Elizabeth Constance Shirah
September 04, 1942 - July 12, 2020
Obituary
MADISON-Elizabeth C. "Betsy" Shirah, 77, of Madison, Wis., died peacefully at U.W. Hospital on Sunday, July 12, 2020. She was born to the late Theodore Krohne and Doris Krohne on Sept. 4, 1942, in Alton, Ill.
Betsy graduated from York High School in Elmhurst, Ill. She went on to study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, then earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison many years later. Upon graduating from college, Betsy joined the Civil Rights Movement. She had been a leader of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at the University of Illinois at Champagne Urbana. She was a regular columnist for the liberal newspaper the Daily Illini, founded and edited by the late Roger Ebert. Roger Ebert later said of her:
“As a writer she had a gift and a clear voice, and we thought her destined for remarkable things. After we all moved to Chicago she disappeared from my life. There were reports that she had moved to the South and was active in the civil rights movement, organizing and writing.”
The reports were true. Betsy went south with hundreds of other young volunteers to join the Mississippi Summer Project, later known as Freedom Summer. There she fell in love with one of the founding members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Sam Shirah, with whom she had two daughters. She remarried in 2014.
Betsy passionately loved justice and found many ways to continue the work after the end of the Civil Rights Movement. As a school social worker in Madison for almost 30 years, she advocated for the rights of children and families who were marginalized. After her retirement, she joined climate change activists to protest the Keystone Pipeline development on tribal lands. She continued to support the Madison Teachers Incorporated (MTI) long after her retirement and participated actively in the “Wisconsin Spring” protests against Act 10. Those who knew her have been profoundly impacted by her justice work and perspectives.
Betsy loved the arts, classical music, and was a talented cellist. She was a loving grandmother and took great joy in spending time with her granddaughter and grandsons. She was a loving wife to her partner of 30 years. She is survived by her husband, her two daughters, her brother, her grandchildren and nieces. She was predeceased by her younger sister. Her loss will be felt deeply by all who loved her.
Honoring her memory, a private celebration of her life will be postponed to a later date due to the COVID 19 pandemic. In lieu of flowers, the family would welcome donations in her name to http://350.org and/or http://EDF.org . Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.
Gunderson Fitchburg
Funeral & Cremation Care
2950 Chapel Valley Rd.
(608) 442-5002
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Memories
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Lisa Shirah-Hiers
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I have so many memories of my mom: hearing her play the cello, playing with her when I was old enough to accompany on the piano, trips to Vilas Zoo, New Glarus, Little Norway, or down to Illinois to visit her mother and sister and my uncle and cousins and great aunt. She struggled as a single parent but worked hard so her girls could go to excellent schools. She somehow managed to provide me with piano lessons and send me to the Lawrence Conservatory of Music for which I am so grateful. I just can't list all my memories. I am flooded with them. I am just so grateful to have been her daughter....
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Lisa Shirah-Hiers
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Mom was a big believer in peace. When my sister and I fought, we got a lecture about world peace. Our punishment was to sit facing each other and smile. We wound up grimacing and our faces looked so funny we ended up laughing.
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Lisa Shirah-Hiers
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These are from our celebration of mom's 70th birthday in the upper pennisula
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Jeannette Deloya
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I first started as a school social worker in Madison in the early 90's . Betsy was the assigned social worker at Whitehorse (the school next door), and was such an incredible support to me as I embarked on a new career. We formed a 'consultation' group that met monthly at Monty's Blue Plate Diner, and then migrated to the stage at the Harmony Corner Bar and Grill. We met for years. Betsy brought warmth, appreciation, a wealth of experiences and resources, her amazing questions, passion for the work, and dedication to the children and families she served. And, she brought a little irreverence and side-splitting stories as well. There are quite a few young folks, who are now adults, who found a listening ear and welcoming support in Betsy. My heartfelt condolences to her family and to all those who love her.
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Diana Kathy Benvenuti
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I will always remember Betsy as a warm, soft spoken sweet friend and family member. I have happy memories sharing, birthdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas together with family in Madison. She was a good cook and made the get togethers at her home very special. She also got into sowing and I have a beautiful Christmas table runner she made me which I use every year that will continue to keep her memory alive in our home. She was such a loving grandmother and I will always remember when it was one of the grandkids birthdays she would always have a smaller present for the other grandkids too. As she said " when it rains on one, it drips on the others". She will be missed!!! RIP sweet Betsy.
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Pat Smith
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Dearest Betsy, My children were lucky enough to have you their school social worker at Emerson Elementary. I first met you as a young school social worker working within the district and then later chatting about my children as they moved through their elementary years. Betsy you always had a story, your sweet smile, your inner steal when you were disappointed in an issue or a principal's decisions. I remember being thrilled when you could join our social work group, I appreciated your insights and humor supported us in our professional paths. Take care.