Shirley grew up in Rockland and American Falls. She attended schools at Landing Rockland and American Falls. After graduation she worked at the Bell Telephone Company as a switch board operator.
This is where she met the love of her life, Blaine J Mitchell. They raised four daughters, Rhonda, Robyn, Melanie and Kim. They worked side by side where Shirley was instrumental in keeping the farm records, running for parts, driving trucks and tractors when needed.
Along with farming they had milk cows, horses, sheep, pigs, goats, chickens, and several different types of birds. Some nice and some not so nice, just ask the girls. Mom worked at the Rockland Merc for a number of years. Mom was a hard worker and she taught her girls how to work hard; mowing the yard, planting flowers, cleaning, cooking, picking rock, pulling rye, feeding animals, and many other farm duties.
Playing cards and having card parties with friends was an activity mom and dad enjoyed. The girls remember that they were sent to bed, but could her mom opening the candy bags for the party. Taking lunches to the harvest field and having a picnic in the shade beside the combine. We remember one time when mom was driving a load of wheat up a steep road on the divide and the old international truck died before she got to the top of the hill. We wanted to get out, but mom was trying to restart the truck and told us no.
She was able to back the loaded wheat truck down the winding hill without tipping us over in the deep gulley. Robyn and Bobby took her to the horse races often.
