Shirley Poole

Shirley Rae Poole, 83, of Albert Lea, passed away on Sunday, February 23, 2025, at her home. 

Born on April 3, 1941, in Albert Lea, she was the cherished daughter of the late Glen and Birdie (Bothum) Selle. Shirley was a vibrant spirit who touched the lives of many with her kindness, spunk, and unwavering generosity. 

On June 14, 1959, Shirley married the love of her life, David Poole, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Albert Lea. Together, they created a large and loving family. Shirley embraced her role as a mother wholeheartedly, and her dedication to her family never wavered. Her nurturing spirit and selfless nature were reflected in every aspect of her life. 

Shirley worked diligently as the secretary of Poole Electric and Bike Shop, a business she co-owned with David. Many in the community came to know her through her years at HyVee, and Nelson’s Marketplace, where she served in various capacities until her retirement in July 2024. She enjoyed her co-workers and customers. We heard there were many customers that would prefer to wait to go into her checkout line. Beyond work, Shirley’s passion for cooking and baking was evident in her renowned meatloaf, cherry pie, pumpkin bars, bean soup, lefse, almond bark, and cherished Christmas cookies, especially “Luke’s cookies”. Her culinary delights often brought family and friends together. 

A lover of life's simple pleasures, Shirley found joy in playing bingo and card games, particularly Squirrel. Her interests extended to her fondness for cats, ladybugs, and even naming the spiders that would visit her home. Alongside her family, she cherished outings to restaurants with her family and friends and got lost in the pages of Sci-Fi and thriller novels. She loved getting together with her family for any reason. She especially enjoyed eating at B&B’s for breakfast with her friend Bernie and her family, and the B&B staff all loved her! She could make a friend anywhere. Throughout the years, Shirley was an enthusiastic supporter of her favorite NASCAR driver, Joey Logano, always cheering him! 

Those left to cherish Shirley’s memory include her seven children, Donna (Bud) Fowler, Debbie Hruza, Susan Nielsen, Sharon Friedman (Al Dudas), Jerry Poole, Connie (Patrick) Holl, and Luke (Lori) Poole; 14 grandchildren, Jean (Matt), Lisa, Melanie (Greg), Josh (Samantha), Blake (Kimberly), Kassidy (Colby), Kambria (Mike), Jazmine (Christian), Callen (Tasha), Ashley (Tony), Kallie (Kenny), Loryn (Eric), Laci (Jacob), and Lani (Danny); 26 great-grandchildren, Mason, Bennett, Adalyn, Brynleigh, Noah, Daxyn, Teigen, Presley, Taytum, Emmie, Emmett, Jeremy, Nevaeh, Javannah, Kennedy, Cadence, Zera, Hannah, Adam, Jacob, Aaron, Vanessa, and Damian, and three soon-to-be born great-grandchildren; siblings, Richard (Marlis) Selle, Glenda Lowman, Pam Jachnycky, and Alice (Leroy) Wrobleski; and her beloved friend and “breakfast buddy”, Bernie Graves, her grandson Lincoln who gramma Shirley adored, and her daughter Melissa. Thank you for your love and friendship with our Mom over these past few years.

A funeral service will be held at 2:00 PM on Friday, March 7, 2025, at Trinity Lutheran Church. Visitation will be held from 4:00-6:00PM on Thursday, March 6, 2025, at Bonnerup Funeral & Cremation Services and one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be in Hillcrest Cemetery. 

In addition to her parents, Glen and Birdie Selle, Shirley was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, David Poole; and an aunt, Audrey “Tootsie” Bothum. 

Shirley was loved by her whole family and everyone who had met her and she is going to be missed so much by us all. Fly High Mom, we love you and miss you so much! We will be together again one day.