Shirley Ann “Tootie” Krebs of Clinton, age 93, passed away peacefully on May 20 at Canterfield of Oak Ridge assisted living.
Mrs. Krebs was born on March 12, 1932, in Southgate, Ky., to the late Edward William and Aileen Elizabeth Simon. She attended St. Therese School in Southgate, where she met her husband, George Henry Krebs Sr. She graduated from Notre Dame High School in Covington, Ky., and married Mr. Krebs in February 1954 after his return from service in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean conflict.
Mr. and Mrs. Krebs raised four children. They relocated to Clinton in 1969, where they owned and operated Krebs Chevrolet in Clinton for 22 years, with Mrs. Krebs serving as office manager and bookkeeper, a skill she learned while working for her father at Simon & Fischer Oldsmobile in Newport, Ky.
Mrs. Krebs was a devout Catholic and founding member of St. Therese Church in Clinton. She was an active member of the Council of Catholic Women for many years, participated in Bible study groups, sponsored numerous converts through the RCIA process, and promoted devotion to the Divine Mercy.
In addition to her deep faith, Mrs. Krebs’ devotion to her family was a top priority, especially enjoying time with her grandchildren.
Left to cherish her memory are her sister, Donna Timmers; sons, Dr. George Krebs Jr. (Myra) and Joe Krebs (Chantel), and daughters, Lori Puryear and Julie Edmondson (Carl); grandchildren, Sarah Burns (Joseph), Alex Krebs (Emma), Katie Schreiber (Bryan), Andrew Cook, Ryan Cook, Matthew Puryear, Blake Edmondson (Kelsey), and Peyton Krebs; step-grandchildren Branton Brown, Dan Edmondson (Andrea), Josh Edmondson (Charity), Katie Meister (Jon), Carla Pimental (Mike), Cory Richardson, and Cameron Richardson (Carolyn); great-grandchildren, Avalyn Maier, Josie Burns, Keaton Schreiber, and Kaiden Schreiber; and several nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents and husband, she is preceded in death by brother William “Bill” E. Simon and wife Dixie, brother-in-law Paul “Tim” H. Timmers, son-in-law Marshall H. Puryear, and granddaughter Leza A. Watts.
The family wishes to express heartfelt appreciation for the loving and compassionate care received from the administration and staff of Canterfield of Oak Ridge assisted living and registered nurse Tanya Maxie from Covenant Hospice of Oak Ridge, as well as Theresa Tinch, Mrs. Krebs’ devoted sitter and friend, for her kindness and companionship. In addition, the family would like to express gratitude to dear friends Father Dennis Kress, pastor of St. Therese Parish, and Deacon Dan Hosford of St. Joseph Parish in Norris for their unwavering weekly visits, prayers, and administering the sacraments.
A funeral Mass for Mrs. Krebs was celebrated on May 31 at St. Therese Church, with a burial service following at Grandview Memorial Garden in Clinton.
Donations in Mrs. Krebs’ memory may be made to the Building Debt Reduction Fund at St. Therese Church, 701 S. Charles G. Seivers Blvd., Clinton, TN 37716, or the Employee Appreciation Fund at Canterfield of Oak Ridge, 200 Bus Terminal Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37830.
