Shirley Ann ‘Tootie’ Krebs
Shirley Ann “Tootie” Krebs, 93, of Clinton passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at Canterfield of Oak Ridge Assisted Living.
Tootie was born March 12, 1932, in Southgate, Kentucky, to Edward William and Aileen Elizabeth Simon.
She attended St. Therese Catholic School in Southgate, where she met her future husband, George Henry Krebs Sr. She graduated from Notre Dame High School in Covington, Kentucky, and married George in February 1954 following his return from service in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. Together, they raised four children.
In 1969, the Krebs family relocated to Clinton, where they owned and operated Krebs Chevrolet for 22 years. Tootie served as office manager and bookkeeper, a skill she developed working for her father at Simon & Fischer Oldsmobile in Newport, Kentucky.
A devout Catholic, Tootie was a founding member of St. Therese Catholic Church in Clinton. She was active in the Council of Catholic Women, participated in Bible study groups, sponsored numerous converts through the RCIA process, and promoted devotion to the Divine Mercy. Above all, she cherished time spent with her family, especially her grandchildren.
She is survived by her sister, Donna Timmers; sons, Dr. George Krebs Jr. (Myra) and Joe Krebs (Chantel); daughters, Lori Puryear and Julie Edmondson (Carl); grandchildren, Sarah Burns (Joseph), Alex Krebs (Emma), Katie Schreiber (Bryan), Andrew Cook, Ryan Cook, Matthew Puryear, Blake Edmondson (Kelsey) and Peyton Krebs; stepgrandchildren, Branton Brown, Dan Edmondson (Andrea), Josh Edmondson (Charity), Katie Meister (Jon), Carla Pimental (Mike), Cory Richardson and Cameron Richardson (Carolyn); great-grandchildren, Avalyn Maier, Josie Burns, Keaton Schreiber and Kaiden Schreiber; and several nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by her brother, William “Bill” E. Simon and his wife, Dixie; brother-in-law, Paul “Tim” H. Timmers; and son-in-law, Marshall H.
The family expresses heartfelt appreciation to the administration and staff of Canterfield of Oak Ridge Assisted Living, Tanya Maxie, R.N., of Covenant Hospice of Oak Ridge, and Theresa Tinch, Tootie’s devoted sitter and friend. Special thanks also to Father Dennis Kress, pastor of St. Therese Catholic Church, and Deacon Dan Hosford of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Norris, for their weekly visits, prayers and spiritual support.
The family will receive friends at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 31, at St. Therese Catholic Church in Clinton. A funeral mass will follow at 10:30 a.m., with interment immediately afterward at Grandview Memorial Garden in Clinton.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Building Debt Reduction Fund at St. Therese Catholic Church, 701 S. Charles G. Seivers Blvd., Clinton, TN 37716, or the Employee Appreciation Fund at Canterfield of Oak Ridge, 200 Bus Terminal Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Please note all donations are in memory of Tootie Krebs.
Holley-Gamble Funeral Home in Clinton is in charge of arrangements.
