Shirley Kay Skillman, 64, of rural Burlington, Kansas, passed away Sunday, August 5, 2018, at KU Medical Center in Kansas City.

Shirley was born March 17, 1954, in Emporia, Kansas, the daughter of Lawrence L. "Bud" and Velma Rae (Christy) Strawder.

She grew up in the Burlington area and graduated from Burlington High School in 1972. She then earned a business certificate from Flint Hills VoTech in Emporia.

On June 3, 1973, she and Roy Dale Skillman were married at the Christian Church of Burlington. They would become the parents of three children.

Shirley worked for Jim McMurray, DDS, in New Strawn for a short time and then joined the family business, Country Critters, where she was a payroll clerk and did secretarial work. She then began working for U.S.D. 244, first as Payroll Clerk then Clerk of the School Board and assistant to the superintendant.

She was a member of the Christian Church of Burlington. She was a Lifetime Member of the Girl Scouts and had served as Troop Leader. In 1982 she joined the Burlington High School Reunion Committee and was a charter member of the Burlington High School Alumni Scholarship Foundation, both of which she was still actively serving. She had been involved with the Coffey County Cancer Support Group and was a charter member of the New Strawn Fire Auxiliary. She enjoyed researching family history and doing genealogy and had helped organize numerous family reunions over the years.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Bud and Velma Strawder; her in-laws, Oliver and Maxine Skillman; an infant brother, Dennis Eugene Strawder; and two sisters-in-law, Carolyn Strawder and Linda Strawder.

She leaves Roy, her husband of more than 45 years; her children, Shannon Sherman (Carl), Brett Skillman (Mary), and Aaron Skillman (Shandell), all of New Strawn; five grandchildren, August, Randy, Dillan, Collin, Conway, and another on the way; her brothers, Norman Strawder (Debbie), El Dorado, KS, David Strawder (Kathleen), Ottawa, KS, and Roger Strawder (Brenda), Burlington; sisters-in-law Phyllis Bachman and Judy Stukey (Philip); Aunts Leta Richards, and Mildred Truelove and Nancy Strawder all of Burlington; a number of nieces and nephews; many other relatives and friends.

Funeral services will be held 10:30 A.M. Saturday, August 11, 2018, at Jones Funeral Home in Burlington. Burial will follow in Stringtown Cemetery northeast of Burlington.

The family will meet with friends from 6:30 to 8:00 P.M. Friday at Jones Funeral Home.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Burlington High School Alumni Scholarship Foundation (BHSASF) or the Coffey County Cancer Support Group and may be sent in care of Jones Funeral Home, PO Box 277, Burlington, KS 66839.