Shirley Davenport

Shirley Davenport, 86, of Creston died Sept. 14, 2014, at Afton Care Center.

Memorial services will be 11 a.m. Monday, Sept. 22, at Lord of Love Lutheran Church in Omaha, Neb. The Rev. Gideon Gallo, Creston United Methodist Church, will officiate. Inurnment will be at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Omaha, Neb. Open visitation will be 1 to 8 p.m. Wednesday with family present 5 to 7 p.m. at Pearson Family Funeral Service, 809 W. Montgomery St., Creston. Memorials may be given to Afton Care Center. Online condolences may be left at www.pearsonfuneralhomes.com.

Shirley Lou Swanson Davenport, daughter of Janet Martha Elizabeth (Hodges) and Einer Carl Swanson, was born Jan. 4, 1928, in Omaha, Neb.

Shirley attended Ponca School through eighth grade and graduated from Omaha North High School in 1945.

Shirley worked at Mutual of Omaha and Omaha City Glass. Shirley then studied to be a deaconess at Valparaiso University in Indiana. After two years, she joined the Foreign Service and moved to Maryland where she met Edward Cresswell Davenport and they were married in 1960.

Shirley and Ed lived in Kuwait for two years and travelled in Europe and to Egypt with their family. They also lived in Wisconsin, Texas, Pennsylvania and retired to Nebraska, and then moved to Iowa to be near family.

She was active in her church.

Shirley is survived by her children, Susan Elizabeth (Clark) Finehout of Creston and Jonathan Edward (Pam) Davenport of Fort Collins, Colo.; sister Loree (Ken) Morrison of Omaha, Neb.; grandchildren, Russel Edward Finehout of Creston, Sarah Kathryn (Patrick) Brown of Columbus, Ohio, Hannah Jean (Josh) Kendrick of Creston and Isaac Zebulon Lee Finehout of Creston; other family and many friends.

Shirley was preceded in death by her parents; husband in 2009; sister Donna Lee Lyles; and brother Leland Carl Swanson.