Obituary of Shirley Ann Ottum

Shirley A. Ottum passed away peacefully at her Waukesha home on Wednesday, June 22, 2022. She had been battling her third bout with cancer. Shirley was born in Mondovi, WI to Paul and Adelia Ottum on November 25, 1944.

Shirley is a 1962 Waukesha High School graduate and had a short stint in the Navy. She worked at Briggs and Stratton for 30 years before retiring. She drove for Meals on Wheels for over 18 years. Shirley was a long-time member of St Luke’s Lutheran Church.

She was a home improver before it was the popular thing for women to do. Shirley helped many family members and friends with home projects. She was quite adept at creating, constructing, wall papering, and painting.

Shirley is preceded in death by her parents, her stepmom, Lorene Ottum, her sister, Marge Schlegel, and several dogs who had been lucky enough to have Shirley as their companion.

Shirley is survived by bothers Don, Dennis, Olin (Pam), Gary, and Bill and sisters Bonnie (Knudtsen), Sharon, Kathy (Quinn), Pat (Willadsen), Thelma (Koch) and by special friend, Geraldine Zielinski and by many nieces and nephews as well as grand nieces and nephews and great grand nieces and nephews.

The Celebration of Life for Shirley will be in the Chapel of the Chimes at Wisconsin Memorial Park at 11:00am on Friday, July 8, 2022. Pastor Bogey, from St Lukes Lutheran Church will officiate. Visitation will be 10:00am-11:00. Shirley will be interred at Wisconsin Memorial Park. Arrangements were made by Cesarz Charapata Zinnicker Funeral Home on Moreland Blvd in Waukesha. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to: Angel’s Grace Hospice, N74 W35908 Servant’s Way, Oconomowoc, WI 53066; Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, 8915 W. Connell Court, Milwaukee, WI 53226; or Humane Animal Welfare Society (HAWS), 701 Northview Road, Waukesha, WI 53188.

Shirley was always a very strong and determined person. She had fought her way through 2 bouts of breast cancer before losing her battle with lung cancer. She was very disappointed that she could not beat that last cancer. It had been a battle even she could not handle. If there are 3 words to sum up Shirley’s life, they would be: Love, Hope, and Charity. Always loving and being loved, always hoping for the best, always offering help.