Shirley Mae Shores

Shirley Mae Shores, daughter of the late William Kenneth Pennington, Sr. and Olamae Elizabeth (Anderson) Pennington, was born June 22, 1936, in Dunn, Missouri. On Sunday, January 26, 2020, after spending the morning at her church, worshipping her Savior, Shirley went to be with Jesus. She was 83 years, 7 months, and 4 days of age.

Shirley grew up in Seymour, Missouri and graduated from Seymour High School in 1954. She married the love of her life, John Shores, on May 7, 1954, in Seymour at her mother’s home. Three children were born to this union. Her family knew they were greatly loved by the greatest wife and mother ever.

Shirley lived with God’s promise from Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” She put the love of God and the love of family above all else. She centered the family’s Christmas celebrations on Jesus, doing things like making cakes for Him and hiding baby Jesus for her grandchildren to find. She was very involved in her church, actively serving in the choir, singing in quartets, helping at church camp, and teaching Sunday School. At the time of her passing, she had been a member of Southside Baptist Church for 55 years.

Shirley worked beside her husband, helping on the farm and was a bookkeeper for his auto mechanic’s business. In her spare time, she enjoyed singing, teaching water skiing in her younger years, and travelling to Canada for fishing trips. Shirley’s sweet spirit will be missed by all who knew and loved her.

Besides her parents, Shirley was preceded in death by one sister, Beverly Sue Denney-Carter.

She is survived by her loving husband, John, of their home in Norwood, Missouri, two sons, John Shores, Jr. (Tammy Watson) of Mountain Grove, Missouri, and Tony Lee Shores of Gainesville, Missouri, one daughter, Sandy S. Smith (Dan) of Neosho, Missouri, one brother, William Kenneth Pennington, Jr. (Peggy) of Seymour, Missouri, six grandchildren, Adam Shores, Lisa West (Eli), Phillip Shores (Channing), Shawna Hansen (Rorie), Sylas Shores, and Travis Anderson (Brandi), eleven great-grandchildren, Lauren, Alyssa, Kamden, Maelyn, Baylor, Patience, Steele, Tensley, Ava, Callen, and Avenly, and many other friends, neighbors, and church family. Shirley’s answered prayer would be, “Make sure you see me on the other side”.