Shirley “Ileen” (Groft) Tennyson, 75, of Kirksville, Missouri, passed away Monday (November 10, 2014) at Northeast Regional Medical Center in Kirksville.

The daughter of Floyd and Esther (Meehan) Groft, she was born April 16, 1939 in Redfield, South Dakota. On November 18, 1957 in South Dakota, Ileen was united in marriage to William “Bill” Tennyson who preceded her in death on January 9, 2007.

She was also preceded in death by her parents; one brother, Marlin Groft and her son-in-law, Todd Shahan.

Ileen is survived by one son and daughter-in-law, Ron and Melissa Tennyson of Kirksville, MO; two daughters and a son-in-law, Brenda and Alan Gillaspy of Chariton, IA and Marla Shahan of Kirksville, MO; one sister, Lois Groft of Redfield, South Dakota; five grandchildren, Brittany McNeeley, Audrey Polly, Seth and Rachel Shahan and Lacey Tennyson; two great-grandchildren, Landyn and Journey McNeeley; one sister-in-law, Marilyn Groft of Spanfish, South Dakota, as well as two nieces and three nephews.

Ileen was a graduate of Athol Public Schools in South Dakota with the Class of 1957. She and her family lived in Minneapolis, Kansas until 1975 when they moved to Kirksville to make their home. While living in Kansas, she was employed at the Ottawa County Hospital and Clinic. After moving to Missouri, she attended the Missouri Tech school of nursing and became a LPN. After working as a nurse, she became a Certified Literacy Tutor, teaching adults to read and write. In her spare time she enjoyed painting, writing poetry and stories. She published two booklets, one of poetry and the other about the history of her hometown in South Dakota.

She will be remembered for being a loving mother and grandmother who loved spending time with her family.

Funeral services will be held 6:00 p.m. Saturday (November 15, 2014) at Travis-Noe Funeral Home in Kirksville, with family receiving friends one hour before.

Honorary pallbearers will be her nieces and nephews, Michelle Tennyson, Sheila Hansen, Gordon Groft, Travis Groft and Derek Groft.

Interment will take place at a later date at Green Lawn Cemetery in Redfield, South Dakota.

Expressions of sympathy in memory of Ileen Tennyson may be made to Field of Dreams. Memorials may be left at or mailed to Travis-Noe Funeral Home, P.O. Box 306, Kirksville, MO.