Shirley Deckert, 79
Shirley Deckert, 79, formerly of Freeman, S.D., passed away at her home in Brookings, S.D., on Saturday, June 28. A funeral service will be held Saturday, July 12 at 10:30 a.m., at Bethany Mennonite Church of Freeman. In lieu of flowers donation can be directed to Lifescape or the Humane Society.
Shirley (Massey) Deckert was born on March 4, 1946, in Loveland, Colo., to Paul and Dorothy (Buller) Massey. The family moved to South Dakota in 1949. Shirley attended Freeman Public School, graduating in 1964. She graduated from Freeman Junior College in 1966, with an A.A. degree in Elementary Education. She loved class reunions and one bonus of working at organizing them was that she kept in touch with classmates. In June of 1962 Shirley was baptized upon confession of faith in Jesus Christ as her Savior and received into membership of Bethany Mennonite Church in Freeman.
Shirley and Roy Deckert were married on March 22, 1969. They farmed on the family homestead. During this time they became parents to Eric Roy and Kelly Roy. Both were precious gifts from God. After the sons were in school Shirley was employed at Marion Public School and SD Achieve in Sioux Falls. During those 38 years the word “job” didn’t exist. Those years were called “a privilege.” It was a perfect fit filled with many wonderful people. She enjoyed walking alongside each of them offering support, life skills, encouragement and friendship.
The family moved to Freeman in 1994. Roy died of cancer on July 21, 2008. In 2022 Shirley moved to Brookings. During this time Grandma Sam and her grandsons, Karson and Kaiden, made many runs for ice-cream at the different places in Brookings.
Sam loved dogs, chislic, and ice-cream. Her immediate family learned never to be surprised when she made an unannounced trip to Sioux Falls. All they wondered was what breed of dog would arrive on an airplane as her new favorite. Many puppies came from all over the United States. Her last dog was a Golden Doodle, named Otis, who gave her so much comfort when she became sick. She saved the best for last.
In May of 2024 Shirley felt sick. After many visits to doctors she was diagnosed with MDS which is a rare cancer of the bone marrow. Sam died on Saturday, June 28, 2025. She leaves behind her sons, Eric Deckert and Kelly (Aimee) Deckert and grandsons Karson and Kaiden.
Extended family members and friends were deeply loved. They include sister Sally (Bob) Gimbel; brother Keith (Karen) Massey; brother Paul Massey and all of their families. She also loved many dear cousins who shared their love and prayers for her.
