Shirley Hansen Obituary

Shirley Elizabeth Hansen, 86, passed away on January 14, 2026. A funeral will be held on February 3rd, 2026, at 10:00 AM at Washburn-Mcreavy Funeral Chapel, 5000 W. 50th Street, Edina, MN 55436. Services will be held with visitation at 10:00 AM, followed by a memorial service and lunch. Interment will be at 2:00 PM in Fort Snelling National Cemetery.

Shirley was born on April 29, 1939, in Ironton, MN, to Erwin and Elizabeth (Wildung) Eimer. In her youth, the family moved to St. Louis Park, where she attended school and graduated from St. Louis Park High School in 1957. She then attended the University of Minnesota, where she pursued her passion for design and interior decorating. Shirley met her husband, Henry, and they were married on June 25, 1960, at Pilgrim Lutheran Church in South Minneapolis. Together, Shirley and Henry enjoyed traveling and camping in their trailer, particularly in northern Minnesota and on longer trips to visit relatives in Texas. They lived in Eden Prairie, MN, until retirement, when they built a new home on beautiful riverside property in Elk River, MN. Sadly, Shirley lost her beloved Henry in 2006, shortly after moving to their new home. She continued to live there, finding joy in nature and cherished memories, tending to her gardens, feeding the birds, and shopping on QVC.

Shirley is survived by her sister, JoAnn Owens of Burnsville, MN; her brother, Gary Eimer, and his wife, Janice, of North Mankato, MN; and her nieces and nephews, Steven Owens of Cambridge, MN; Douglas Owens of Burnsville, MN: Sandra (Paul) Swenson of Florida; Brian (Ashley) Eimer of North Mankato, MN; Lisa (Eimer) and her husband, Shawn Poppler, of Prior Lake, MN; Gary Zumberge and his wife, Susan, of Minneapolis; Judy Nelson of Minneapolis; and niece-in-law Jane Owens of Cambridge, MN, along with many other nieces and nephews. A special thank you to Lynn Anderson for her friendship and support of Shirley in recent years. In place of flowers, memorials can be directed to Emmanuel Lutheran Church at: https://www.emmanuel-elkriver.org/donate or donor choice.