Shirley Jean Ackerman, 92, of Asbury, formerly of Waterloo and Cedar Falls, died Sunday, January 29, 2023, at the Hawkeye Care Center in Asbury. She was born July 24, 1930, in Waterloo, the daughter of Harley and Effie Helm Cederburg. She was a 1948 graduate of Waterloo East High School.

She married Richard "Dick" Ackerman on July 8, 1950, at Linden United Methodist Church in Waterloo; he preceded her in death on February 28, 1993, after 43 years of marriage.

Shirley participated in many activities and lived life fully. During high school, Shirley worked as an usher at the Paramount Theater in downtown Waterloo. After high school graduation, she worked at Alstadt and Langlas Bakery in Waterloo from 1948-1951, where she met her husband, Dick. They had four children, Linda, Rick, Bruce, and Susan. After her children were older, she worked at Kmart on University Ave. Her roles at Kmart were as a supervisor for the front-line cashiers and later as an advertising specialist. She worked at Kmart from 1967-1989 and retired after 22 years of service.

While enjoying retirement in the Theodosia, Missouri area, Shirley was a Red Hat Club member, Brown School House Quilting Circle with Taney County Extension Homemakers, Beta Sigma Phi member, Taney County Genealogy Research Group, and enjoyed line and square-dancing activities. During the past decade in the Cedar Falls/Waterloo area, she was active with the Black Hawk County Genealogy Research Group. Shirley had fun exercising at the YMCA with the Silver Sneakers, including the Tai Chi classes. She also enjoyed her friends and activities at the Waterloo Senior Center.

She enjoyed being a Cub Scout, Brownie, and Girl Scout Leader during the 1950s and 1960s. The scout motto she lived by was always to be prepared and treat others respectfully.

Shirley was exceptionally talented in quilting, embroidery, crocheting, candle-wicking, and sewing. She had a knack for baking, cooking, and candy making, creating fond memories for her family and church. One of her passions over the past 35 years was researching family history with genealogy societies and creating and updating our family trees in various genealogy computer programs. She enjoyed inspiring and encouraging others to explore their ancestry too.

Shirley and Dick enjoyed the Ozarks in the Theodosia, Missouri area before and after retirement, where they built the home of their dreams on a mountain ridge overlooking Bull Shoals Lake. She loved nature, walking, and bird watching. She continued to live in the area after Dick passed away before moving back to Cedar Falls in 2009. Shirley was a "can do" type of person and was energetic, treated people and family fairly, and was fun to be around. She moved to Asbury in November of 2021 to be closer to her daughter.

She was an active member of St. Timothys United Methodist Church in Cedar Falls, lending her sewing skills where needed, assisted feeding the needy, helping kids during various activities, participating in bible studies and breakfast groups, and providing baked goods for many events. Before Shirley and Dick retired to the Ozarks, they were members of Grace Reformed Church in Waterloo from 1962-1989.

Left to cherish her memories include two daughters, Linda Sorensen of Dubuque and Susan (Randy) Frick of Ashland, OR; a son, Rick (Juanita) Ackerman of Collinsville, OK; four grandchildren, Scott (April) Sorensen of Denver, CO, Karen (Nate) Vander Broek of Fort Collins, CO, Rebecca Allen of Columbia, MO, and Jennifer (Jacob) Williams of Collinsville, OK; seven great-grandchildren, Sophia and Elias Vander Broek, Logan and Pearl Allen and Harper, Ryan and Aria Williams; a sister-in-law Lois Ackerman of Dysart and a brother-in-law, Jim Bachman of Hazelton.

She is preceded in death by her parents; her stepmother, Mabel Cederburg; a son, Bruce Steven Ackerman; a brother, Richard "Dick" Cederburg; a son-in-law, Jim Sorensen; her mother and father-in law, John and Emma Akerman; and numerous brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, June 7, 2023 at St. Timothys United Methodist Church in Cedar Falls with inurnment in the Washington Chapel Cemetery in Cedar Falls. Vistation will be held one hour before the service at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to St. Timothys United Methodist Church, 3220 Terrace Dr, Cedar Falls, IA 50613 or the Alzheimer's Association of Iowa at www.alz.org/iowa.

Shirley will be greatly missed. Her humor, smile, and hugs that lit up many lives, will be a treasured memory. Her family will always be grateful for the loving care from the wonderful staff at Hawkeye Care Center.

Locke at Tower Park, 4140 Kimball Ave. Waterloo, Iowa 50701 is in charge of arrangements 319-233-3146.