Shirley Organ

Shirley Marie (Leitner) Organ, 81, of Atwood, departed this life on July 23, 2021 at Hays Medical Center in Hays, KS surrounded by her children. Shirley was born to Carl A. and Theresia E. (Kogl) Leitner on August 22, 1939, at home on S. 6th Street, in Atwood, KS. She attended Atwood Grade School & graduated from Notre Dame Academy, in Omaha, NE with the class of 1957. She received her Registered Nursing Degree from St. Anthony’s School of Nursing in Hays, KS, in 1961. Over the years, she worked at various hospitals and volunteered at the Red Cross for several years. Her last employment was Administrator of Rawlins County Health Department & Home Health Agency until 2003. Shirley retired early to care for her mother, for 3 ½ years, before her death in 2006.

Shirley was united in marriage to Daryl Lee Organ on June 2, 1962, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, in Atwood. They lived in Hays, KS until Daryl’s’ graduation from Fort Hays State University in 1965. They moved to Kansas City, KS and eventually purchased their first home in Independence, MO where they resided until 1980, at which time they moved back to Atwood, KS.

To this union four children were born: Michele Ann Krankenberg (Terry), of Springhill, KS; Nicole Marie Watkins (Bill), of Lenexa, KS; Danielle Kay Prochazka (Marcus), of Greeley, CO and Daren Lee Organ (Dian), of Colby, KS. After the death of her husband in December 1981, Shirley was busy raising her children and juggling all of their activities throughout the years. She was blessed with 7 grandchildren, Jamie Hart, Tye Krankenberg, Arianne Prochazka, Dalaan Organ, Drake Watkins, Gracie Prochazka and Ben Watkins, and 5 great-grandchildren, Mackenzie Hart, Cayson Hart, Connor Hart, Brooks Krankenberg and Kennedy Krankenberg. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were the light of her life and she loved their visits and seeing their pictures and activities on Facebook. Everyone looked forward to her daily texts over the past 5 years. Her daily telephone calls or visits with her brother Kenneth were a special part of her day. She loved reading, including her daily prayers, staying connected on Facebook, Bridge Club, Red Hatters, Renewal Group and playing games on her tablet. If the Kansas City Chiefs or Royals were on TV, you would be sure to find her watching them.

Shirley was preceded in death by her husband Daryl; parents; grandparents, Andrew & Mary (Knobl) Leitner and Mathias & Magdalena (Hautzinger) Kogl; brother Eugene Leitner and wife Mary, and sister-in-law Kay Stanley. Shirley leaves behind her loving family; brother Kenneth Leitner, of Atwood; 3 nieces; 6 nephews and many friends.

Shirley will be cremated with a Memorial Mass at 11:00 a.m. Friday, July 30, 2021, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, in Atwood, followed by burial at Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Atwood, KS. Memorials are suggested to the Shirley M. Organ Memorial Fund, to be designated later, and may be sent in care of Baalmann Mortuary, PO Box 391, Colby, KS 67701. For information or condolences visit