Shirley D. Rasche

Shirley D. Rasche, 86, of Garner, passed away Saturday, May 3, 2025, at Concord Care Center.

A funeral mass will be held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, May 8, 2025, at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Duncan with Fr. Andrew Marr officiating. Burial will be at Memorial Park Cemetery.

The funeral service will be recorded and available for viewing Thursday evening.

Visitation will be held one hour prior to services at the church.

Memorials may be directed to Duncan Community Hall or the Garner-Hayfield-Ventura High School Vocal Music Department.

Shirley Dianne Rasche, the daughter of Sylvester and Helen (Hrubes) Malek, was born January 6, 1939, in Mason City. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Wenceslaus Church in Duncan. In 1956, she graduated from Hayfield Consolidated High School, where she participated in chorus, band, basketball, cheerleading, and the school paper. Shirley attended Eagle Grove Junior College and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in music and English from Upper Iowa University. She taught in several Iowa towns, played piano, and sang with Malek’s band and several north Iowa bands. She also sang with the house band in The Chart House in Mason City. Her travels took her to Europe several times.

Shirley moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 1971. There she taught Middle School Choral music, piano lab, and English in the Broward County schools, retiring in 1998, completing 38 years of teaching. She took Master's Degree classes at Colorado State, St. Leo College, Barry University, and Broward Community College.

On November 10, 1974, Shirley was united in marriage to Karl-Heinz Rasche in Fort Lauderdale. Together they had a music, dance/show quartet, the International Four, and worked from Palm Beach to the Keys and in the Bahamas. For several years, they also owned and operated The Veranda, a patio and casual furniture store. Summers were spent traveling in the motorhome, camping along the way. Following Karl’s stroke in 1995, Shirley cared for him in their home until his death in 2001. In 2003, she relocated to Garner.

She enjoyed the ocean, traveling and camping, entertaining, playing the keyboards, watching women’s basketball, music concerts, family, and friends. She was a member of St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Duncan, Red Hat Society, Garfield Hobby Club, was an RSVP volunteer and served on the RSVP Executive Council.

Shirley is survived by her step-son, Shane Rasche of North Miami, FL; step-grandchildren, Justin and Melissa; brother, Bob (Peggy) Malek of Garner; sister, Donna (Don) Jacobsen of Garner; nephews, Ryan (Tracy) Lester, Brent (Amy) Lester and Eric (Kim) Malek; nieces, Crystal Malek and Heidi (Mike) Seaberg; and several great nieces and great nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Karl in 2001; and her parents.