Shirley (Lawless) Stoner has been a lifelong member of the First Christian Church in Rock Port. She played the organ there for 50 years, retiring in December 2022.

Little baby Shirley Lawless was adorable.

Shirley Lawless’ beauty shined for this senior picture and saw her through auditioning to be the Apple Blossom Queen.

The Lawless family of Rock Port, Missouri, included parents Raymond and Beulah (Harrington) Lawless and their children, Jim (front) and Shirley and Marge (back).

Shirley Lawless married Randall Stoner February 1, 1958, at the First Christian Church in Rock Port.

Shirley and Randall Stoner had two children, Steve, left, and Jana, right.

Shirley Rae (Lawless) Stoner was born April 30, 1937, to Raymond and Beulah (Harrington) Lawless. At the time, the family lived five miles north of Rock Port and to this day, Shirley lives in the same neck of the woods just a few miles away.

Growing up with an older sister Marge and a younger brother Jim, Shirley kept busy, but was happy to leave the farm chores to her siblings and stick to the household obligations with her mother. While her dad and siblings worked the cattle and pigs, Shirley and her mother grew their food in their vast garden, picked and canned, keeping their cellar stocked full of veggies and meat. Their bounty was shared with their relatives every other weekend when they’d all gather for a Sunday dinner.

For Shirley, “boredom” was never a word used in her household as there was always something to be done or some activity to do. When the chores were complete and there was actually free time, she enjoyed joining the adults for a game of cards. That love of card playing carried into adulthood and saw her into playing in five different bridge clubs. There was also always Monopoly to be played or outdoor fun to be had.

Shirley went to school in Rock Port and her dad would drive her and her siblings, as not until later was there a bus service. When Shirley was a sophomore, the family moved into Rock Port and she started to enjoy the perks of living in town, like stopping at “the fountain” every day after school with her best friend to split some chocolate cupcakes and drink a Coke. She joked that “eating healthy” was not a focus to her long life, but she stayed healthy because she never sat idle and always had something to keep her moving. In high school, she was once an Apple Blossom Queen candidate. She was interviewed by KQ2 news and the interview was televised. At her 50th class reunion, she found out that some of her classmates had left school that day and went home so they could watch her interview on television.

Shirley graduated high school in 1955 and began working at the Rock Port Board of Public Works doing the billing, bookkeeping, and collecting. She ran the office for three years until she married Randall Stoner on February 1, 1958. Randall, who eventually became a 1st Lieutenant, was serving in the Army and the couple would live in Columbia, Missouri, and in Oklahoma before returning to Rock Port in 1960. Shirley, Randall, and their two children, Steve and Jana, lived in the same house she is still living in 64 years later. Shirley and Randall stayed busy raising the kids and even participated in 4-H as their leaders, Shirley as the foods leader and Randall as the livestock leader. In 1978, she went back to the Board of Public Works and worked there for around 20 years before retiring.

Shirley’s “staying active” mentality was not just a physical one. She has been a regular participant of the First Christian Church in Rock Port her entire life, helping with Bible School playing the piano for the children and also playing the organ for the church worship services. She retired in December 2022 and was recognized by the congregation for 50 years of service. She has also been involved in PEO since the mid-80s and is a member of the church’s Women on a Mission group.

In her spare time, Shirley still enjoys playing cards. Over the years she has also enjoyed sewing clothes for herself and Jana, knitting, gardening, and even mowing the lawn. The family took a few vacations back in the day, either to visit her sister or for Randall’s Atchison-Holt Electric Cooperative Board trips. She’s also loved visiting her son Steve and his family in Florida, as well as spoiling her six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. She enjoys taking an exercise class at church and eating at the Rock Port Center. Although she didn’t have a computer until after Randall passed away, she now uses it a lot and can’t believe all the changes in technology she’s seen over the years. She also loves to cheer on her favorite football teams – the Kansas Chiefs and MU Tigers (Randall played football in college).

Shirley is still going strong, driving to town daily and spreading her love and kindness wherever she goes. Her music and steadfastness in worshipping the Lord have seen her through the good and the bad as she approaches her 88th birthday next spring.