Shirley Dean Davis passed away the morning of June 11, 2026 at The Township in Springfield, MO, where she spent the last months of her life in the memory care unit.

Shirley was born August 1, 1937 in Republic, MO to parents James and Laura Inman. She grew up in the country, close to railroad tracks and dirt roads she recalled with a smile when telling stories of her youth. James worked the farm and Laura took care of the home and five children. Shirley was the only girl, and she would follow her mother’s example later in life, taking care of a home and a family of her own.

When she was 17, Shirley met a boy from Springfield named Wayne. They eventually married and had their first son, David, in the fall of 1956. The young parents were still teenagers in the era of Elvis Presley, whom Shirley saw in concert in Springfield 20 years later. A second son, Allen, was born in 1960. The young family settled in a house on south Scenic near Grand, where they raised both boys in a close-nit neighborhood, one of those places where everyone helped keep an eye on the kids, and watched out for each other.

Shirley, who enjoyed all sorts of crafts, began cake decorating as a hobby, and many family members and friends found special cakes made just for them on their birthdays. This extended especially to granddaughters Lindsey and Jenny, who could expect a cake designed around their interests every year. She also enjoyed ceramics for a time, and several pieces Shirley made are still on the shelves of those she made them for. She was always doing something for others, even if it was just baking sweet treats for friends at Christmas time. She also took occasional trips to the casinos an hour or so from home where she fed the slot machines, often returning with more money than she took with her.

One of the things Shirley and Wayne enjoyed throughout their almost 70-year marriage was traveling to so many places across the country by car, often with close friends Bob and Lou Miller. The west was maybe their favorite region to visit, but they went as far as New England for the colorful fall leaves, and they loved seeing the aspens turn in Colorado. They also flew to Alaska when Allen and wife Marla moved their family to the 50th state, and they spent special time with grandkids Colter and Mackenzie during those visits. Shirley was always excited for the next adventure, whether it was going a few thousand miles, or just to Darlene’s Beauty Shop next door for the latest neighborhood news.

As she grew older, you could find Shirley reading a lot. If there wasn’t a mystery novel by her chair, there was often a Bible in her lap. As time and Alzheimer’s took a toll, reading became difficult. Yet throughout her battle with dementia, she was still Shirley. She got confused, and did not always understand everything happening around her, but she was still that country girl who married a city boy when she was young, stayed with him for seven decades, raising a family, keeping a warm home, and serving others in so many ways, while never expecting anything in return.

She was preceded in death by her parents, James and Laura Inman; her brother, Glen Inman; her son, Allen Davis; and her husband, Wayne Davis.

She is survived by her son, David Davis, and his wife, Martha; her daughter-in-law, Marla Davis; grandchildren Lindsey, Jenny, Colter, and Mackenzie; great-grandchildren Vivian and Elliott; and her brothers, Eugene, Wilbur, and Darvin Inman.