Josephine Jeanette Shirola

Josephine Jeanette “Jo” Shirola, age 94, passed away peacefully on March 24, 2026, at her home in Pine City, MN.

Jo was born on October 29, 1931, in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. She attended Holy Redeemer School and then Holy Angels Convent for High School. She then attended Glace Bay Nursing School. Jo then moved to the US with her sister, Mary where she worked in Boston and Chicago before she met Anthony “Tony” Shirola.

Tony and Jo married in 1958 and lived in St. Paul, MN. While living in St. Paul, they welcomed the birth of their two children—Valerie and Stephen.

In 1977, Tony and Jo moved to Sauk Centre, MN where Jo continued to work as a nurse part time at St. Michaels Nursing Home. After she retired from nursing, she was an active member of Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church and volunteered both at the church and at their elementary school on a regular basis. Jo also volunteered at the St. Michaels gift shop.

Tony and Jo enjoyed being members of the Sauk Centre Country club where they regularly golfed and enjoyed dinner socials. Jo also enjoyed travel and she and Tony traveled the globe.

Jo moved to Anoka, MN in 2016 to be closer to her son, Stephen. Jo lived there for nine years before moving to Pine City, MN.

Jo was preceded in death by her husband, Tony; her parents, Lena and Joseph Paruch; her in-laws, Steve and Anna Jackivich; and her five brothers and her twin sister, Johnny, Stanley, Eddie, Mickey, Wally, and Mary.

Jo is survived by her daughter Valerie Anderson of Dallas, Texas; son Stephen (Julia) Shirola of Pine City; five grandchildren: Toni (Matt) Swanger of Dallas, Texas, Connor (Katie) Anderson of Salt Lake City, Utah, Wesley Shirola of Pine City, William Shirola of Salt Lake City, Utah, Victoria Shirola of St. Petersburg, Florida; great grandchild Rush Swanger; many other relatives and friends. She will be sadly missed.

A funeral Mass for Josephine: 11:00 AM; Friday, May 15th at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church in Sauk Centre, a rosary will begin at 10:30 AM. Lunch will be held immediately following the Mass at the church.

In lieu of flowers and to honor Jo's love of nature, the family invites you to plant a tree in her memory.

The funeral arrangements are entrusted to the: Funeral and Cremation Service of Pine City, Swanson Chapel 

FuneralandCremationService.com