Shirley M. Probst

Shirley M. Probst, 69, of Benton Harbor, passed away, Friday, January 12, 2007, at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 1:00 P.M. Friday at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Rd. St. Joseph with Dr. Randy Doyle officiating. Private burial will follow at North Shore Memory Gardens in Coloma. Memorials may be made to the Humane Society of Southwest Michigan or Berrien County Cancer Service. Those wishing to share a memory or sign the guest book online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Shirley was born October 1, 1937 in Bear Lake Township, Manistee Co., Michigan, the daughter of Alfred & Ruth (Kortright) Schultz. She attended school in Bear Lake through 1952, and then moved with her parents to Benton Harbor. She was a graduate of Benton Harbor High School, class of 1955. On July 1, 1983, she married Lonny H. Probst at the Coloma Methodist Church in Coloma, Michigan. Shirley is survived by her husband Lonny; a son and daughter-in-law Barry & Joyce Baugher of Spotsylvania, Virginia; a daughter and son-in-law, Gayle & Ken Bassett of Benton Harbor; a stepson and daughter-in-law, Lonny T. and Natalie Probst of Eddyville, Iowa; two stepdaughters and sons-in-law, Lori and Ray Skinner of Eau Claire, Michigan and Lisa and Matt Kiser of Stevensville, Michigan; one sister and brother-in-law, Karine and Larry Gumieny of Manistee, Michigan; and 12 grandchildren. She is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents; two infant sisters; and one brother. Shirley was employed as an accountant at various businesses in the St. Joseph/Benton Harbor area, retiring in October 1996 from Perry Ballard Advertising, Inc. She was a member of the Van Buren Regional Genealogical Society in Decatur, Michigan and the Manistee County Historical Museum in Manistee, Michigan. Since 1999, she had volunteered at the Van Buren District Library in Decatur in their Local History Room. She loved working with computers and doing family history research. She also enjoyed reading, doing crossword puzzles, and playing the piano and accordion.