Shirley Huffman

Shirley Jean Huffman passed away November 8, 2023, at age 87. She was born in Floyd County, Iowa near Nashua, on October 4, 1936, to Robert Horton and Neva Mae (Rottink) Bond. She joined an older sister, Dorothy June, and spent a wonderful childhood on the family farm, collecting eggs from the chickens, trying to ride the huge draft horses, and playing with her dog, Buster. By the time she was seven years old her musical gift was evident, and she began taking piano lessons. Two years later she was playing for Sunday School at the Nashua, Iowa First Methodist Church and by the age of 11 she had become the church organist there as well as playing for weddings at the Little Brown Church near Nashua. During her high school years, she accompanied many singing groups and soloists. As a senior in high school, Shirley was chosen to receive the Edna Perry Music award, given to the senior demonstrating outstanding accomplishments in music, and the Carl J. Hansen Memorial Citizenship award, as well as the Iowa Bar Association Citizenship award. After graduating from Nashua High School and briefly attending Drake University on a music scholarship, she began giving piano lessons. She continued to give lessons for over 60 years to hundreds of students whose ages ranged from four years old to adult. Shirley was caring and patient with her piano students, teaching them to love the instrument and the music they could make. She urged them to make music their whole lives, no matter what professions they chose, for the joy and comfort music brings. Shirley enjoyed exercise and being strong and physically fit. She jogged, lifted weights, and biked hundreds of miles on the Cedar Valley trails. She took long hikes in environments as diverse as Arizona, Northeast Iowa and England. Conversely, she loved to bake chocolate chip cookies and instilled a love of baking in her daughters. She also loved traveling and enjoyed a trip to England and Ireland with her daughter Julie. Her greatest joy was her five daughters. She taught them to play piano and instilled in them her love of music. She was a master seamstress, creating beautiful gowns for her daughters and granddaughter Ashley for all their special events. All five of her daughters played in the hand bell choirs of First United Methodist Church, Cedar Falls, Iowa, and Shirley sewed all their performance clothing for concerts and tours. Shirley was active in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Guild and the UNI Suzuki program, supporting her youngest daughter Priscilla to excellence as a violinist. She was also a gifted artist, able to sketch and oil paint landscapes and animals. She enjoyed all crafts, whether creating enormous fiber works of art, crocheting, or making holiday decorations. On October 4, 1955, she married Garth W. Huffman, and they moved to Cedar Falls where they made their home for over sixty years. She was preceded in death by her husband, Garth, her son-in-law Donald Shaw, her only sister, Dorothy Gates, her brothers-in-law D. Blaine Gates and Edwin Chesnut, and sister-in-law Mary (Koenigsfeld) Huffman Puettman. She is survived by daughters Julie Huffman-klinkowitz (husband Jerry, grandchildren Jonathan and Nina); Cynthia Sweet (husband Stanton, grandchildren Ashley [Joshua Mattson], Devin, and Tyler); Katrina Huffman; Valerie Shaw (grandchildren Kienan [Cheyenne], Caleb [Cassie], Karina [Jordan Holthaus] and step-grandchildren Brenna Shaw and Justin [Margo] Shaw); Priscilla Blanchard (husband Michael, grandchildren Zachariah [Finch Madlock-Blanchard], Abraham, and Gabriel); as well as eight great-grandchildren; six step great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews, and cousins; her sister-in-law Maralyn (Huffman) Chesnut and brother-in-law Will Puettman. Burial will be in Oak Hill Cemetery, Nashua, Iowa. Private family services. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to First United Methodist Church, Cedar Falls to support the hand bell program and the care and upkeep of the organ.

Shirley Huffman

October 4, 1936 - November 8, 2023