Evelyn Valee Shahan, 88, of Kirksville, Missouri, passed away Saturday (April 27, 2013).

Evelyn was born October 19, 1924, near Sidney, Missouri, in Putnam, County, the only child of Vernal Basil and Beda Mae (Harmon) Ledford.

On June 1, 1946 in Burlington, Iowa, Evelyn was united in marriage to Lyle Warren Shahan who preceded her in death on September 20, 2008, after sixty-one years of marriage.

She was also preceded in death by her father in 1968; her mother, in 1991; one step grandson, John David Kenney; two sisters-in-law, Dorothy Shahan and Velma Erwin; two brothers-in-law, Dale Shahan and Duane Geater, and one nephew, Tom Shahan.

Evelyn is survived by one son and daughter-in-law, John Dee Randall and Mary Shahan of Kirksville, MO; one daughter and son-in-law, Delyla Joy Cayann Shahan and Charles Ticktin of Woodland Hills, CA; one granddaughter, Carolyn Alexandra Ticktin of Woodland Hills, CA; one step grandson, Daniel Kenney and wife, Andrea of Purden, MO; four step-granddaughters, Linda Cox and husband, Steve, of Prairie Village, KS, Anne Marie Bowe of Excelsior Springs, MO, Jennifer Kenney of Olathe, KS, Karen Kenney of Roeland Park, KS; one sister-in-law, Eloise Geater of Independence, IA; three brothers-in-law, Melvin Shahan of Charles City, IA, Donald Shahan and wife, Marilyn, of Cedar Rapids, IA, and Allen Shahan and wife, Janice of Winterset, IA; five nieces, Jeanne Chambers of Columbia, MO, Terry Hansen of Waterloo, IA, Judy Gaffney and Cindy O’Bryon, both of Independence, IA, , and Kathy Cohen of Aurora, CO; five nephews, Richard Erwin of Greentop, MO, Scott Geater of Independence, IA, Steven Shahan of Albert Lee, MN, Jeffery Shahan of Winterset, IA and Gregory Shahan of Winterset, IA.

Mrs. Shahan was a teacher in the public schools of Iowa and Missouri. Her teaching career spanned forty-five years of service, the last thirty years of which were at Ophelia Parrish Junior High School (Truman State University Campus) and at the R-III Middle School in Kirksville, Missouri, until her retirement in 1987.

It was Mrs. Shahan’s wish to be cremated and a graveside memorial service will be held 11:00 a.m. Saturday (May 4, 2013) at Maple Hills Cemetery in Kirksville, with Chaplain Carol Davenport officiating.

The Memorial service will be under the direction of Travis-Noe Funeral Home of Kirksville, and no public visitation will be held.

Expressions of sympathy in memory of Evelyn Shahan may be made to Evelyn Shahan Scholastic Citizenship Award. Memorials may be left at or mailed to Travis-Noe Funeral Home, P.O. Box 306, Kirksville, MO 63501.