Shawnya Lee Ann Hallin

Shawnya Lee Ann Hallin, 54, of Lino Lakes, Minnesota, passed away March 26, 2026, after a long battle with cancer. Shawnya was born in Kansas City, Kansas, on March 11,1972, to a mother who in an act of love gave her up for adoption. She left that original adoptive family as a child and was in foster care for many years. Refusing to be defined by her past, Shawnya grew to become resilient and centered in education and church, and eventually she petitioned a judge for a new family and was adopted at the age of 16 by Theron and Sandy Harder of Liberty, Missouri, whom she called Mom and Dad. She finished several years of college and eventually enlisted in the United States Air Force, where she served domestically and in Germany. Soon after Shawnya turned 18, her birth mother, Lyn Schultze, was able to locate her, and they slowly began to build a relationship and introduce her to the lovely Hardesty family.

In the Air Force, Shawnya participated in the cleanup of the Oklahoma City bombing, Mission Support in Honduras, as well as service in Germany and the D.C. area. She volunteered in numerous events for Special Olympics and in organizing several Multiple Sclerosis walk-a-thons. After leaving the military, she worked in the mortgage title industry before following her passion by returning to school and finishing her Bachelors’ and Masters’ degrees in Speech-Language Pathology. She loved her job and took great joy in helping children, particularly the "Littles", and those kids who had an uphill road in life. She continually strived to give back to those who needed a hand up. When told modern medicine had no more options for her, she lamented, "I have so much more to give!"

Shawnya loved plants and would swoon over gardens. She was fascinated by bugs and would light up for a baguette with cheese. She loved words and language and could curl up and read a dictionary. She found great joy in observing the beautiful and interesting in almost all things and had the ability to share that with others. Her great joys were traveling and family and she got both.

On a bus trip through Poland, she started a conversation that continued to the end of her days. On that weekend, she met and decided to marry her husband, Paul Hallin, and they were married for 26 years, resulting in the joys of her life in their children, Johannah and Elijah, and this year they were joined by Maxence Dorelien. She visited almost 30 countries and all 50 states, but she could enjoy a local sidewalk as much as the Champs-Elysees. She truly tried to suck the marrow out of life.

Shawnya was preceded in death by her mother, Sandy Mace; grandparents, Theodore and Charlene Little; uncle, Jeffery Little; aunt, Chris Hardesty-Westhoff; and father-in-law, Stephen "Moose" Hallin.

She is survived by her beloved husband, Paul Hallin, and their children, Johannah and Elijah, as well Maxence Dorelien. She is also survived by her father, Theron Harder (Rita); her sister through adoption, Sarah Harder; uncle, Lenny Little (Cindy); and cousin, Eldon Little (Chelsi). Other survivors include her mother, Lyn Hardesty Schultze, and sisters, Jessena Schultze (Dave) and Sylvia Grotheer (Jacob); uncles, Karl Hardesty (Marilyn), Eric Hardesty (Louisa Gutsche), Jay Hardesty (Daidee, Celestine, and Kurt); aunt, Angela Hardesty, and cousins, Andy Westhoff (Amanda and Inverness), Tyler Westhoff (Natasha and Lion), Vincent Manrique, and Scarlett Manrique. Her Hallin family includes mother-in-law, Carole Hallin; sister-in-law, Rebecca Hallin (Darren), and her beloved niece, Morgan Hallin, and nephew Jackson Hallin.

A gathering of family and friends will be held on Saturday, April 18th from 5-7:00 pm at Mattson Funeral Home, 343 North Shore Drive, Forest Lake, MN

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm, Sunday, April 19th at Hosanna Lutheran Church,9300 Scandia Trail North, Forest Lake, MN. The family will greet friends one hour prior to the service at the church. Reception to follow at the Hallin Lino Lakes residence through 8PM.

Interment will be held at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, April 21, 2026 at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be directed to the family which will be used to fund an educational scholarship for our Maxence Dorelien.  Shawnya had so much more to give.