Shirley was born in Kelowna, B.C.
Her dad was a minister so their family moved around a lot.
At seven years old, she lived in Winnipeg. They moved about every three years. They lived in Saskatchewan at first, namely in Wadena, Leroy, Nut Mountain, Southey, and Lumsden. Then they settled in Regina.
She finished high school and got married in 1957.
After that she lived in Calgary and Regina. Her husband was a carpet layer so they went wherever the jobs were at the time.

They finally moved to Calgary to work on a cow/calf operation with crops around 1968 to 1972 for four or five years. Shirley worked at a welding shop as a secretary. There she learned how to weld and did the welding as well as the receptionist job.

Then they moved to a farm in Genesee.
She re-married and her husband was a welder who worked in the Arctic most of the time. She looked after 75 head of cattle and did welding on the side, and made her own cream, butter and cottage cheese. They stayed at that farm from about 1975 until 1982, along with the two children. Now, one of her children is married and one is in grade 12.

During these times Shirley played the accordion. She loved music and how she felt when she played.
Then the farm was bought out by Edmonton Power. This caused a lot of upheaval because they went from three quarters to one quarter of land. They had to find a place that would accommodate seventy-five cattle. They sold some of the cattle at that time and moved to Thorsby.
When Shirley was 43 years old she lost her entire pointer finger, due to an accident between a large heifer and a metal waterer. This changed some of the things she could do, especially with the type of instruments she could play. It was harder to play the accordion she found.
She loved bluegrass music. She borrowed a banjo from her friend Ernie – that was her first choice, but she didn’t have enough fingers to use the picks properly. It was also heavier and had a longer neck than what she was used to and she had trouble with that.

Her close friends Ernie and Eileen also owned a mandolin and lent that to Shirley. She felt comfortable with this instrument, so that’s what she started to play. She sort of let the accordion go by the wayside.
Her lost her second husband due to an illness in 2003.
After that point she started to get a little lonely and wanted to get involved in other things. At that time she started getting together with her friends Ernie and Eileen and started to play in a group with them at church. Ernie played the guitar and Eileen, his wife, played the accordion. Shirley had learned to play the mandolin so that was her part in the group. The first song she played in church was “Amazing Grace”, and she remembers thinking that song was so appropriate because she was so overwhelmed that the Lord would help her play a different instrument so successfully without her missing finger.

At this point Shirley was in a trike accident. She was trapping moles and going from one hayfield to the other. A wire snapped and her foot got caught under the wheel. She managed to get out but she landed on the steel stop of the trike. The back of her leg was affected but she didn’t realize at first how serious it was. She managed to drive the trike back and walk into the house but was getting very dizzy. She called a neighbour and when he came over, found out that the gash in Shirley’s leg was five inches long and one inch deep, so was very serious and took her to Emergency at the hospital. She probably had been in shock.

After that accident, Shirley could not farm any more – she had to learn how to walk all over again. She sold the cattle to her grandson which he took to Linden, Saskatchewan. She stayed with her grandson for a couple of weeks and then went back to her farm where her friends Eileen and Ernie really helped her out. She sold the farm within the year.

Shirley met her third husband at one of the Jamborees. His granddaughter played the fiddle. In Spring of 2007 they got married.

In 2011, Shirley suffered a heart attack and as a result required a quadruple bypass which again affected which instruments Shirley was able to play. She no longer could hold up certain instruments because of the weight and she no longer sings because of the shortness of breath she experiences with that.

After her heart attack she stopped playing for two years and started back again about two years ago.

Some of Shirley’s favorite songs are:

• Amazing Grace
• Will the Circle Be Unbroken
• Waltz of the Angels
• Angel Band – likes it by Emmy Lou Harris
• One Day at a Time – especially by Kris Kristopherson

Her favorite singers are

• Merle Haggart
• Vern Gosdin
• Elvis – She likes his gospel songs in particular

She enjoys Country, Gospel and Bluegrass music.
She says that bluegrass music is a little different from most and that you have to adapt to it a little differently.

I asked Shirley what music does for her and she said:

• It makes her feel happier
• It creates a completely different atmosphere
• You end up meeting lots of people who then become your friends
• It is good for your soul

I also asked Shirley what she would say to people contemplating getting involved with music or the Jamborees and she said:

• Just do it
• No matter what age you are
• If you don’t try it you will never know what a difference it could make in your life
• Once you stop trying new things – you end up just sitting there
• Get involved

Shirley’s attitude is:

• Never say die
• Be thankful for each and every day and appreciate life (period)
• Live one day at a time

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This interview is as recollected by the interviewer, Sherrill Thompson. If any interviewee would like to add, revise or delete any information included in their interview, please contact
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