OBITUARY

Shirley Marie Limes (McDonald)

November 10, 1942 - May 14, 2023

Shirley was born on November 10, 1942 in East Dearborn, near the Southwest Detroit, Woodmere Avenue, home of her parents Gordon Gerard McDonald of Mara Township, Ontario, Canada and Rose Elizabeth Clotilda McDonald (nee Nuttmann) of Paxico, Kansas.

The third of four children, she grew up in that home, owned by her family for 100 years, alongside her maternal grandparents, Bernhardt and Anna, who originally owned the home, and her mother's eight siblings, most of whom lived nearby. Shirley married after high school, and raised her two daughters in the same neighborhood. Shirley lived her entire life there, save for a few years towards the end of her life.

Shirley was a member of St. Gabriel Catholic Church her entire life as well. She received all her sacraments there, as well as her elementary through high school educations at the church's schools, as was the same for her siblings. Shirley's children also received their Baptisms and First Holy Communions at the parish.

She graduated high school in 1960. Thereafter, she also worked as a nurse's aide, and received a cosmetology license.

Shirley was proud of her paternal Scottish (McDonald) and Irish (Doolan) heritage, and her maternal German (Nuttmann, Wahl) heritage. She loved to dance, including Irish step dancing. She appreciated her mother's German cooking, and enjoyed her father's fiddle-playing. She recounted fond memories of vacations to Canada to visit her paternal grandparents, Murdoch and Mary Jane, and six paternal aunts and uncles, as well as cousins.

Shirley had a talent for drawing that she passed down to her children and grandchildren. She also passed down the singing of some popular 1920's-1940's songs of her parents' era, and the 1950's songs she was a big fan of, having spent her high school years during that era. She reflected fondly on time spent at the "malt shop."

She also thoroughly enjoyed her dog and cats from years ago, her hobby of collecting furniture for her miniature dollhouse, a cherished red dinnerware set given to her 60 years ago by her dear aunt, Word Search puzzles, and arts and crafts.

Shirley was a good person. She was kind and meek, of strong Catholic faith inherited from her parents, and a very good and loyal friend. She shared extremely long, close friendships with several persons she lived alongside in her neighborhood, one of whom, Karen Ryskamp, she'd known for 71 years from the time they met in second grade. She was very close and loyal to her brothers and sister, spending her entire life by their sides in friendship. Admirably, they acted as a unit of four.

She loved her daughters and her eight grandchildren very much. She would scour local stores and garage sales for that perfect item that would have meaning for them - a collection of 300 matchbox cars held in a race car-themed backpack, a pair of huggable matching dolls, or an antique silver basket with a delicate handle to display treasured heirloom handkerchiefs.

Shirley had experienced repeated issues with her health over the last years, bouncing back many times from regular emergency room and intensive care unit stays, including surviving Covid-19 that nearly took her life several years ago. She passed away in the hospital on Mother's Day, May 19, 2023. She was 80 years old.

Shirley was a loving mother, dear grandmother, devoted sister, cherished mother-in-law, and loving aunt, great-aunt, and cousin. She is survived by her daughter Rosemary Louise Limes-Zeiger (Rob Zeiger); grandchildren: Evan, Rosie and Catie Zeiger; Jonathan (Laura), Matthew, and Michael Limes; and Jeffrey and Mark Kaminski; sister Jeanette Welch and brother Ron McDonald; son-in-law Greg Kaminski; nephews John (Lynn), Jim (Wendy), and Bill (Jill) Welch; and Ronnie and Richard McDonald; great-nieces and nephews Meghan, Leah, Daniel and Carter Welch, and cousins Marilyn Mentzert, Ed Nuttmann (Donna), Lynn Kresner, Diane Katz (Joseph), and Larry Nuttmann (Laura); cousins residing in Canada; and long-time friends.

In more recent times, she was predeceased by her daughter Christine Patricia Kaminski, and her brother Harold Gordon McDonald; in earlier times, predeceased by her grandparents, parents, and fourteen aunts and uncles.

A visitation for Shirley will take place on Thursday, June 8 from 1-8pm at Howe-Peterson Dearborn, 22546 Michigan Ave, Dearborn. In state Friday, June 9 from 10am until the 11am funeral Mass at St. Gabriel Catholic Church, 8118 West Vernor Hwy, Detroit.

Interment Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery following the Mass. Shirley will be the 9th family member and third generation to be buried at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Detroit, fittingly located very near her family home.