Shirley Fleharty

Shirley Mae Fleharty, 89, passed away peacefully on January 13, 2026 at Accura HealthCare of Stanton, surrounded by her loving family. Funeral Services will be 3:30 PM, Saturday, January 17, 2026 at the United Methodist Church, Corning, Iowa, with Rev. LeAnn Robine officiating. Private Burial will be in the Lincoln Center Cemetery, rural Corning, Iowa. Public Visitation will be 3:00 – 7:00 PM, with family receiving friends 5:00 – 7:00 PM, Friday, January 16, 2026 at Pearson Family Funeral Service & Cremation Center in Corning. Memorials may be directed to the United Methodist Church for the Quilter’s Group. Memories and condolences may be left on-line at www.pearsonfuneralhomes.com.

Shirley was born on May 1, 1936 in rural Adams County to Fletcher and Helen (Dodge) Preston. She was united in marriage to Roy Robert Fleharty on November 6, 1955 in Mt. Etna. Four boys were born to this union: Rodney, Randall, Jerry and Joel. She was a resident of Adams County all her life and lived on the family farm north of Corning until 1998 when she moved to town. She resided here until she moved to Vintage Park in Lenox in 2023 and then later on to Stanton in 2024. She was an active member of the Lincoln Center United Methodist Church until it closed and then the Corning United Methodist Church.

Shirley enjoyed anything that involved her family. She always enjoyed hosting everyone’s birthday and anniversary dinners, along with all the holiday gatherings. She never missed a concert, a sporting event, or dance recital. She always looked forward to the family trips to Montana and Minnesota. She loved gardening and very seldom did she miss a chance to be involved in the family’s yearly sweet corn harvest. When visiting her house, you would often find her watching a Hallmark movie or eating ice cream. Man did she love her ice cream. Another one of Shirley’s passions was quilting. Throughout the years she was a member of many quilting groups and made too many beautiful quilts to count. Along with quilting she also enjoyed doing cross stitch and embroidery. As Shirley got older, she enjoyed playing cards and listening to music with friends and family at Music Jams or out at the Mt. Etna Opry.

Left to cherish her memory include her three sons: Rodney (Janice), Randall (Cassie), and Joel (Katrina) all of Corning; 9 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren; sister Rita Preston of Des Moines, Iowa; Sister-in-law Donna Preston of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa; Aunt Joan Windom of Bethany, Mo; along with many more close family members and friends.

She was welcomed into eternal life by her parents Fletcher and Helen Preston; husband Roy; son Jerry; great granddaughter Payton Porter; nephew Jason Preston; brothers Leo and Morris Preston; sister and brother-in-law Conie and Russell Gordan; father-in-law and mother-in-law Forrest and Edla Fleharty; and sister-in-law and husband Hazel and Ed Maeder.