Shirley & Merlin Zempel MN State Fair Memorial

Shirley Ann Zempel (née Watson), was born in Barnsdall, Oklahoma August 2, 1930, and passed peacefully at home in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on July 4, 2022. Shirley was married to Merlin for 65 years until his passing in 2015. She was the beloved mother of Rebecca, Brenda, Gregg and Janis. Adoring Grandmother to Aran, Tabitha, Priscilla, Andre, Brandon, Alisha, Cameron, Dana & Grant. And great-grandmother to so many young ones who loved her dearly.

Throughout her life from Oklahoma to Minnesota, Shirley was a singer, loved music, being with family, having tea, going on road trips with family, reading mysteries, and spending time in the beautiful garden her husband tended to so meticulously. One tradition she never missed was a yearly trip (or three) to the Minnesota State Fair. Waking early, arriving for breakfast, meeting people, taking in new art and education, visiting the animals, listening to live music, shopping for fun gifts in the Grandstand, indulging in the food and taking one of the last buses home at closing.

It was a memory the family looked forward to sharing with Shirley and Merlin every summer. In light of this, we are requesting donations to benefit the Minnesota State Fair Foundation, a registered, charitable non-profit 501(c)(3), and any assistance will help make an impact. Any donations will allow the family to personalize a memorial bench to honor Shirley and Merlin and the decades of memories the State Fair gave them all.

Please take a moment to read about the memorial bench program here:

 https://www.msffoundation.org/ways-to-give/bricks-benches-and-tables/benches/

In lieu of flowers, food or other kind offerings and gifts, please consider donating to this fund so that in upcoming years Shirley and Merlin will have a permanent place at the State Fair they loved so much. The funds go to supporting the MN State Fair, and it’s the goal to provide outreach and education as well as funding projects, programs and improvements within the grounds. A bench will be created with their names and an informational plaque on it. It will be placed at the Fair in the same location every year. Family, friends and any strangers passing by will then have a place to reflect on the joys of the Fair and take a moment to honor two people who encapsulated much of what the MN State Fair means to so many. Please see the link to learn more about the work done by the MN State Fair Foundation.

https://www.msffoundation.org/about-us/what-weve-funded/

Sincerest gratitude in advance for any contributions to this cause, which means so much to us all. With love and well wishes from the family. 

*Granddaughters (Tabitha & Priscilla) are acting as organizers on behalf of the daughter and memorial beneficiary (Rebecca). Donations managed and held by GoFundMe will be collected via a beneficiary account and sent directly to the Minnesota State Fair Foundation, along with an application for a memorial bench for the 2023 MN State Fair season. The deadline for applications is June 1, 2023. Updates on the bench location and images will be posted for anyone interested in viewing the treasured result of your donations.