Shirley E. Simmons, age 92, of White, formerly of Madison, died Sunday, May 8, 2011, at the White Healthcare Center. Funeral services will be 11:00 A.M. Wednesday, May 11, at the United Methodist Church in White, followed by interment and military rites at 2:00 P.M. at Graceland Cemetery in Madison. Visitations will be from 4-7 P.M. Tuesday at Eidsness Funeral Chapel in White. Memorials will be donated to the White Veterans Memorial for a stone in Shirley's honor. Shirley Ernest Simmons was born January 2, 1919, at the Brookings Hospital to Ernest and Ana Mina (Stein) Simmons. He grew up on the family farm near White and attended Sherman 105 country school. He graduated from White High School in 1936. On July 19, 1942, he married Helen Irene Westerlund at First Baptist Church in Madison. Shirley joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1942 and served during World War II in the South Pacific islands. Following his discharge from the Marine Corps he farmed near White and in 1953 began working on construction in Ketchikan, Alaska. He returned to South Dakota and lived in Madison for 52 years. Prior to his retirement he worked for Sencore in Sioux Falls. Shirley was a member of First Methodist Church in Madison and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He enjoyed woodworking, fishing, and gardening. Survivors include his wife, Helen, of White; a son, Chuck (Rae) Simmons of Sioux Falls; two daughters: Jane (Dennis) Kruit of White and Diane (Jim) Olson of Brookings; six grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his two sisters, Merle Klith and Bernice Smith; a niece, Kay Schuster; and nephews, Duane and Donald Smith.