Shirley Mae  Birck Jung, a beloved wife,  cherished mother, Oma, Great Oma, Aunt, and friend passed away peacefully in Fredericksburg, Texas, on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at the age of 89 years.

Born on March 28, 1936, in Fredericksburg, Texas, Shirley was the daughter of Erie and Margaret Ersch Birck and a devoted big sister to brother,  Kenneth and sister,  Josie.

Shirley grew up in Fredericksburg, graduating from Fredericksburg High School in 1954. It is there that she met her husband and spent her entire adult  life raising her family and serving family, friends and community.

After 5 years of dating, she married the love of her life, Leroy Edward Jung, on June 12, 1954. The two of them shared 70 years, 9 months and 20 days of life and adventure. She was a loving wife to Leroy and a devoted  mother of three children, one son, Glenn Wayne, and two daughters, Debora Lynn, and Ginger Gail.

Shirley was a devoted business partner to Leroy helping run their turkey business and their ranch. She baked for the community creating wedding and all occasion cakes and desserts,  and for several local restaurants, some of which included Birck's BBQ Barn, Andy's Steaks and Seafood Grille, and The Gallery Restaurant where she was best known for her fruit and meringue pies and cheese cakes that were culinary works of art as well as delicious.

She also enjoyed gardening, fishing, hunting on their ranch and in Colorado, painting with Irene Klein, and sewing. Her passion for sewing lent her to projects for dance recitals and programs at school, proms, fair queens' and bridesmaids' dresses. Her most elaborate creations were her daughter Debbie's wedding dress which she sewed from pictures in a magazine and Leanne Mueller Segner's dress and her son, Glenn's suit for the Lutheran Coronation which she worked together with Carolyn Mueller to create. Playing Bunco  and Chicken Foot with friends, family and especially her grandchildren were also some of her favorite pastimes. Dancing to country and western music was a favorite form of exercise for Shirley, whether in the kitchen with her grandchildren, or at the Turner Hall (Turn Verein) as members of the Jolly Dance Club.

Shirley loved traveling with Leroy. They spent many an October after the sale of the birds hunting in Colorado with numerous friends, including Ken and Betty Birck, Milton Birck, Shirley and Dennis Lange, and Carolyn and Felix Mueller. Taking family vacations to places like Silverton Colorado, Yellowstone Park, Royal Gorge, The Petrified Forest, The Grand Canyon, The Texas Coast, Washington, Oregon and California tour, an East Coast tour with Delphine and Felix Mueller and Carlin and Natalie Heimann,  and an 11,506 Mile Alaska trip and planning the itinerary with Leroy brought her joy. They visited all but 4 of the lower 48 states. She also enjoyed yearly bus trips with Leroy's class of 1947.

Shirley was extremely involved in the community, serving as a Sunday school teacher, council member, choir member, support minister, altar guild member and reader at Holy Ghost Lutheran church. She was a Den Mother for Boy Scout Troop 135,  and FHS Band Booster for The Pride of the Texas Hill Country FHS Band  where  she and Leroy even accompanied them to Contest of Champions in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1980.

Shirley will be best remembered for her warm disposition, beautiful smile, kindness to others, strength of character, sense of humor, country dancing skills, and fabulous cooking skills. Many of their numerous helpers on the ranch told Leroy they returned to help for the wonderful meals she prepared for them when they worked.

She leaves behind a legacy and tradition of big family and friends gatherings. Every birthday and holiday was a chance to get together with food, family, fellowship, and games. Her Christmas Eve Open House was a well-known community event for decades, celebrating Christmas with food, fun and fellowship, creating memories that will last a lifetime for all who came.

Shirley is survived by her loving and devoted husband, Leroy Jung, three children and their spouses, Glenn and Kim Jung, of Fredericksburg, Debbie Alkire, of Austin, and Ginger and Steve Burow, of Fredericksburg; eight grandchildren and their spouses, Joshua Jung and Aero Warren, of Lorena, Melissa Jung, of Temple,  Michael and Jamey Jung, of  Lorena,  Miranda and Sean Harris, of Las Vegas, NV, Michaela Alkire, of Lakewood, CO, Chelsea and Guy Chadwick, of Hewitt, Kasey Burow, of Elizabeth City, NC, and Brett Burow, of Odessa; seven great grandchildren, Noah Jung, Elara Jung, Evren Jung, Kannon Jung, Kaylee Jung, and Layla Chadwick, all of the Waco area, and Benji Harris of Las Vegas; two siblings, Kenneth and Betty Birck of Wichita Falls, and Josie Weinheimer of Fredericksburg; one niece, Sheila Bibler of Fredericksburg, and two great nieces, Lacey and Berto Sanchez of Mason and Lindey Bibler of Conroe.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Erie and Margaret Birck, one sister, Joyce Ann Birck, one brother-in-law, AJ Weinheimer, and one nephew, Scott Weinheimer.

A Celebration of Life for Shirley Mae Birck Jung will be held on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at Holy Ghost Lutheran Church in Fredericksburg, Texas, with visitation also at Holy Ghost Lutheran Church prior to the service from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Interment will follow in Der Stadt Friedhof.

Memorials may be given to Holy Ghost Lutheran Church, Methodist Hill Country Hospice or the charity of your choice.