Shirley J. Tweten

She was born in Williston, ND, on May 6, 1937, the daughter of Albert and Myrtle Olson. Shirley grew up in ChoKio, MN, until moving to Moorhead during her junior year in high school. She attended Moorhead High School and met the love of her life, Milton Tweten. She graduated from Moorhead High School in 1955 and continued her education at Concordia College in Moorhead. Shirley graduated from Concordia College with a degree in Home Economics Education and Science in May of 1959. She married her high school sweetheart, Milton, on December 19, 1959, in Alexandria, MN. She began her teaching career in Elbow Lake, MN. Her teaching career continued in Borup, MN, and later Oak Grove High School, Fargo, ND. One of Shirley's greatest sorrows in life was a stillborn birth of her first son, Virgil. She has four other children, Julie Ahlgren, Kent Tweten, Karen Tweten and Jill Bryan Walker. Shirley took time off from her teaching career to raise her family. She earned a degree in English as a Second Language ESL at Moorhead State University while tutoring for the Moorhead School District. She began teaching ESL at Moorhead High School. Shirley encouraged and empowered her students to learn the English Language. She was named Moorhead High School Teacher of the Year in the school year of 1992-1993. Shirley retired from full time teaching in May 2009. She continued to tutor and substitute teach with the Red River Learning Center of Moorhead School District. She also taught with the Moorhead Community Adult Education in the evenings. In 2005 the City of Moorhead awarded Shirley a Human Rights Award for her work with non English Speaking students and their families. Shirley enjoyed learning about different cultures and their traditions. She was most proud of her own Norwegian Heritage and considered herself 101% Norwegian. Shirley was a charter member of the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd. She was an avid supporter of the Minnesota Twins and Vikings sports teams. She enjoyed word puzzles and jigsaw puzzles. The most important thing in her life was spending time with her family. She was known as MaMa Giovanni in the family pizza business. Shirley loved to spend her free time at the family cabin on Big Cormorant Lake.Shirley is survived by her loving husband, Milton; her children, Julie Ahlgren, Kent Tweten, Karen Tweten, Jill Bryan Walker and four grandbabies, Jacob and Callie Ahlgren, Jayce and James Walker all of Moorhead; a brother, Ben DeeDee Olson of Morris, MN; two sisters, Dorothy Olson of Boulder City, NV, Marlene Nelson of Alexandria, MN; and many nieces and nephews. She had many dear friends and colleagues. She was preceded in death by her parents, Albert and Myrtle Olson; a brother, Robert and sister-in-law, Joyce Nesting; her first born son, Virgil; and her son-in-law, Daniel Ahlgren.