Obituary of Shirley Jane Duke

Shirley Jane Duke, 77, of  Clover Valley, MN, passed away November 16th, 2021 due to complications of bvFTD (Frontotemporal Degeneration/Dementia). She was born in Tuckerman, Arkansas to the late Mordie James and Dessie Ann (Pierce) Duke. Shirley graduated high school in Jonesboro and then moved to Minnesota to live with her sister and brother-in-law and attend college. She graduated with a BA in Humanities from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

After college she briefly married Stephen Mickey and gave birth to their daughter on a commune in central Minnesota. She practiced alternative living in the countrysides of Minnesota and Wisconsin, taking a cross-state horseback trip, living for a summer in a teepee (tipi) she sewed herself, and residing in a variety of women's communities while raising her daughter and working on developing a bulk food buying program so she and her friends could afford good quality, whole foods. Eventually she moved to northern Minnesota and built her own log cabin. She loved her homestead and was very proud that it was "woman built." She loved animals, gardening, reading, gatherings with live music, spending time with friends, and living in the woods.

She was passionate about helping low-income people and worked for many years as a weatherization specialist and later as an energy auditor, helping people qualify for energy assistance and home  weatherization. She volunteered at the Northcountry Women's Coffeehouse as the events coordinator for many years. And in "retirement" she continued to use her fire for social justice at Lutheran Social Services as the Program Coordinator for Together for Youth, a support and advocacy group for LGBTQ teens. Together for Youth fostered leadership building skills, educated the public, and created safe spaces and allies in many area schools. Shirley was also a founding member of the Safer Schools Task Force which worked in conjunction with Together for Youth to increase visibility and advance the civil rights of LGBTQ people in the Duluth-Superior area.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Dessie Ann and Mordie James Duke, and by her beloved sister, Sally Walls (Joseph Walls). She is survived by her brother, Bill Duke; her daughter, Sara Duke (David Devere); nieces and nephew, Phyllis Walls, Theresa Roberts, Joseph Walls Jr., Sharon Walls, Karen Primm; many great-nieces and nephews; and many beloved friends.

Due to Covid there will not be a traditional funeral service. A memorial walk will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to a social justice cause of your choice. A few of Shirley's favorites were PFUND (https://pfundfoundation.org), Animal Allies Humane Society of Duluth (https://www.animalallies.net), and Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank (https://northernlakesfoodbank.org).