Shirley Jean (Carpenter) Friend

Shirley Jean Friend’s beautiful soul went to Heaven on Christmas Eve morning from her home at the Signature Health Care in Muncie, Indiana, where she had lived for nine months after being diagnosed with liver cancer. Her entire 88 years before that was in Peru until her illness prevented her from living at home alone. She was so quickly loved in Muncie that her nurses and Hospice caretakers said more than once they wished they could clone her. She was born in Peru on January 20, 1930, the daughter of Newell and Helen Jones Carpenter. Shirley married Donald Friend on September 16, 1979 and he preceded her in death on June 7, 2011. She was active in the First Christian Church as a Parishioner, a teacher, a song leader, a greeter, and maybe most importantly, a hugger. She loved football games and knew the teams and players better than most. Her love for music was evident with her vast collection of big band albums and CD’s, in addition to dozens of music boxes and bells. Her passion for cats surpassed none. She would feed any stray cat in the neighborhood and loved every 4-legged creature she saw. She is survived by daughters Cynthia Tidd (Bud, Deceased) of Brownsburg and Terri (Jim) Robinson of Muncie, Step-daughter Penny (Jim) Baber of Michigan City, IN, nieces Jan (Russ) Bickel of Peru and Dena Morris (Laura Sweet) of West Union, Ohio, nephew Roger (Cindy) Daniels of Ellettsville, Indiana; step-grandchildren, Michael Raymer, Steven Raymer, Donny Friend, Cassie Hollingsworth, Erin Hollingsworth and Zachery Hollingsworth and several cousins and great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by husbands Donald Robinson and Donald Friend, nephews Shane Waters and David Daniels and step-son Tim Friend. A Memorial Service celebrating the life of Shirley Jean Friend will be held at 2:00 P.M., Saturday, January 5, 2019 at the Eikenberry-Eddy Funeral Home, 84 West Main St., Peru with Chaplain Randy Perry officiating. Burial of her ashes will be in the Mt. Hope Cemetery. Family and friends will gather from Noon Saturday until time of service at the Eikenberry-Eddy Funeral Home. Because of Shirley’s love for cats, her daughters request that any donations be made to the Scratching Post Cat Rescue, Inc., 600 Chili Ave., Peru, IN 46970.

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