SHERLU RARDIN WALPOLE, 90, Springfield, formerly of Chicago, died Dec. 22, 2014. Sherlu combined writing for Springfield! Magazine and operating Shirley's Old Books since 1981. Her career from 1962-1981 included TV sales, writing and broadcasting. She appeared as a teacher on KOLR-TV's "Romper Room" series. A graduate of Northwestern University, she belonged to Mensa, Sleuth's Ink Mystery Writers, many academic orders/sororities, and was a Springfield Writers' Guild Honorary Life Member. Sherlu was preceded in death by her son, musician Hugh Nelson Walpole. No service is planned, but a memorial Pissonnet Contest will be given in her honor in spring. Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements, which include scattering her ashes at the lake.