Elaine Mildred Shipley

Elaine Mildred Mittelsteadt Shipley, 83, passed from this life peacefully at home on Thursday, October 24, 2013. The oldest of three daughters, she was born at the family farm in northeastern Nebraska on July 4, 1930, to Louise Kent and Henry Mittelsteadt. She graduated from Sacred Heart Catholic High School in Norfolk, NE, received an Associate's Degree from Norfolk Junior College, and worked as an operator for Bell Telephone. She met Dale F. Shipley in Norfolk, NE, they married on Christmas Day 1951, and embarked on their life travels when Dale joined the Air Force in 1952. Dale's military career took them to Missouri, Wyoming, Texas, Alaska, Colorado, Virginia, Canada, and back again to her beloved Colorado. Elaine made strong and lasting friendships wherever life took her, and loved keeping people close to her heart with visits and frequent phone calls. Her interests and hobbies included a lifelong commitment to volunteering, playing bridge, and golfing with her husband and friends, forays to the Moose Lodge, adventures with the Red Hat Ladies, and traveling to visit friends and family. She still enjoyed skiing when she was 70 and mentioned this to many people in her last few weeks, wanting people to know her zest for life. Elaine will be dearly missed by her daughter, Susan Lamb, son-in-law, David Lamb, grandsons, Andrew and Matthew Lamb, daughter-in-law, Priscilla Dressen and grandson, Alex Dressen Shipley, all of Fort Collins, her sister, Marian Zingg, of Portage, MI, and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, sister, Lois Mittelsteadt, and son, Michael Shipley. Visitation will be at Bohlender Funeral Chapel on Wednesday from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. A funeral mass is being planned for late November in Ft. Collins, CO and inurnment will be at a later date in Norfolk, NE. Contributions may be made in her memory to Pathways Hospice in care of Bohlender Funeral Chapel, 121 West Olive St. Fort Collins, Colorado 80524.