Shirley Glee Houghton, 90, of Palmer, Alaska, died October 22, 2026, in Palmer.

Shirley was born April 28, 1936, in Wadena, Minnesota, the second of five children of Howard Otto Thomas and Glee Madesta (Fronk) Thomas. She spent her early years in Washington's Yakima Valley with her siblings Bob, Richard, Butch and Joyce. After their mother died in 1949, when Shirley was 13, most of the children were moved to Middleton, Idaho, where she finished high school in 1954.

On May 22, 1954, Shirley married John H. Kuck in Star, Idaho, and together they raised five children, Sue, Pam, Doug, Cinda and Wendi. John was a baker, and his career with Eddy's Bakery took the family across the United States. Shirley often stepped in to help wherever she was needed at the bakeries John supervised. She was also a wonderful seamstress and an avid canner when time allowed.

In Wheatland, Wyoming, John and Shirley owned and operated the City Bakery, where Shirley wore many hats. She kept the books, ran the payroll and filled in for almost anyone who couldn't come in, but she was best known for her confectionery skills. Her cake decorating became an art form, revered by many, and it still comes up in nearly every conversation about her. She later lived in Cheyenne, where she worked for the State of Wyoming Department of Transportation.

On March 11, 2000, Shirley married Virgil Lee Houghton in Wheatland, Wyoming. Virgil was a World War II Navy veteran who retired from Cowboy Dodge after 35 years. They settled into retirement on their small acreage north of Cheyenne, where they boarded horses and took Sunday Harley rides to visit family, friends and especially the grandkids. With a close group of friends they called the "motley crew," they enjoyed Mexican dinners, Legion hall dances and plenty of laughter. After Virgil's death in 2010, Shirley stayed in Cheyenne, moved to Billings, Montana, in 2017, and in 2021 came to Alaska's Mat-Su Valley to live with her daughter Cinda.

Shirley is survived by her daughters Sue Junkert (Jeff) and Wendi Baillie (Steve), both of Billings, Montana, and Cinda Berger (Maurice) of Palmer, Alaska, and by her son Doug Kuck of Rock Springs, Wyoming. She is also survived by 12 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Howard and Glee Thomas; her daughter Pam Kuck; her grandson Zachariah Kuck; and her husband Virgil Houghton. Her brothers Bob, Richard and Butch, her sister Joyce Sweet, and John Kuck, the father of her children, also preceded her.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated November 3, 2026, at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Palmer, Alaska, with the Rev. Michael Shields as celebrant. Shirley will be laid to rest privately in Billings, Montana, at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of Michelotti-Sawyers Funeral Home and Crematory. Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, Montana Chapter.