Shirley J. Crom, 81, of Herman died Tuesday, July 22, 2008, at the Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha.

Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Saturday, July 26, at the Herman Community Church. Interment will be in the Tekamah Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Pelan Funeral Services in Tekamah with a prayer service at 7 p.m. Visitation will also be held one hour prior to services at the church.

Shirley Jane Lauersen was born Oct. 10, 1926, at Hooper, to Leslie and Ella (Christensen) Lauersen. She grew up in Burt County.

In 1944, she began her teaching career in Washington and Burt Counties at West Webster School, continued teaching at Blackstone, Dahlgren, Valcoma, Thone, Bisbee, and ended her career in 1973 at the Swaburg School District, the same school she attended as a child. Following her retirement from teaching, she spent several years, working nights as a nurse’s aide and care staff member at the Tekamah Nursing Center. She also wrote news articles on the Herman area and Crowell Memorial Home for the Burt County newspaper.

On March 21, 1947, she married Derald M. Crom at the First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oakland. He preceded her in death in March 2003.

Mrs. Crom was an active member of the Herman Community Church and enjoyed the daily activities of the Crowell Memorial Assisted Living, where she resided. She enjoyed crocheting and staying in contact with friends and family by email.

She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Susan Allen and Jack Burbridge, of Missouri Valley, Iowa; two grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; three sisters and brothers-in-law: Marilyn Stonum of Newport, Ky., Elizabeth and Robert Yost of Coleridge, and Ruth and Don Tucker of Omaha; sister-in-law: Pat Grieves of Omaha.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by three daughters: Geraldine, Sandra and Carol.

Memorials are suggested to the Herman Community Church.