January 18, 1937 ~ November 12, 2023

Shirley Irene Hartford, died on Sunday, November 12, 2023 at Litzenberg Memorial Long Term Care in Central City. A private burial was held in the Central City Cemetery on Tuesday, November 21, 2023. A Celebration of Life gathering will be held on January 18, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. at the Solt-Wagner Funeral Home in Central City. All are welcome to attend and share their memories. Memorials are suggested to the Prairie Island Bridge Youth Endowment Fund. Condolences can be sent to the family at www. soltwagnerfuneral.com.

Shirley was born on January 18, 1937 in Fairmont to Edward and Erma (Wulbrandt) Lusk. She grew up in Fairmont until age 6, then moved to York and received her education at Thayer Public Schools. She also attended Nebraska Wesleyan University.

Shirley married Richard Randall in 1956 and moved to California in 1957. With that marriage, she had two children, Mike and Susan. She received training as a medical transcriptionist from Mount Sinai Hospital in LosAngeles. She took great pride in her work and would continue to work as a medical transcriptionist for over 30 years.

In 1970 Shirley and children moved to Central City, where she continued her work in the medical field. She married LaVern Hartford on December 31, 1972. They lived on his family farm north of town at that time, later moving into Central City. They opened a clothing store, ‘The Clothes Line’ in 1977, in Central City. After the closing of the store, she carried on her career as a medical transcriptionist at the Grand Island Family Practice and later Aurora Memorial Hospital. She loved cooking and hosting holiday celebrations with her family as well as having friends attend luncheons. She was still very close to her parents, where she continued a tradition of a daily phone call with her mother. Throughout her life she enjoyed music. She loved to sing and had many solos for various occasions along with being active in the church choir for many years. She loved traveling with her husband. Later, enjoyed a riverboat cruise with close friends. She loved hummingbirds, crocheting, art and craft projects and the daily crossword puzzle in the newspaper.

Shirley was a long time member of the United Methodist Church and Heartland Evangelical Free Church.

She is survived by a son- Michael (Tara) Randall of Madison, WI; a daughter- Susan (Brent) Kennedy of Central City; grandchildren-Richelle (Kegnide) Bankole; great-grandchildren- Brandon Fye, Reid and Emery Bankole of Central City.

Shirley was preceded in death by her parents; her husbands; and her granddaughter Jana Fye.