Shirley Margaret McElroy

Friday, January 15, 2010

Shirley Margaret Schlatter McElroy, 98, of Terre Haute died Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010 in LaGrange, Ky. with her loving family by her side.

She was born in 1911 in Dick Johnson Township in rural Clay County as the third of nine children of father William Schlatter and mother Selma Septima Rojhan Schlatter.

She graduated from Van Buren High School in Van Buren in 1929. Three years later, she married "Bill" McElroy and resided on a family farm in Reelsville for 64 years. During that time, she raised two daughters, cared for her husband's elderly relatives and kept house for an extended family while supporting school and community activities.

Mrs. McElroy was a longtime adult leader in the local 4-H club, teaching young women cooking and sewing skills. She was an accomplished seamstress and won top prize at the Indiana State Fair in the adult division for a dress that she designed, made and modeled. She moved to Terre Haute in 1995 with husband Bill who retired from farming.

Shirley was a charter member of the Four Leaf Clover Extension Club, Country Reading Club and the Third Wednesday Club. She also was a member of the First Christian Church in Greencastle and an active member of the Christian Women's Fellowship.

She will be deeply missed by daughters Marilyn "Lynn" Streeter (William) of Terre Haute, and Phyllis Bowen (Melvin) of LaGrange; sister Anna Louise Hadley of Plainfield; and grandchildren Terri Bowen Pryor (Jeff) of Bloomington, Dawn Bowen McDonald (Keith) of LaGrange, Margaret Streeter Wysatta (Michael) of Kingwood, Texas, William Streeter III (Kim) of Terre Haute and Elizabeth Streeter of Wylie, Texas.

Shirley also had six great grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 70 years, John William McElroy, who died in 2001, as well as seven brothers, Fred "Fritz" Schlatter, Kenneth Schlatter, Gene Schlatter, Jack Schlatter, Carl Schlatter, Bobby Schlatter and Max Schlatter.

Visitation will be at Bittles and Hurt funeral home from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday. The funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Monday at the funeral home, followed by burial at Boone Hutcheson Cemetery outside of Reelsville.

The family thanks the Hosparus Hopsice of Louisville, especially Pamela Bell, and Hospice of the Wabash Valley, especially Melissa Laloux, for their outstanding care.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Hosparus Hospice of Louisville, 3532 Ephraim McDowell Dr., Louisville, KY 40205 or to Hospice of the Wabash Valley, 400 8th Avenue, Terre Haute, IN 47804.