Louise S. "Lou" Shaughnessy

October 27, 1936 – February 8, 2026
Louise “Lou” Susan Shaughnessy, age 89, passed away peacefully on February 8, 2026, at Cherrywood Advanced Living in Richmond, MN. A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, February 13, 2026, at Saint Marcus Catholic Church in Clear Lake, MN. Family and friends are invited to a visitation at the church beginning one hour prior to the service at 10:00 AM.
Lou was born on October 27, 1936, in Richmond, MN, to Edmund and Catherine “Anna” (Michels) Schaefer. In 1952, Lou married Donald Fiereck, with whom she shared six children before later parting ways.
On December 17, 1987, she wed John Daniel Shaughnessy. Together, Lou and John shared a life of adventure, especially traveling frequently to Las Vegas, and a favorite being Ireland.
A natural entrepreneur with a keen eye for design, Lou spent many years in the retail industry. Her career included roles at Fandel’s Department Store, Butrey’s in the Crossroads Mall, and a long tenure as a Sales Associate for Hennen’s Furniture. In 1994, she followed her creative passion by opening The Basket Boutique in St. Cloud, where she flourished as a designer and became a dedicated member of the St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce.
Known as a “very classy lady,” Lou was often described as “the most beautiful mother.” She loved her family and was the joyous “Gramma Lou” to several generations.
Lou is survived by her devoted, loving husband, John; her children, Catherine Ramler, Karen Maine, Daniel Fiereck, Michael Fiereck, and Cheri (Wayne) Meyer; her step-sons, Ryan (Heather) Shaughnessy and Kevin Shaughnessy; and her sisters, Dorothy (Lee) Gilyard and Joann Schmiesing. Her legacy lives on through her 17 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her daughter, Constance Fiereck; her brothers, Andrew and Edmund Schaefer; her sister, Lorraine Paggen; her step-brothers, Willis, Palmer, Darrell, and Harold Keske; daughter-in-law, Barbara Fiereck; sons-in-law, Randal Ramler and Gerald Maine; and great-grandchildren, Nicholas Philippi and Freya-Louise Bachman.