SHIRLEY JANE BEARDEN SWEET, beloved wife, mother, sister and aunt, died on Saturday, May 21, 2011 after a long illness. Shirley was born in Rome, Georgia on April 20, 1939 to Chester Grey Bearden and Frances May Bearden. She grew up in Mableton, Georgia and graduated from South Cobb High School in Austell, Georgia. She moved to Fort Worth, Texas in 1958 and there she met Kenneth Edgar Sweet. They married on December 1, 1961 at Diamond Hill Methodist Church in Ft Worth. They were married 47 years and had two sons, Mark and David Sweet. Ken was a 25 year Army veteran and they were stationed all around the U.S. and in Germany and France. Ken preceded her in death on October 3, 2007. Shirley was an avid collector and had a vast collection of vintage tins, owl figures, Crayola and Coke memorabilia, handkerchiefs and vintage glassware, much of which she picked up while they were stationed overseas. She never forgot a birthday and made sure that all of the children in her family had gifts for their birthdays and Christmas. Her door was always open and she was a great cook so no one left her home hungry. She is survived by her sons, David Kenneth Sweet and Mark Andrew Sweet, both of Irving; two sisters, Rebecca Cox of Irving, Anne and her husband Shearn Himes of Azle, Texas; two brothers, Joe Eason Bearden and his wife Susan of Valley View, Texas and Jerry Allen Bearden and his wife Brenda of Purdon, Texas; nieces, Edie Ann Wallace, Patty Lyn Dumas, Stacey Ann Bearden, Shirley Ayres Bearden, Jessica Jo Bearden, Christie Lee, Angela Sue Pryor and Sarah Ann Martin; nephews, Michael Allen Bearden, Joseph John Bearden, Casey Ryan Cox; 13 great nieces and nephews and 5 great-great nieces and nephews. Shirley was a carrier of the Fragile X gene and both of her sons were affected by Fragile X. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Texas Fragile X Association, P.O. Box 154985, Irving, TX 75015-4985, 972-757-TXFX (8939). The family will receive friends Wednesday, May 25, 2011 6:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m. at Donnellys Colonial Funeral Home, 606 West Airport Freeway in Irving. A graveside service will be 12:30 p.m. Thursday at Dallas/Fort Worth National Cemetery, 2000 Mountain Creek Parkway, Dallas, Texas 75211 with Mike Oddo officiating.