Shirley Marie Ehrenstrom, 96

Warroad – Shirley Marie Ehrenstrom passed away on September 25, 2026, at the Warroad Senior Living Center, surrounded by family.
She was born on June 19, 1930, in Hallock to Clarence and Ida (Myers) Beck of Lancaster. She was baptized and confirmed at Sion Lutheran Church in Lancaster. Shirley attended North Star Country School and graduated as Valedictorian of Lancaster High School in 1948. In 1950, she continued her education at Moorhead State Teachers College and soon began teaching at the school in Kennedy.
Raised on a farm in northern Minnesota, Shirley learned early what hard work looked like, often stepping in to drive a tractor in the field when her brothers weren’t around to help. That farm upbringing and northern MN winters made her one tough cookie and inspired a love for the outdoors.
On May 13, 1952, Shirley married Elwood C. Ehrenstrom. Their first few years of marriage were split between Montana and Florida while Elwood served in the Air Force. While in Montana, Shirley taught in a one-room schoolhouse for the ranchers’ children of Roy, MT. Then, after living in West Palm Beach, FL, they settled in Thief River Falls. Shirley started bookkeeping at the Thief River Falls airport and operated the airport’s Sky Club Café, where she ran the show, and pilots bragged that her burgers were the best in town. She later kept the books for Ehrenstrom Construction Co. and E&B Car Wash.
In 1986, at an age when most people are winding down, Shirley went back to school and earned an LPN degree from the AVTI in Thief River Falls. She spent the next 22 years working as a nurse at NWMC in Thief River Falls, which, by her own admission, was her favorite career. She retired to care for her husband.
Shirley was spicy and always up for an adventure. Her coffee cup collection told the tale of a woman who had traveled. By plane, train, boat, snow cat, or her trusty little red truck, formerly her father’s, she went places. She could often be found bundled up for ice fishing, which she loved, or in her red polka-dot bikini for warmer adventures on Lake of the Woods or at the cabin on Springsteel Island, where she and Elwood hosted many family and friends over the years. One adventure with Stacy took her to see the schoolhouse in Montana, still standing 62 years later. She also treasured countless trips with friends and visits to Ottertail Lake to spend time with her brothers and extended family.
Her family, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren were where her heart really lived. Grandma Shirley, lovingly known by some as Grandma Squirrely or Squirrel, accompanied many cross-country road trips to California, sat with a new hunter, babysat, baited fishing hooks, and spent countless hours at sporting events or at the cabin watching kids float on the lake. Her legacy carries on as three of her great-grandsons carry her maiden name Beck as part of their own.
In 2021, Shirley moved to Warroad to live next to her daughter. She enjoyed lazy days on the patio watching the trains and traffic fly by, and countless rides in the Ranger around the farm with Stacy or in the red truck to Dairy Queen for a treat. She was often in a housecoat and slippers, cozy in her chair with coffee and a cookie, watching either Heartland or the deer meandering in the yard.
Shirley lived a full life and experienced the joys and heartaches that come with 96 years. A huge thank you to Sandy and Judy, who helped care for her at home, and the staff at Warroad Senior Living Center, who cared for Shirley in her final year. She kept them on their toes, maybe gave them a hard time now and then, but was treated with patience and humility. In her nurses’ professional opinion, she admitted they knew what they were doing.
Shirley was preceded in death by her husband, Elwood Ehrenstrom; her parents, Clarence and Ida Beck; her brothers, Lloyd and Bill Beck; her sisters-in-law, Iris and Beverly Beck; Clarence’s second wife, Emma Beck; and daughter-in-law Deb Ehrenstrom.
She is survived by her sons, Stanton Ehrenstrom and Kent (Janet) Ehrenstrom; her daughter, Stacy (Bruce) Wilmer; and her nine grandchildren: Jen Wesolowski, Aaron Ehrenstrom, Sindy Larson, Lindsay Clemens, Christine Dougherty, Evan Wilmer, Ann Olson, Mitch Wilmer, and Abby Markstrom. Also surviving are her 14 great-grandchildren: Alexander Wesolowski; Parker, Grady Beck, and Turner Dougherty; Thor and Joe Beck Larson; Lauryn and Taylor Ehrenstrom, Chloe Olson; Axl, Acy, and Ady Clemens; Reagan and Aubrey Wilmer; and Hayes Beck Markstrom.
Shirley died on September 25, Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” day. She’d worked her whole life, and on 9-25, her shift was done.
Her life will be celebrated in Lancaster during the summer of 2027. A date soon to be determined.