Erin Fiegen Obituary, Dubuque Iowa, Erin Fiegen Has Passed Away
Erin Fiegen Obituary, Death – Erin Fiegen, 85, of Dell Rapids, South Dakota, died away on Saturday, June 11, 2022, at the Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, surrounded by her loved ones. On Wednesday, June 15, 2022, at 10:00 a.m., the St. Mary Catholic Church will host her Mass of Christian Burial. On Tuesday, June 14, 2022, the Christian Wake Service will commence at 7:00 p.m. at Kahler-Brende Funeral Home, following a visitation with the family present from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Erin Fiegen, the youngest child of Frank and Bethel Goodale, was born on October 3, 1936, in Baltic, South Dakota. In 1954, Shirley earned her diploma from Chester High. While on a two-week break from the army in March of 1954, a dashing young man proposed to Shirley Goodale. Their forever journey began once she said yes. On May 1, 1956, in Dell Rapids, South Dakota, Erin wed Virgil Fiegen. Virgil and Shirley stayed in the Dell Rapids region and farmed there until 1966. They ended up having five kids total, three boys and two girls. One little boy died soon after delivery.
In 1966, they relocated to California, where they had their sixth child, a son. Shirley placed her family above anything else and made them her first priority. In the beginning, she stayed at home to raise her five kids. She started working for the Downey Unified School District when her children were older. She first worked as a TA at Ed C Lewis Grade School, and then moved on to the attendance office at Downey High School, where she stayed until she retired. While she was living in California, she and her family frequently traveled to South Dakota to see her extended family and friends.
The time in California will always be cherished, but there’s no place like South Dakota. After Shirley retired in 1997, she returned to her hometown of Dell Rapids. Before Virgil’s passing in July of 2017, Shirley and him shared a 61-year marriage. They were the picture of a happy and committed couple who never separated. Erin was a devoted and compassionate family member at every stage of her life. She was an excellent baker in addition to being a skilled cook. She was like a second mother to many because of how much she made them feel like they belonged in the family. When her children invited their friends around, she never failed to offer them some of the delicious food she had prepared.
For her handmade cookies, kids would flock to her house specifically. The chocolate chip variety was the most popular, but everyone enjoyed the pies, cakes, and other cookies as well. Shirley’s favorite part of the year was Christmas because of all the time spent with her loved ones. Shirley’s one true joy in life was dancing with the man she loved. She never refused Virgil the opportunity to dance, and the expressions on his face and hers were always priceless. She was active in the St. Mary Church Alter Society and the American Legion Auxiliary Post 65.
