Shirley Ann Igou
Feb 24, 1944 -
Aug 28, 2026
Shirley Ann Igou of Heber Springs, Ark., passed away on Aug. 28, 2026, at 2:51 a.m, surrounded by loving family.
She had lived a grand life but her body was weak and tired.
As the lunar eclipse subsided that night, so she passed peacefully into the arms of God.
She was attended by her sister, Pat; grandniece, Conicia McCloud; and great-grandnephew, LaKoda Dison.
Shirley Ann was born on Feb. 24, 1944, near Osceola, Ark. Her family moved to Indiana, settling in New Trenton, where she attended Whitewater School. They later returned to Arkansas, where Shirley graduated class 1963 of at Bald Knob High School.
After high school she moved to Memphis, Tenn. In 1964, she married Com Leonard Dunning, who had served as a submarine mechanic in WWII. In 1967, they moved to Alaska with their daughter Alida. After they divorced, Shirley remained in Alaska.
She spent eight years with Bob Naanes, proprietor of Remodeling Enterprises. They enjoyed many hobbies and adventures together: prospecting, gold panning and assaying, epee fencing, camping, guitar and more. They traveled to Southern California from 1972-1974, crossing the Alcan Highway in January both ways, long before it was paved. In California, they lived in San Diego, Costa Mesa, the shore of Newport Beach, and Huntington Beach. They enjoyed extended camping trips into the Mojave Desert, sometimes two weeks at a time. There, they spent the days riding dirt bikes and prospecting, with Shirley's daughter riding on the back of her Hodaka 125 Wombat, holding her pet chihuahua.
In 1978, she married Charles Igou, president of Hayden Electric Motors in Anchorage, Alaska.
"Chuck and Annie" enjoyed camping, fishing, travel, scuba diving and spending Novembers at their Shores of Maui condo.
During Ann's 30 years in Alaska, she wore many hats and mastered many skills. In her early days, she was a waitress at Leroy's and La Mexicana. She was an Avon Lady. She had a green thumb and started a business called "The Plant Lady," setting up and maintaining plants in offices. She learned sheet metal cutting and bending while a secretary at Ingersoll Sheetmetal. She was in charge of rebuilding injectors at Emerson GM Diesel. Shirley Ann had been very disappointed that girls were not allowed to take shop class when she was in high school. She made up for that as an adult, never afraid to break the mold of what women were "supposed" to do.
Ann loved travel and road trips, and often said she would have loved to be a truck driver.
She worked as a service attendant on the Alaska Railroad, and flew across Alaska to backhaul U-Haul trucks. She worked in the MarkAir kitchens, which gave her flight benefits.
Ann owned and operated The Gingham House, a gift shop in an original Anchorage townsite house on the corner of 6th Avenue and K Street. Each room was a little shop of its own, plus a workshop in the basement. Handmade Christmas ornaments in the foyer, antiquarian book store, antiques, Native Alaskan crafts, curios, toys and potpourri, and always free cookies and Russian tea.
Ann was also skilled at sewing, needlework, oil painting, interior decorating and an accomplished stained glass artist.
Ann returned to Arkansas in 1997 to care for her mother and father.
After Chuck passed away, Ann made a life for herself in Heber Springs, renovating and renting homes, in partnership with Bill Compton. She helped many people rent to own.
She even moved an entire three bedroom, two bathroom house with a garage, to make way for the Heber Springs Water utility, paying almost nothing for the house.
Bill and Ann spent 24 blissful years together, fishing, traveling, playing music and enjoying a merry, bountiful life until Bill's peaceful passing in 2022.
Ann was admired for her sharp wit, practical knowledge, good values and uncommon wisdom.
With a creative and brilliant mind, she was a clean-living and trustworthy person.
Gentle-natured and strong willed, she followed her intuition and imagination, and used her inventive mind to do things others might say was not possible.
She believed in thinking outside the box. One of her rules of thumb was "If you can't think of three choices, you're not thinking hard enough."
She was a fun but firm mother, expecting good character and showing loving kindness. She created a rich and empowering home life.
She was generous and caring, helping everyone around her however she was able, with trust, encouragement and especially sound advice. Wherever she lived, she always made time to visit nursing homes and look after elders and friends.
In her later days, she reminded us often to "enjoy your youth while you have it."
She was preceded in death by her mother and father, Ruth and Tennis Dison; and partner, Bill Compton.
She is survived by her brothers, Tennis David Dison and Ernest Jack Dison; sister, Carolyn Ruth "Pat" Kraus; daughter, Alida Grace Dunning; grandchildren, Mitchell Stelling and Maia West of Homer, Alaska; great-grandchildren, Mitchell and Maylee Ann; and many beloved nieces, nephews and cousins.
Services will be held on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., at Revival Chapel, 5129 Depot Road in West Harrison, Ind., followed by the spreading of her ashes at her parent's grave at Mount Carmel Cemetery, 4160 IN-252 in Cedar Grove, Ind.
A celebration of Ann's life and potluck picnic will be held at Spring Park in Heber Springs on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026, from 1-5 p.m.
