Shirley Ann Waag , 85, of Akron, Iowa, passed away Monday, March 9, 2020 at her home in Akron.

Due to the present mandated healthcare precautions, services will be held at a later date.

Arrangements are with the Rexwinkel Funeral Home in Akron. Expressions of sympathy can be extended to the family through www.rexwinkelfh.com .

Shirley Ann Johnson was born in the old Carlson house in Elk Point, South Dakota to her parents, John Ingvald and Eleanor (Clementson) Johnson on March 13, 1934. She died on the evening of March 9, 2020 in her home in Akron, Iowa, surrounded by many members of her immediate and extended family, and dear friends, to join her Father in her heavenly, eternal home.

She was baptized in May 1934 by Pastor Walter A. Aamoth and confirmed in the Lutheran faith in 1948. Shirley graduated from Elk Point High School in May 1952. Following graduation, she was a secretary for the Iowa Public Service (IPS) branch office in Elk Point until April 1955.

On May 1, 1955, she was united in marriage to Clifford K. Waag at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Elk Point. After moving to Akron, Shirley worked at Paul's IGA market until April 1957 when she and Clifford moved to the farm.

Shirley was a past active member of several local organizations in the Akron area, to include the American Legion Auxiliary Hoschler Unit #186 in which she held offices of secretary and historian and was also a county-level officer. In the Auxiliary, she helped sell poppies, awarded scholarships, and actively participated in Memorial Day and Veteran's Day activities for over 30 years. In her decades of service with the Immanuel Lutheran Church ELCW, she held all offices except for that of treasurer. She and her ELCW partner, Beth, actively worked on mission growth, tying quilts and rolling bandages, and they also served together for many years on leading the efforts for funeral lunches. She also taught Sunday school at Immanuel Lutheran Churches in both Elk Point and Akron. She served the Pleasant Hill Chapel and its Cemetery Association for many years until she retired as the Association secretary. It was especially gratifying to her to get the chapel placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Throughout the decades, Shirley was a prolific writer of poetry, beautifully expressed letters and cards, and enjoyed working on family genealogy.

She was a strong woman who was faithfully grounded in Christian principles and had a gentle and compassionate heart. She gave freely of herself and her talents. On a personal level, she was a very happy and optimistic person who always had a ready smile and a kind comment for everyone. Her hugs were her trademark.

Survivors include her husband, Clifford; daughter, Lynette (James) Kiger; son, Kenneth; granddaughter, Kirsten V. Simon, all of Akron; two sisters, Neva Gardner of Sioux City and Esther Haines of Elk Point; two brothers, Otto (Pat) Johnson of Boston, NY and Dave (Pattie) Johnson of McCook Lake, SD; brother-in-law, Donald Waag and sister-in-law, Shirley P. Waag, both of Akron.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Ingvald Johnson and Eleanor Johnson; two sisters, Elaine Johnson and Evonne Bancroft; brother, Paul D. Johnson; sister-in-law, Faye Johnson; parents-in-law, Charles and Mina Waag; and brothers-in-law: Victor Gardner, Raymond Waag, and Clifford Haines.