Shirley Duray

“Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.” – Proverbs 31:29

Jesus welcomed Shirley Ann Duray to her Heavenly Home on Sunday, March 26, 2023 after a 5-year fight against lung cancer.

Shirley grew up in Cottage Grove and Hastings. She graduated from Hastings High School, where she played trumpet in the marching band. Following graduation, Shirley followed her father into the United States Marine Corps, and served in the reserves.

Shirley married Joe Duray of Hastings, and followed him to Alaska in 1988. As a minister’s wife, she showed kindness and the love of Jesus in her home to visitors from around the world. Shirley loved to grow vegetables in her garden, and other talents blossomed through the years. Crocheted afghans were regular gifts to family and friends to celebrate weddings and births. In later years, she scoured thrift stores to find plush, colorful fabrics which she turned into beautiful rugs and sold online.

Shirley managed a busy minister’s home, but still had time to become a top-selling representative for Avon products in both Minnesota and Alaska. Villagers were always happy to see her at their door with a basket of products and samples, especially colorful, animated decorations for their homes at Christmastime.

Shirley home-schooled her two sons, K-12, yet made time to also tutor local children. One challenging student inspired her to invent an educational game, Measure Match, which is being played in classrooms and homes coast-to-coast today.

Shirley was proudest of her family though, whom she loved and served.

Shirley was preceded in death by her mother, Monnie, and sister, Betty (Lindh).

She is survived by her husband, Joe, sons Joseph and Elijah, grandchildren, Yangling, Elena, Isabelle, and Joseph, sister, Joyce, brother, David, and father, Matt Gerten.

A funeral service will be held at Starkson Family Life Celebration Chapel, 3075 Vermillion Street in Hastings on Tuesday, April 4, 2023 at 11:00 AM. A visitation will be held at the funeral home on Monday, April 3 from 4:00 - 7:00 PM, and also 1 hour prior to the funeral on Tuesday. Interment will follow the funeral at Lakeside Cemetery in Hastings.