Shirley Des Rosiers

Shirley June (Hunnell) DesRosiers was born on June 6, 1931, in Runnells, Iowa to Jesse Roscoe and Anna Gladys (Vaughn) Hunnell. She was the fourth of five children, joining her brothers Dwight and Halford, and sister Barbara. Her younger sister Linda came along a few years later. Shirley spoke fondly of a poor, but happy childhood. She was born and raised in a small, two-bedroom home built by her father with a red delicious apple tree in the front yard and the Wabash Railway in the back. She was especially close to her sister Barbara, who – as a good, older sister would – always led her astray, into mischief that sometimes got them the “switch.”

She graduated from Runnells High School in 1949. Shortly after that, she moved to Omaha, Nebr. and found work with Braniff Airlines as a ticketing agent at the airport. Shirley wanted to be a flight attendant, but she was deemed too tall and over the weight limit. She loved her job and really enjoyed her time as a young, single woman in the big city.

THE PERSISTENT LIEUTENANT

Late in the summer of 1953, while she was dining at the Legion Club with her girlfriends, a dashing young Lieutenant Rene DesRosiers stopped by their table with a friend of one of her dining companions. She didn’t care much for Lt. DesRosiers, having set her eyes on a colonel or better.

Lt. DesRosiers eventually invited her to a party at Carter Lake and Shirly agreed to attend on the condition that she was his date, not just one of the girls. This would be their first date. He said he would call the following evening, but never did. A laundry mishap overflowed the sump pump where he was living and, in the chaos, Lt. DesRosiers never got to the phone to call as promised. When he did call her to ask her out again, days later, she turned him down saying she had a date with another man who calls when he says he’ll call. The lieutenant was persistent. When he flew out of Omaha, he made a point to always choose Shirley’s ticketing counter, and he continued calling her. They dated throughout the fall and early winter of 1953, but there was no sign of commitment, so Shirley broke things off. Persistent as he was, he called on her again in early 1954 and their relationship resumed – a bit more promising this time.

Rene, known by all as Pete, was Catholic, so she began instruction to become Catholic herself, marking the beginning of a faith journey she took very seriously throughout her life. As they became closer, Pete’s job prospects were not good in Omaha, so he decided to move back to his hometown of Detroit. Shirley went with him. With only dismal apartment options available, Shirley moved in with Pete’s family. At this point, there wasn’t an explicit marriage proposal, but it was generally assumed. Shirley was nervous about taking that next step, but in her thoughts, she always arrived at “but he’s a good man.” When Pete suggested they visit a priest, that signaled the decision had been made. They were married June 18, 1955. (While she never found the colonel she dreamt of marrying, one did walk her down the aisle to her chosen lieutenant.)

FAMILY LIFE

The couple returned to Nebraska, settling in the small college town of Blair in the fall of 1956. Daniel Joseph, their first son, was born the following year in January. Other children – Michele Marie, Elisa Anne, and Theresa Marie – soon arrived in quick succession – four babes in less than four years. Pete, a civil engineer and general contractor, built her a house in Blair that served their growing family for many years. Together they dreamed of a traditionally large Catholic family, with a goal of 12 children. The family was further blessed with Louis Gerard and Barbara Ellen. Complications of the last pregnancy and two prior miscarriages brought an end to the goal of 12, but Gisele Rene rounded out the bunch with seven children.

Shirley settled into life as a homemaker and her brood of children kept her busy. Money was tight, so for fun there were car trips around Blair, ending with a fast drive down the big hill from Dana College, which the children referred to as “going down the dunk-it” followed by Dilly Bars from the Dairy Queen. It was especially challenging during cold and flu season. Shirley remembered a time when she went to the grocery store and her shoes felt very uncomfortable on her feet. She then realized she had been taking care of sick children and not been out of the house for 12 days, as illnesses would pass from one child to the next and the next and so on.

FAITH LIFE

Strong in their faith, Pete and Shirley raised their family in the Catholic faith. Every Sunday morning, you would find them sitting with all seven children in the front left pew of St. Francis Borgia in Blair for mass. In 1976, Pete was ordained as a Catholic Deacon, and Shirley added “Deaconette” to her list of jobs, supporting him as he presided at several of their children’s first communion, confirmation and wedding ceremonies; and later baptisms of their grandchildren. In the 1980s, Pete and Shirley relocated to Omaha where they became fixtures at St. John Vianney Church in Millard. They got into a regular routine of going to daily mass, praying the rosary with friends, and then gathering for coffee after as a start to every day.

A FULL LIFE

In addition to being a mother, homemaker and supportive wife, Shirley filled her time with many hobbies. She tended to a beautiful rose garden and enjoyed growing fruits and vegetables in the family garden. She also loved music. She sold encyclopedias to save up money to buy an organ that became one of her most treasured possessions. She loved to play hymns and big band tunes on the organ, continuing to do so until she was nearly 90. She also had a passion for drawing and painting, creating countless still-lifes, portraits, and religious paintings. One of her paintings hangs in the sacristy of St. Patrick’s church in Gretna and another painting of the Holy Family is displayed in the chapel at St. John Vianney every Christmas. Additionally, she taught herself jewelry-making, and made countless rosaries, which she shared with her many, many friends and family members. Shirley often expressed a strong sense of patriotism as a proud American who loved her country.

With her own children grown and gone, grandchildren began arriving in the early 1990s. She watched her family grow with the addition of six grandchildren – Daniele Rooney Wright, Tyler Moore, Margaret Rooney Dobson, Kyle Moore, Katie Moore, and Elizabeth Kopetzky – many whom she took great delight in caring for to avoid the notion that they might be in daycare otherwise. In the past ten years, her family grew even more with the addition of six great-grandchildren – Landon Wright, Lyla Dobson, Creighton Wright, Preston Wright, Maisie Moore, and Easton Dobson.

When Pete suffered from a stroke in 1999, she spent her days caring for him until his death in January 2008. Diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in 2018, Shirley’s children began caring for her as she began her long farewell. She spent the last six years of her life at Parsons House, Bickford, Hillcrest Cottages, and finally Hillcrest Health and Rehab.

At the age of 93, she was preceded in death by her husband Pete, parents Jess and Anna Hunnell, brother Dwight, and children Danny and Lisa.

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