Shirley Jones Heffner

Shirley Virginia (Jones) Heffner, 95, passed away of natural causes on October 5, 2017, in Billings, MT, at Highgate Senior Living. She was born on June 15, 1922, to William Joseph Jones and Mary Immaculata Shields at the family home in Red Lodge, MT. She was the youngest of four girls: Marion “Ollie” (John) Kerrigan; Helen “Babe” (Walter) Lantz; and Patricia (Walter) Bloom. In 1925 her family moved to Detroit, Michigan, where Shirley attended elementary school and graduated from Southeastern High School. She played in an all-girls band and after high school she moved back to Montana. She was married to Max Heffner on December 26, 1943, in Red Lodge. They were divorced in 1974. Shirley was the loving mother of 7 children. She was a lively, funny Irish woman who loved people and life. She loved to crochet and knit, grow roses and peonies, grow a garden, bake bread, Blarney stones, lemon meringue pies and cinnamon rolls, make sour dough pancakes, and mix Irish cream and Kahlua for the holidays. She was noted for sharing real rum ball cookies during the holidays with her friends and co-workers. She loved spending time in Red Lodge and at Cooney Dam, fishing, visiting family on the Stillwater River, and traveling to different vacation destinations. She collected snow babies and copper sculptures. During her life she worked for a tire company, Midland National Bank in Billings, and the Bureau of Land Management. She played piano, organ, clarinet, accordion, and tenor and alto saxophone, was a former member of the Billings Community Band, and was a member of the Sweet Adelines. She was a member of St. Patrick's Co-Cathedral, a Sunday collection counter, and a provider of food for funerals. Survivors include: Patricia Stubbs; Phyllis (William C.) Ulrickson; Dennis Heffner (Doris Sramek); Michael Heffner (Georgia Goodman); Jeanine (Steve) Blehm; Mary Whipple; Gerard Heffner (Karen Schafer); 14 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great granddaughter, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, sisters, son-in-law Gordon “Tom” Stubbs, son-in-law Duke Whipple, and grandson Patrick Ulrickson. Special thanks to the wonderful staff at Highgate Senior Living for their care of our mother. Visitation will be 10 am to 3 pm Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm Monday at Dahl Funeral Chapel. Rosary will be on Monday, October 9, 2017, at the Dahl Funeral Chapel at 6:00 p.m. Funeral Mass of Celebration will be on Tuesday, October 10, 2017, at St. Patrick Co-Cathedral at noon. Committal will be in Red Lodge Cemetery.