Shirley Mae (Godber) Mickelson died on Oct. 8, 2020, at Avera Brady Rehabilitation Center in Mitchell.   

A private graveside service for immediate family will be held on Friday, Oct. 16, at Trinity Lutheran Cemetery.  A celebration of Shirley’s life will be held sometime in the future when all family and friends can attend safely. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be sent to Lutheran Social Services or Trinity Cemetery Maintenance fund.

Shirley was born in Letcher on March 17, 1930, to Carlos and Cleo (Kane) Godber.  As a young woman, she enjoyed leading the Letcher High School Band as a majorette, and later, she attended Augustana College in Sioux Falls to earn her teaching license.

On Aug. 13, 1950, Shirley married Elmer Kenneth Mickelson at Trinity Lutheran Church in rural Letcher, to whom she was married for 70 years. Throughout her life, Shirley was a dedicated and loving wife and mother, a schoolteacher, as well as a joyful and devoted Christian who donated thousands of hours of service to her community and her church.  Shirley and Elmer were life-long members of Storla Lutheran Church in Storla.

During their marriage, Elmer and Shirley loved traveling on the road in their classic cars with the Horseless Carriage Car Club, making an homage to Norway, and traveling to visit family and friends throughout the United States.

Shirley is survived by her soul mate of 70 years, Elmer Mickelson; two children, Darcy (Karen) Mickelson of rural Mount Vernon and Crystal Mickelson of Lakeville, Minn.; five grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.