Shirley Vanden Bosch

Shirley Vanden Bosch was born November 16, 1946, to Marinus and Janette (Scholten) Starkenburg in Bellingham, Washington. She grew up on a dairy farm near Everson, Washington, and went to Lynden Christian Grade School and Nooksack Valley High School. 

    After graduation in 1964 she went to visit relatives in Minnesota and met Rob Vanden Bosch and stayed.  They were married April 15, 1965, and were blessed with three children, Corey, Jeff, and Marcy.  The couple farmed and lived near Edgerton, Minnesota, and were blessed with 54 years of marriage.

    Shirley was a member of Bethel Christian Reformed Church in Edgerton and the Edgebrook Auxiliary.  She enjoyed gardening “playing in the dirt,” woodworking, coffee time with friends, bowling with the gals, cross stitching, and especially time spent with family.

    In March 2014 she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, cancer of the blood plasma cells.   She started chemotherapy treatments and had a stem cell transplant in Rochester in August of 2014.  She continued treatment at home as an out-patient.  In February of 2017 the cancer worsened and she started a new chemotherapy treatment.  In May 2020 the cancer worsened, changing treatment once again.  She died March 11, 2021, at the age of 74.

    Shirley is lovingly remembered by her husband, Rob Vanden Bosch; two sons, Corey (Judy) Vanden Bosch of Pipestone, Minnesota, and Jeff (Gaelynne) Vanden Bosch of Lake Wilson, Minnesota, and a daughter, Marcy (Darin) Pals of Jasper, Minnesota; ten grandchildren, Robyn, Ashley, Trisha, Jenn, Sara, Stormi, Jacob, Wyatt, Tristen, and Nicole; thirteen great-grandchildren; a sister, Carolyn Silves of Ferndale, Washington; two brothers, Everett Starkenburg of Woodenville, Washington, and Scott (Kathie) Starkenburg of 150 Mile House, British Columbia; mother-in-law Florence; sisters- and brothers-in-law: Roy, Max, Iva and Ken, and Mari and Wayne, and nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Marinus and Janette, father-in-law Ed, a nephew, Michael, three sisters-in-law, Jan, Lou, and Helen, a brother-in-law, Don, and great-grandson Emmett.

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