Shirley Ann Balcom

Shirley Ann Balcom

Aug. 6, 1927 - Feb. 26, 2014

CAMBRIDGE, Nebraska -- Shirley Ann Balcom, age 86, of Cambridge, died at the Christian Homes in Holdrege on Feb. 26, 2014.

She was born on the family farm in Gosper County, Nebraska, north of Holbrook on Aug. 6, 1927 to William and Anna (Rupp) Hilker. Shirley married Clare "Bus" Balcom on March 20, 1944, in Norton, Kansas. To this union five children were born: Roger, Richard, Lois, Diane and Pat.

Shirley in known for being the farmer's wife, living and creating a home for her family on the family homestead north of Cambridge in Frontier County. She loved to garden and continued to grow tomatoes, cucumbers and green beans in her garden until she moved to Christian Homes in Holdrege two years ago. She is well known for her fried chicken, beef and homemade noodles, potato salad, and especially her homemade pumpkin pie.

She is preceded by he parents; husband, Clare "Bus" in 1996; sons, Roger and Richard; brothers, Billy and Eldon Hilker; sisters and their husbands, Bernice and Emmo Yongquist and Betty Farr and husband, Eldon Farr; sister and brothers-in-laws, Virgil Demont Paul and Wilma Newcomb, Lowell and Faye Balcom and Art Cortez.

She is survived by her three daughters, Lois Gillam of Lincoln, Nebraska; Diane Balcom of Holdrege, Nebraska and Pat Gufford of Cambridge; grandchildren, Alison Gillam and fiancé, Dave Douglas of Lincoln, Kevin and wife, Trish Gufford of Omaha, Nebraska, Dawn Gufford and Mark Smith of Savannah, Georgia; two great- grandchildren; sisters, Marge Macy of Yankton, South Dakota; Virginia Delmont of Thornton, Colorado, and sister-in-law, Mary Cortez of South Gate, California.

Funeral services will be on Saturday, March 1, 2014, at 2 p.m. at the Trinity United Methodist Church with Pastor Jeff Wulf officiating. Interment will be in the Holbrook Cemetery in Hobrook, Nebraska.

Visitation will be on Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Memorials may be left to either the Cambridge Rescue Squad or donor's choice. Friend may leave on-line condolences at lockenour.com.

Lockenour Jones Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.