Shirley Prothe Warden

Shirley Prothe Warden passed away on Jan 27, 2026 at DeSoto, KS.

The daughter of Edward and Manda Minden Prothe, she was born September 10, 1941, near Fontana, Kans. She was baptized on October 5, 1941 and confirmed on April 3, 1955, both at Trinity Lutheran Church in the Block Community, rural Paola, Kans. Trinity Lutheran School provided elementary education and she graduated from Paola High School in 1959. She attended Washburn University, Topeka, Kans.

In 1960 she married John Sims and two sons were born to them. The marriage ended in divorce. She was married to William Warden on September 27, 1997, in Topeka.

As a Navy wife, she lived and worked in many places but spent from 1979 to 2020 in Topeka, and Lawrence, KS from 2020-2025. Between 1981-1998 she worked for Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Topeka.

She was an avid genealogist, enjoyed wildlife but mostly she enjoyed her family.

Preceding her in death were her parents and sister and brother-in-law, Lorene & Arnold Debrick, her brother Vernon Prothe, her sister Beverly Helin.

Survivors include her two sons and their wives, Robert and Michelle Sims, Lawrence, Kans. and Ryan and Cheri Sims, Lafayette, Colo.; two step-children, Joe Warden and Kelli Warden-Denton (Mike Denton), Topeka; her sister-in-law Donna Prothe, Lawrence; grandchildren, Amanda, Chris, Dannica and Sophie Sims, Brandon Gehrke, Katy Warden, Carter, Evan and Lilly Denton and great-grandchildren Zane, James and Abigail Gehrke and many nieces and nephews.

A visitation & service will be held on February 21st at [10am for visitation and 11am for service] at Trinity Lutheran Church in Paola, KS with burial following the service at same location. Memorial contribution suggestions include Trinity Lutheran Church, Paola; Topeka Genealogical Society or Miami County Genealogy and Historical Society, Paola.