Elden Leroy Shirley Sr., 87, Clarkston

I was born June 14, 1930, in Boise, and grew up there. I served a short time in the U.S. Navy, where I learned to be an electrician after they sent me to school at Great Lakes, Ill. After receiving an honorable discharge, I met and married Jackie Marlatt in Elko, Nev., at age 19, and gained two daughters: Helen Rose Alba and Vicki Lee. We eventually had three more children, Timmie, Elden Jr. "Butch" and Lorrie.

I learned plumbing from my dad, who was a plumbing contractor, but didn't choose to be a plumber or electrician. I did farm work feeding cattle and learned to fight fire with the Forest Service. I worked in a feed mill, a flour mill and had a hobby of rebuilding old clocks, making them work and tell time again.

After 13 years of marriage, Jackie and I divorced and I went to work for Clearwater Lumber Co. at Spalding for nine years. There, I learned to run a planer, a lumber grader and how to be a millwright. While employed there, I met Doreen Shoemaker. We married and I gained a family of four girls and two boys - Chuck, Marvin, Debra, Sandra, Judy and Janis - and we made our home in Lewiston.

About 1972, Clearwater Lumber Co. sold out and closed up. After that, my free spirit became my guide again and we moved to Republic, Wash. From there, we moved to Brookings, Ore., and then back to Idaho. In 1995, we were living in Boise, where I tried retirement but couldn't stand not working. I worked at the Red Lion for a couple of years, then worked as a security guard for one year. Then, I went back to work at Idaho Timber Corp. for eight years, sharpening saws and running the planer.

I retired again at age 76 and moved to Clarkston in November of 2009.

Elden passed away Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017, at the Idaho State Veterans Home in Lewiston. He was preceded in death by his first wife. Jackie, and their daughter, Vickie; his father, Huston Shirley; mother Hazel Shirley; his wife and companion of 50 years, Doreen Shirley; brothers Verle, Merle, Darrell, Allen, Curtis and Bonney Shirley; and son Charles Shoemaker. He is survived by children Helen Palin, Timmie (Cecil) Stickney, Butch (Janice) Shirley, Lorrie (Charley) Bierman, Debra (Chuck) Neal, Marvin (Betty) Shoemaker, Sandra (Gary) Buttler, Janis Tayler and Judy Baker. He also is survived by brothers Karl, Donney and Ellis Shirley, and sister Sonnie Soule.

A memorial service for Eldon will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Crosspoint Alliance Church, 1330 Powers Ave., Lewiston.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the

Idaho State Veterans Home or your favorite charity.