LOT of delicious food and drink for everyone to enjoy.  Shirley's other great love was going "up North" to Ely, MN every summer with her extended family.  Each year she would plan ahead for weeks, making special gifts for everyone to commemorate the year. She always made sure that each of us had our own stash of Mrs. Mike's and home-made cookies to last the entire week.  And of course, her cabin was always the hub of activity; her dirty bingo games were legendary (and raucous – I can't believe no one lost any fingers), with everyone assigned to bring prizes from their respective states.

It's hard to put into a few paragraphs all the awesomeness that was Shirley. Much like her mother (Leatha), she truly understood how to create joy and special memories for everyone around her.  Our lives are so much richer because of her.  Although the last several years of her life were a struggle, she is now truly at peace.

There are so many stories about Shirley, and it would mean a lot to us to hear what you remember and loved most about her.  She did not want a funeral.  Instead, we will celebrate her life with a memorial service in Freeport in early summer.  Details will be posted with a formal obituary in the Journal Standard prior to the memorial.  You can share memories at www.walkermortuary.com .