Shirley H. (Preston) Watson

Shirley H. (Preston) Watson, passed away peacefully in her 99th year on Friday evening, October 28, 2022 at Christina Place Assisted Living Community in Franklin. She was a longtime resident of Trafalgar.

Shirley was born June 5, 1923, in Joel, WI, to her parents, the late Frank and Alice (Mayhew) Preston. She was a 1940 graduate of Granton High School in Granton, WI. Shirley retired in 1991 from Indian Creek Elementary & High School, where she found great fulfillment as a Librarian. Shirley loved teaching children the value of reading and looked forward to giving dramatic readings and book reviews to several churches and local organizations. She also worked part time in the office of the Rider Canning Company in Trafalgar. Along with her genuine love of reading, Shirley enjoyed working puzzles, playing cards, spending time with her friends and you rarely saw her without a butterfly pin on her shoulder.

Shirley was a devoted 80-year member of Trafalgar United Methodist Church, where she was very involved in church functions, including holding the offices of Superintendent, Sunday School Teacher and serving as the former President of the Women's Organization.  She co-chaired many church functions and enjoyed providing the children's sermons. Shirley was also a member and former officer of the Trafalgar Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization, Trafalgar Order of the Eastern Star and a member of the Trafalgar & Nineveh Senior Centers.

On October 19, 1941, Shirley married her loving husband of 66 years, Kenneth H. Watson in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. He preceded her in death on October 15, 2007. She was also preceded in death by a daughter, Kimberly Watson; and sisters, Evelyn McLean & Jeanne Colla.

Shirley is survived by her son, Floyd (Sandy) Watson of Trafalgar; grandchildren, Brenda (Jeff) Johnson and Cathy Watson, both of Trafalgar; great-grandchildren, Cody (Amber) Johnson of Trafalgar, Casey Johnson of Chicago, Carlee (Sam Novick) Johnson of Trafalgar, Kaylin (Hunter) Pickett of Elyria, OH & Derik Foley of Trafalgar; and great-great grandchildren, Garnet Hoyt Pickett, Watson Ridge Pickett, Mavrik Willhoit and Kye Young.

The Reverend Dr. Ben Greenbaum will conduct a funeral service on Thursday at 1 p.m. at Meredith - Clark Funeral Home Cremation & Personalization Center, 179 E. Mulberry Street in Morgantown.  Friends may call from 11 a.m. until service time on Thursday at the funeral home. The Nineveh Order of  the Eastern Star will conduct a Memorial Service just prior to the funeral service on Thursday. Burial will be at First Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Franklin.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent in honor of Shirley to the Trafalgar United Methodist Church, PO Box 37, Trafalgar, IN  46181 or to the Indian Creek Elementary School Library, 1002 S. Indian Creek Drive, Trafalgar, IN  46181. 

Expressions of caring and kindness may be sent to the Watson family at meredith-clark.com.

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