Shirley was born January 4, 1943, in Council Bluffs, IA, to Quentin and Irma Renshaw. She graduated in 1961 from Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs, and in 1978 moved to Columbia, Missouri, to attend the University of Missouri, receiving her degree in archaeology in May 1982. She also spent six weeks studying archaeology at a university in Mexico City in 1981.
In 1962 Shirley married Dennis Eakin and had a son David and daughter Denise. Later, in 1980, she met Dennis Heater, and they were married on March 21, 1981, combining their families of Shirley’s two children and Dennis’ two sons, Mark and Daryl. Dennis and Shirley moved to Oak Grove in 1996.
Her employment included working at NASA in Houston Texas, from 1973-1977 until she moved to Independence, Missouri, and became secretary for Bishop Pearson. During this time, she served for 10 years as secretary for Thelona Stevens with the Foundation for Research of Ancient America. For 14 years, 1984-1999, Shirley worked for Ray Treat at the Zarahemla Research Foundation doing research on the Restored Covenant Edition of The Book of Mormon. Pursuing a business hobby, Shirley purchased a doll business in 1999, creating and selling clothes and patterns for Barbie dolls online. She was working with this business until her death.
Around 2008, Shirley and Dennis became active with the Pre-Columbian Studies Institute with Shirley contributing articles for their publication and joined the board in 2009 as vice president. In 2010, she established the Quetzal Archaeology Center for Mesoamerican Research and wrote and published Quetzal Codex until the organization merged with The Book of Mormon Foundation in January 2015. She then served as their vice president until her death. Dennis and Shirley went on an Alaskan Cruise in September 2009, and following Shirley’s avid interest in archaeology and how it relates to The Book of Mormon, they spent two weeks on a Book of Mormon Archeological tour in Mexico in 2011 and attended numerous classes and seminars on archeology at universities around the United States. Shirley also gave seminars and classes about The Book of Mormon. She was particularly interested in the area of geography, and at the time of her death was working on creating a booklet of different maps concerning locations relevant to The Book of Mormon account.
Shirley was preceded in death by her parents, and brother Quentin Renshaw. Survivors include her husband, Dennis; son David Eakin of Cape May, NJ; daughter Denise Eakin of California, MO; sons Mark and Daryl Heater, both of Columbia, MO; grandsons Sabre Ogalsbee and Cody Heater; two granddaughters Brandi and Brittani Heater; and five great-grandchildren.
Shirley’s humble spirit and scholarship in all areas of The Book of Mormon will be greatly missed.