Shirley Mae Brunner

Shirley Mae (Olson) Brunner was taken from us on Friday, April 11, 2025 at the age of 87 to go to her reward. Shirley was born on May 10, 1937 in Horton, Kansas to Carl and Mildred (Ross) Olson.

She is survived by her husband of 58 years, Charles , three sons, Timothy (Catarina) of Topeka, Eric (Tracie) of Belleville, Kansas, and Scott (Tanya) Brunner of Topeka. Shirley was blessed with seven grandchildren: McKenzie (Joe), Ryan (Madeleine), Evan, Allyson, Carl, Leyton, and Jayden, one great grandson Henry Scott, and two sisters-in-law Joyce Cibulski and Pat Olson. Shirley was preceded in death by two brothers, Richard as an infant and Raymond, as well as two brothers-in-law, Dave Lindberg and Paul Cibulski and sister-in-law Janice Lindberg.

She grew up north of Willis, Kansas as a farm girl. Through 4-H and helping on the farm, she and her brother Raymond took their Guernsey Heifer on the road, showing her skills to several fairs and dairy shows all through the year.

Shirley attended three different one room Grade Schools and then attended Horton High School, graduating with the class of 1955. She and Raymond rode their pony, Tiny, to school when they were young and later had a 1935 Chevrolet Coupe to drive to school. She advanced to the driver after Raymond graduated high school, and she packed the neighbor kids in to make the daily route to school. After high school, Shirley moved to Topeka to attend Clark’s School of Business, studying to be a clerk-typist. She completed the program in 1956 and went on to work at Southwestern Bell for ten years. During those years at Clark’s and Bell, she would always make it back to Horton on weekends.

Shirley’s friends, George and Britta Kelly, introduced her to Charles Brunner, and they married on September 17, 1966. Shirley, Charles and their three sons lived in the Shawnee Heights area throughout their marriage. When their boys were in school, she worked at the Shawnee Heights Elementary School lunchroom. She also worked for the State of Kansas during tax season and helped her sister-in-law, Pat Olson, with a traveling clothes sales business for local nursing homes. She worked many years for Hallmark Cards setting up card displays, making several lifelong friendships with the gals she worked with.

Charles and Shirley visited all 50 states on bus, car, and plane trips. She loved cars (new ones) and famously bought a new one every few years. She kept a list of the dozens of cars she owned and an album with photos of each. She was meticulous in keeping them clean. Shirley was a faithful reader of the Horton Headlight on Fridays (most of the time.) Everything stopped until she had read the newspaper from front to back to see who was in the news that week. Above all, she was a dedicated mother, homemaker, grandmother, and wife. Shirley was famous for the banana bread she made for her grandchildren. She led the family in making lefse (a Norwegian flatbread) every year at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Her family dinners and angel food cakes were something everyone cherished.

Cremation has taken place. Honorary pallbearers are Tim Brunner, Eric Brunner, Scott Brunner, Ryan Brunner, Evan Brunner, Carl Brunner, Leyton Brunner, Dave Olson, and Todd Olson.

The family will receive friends from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Thursday, April 17, 2025 at Dove Southeast Chapel, 2843 SE Minnesota Ave. A graveside service will take place at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, April 19, 2025 in Zion Lutheran Church Cemetery, Everest, Kansas.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Zion Lutheran Church, 1521 Prairie Road, Everest, Kansas 66424, or to Midland Hospice Care, 200 SW Frazier Circle, Topeka, Kansas 66606.

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