Shirley Bunker

Shirley Karen Bunker, 68, of Perham, MN, passed away peacefully on September 8, 2025, surrounded by her loving family, and under the care of Vivie Hospice.

Shirley was born on March 18, 1957 in San Francisco, CA, the daughter of Joseph and Aileen (Gardner) Torrence and grew up in Redondo Beach, CA.

She graduated from Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, CA in 1975 and went on to receive an A.A. degree from El Camino College in Torrance, CA.

In 1979, Shirley settled in the Minneapolis suburbs where she devoted her life to raising her four children: Sarah, Ben, Karin, and Jacob.

Shirley worked in various jobs throughout her life, including being an X-ray technician and a workmen’s comp claim adjuster for insurance companies.

Shirley will be remembered for her passions in life; cooking, gardening, drawing and painting, and anything involving nature. She had a gift of giving love to not only her family, but to any stranger she encountered. She had a Christ-like heart for others. She was strong in her faith and knew her bible well.

Her strong faith saw her through being kept alive for 10 years with an LVAD. That LVAD became infected with an incurable infection in 2020, and she was expected to die in six months. Although confined to a hospital bed, she fought vigorously and turned that survival into five more years of life.

She was the proud grandmother of Rebecca, Violet, Ziva, Hailey, and Olivia. 

She is survived by her loving husband Russ and her four children Sarah Markus, Ben (Brandy) Markus, Karin (Lewis) Jensen, and Jacob (Anika) Markus.

Welcoming her into eternal life are her parents, Joseph and Aileen Torrence.

A celebration of Shirley’s life will be held at Calvary Lutheran Church in Perham on Thursday, September 18, 2025, at 11:00 AM, with visitation one hour before the service and a luncheon to follow. Private inurnment and graveside service will be in Calvary Memorial Cemetery.

Family and friends are invited to gather, share memories, and honor the incredible life she lived.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the American Heart Association. https://www.heart.org/

Schoeneberger Funeral & Cremation Service, Perham, MN (218) 346-5175 www.schoenebergerfh.com