Shirley Wigren

She grew up in Mankato, Minnesota, where she met the father of her six children, disc jockey and television personality Johnny Morris Wigren, while working at a radio station.

Shirley and John got married when she was nineteen years old, and would have six children during their marriage. They made their home in Minneapolis, but moved in 1971 to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she would live the rest of her life. Shirley was strong, beautiful, intelligent, adventurous, caring, and competitive.

Shirley was a wonderful mother, a strong disciplinarian, creative play maker, and great teacher. She taught her children how to sew, cook, clean, camp, waterski, hike, snow ski and play tennis. She taught them how to manage money. She instilled a love of the outdoors in them, a love that she retained up until her final days. She also set high standards for her children, particularly academically, and encouraged them all to find meaningful success in their endeavors.

Shirley was a particularly good tennis player, playing competitively well into her old age. She also excelled at bridge until she could no longer see the cards well enough to win. In her younger years, she loved performing and loved to sing and dance in her own home in her later years.

Although Shirley and John divorced, they remained good friends until his death in 2020. She married Eric McCrossen after the divorce, and the three of them attended family events and even traveled together for many years. Upon her marriage to Eric, Shirley welcomed the McCrossen family into her life and loved them until the end.

Shirley was an active and loving grandmother to her nine grandchildren. She spent time on Big Lake in Minnesota each summer, where all of the grandchildren had time with her over the years. She eventually had ten great-grandchildren, several of whom were old enough to know her well. After retirement age, Shirley reconnected with her siblings Sylvia and Bruce and truly enjoyed their travels and get-togethers. Knowing them well as adults was one of her true joys as she aged.

Shirley was preceded in death by her parents, her husband and ex-husband, her siblings, and her beloved first child Jodie Wigren. She is survived by Christy Campbell (Big Lake, Minnesota and Thermopolis, Wyoming,) Peggy (Tom) Wilcox (South Padres Island, Texas,) Tom (Julie) Wigren (LaPine, Oregon,) Susie Snyder (Roswell, New Mexico,) and Leah Wigren (Reno, Nevada.) She is also survived by her nine grandchildren, Aja, Kelly Jo, Anthony, Andrea, Adam, Kate, Tom, John and Li, and ten great-grandchildren, as well as several nieces and nephews and her sister-in-law June Larson.