Shirley Smith

   Shirley Ann Smith died Jan. 24, 2017, in Holyoke at the age of 83. Shirley was born in Haxtun Oct. 18, 1933, to Fred and Clara (Farnham) Swisher at the Haxtun Hospital, the youngest of four children.
    At the time Shirley was born, the Haxtun Hospital was located at 142 N. Wayne, which later became the site for the house where Shelton and Pauline Smith, her future in-laws, lived for many years. Her family lived on the Stanley Dee farm and moved into town when she was 8.
    She was a member of the Rainbow Girls and a charter member of the “Shirley Club” with future bridesmaids Shirley Miles and Shirley Buck. She played tenor saxophone in the high school band.
    She worked part time at the Haxtun Department Store, located on the corner south of the Haxtun Town Hall. Upstairs in that same building was the hospital where Steve, Gwen and Todd were born years later. She graduated from Haxtun High School in 1951 and attended Colorado A&M (CSU) for a year.
    Shirley married husband Darrell Smith Aug. 24, 1952, at the Haxtun Methodist Church. Theirs was the second wedding ceremony held in the current building. She spent two and a half years in Texas while Darrell was stationed there with the Air Force. She worked as a checker for Safeway. During her time in Texas, daughter Shelly joined the family.
    Back in Haxtun, Steve, Gwen and Todd joined the family over the next several years. Shirley was a mother and homemaker and was the State Farm office manager.
    On the family farm, she drove tractors and grain trucks, cleaned chickens and did whatever else was needed to keep the farm running. With her kids, she helped decorate their bikes for the parade, was a second-grade room mother, helped with 4-H and all their projects, and was a senior class parent sponsor.
    In civic life, Shirley was in the Haxtun sorority and the Victory Federated Club and was a member of the Haxtun United Methodist Church. She was an election judge and belonged to a bowling team.
    She enjoyed riding her horse Cindy, fishing, bread baking, gardening and canning – everything needed to feed her family. She was a loyal Broncos fan and enjoyed travel. She loved entertaining and hosting meals for family and friends. It was said that no one ever left her house hungry.
    She was born and raised and lived in Haxtun for almost 80 years. When the winters got colder, she and Darrell wintered in Mesa, Arizona, for a few years and then wintered in Donna, Texas, for over 20 years, where she learned to enjoy line dancing. They moved to Carriage House in Holyoke in 2014.
    Shirley is survived by her husband, Darrell Smith; brother, Don Swisher of Sonoma, Calif.; sister, Virginia Roberts of Atascadero, Calif.; sister-in-law, Sue Phelps and husband Jim of Englewood; sister-in-law, Sherrilyn Smith Yost of Deadwood, South Dakota; daughter, Shelly Norred and husband Mike of Reno, Nevada; son, Steve Smith and wife Toni of Haxtun; daughter, Gwen Holcomb of Lakewood; son, Todd Smith and wife Cami of San Tan Valley, Arizona; 11 grandchildren, Trevor, Kara, and Derek, Craig, Danielle, Mandy and Kristen, J.D. and Spencer, and Jeremiah and Bree Ann; nine great-grandchildren, with another great-granddaughter due in March; and her many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.
    She was preceded in death by her parents, Fred and Clara Swisher; parents-in-law, Shelton and Pauline Smith; sister, Joan Carlson; and brother-in-law, Dale Smith.
    Private family services were held in Haxtun.
    Memorial contributions may be sent to the Haxtun United Methodist Church, c/o Gwen Holcomb, 622 S. Youngfield Ct., Lakewood, CO 80228.
    Tennant Funeral Home of Haxtun was entrusted with services.