Shirley Layh

A funeral mass for Shirley Layh was held on Saturday, October 30, 2021, at 10:30 a.m. at the St. Joseph Catholic Church in Gregory, SD, with Father Jonathan Dillon, celebrant.

Music was provided by the St. Joseph Church choir, accompanied by Mary Beth Gergen, pianist and soloist. The Cantor was Doris Jelinek, lector was Craig Layh, altar servers were Eli and Gabe Ekroth, and gift bearers were Tyler and Trevor Layh.

Mary Kay Drees and Joan Grim were in charge of registration and flower attendants were Shelli Spellman and Kristi James.

Casket bearers were Joe Drees, Doug Stukel, Gerald Gergen, Joe Duling, Steve McCance, Gary Ekroth and GW Ekroth. Honorary casket bearers were all Shirley’s family and friends and the staff at Avera Rosebud Country Care Center.

Interment was in the St. Augustine Catholic Cemetery in Dallas, SD. Kotrba-Smith Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Shirley Louise Parker Layh was born on April 24, 1930, at Dallas, SD, the first of eleven children, to Otis and Kathryn (Nilles) Parker. She graduated from Dallas High School, spending one year at St. Marten’s Academy in Sturgis, SD.

Shirley married Lyle William Layh on February 28, 1948, at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Dallas, SD. Six children were born to this union.

Shirley and Lyle spent a short time in Minnesota before moving back to Tripp County to work for her uncle, Albert Nilles. It is said that Albert hired Lyle, but also hired Shirley as a housekeeper and homemaker, later forming a family partnership. After Albert’s death, they moved to Dallas in 1984, where Lyle took up truck driving.

She enjoyed her hobbies of crocheting afghans, cross stitching and reading.

For a time she worked at the Dallas Elevator doing accounting and weighing the trucks in and out for loads. Shirley worked for Tom Eliason at his insurance office as a receptionist. She also worked for a time doing truck proration in Rapid City, SD.

A highlight of her life was taking trips to see her children. She would stay for a few weeks or up to a month.

After Shirley had a stroke in June of 2015, and moved to Avera Rosebud Country Care Center, she could no longer use her left side so all her activities needing two hands would cease, but that would not stop her from reading.

Shirley passed away on Saturday, October 23, 2021, at the age of 91 years.

Shirley was preceded in death by her husband Lyle, son Glenn, three brothers Richard Parker, Clair Parker, and Wayne Parker, and sister-in-law Linda Parker.

Surviving are her children Craig (Jackie) Layh of Gregory, SD, Dean Layh of Denton, TX, Kathy Honstein of Overland Park, KS, Cindy (Jeff) Linton of Powell, WY, Darlene Layh of Winner, SD, and Kristi (Victor) Lam of Grand Forks, ND; her brothers and sisters Ralph (Dee) Parker of Gering, NE, Alvin Parker of Longmont, CO, Virginia (Bill) Perkins of Mandan, ND, Allen Parker of Longmont, CO, Frank Parker of Denver, CO, Germaine (Larry) Horst of Battle Ground, WA, and Harold Parker; grandchildren Amy (Erik) Knudsen, Kassie Layh, Stacey (Darin) McFarland, Jenn (Tom Letasky) Linton, Zac (Kody) Christensen-Linton, Tyler (Desiree) Layh, Trevor (Haley) Layh, Kaia Lam, and Kellen Lam; ten great-grandchildren, and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.