Shirley Wickstrom, 76, a loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend, passed away Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2007, in Fort Worth.

Funeral: 2 p.m. Monday at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church. Private interment: Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery. Visitation: 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Greenwood Funeral Home.

Memorials: Should friends desire, the family requests contributions be made to the American Heart Association, Arthritis Foundation or American Cancer Society.

Mrs. Wickstrom was born Dec. 18, 1930, in Galesburg, Ill. She graduated from Galesburg High School and the University of Illinois. She married Elmer R. Wickstrom at Messiah Lutheran Church in Henderson Grove, Ill., on Dec. 31, 1952, and served as an Air Force wife for over 20 years until his retirement in 1974. She taught English in Roswell, N.M., and Chicopee, Mass., before becoming a librarian at Chicopee High School.

In 1974, she moved with her family to Fort Worth, where she lived until her death. Over the years she made and cherished countless friends across the country and enjoyed keeping in touch with all of them. Always an optimist, she used her winning smile and humor to help others see the lighter side of life.

Mrs. Wickstrom was preceded in death by her parents, Helen and Conrad Nelson; and her husband, Elmer R. Wickstrom.

Survivors: Daughters, Janice Williams and husband, Joe of Arlington and Sallie Ward and husband, Jerrell of North Richland Hills; grandchildren, Christy and Carson Williams and Conrad and Carrie Anderson; sister, Connie Huff; and dear friends, Fran and Siegfried Mollenkott.

WORKING IN STUDIO

This week I got started seriously working on new small sculptures for an upcoming show at Cricket Engine in - think - late October.