Della M. Shorrel, 94, of Chippewa Falls, Wis., and formerly of Trempealeau, Wis., and Austin, Minn., passed away Oct. 22 at the Wissota Health long term care facility in Chippewa Falls.

Della Shorrel was born in Hokah, Minn., to Peter and Mary Elizabeth (Hirt) Anderson on May 31, 1919. She was the youngest of six children. She attended public schools in Hokah and at the age of 18 moved to La Crosse, Wis. She worked at the Autolite plant off and on. She loved to dance and walk from the south side of La Crosse to the northside to dance at the Avalon and would talk about wearing out a pair of shoes in one night.

When laid off from Autolite she found a job as a housekeeper and a baby sitter in the household of John and Mayme Shorrel. There she was introduced to Grant Shorrel, the love of her life. She would marry him on May 31, 1941, at St. John’s Reformed Church in La Crosse.

During World War II, Della continued to live in La Crosse while her husband served in the U.S. Coast Guard. During that time, she gave birth to their daughter who died several hours after birth. After the war they continued to live in La Crosse. Della gave birth to a son, Gary, in August of 1948. Shortly after, they moved to Austin, Minn.

Della was a talented seamstress and sewed drapes for many years in Austin. After her husband’s retirement from Geo. A. Hormel Company, they retired to their home along the Mississippi River in Trempealeau. Della continued to sew drapes for several more years as well as tending her flower beds and garden. She continued to live there after her husband’s death in 2008.

In the fall of 2011, she moved to Homestead Apartment in Chippewa Falls to be close to her son and daughter-in-law.

Della was preceded in death by her husband of 67 years, Grant; infant daughter, Sharon Lee; her parents; her sisters and brothers in-law, Ethyl (John) Knutson , Minnie (Willard) Kramer, and Vera (Erwin) Johnson; her brothers and sisters-in-law, Clarence (Mabel) Anderson and Joe (Hazel) Anderson.

She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Gary and Barbara Shorrel of Chippewa Falls; granddaughters and husbands, Kelly and Rob Kress and Cristina and Scott Wildenberg; great-grandsons, Jackson, Cooper, and Alex and the great-granddaughter, Layna. She is also survived by her sister-in-law and husband, Garnet and Wally Shong; and several nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, Oct. 28, with visitation at 10 a.m. and services at 11 a.m. at the Zwickey Funeral Home in Galesville, Wis. Internment will be at the Oak Grove Cemetery in La Crosse at 1:30 p.m. Memorials may be directed to the Trempealeau Garden Club.