Shirley Mathis Lansden, age 87, of Paducah, Kentucky passed away on Wednesday, November 1, 2023 at Southgate Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Metropolis, Illinois.
Shirley was born in Vanzora, Marshall County, Kentucky on January 7, 1936 to the late Willie and Sytha Mathis.
She was a retired R.N. from Western Baptist Hospital in Paducah and a Retired Colonel from the United States Army Reserve, where she was a member of the 807th MASH Unit and a veteran of the Persian Gulf War (Desert Storm) where she served as the Chief Nurse and was awarded the Bronze Star and Liberation of Kuwait Medals.
Shirley was a member of Fountain Avenue United Methodist Church for most of her life, where she served on the Council of Ministries for several years. She was also a member of the Rebekah Circle Fellowship Sunday School Class and United Methodist Women.
She was preceded in death by her husband, James Lansden; parents, Willie and Sytha Mathis; four brothers, Tom Mathis, Van Mathis, Donnie Mathis and Joe B. Mathis; and three sisters, Ina Hudspeth, Willie Mae Bremer, and Margaret Campbell.
Shirley is survived by her two sons, J. Keith Lansden (Alexandra) of Paducah, and Michael Lansden of Paducah; three grandchildren, Natalie Lansden, Elizabeth Lansden, and William Lansden.
Funeral services will be held at 1:00 P.M. on Tuesday, November 7, 2023 at Milner & Orr Funeral Home of Paducah with Rev. Bob Martin officiating. Burial, with military honors, will follow at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens.
Visitation will be held from 11:00 A.M. until the service time of 1:00 P.M. on Tuesday, November 7, 2023 at Milner & Orr Funeral Home of Paducah.
Expressions of sympathy may be made to the American Cancer Society, 952 Fairview Avenue, Suite #4, Bowling Green, Kentucky, 42101 or the American Heart Association, 1818 Patterson Street, Nashville, Tennessee, 37203.
Share a memory or leave a message for the family at www.milnerandorr.com.