Shirley Simms Obituary

Shirley Simms, 77, of Cheyenne, WY
Shirley died Friday, July 18, 2025 at the Life Care Center In Cheyenne, WY. Her funeral service will be 10 AM, Friday, July 25, 2025 at Peters Funeral Home in Wagner. Burial is in the Wagner Cemetery. Visitation will be Thursday from 6:30 to 8 PM at the funeral home.
Shirley was born Sunday, February 9, 1948 to Emil and Lorraine (Smith) Fuchs in Wagner, South Dakota. She was the second of six children.The family lived in the Wagner area until high school when they moved to Ft Pierre, South Dakota. She graduated from Ft Pierre High School in 1966.
Shirley met her husband Jerry Simms in Colorado Springs, Colorado. They were married at Ft Carson in Colorado on June 5, 1968. They moved to Waterloo, Oregon - close to Jerry's family. Shirley and Jerry had two daughters, Amy in 1971 and Karen in 1973.
The couple separated in 1979 when Shirley and the girls moved to Pierre, SD - close to Shirley's family. Shirley and Jerry remarried November 10, 1989 and settled in Waterloo, OR. They moved to Mitchell, SD in 1996. Shirley and Jerry moved to Cheyenne, WY to be closer to their daughter Amy.
Shirley worked in health care, primarily in geriatrics, her entire career. She began in the kitchen at St Mary's Hospital. Then she worked as a nurse's aide until 1980 when she went to school to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. After graduation in 1981, Shirley took a position at Maryhouse, a nursing home in Pierre. In 1989, after moving to Oregon again she worked at nursing homes in Lebanon and Albany. Her last nursing position was in Mitchell, SD. She medically retired when her Fibromyalgia made it too difficult to continue working.
Faith, family, and friends were very important to her. Shirley enjoyed functions with her family - especially holidays. She loved to read, especially romantic thrillers. She was a regular at the library of any town she lived in. She loved "borrowing" books from Amy's library. She enjoyed shopping at second hand stores, usually pictures. There were no bare walls where Shirley lived.
Shirley was preceded in death by her parents, Emil and Lorraine Fuchs, her in-laws, John and Vidas (Fox) Simms, her daugher Karen, her sisters Barbra Schultz and Joan Borgstadt, her brother Bob (Robert) Fuchs. She was also preceded in death by her brothers-in-law: Verle (John) Simms, Gayle Simms, Norman Simms, his wife Sharon (Jenkins) Simms, Roger (James) Simms, his wife Melenie, Dale Simms, Dave (David) Piersol, and Harold Lander; three nephews: Dan Lander, Loren Simms, and Roy Simms; four nieces: Elaine (Simms) Weist, Wendy Simms, Sara (Borgstadt) Klich, and Lori Curtis; and three great nephews: Jacob Wages, and Jordan, and Dillon Klich.
Shirley is survived by her husband Jerry Simms, her daughter Amy Simms, her brother and his wife Dennis and Pat (Stahlecker) Fuchs, her sister Kathy (Piersol) Baker and her husband Steve, her brother-in-law Jim (James) Borgstadt, and her sister-in-law Sue (Simms) Lander, numerous nieces and nephews, and many friends.
She is truly loved and admired and will be sorely missed.
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