Shirley Jean (Harden) Nesbitt, 86, Oskaloosa, died Wednesday, July 31, 2019, at FW Huston Senior Living Center at Winchester.
    She was born March 27, 1933, at McLouth, the only child of Willis H. “Buck” and Velma G. Robertson Harden. She graduated from Ozawkie High School in 1951.
    Shirley immediately started to work for the Farmers Home Administration in the old Oskaloosa courthouse. After the courthouse was destroyed by a tornado in 1960, her office was re-opened in the new courthouse.
    She married her high school sweetheart, Ronald Ray “Bud” Nesbitt, Sept. 29, 1951, at  Ozawkie. They were married for over 67 years. Their daughter, Rhonda, was born in 1953. Bud had entered the US Army and became stationed in Korea.
    Knowing that the construction of Perry Lake would take their home in Ozawkie, they moved with Shirley’s parents, and grandmother, Katie Robertson, to Valley Falls in 1955. Rhonda married Ed Lindsay in 1975 and the three households moved to rural Ozawkie in 1978.
    Shirley retired from the Farmers Home Administration in 1986, after 35 years of service. She greatly enjoyed her job, helping local farmers and their families. She worked for the County Appraisers Office for several years before finally retiring. She was a member of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees.
    Shirley enjoyed visiting and traveling with her family and friends, and keeping a nice home. She loved animals, as proven by her long and generous support of the Jefferson County Humane Shelter.
    She was preceded in death by her father, Buck, in 1982, and her mother, Velma, in 2009. Shirley leaves behind her beloved husband, Bud, of the home; her daughter, Rhonda Lindsay and her husband, Ed, Oskaloosa; granddaughter, Jennifer Dunham; and great-granddaughter, Addison Dunham
    The Graveside Service will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 5, 2019, at the Valley Falls Cemetery. Visitation will be from 3:00-5:00 p.m. Sunday, at Mercer Funeral Home in Valley Falls.
    Memorial contributions may be made to Jefferson County Friends of Hospice and sent c/o Mercer Funeral Home, PO Box 6, Valley Falls, KS 66088. Online condolences are welcome at www.mercerfuneralhomes.com.