Shirley Christine Frein (Norman) passed on to heaven having lived a life marked by hard work and sacrifice but also, and most importantly, love for her family, for which we are all so grateful.She was born the first of four girls on July 14th, 1942 to rancher Ernest Norman and his wife Bella (Matz). Shirley learned early responsibility when her mother was tragically lost in a snow storm. Ernie didn't remarry until later in life so it was up to Shirley to take on many of the motherly duties for her three younger sisters- Sharon, Faye and Franny- which proved to be good training as she was to have three children of her own just one year apart a few years later.She married Thomas O. Anderson of Tracy, Minnesota in 1959, and their first child Tom was born in March of 1960. The three of them lived in a trailer house on the family ranch. In August of 1961 baby Bob was born with sister Jacque joining the family the following August. When Thomas was transferred to an air base in California in 1963 the whole family packed up and moved to the west coast, finally settling in Sunnymead, just outside of Riverside. Faye joined them soon thereafter.California adventures that Shirley especially enjoyed were trips to the ocean, Disneyland, Big Bear Lake and Lake Arrowhead. She also loved her flower garden, a passion that stayed with her the rest of her life. Shirley also had a passion for music, especially for Elvis Presley. She also enjoyed the music of Johnny Cash and other classic country performers like Merle Haggard and Tammy Wynette. Those artists and others like Bobby Vinton and Roy Orbison helped shape our love and taste in music. Shirley would discover new favorites over the years including Cristy Lane and Anne Murray whose gospel music would get her through the hard times over the years, especially in the last few weeks of her life.In the summer of 1966 Shirley, Faye and the the three young ones moved back to Rapid City where they moved into to their first house on Grandview Drive, right across from the school. Shirley worked at the Hill Top nightclub before moving to the Elks Lodge Restaurant as a waitress. She also helped open The Miner's Camp bar where she worked for a year.Shirley married Leonard Frein in August of 1969, and to that union was born her fourth child, Krislyn. With the addition to the family came a new house as the six of them moved to Hoefer Ave. Here Shirley and Leonard found many house projects to keep them and the kids busy for the next five years. She also kept busy with her new job at Family Thrift Center where she worked for two years before switching over to Safeway. There she continued as a cashier before moving into management training. Just as she was completing that training she suffered a back injury and endured the first of many back surgeries that she would go through in her life, including one in the past year. She continued to work for Safeway until finally succumbing to her injuries and taking disability retirement in 1986.The family moved back to the Grandview area in 1976 with their new home on Parkview Drive. Again the projects kept Shirley and Leonard and the kids busy. Tom, then Jacque, then Bob all moved to the Phoenix, Arizona area so Mom and Dad and Kris followed their lead and joined them in the Valley of the Sun in 1983.The retirement of Ernie from ranching brought Shirley, Leonard and Bob back to Rapid City to continue the family ranch in 1986. Shirley loved the ranch so much, and enjoyed working with the animals. She even named some of the cows and would go out to feed and talk to them.When Ernie died in 1992 it was a difficult time for Shirley, but she did as she always had done and found the strength to get through it. We hope we have that same courage and strength right now.The family was reunited when Tom and his wife, Julie, moved back to Rapid City in the spring of 1993. Jacque and her son, Kaleb, followed soon thereafter. Shirley was elated to have all of her babies back together, and she looked forward to the holiday gatherings, especially Christmas.Oh how she loved Christmas. Early on there wasn't much money, but there were always lots of presents wrapped under the tree. Mostly new clothes for the growing kids. But it didn't matter if they were just socks. She loved the sights and sounds of Christmas.As the family grew- Jacque had her second child Raina while Kris added Keith and Makala and Bob married Lillian who had a teenage boy, Blair- the presents spread from under the main tree to a second tree to every corner of her house. And she couldn't have been happier. Her enjoyment of Christmas extended to collecting Christmas decorations. She also loved her doll collection and the various other knick knacks and figurines that she accumulated over the years. Shirley and Leonard finally retired from the ranch in 1997 and briefly lived in town before finding some elbow room in the country setting outside of Box Elder in 2002. Room addition, deck, garage, shed, garden- all the things she loved to do, she did in her new home. Even in her last days she was so thrilled to see the winter sides come off the deck and her summer décor placed in the proper places.More additions also came to the family as Makala had a daughter, Adelynn, Keith had two daughters, Adrienne and Brinkley, and Blair had a daughter, Aubri. Shirley and Leonard loved being great grandparents. Those babies will never remember the love that was showered upon them by their Great Grandma, but in the moments they spent with her they adored her. Til the end Shirley tried to stay strong and in control. She loved to supervise (some might say boss- well okay, everyone knew she was the boss), and she was out in her wheel chair supervising/bossing Leonard as he put together her fountain. She had a determination and a stubborn side with which one could not argue. She would be out pulling weeds from her cherished flower beds after her back surgery, and no amount of chastising from anyone was going to deter her from her mission of ridding those “nasty things” from her beautiful flowers. And her determined, stubborn streak was still alive and well into her last days as she kept insisting that she get up from her chair and walk around and do things, even though she had lost that ability.Daughter, sister, mother, wife, grandmother, friend. She excelled at all of them and touched us all deeply. We will feel her physical absence daily, but will carry her spirit and the things she taught us until the day we rejoin her.Shirley was one of a kind, and we hope heaven is ready for her. They may have to plant some weeds just so she has something to do.