Shirley Boser Obituary

Shirley Boser, 84-year-old resident of Pierz, Minnesota, passed away Monday, January 19, 2026 at her home.

Caring for Shirley and her family is the LeMieur Funeral Home in Pierz, Minnesota.

Shirley Ann Leona Boser was born on September 21, 1941, in Richardson Township, Morrison County, Minnesota, to the late Reinhard and Angeline (Yorek) Meyer. Shirley grew up in a small house in the woods with no electricity or indoor running water along with the occasional face-to-face bear encounter, which made for stories she loved to tell and a life that shaped her resilience and grit. She attended a one-room country schoolhouse and later graduated from Onamia High School with the Class of 1959. On May 3, 1960, Shirley was united in marriage to Leonard Boser at Holy Family Catholic Church in Bulldog Lake, Minnesota. Shirley completed a nurse's aide assistant course and worked in various locations throughout her life, including Onamia, St. Paul, Brainerd, and the Pierz area. She was also a devoted homemaker, living and working on the farm while raising their five children. She loved country life, the simplicity of it and the everyday beauty that surrounded her. Summers often found Shirley mowing the lawn several times a week, planting flowers, and tending to massive gardens. In more recent years, she found joy simply sitting outside with her cats and dogs. She enjoyed traveling to post office conventions with Leonard and later with her daughter Natalie, visiting destinations throughout the United States as well as Italy and Ireland. While in Ireland, Shirley was selected to go on stage during a competition to play the tambourine, earning a crowd-voted win as the best performer. Shirley also enjoyed casino trips, winery excursions, and tagging along on rides to pick up tractor parts. She participated in multiple 5K races and proudly won in her age division. Her hobbies included puzzles, knitting, sewing, bird watching, reading Danielle Steel novels, collecting figurines, fishing at the lake, and baking, especially her famous rhubarb pie, rhubarb-strawberry jam, and peach dessert. Above all, Shirley was known as the best listener, a source of wise advice, and a tireless worker with a loving and caring heart. She was resilient, persistent, courageous, and undaunted even as disease took hold. She continued to enjoy life in every way she could, even when she could no longer speak and required extra care.

Shirley is survived by her sons, Gregory (Gwen) Boser of Avon, Minnesota, Jeffery (Carolyn) Boser of Pierz, Minnesota, Patrick Boser of Albert Lea, Minnesota, Douglas Boser of St. Cloud, Minnesota; and her daughter, Natalie (Nathan) Berg of Brainerd, Minnesota; 13 grandchildren; 36 great-grandchildren with one on the way; and three great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Reinhard and Angeline Meyer; her husband, Leonard Boser; brother, Bernard Meyer; infant sister, Catherine Meyer; nephew, Corey Meyer; niece, Lisa Bonsall; and great-grandsons, Waylon Ratke and Logan Onken.

A private cemetery burial will take place at a later date.