Corina Botham - June 9, 2023

I love her paintings I'm really going to miss you she was a wonderful person love you great grandma Shirley until we meet again. I had very amazing memories with her we're all going to miss you very much.-Corina

Colton Botham - June 9, 2023

I loved her beautiful paintings. Miss you great grandma Shirley.

Chanpheng Botham - June 9, 2023

I have so many fun memories of grandma Shirley and she is dearly missed. She (and grandpa Harry) were always so loving, right from the start...when Alex's then girlfriend came to the family reunion in Canada nearly 30 years ago, it was like they'd known me for years and I was already part of their family - maybe they knew something I didn't at that point. Over the years, there have been incredible memories - dancing with grandpa at our wedding, seeing how he looked at grandma Shirley and her appreciating it, how she taught me to flip pancakes when the bubbles appeared on the top (and to put coconut flakes in them, yum!), her love for art and teaching it, and taking classes at the local college. I can just imagine her in class being the fun spunky lady making jokes with the students =). As she got older and started moving a little slower, and needing to watch what she ate and drank a little closer, we would visit and I would usually have wine nearby; I always asked if she wanted to have some, and she'd give me this cheeky little smile and say "well, just a little bit"...knowing very well she was waiting for me to be a bad influence. She was so excited when we finally had kids, and we loved coming to visit Arlena and grandma - they felt like the center of the world when we came to OR, and there was no shortage of being shown off to all her friends and neighbors in the park. I'm so appreciative that Colton and Corina were able to know and love great-grandma Shirley and have loving memories of her. My heart has so much love for this incredible woman and I'm so blessed to have called her my grandma. May you be dancing with grandpa, with the biggest smile on your face, and so much love and peace in your heart - you have touched so many lives, we are the lucky ones forever. Love you always, and until we meet again, cheers grandma. <3

Nora Creech - June 3, 2023

I remember the first time I met Shirley – I was about 14 years old, and Mary and Marty were getting serious, so Shirley invited our whole family over for dinner. I remember the house smelled so good with all the wonderful homemade food cooking in the kitchen. I learned on that first meeting that Shirley was a terrific cook and she had the gift of hospitality. She made everyone feel so welcome in her home!

I distinctly remember when Mary and Marty got married, our family sat on the “bride’s side” of the church and Marty’s family sat on the “groom’s side” of the church. But a couple of years later when we all returned to the church to celebrate Crystal’s baptism, we were all seated together, and it was then that I realized I had a whole new family to love – the Botham’s were my family too!

After Crystal was born, I traveled from Boulder to Half Moon Bay often because I was a very devoted aunt! For a while, Harry and Shirley lived with Mary and Marty in their trailer in Princeton-by-the-Sea, so I slept on the pull-out couch in the living room. One night, I had a stomache bug and I ran into the bathroom and Shirley was sitting on the closed toilet seat with her dog in her lap because there was nowhere else to sit with me there taking up the couch. Shirley instantly recognized the desperate look on my face, jumped up, and opened the toilet cover so I could throw up. Then she stayed up and took care of me for the rest of the night.

Another time she took care of me when I was visiting was when I had an encounter with a man who had very bad intentions. I was naïve and trusting and I put myself in a bad position. Luckily, I was able to get away without any negative consequences, but I was very shaken by the experience. When I returned safely home, Shirley was there, and she was so comforting to me. I will never forget her kindness to me in one of the scariest moments of my life.

Every time I chop celery, I think of Shirley. Her clam chowder was legendary, and I spent many hours talking to her while she chopped the vegetables for it. She taught me to chop celery like she did – swiftly and evenly.

One of my last memories of Shirley was at one of the Botham baptisms. Shirley, Arlena, and I were sitting together chatting at the back of the church while the baby was getting dressed in the famous Brown-family baptismal gown. I was getting a little emotional thinking about my Dad, and the legacy of all the faith-filled people who had worn that beautiful gown. Shirley grabbed my hand and started singing, “Amazing Grace.” It was an amazing grace-filled moment when I felt the Holy Spirit had joined me with this woman through my sister’s love for her son. God’s ways are truly wonderful!

Shirley has inspired me in many ways. She was always willing to try new things – at every stage of her life. She always seemed full of joy – even when her physical body was wearing out. She greeted everyone with a heartfelt hug that made you feel like she was truly happy to see you! I feel truly blessed to have known Shirley – she felt like family to me, and I am thankful to have the opportunity to honor her during her Celebration of Life.

Kyla Reeves - May 13, 2023

I remember going with my dad and Stacy to visit Great Grandma and Grandma Harmony and Great Grandma showing us her paintings, paints, and easel. I also remember seeing her backyard and the pretty flowers that she was growing out there. I remember being super impressed with how talented she was and it was really interesting to hear her explanations of what she painted and why. I will always remember her as a talented artist, an avid gardener, and a loving grandma. May she rest in peace. 

Eulogy for Shirley Botham by Arlena Harmony

Thank you for coming to Mom’s Memorial – Celebration of Her Life!! Mom lived in the Royal Mobile Estates Park in Jacksonville, OR for 20 years. Mom chose to move over to Pioneer Village on Valentine’s Day 2022, to a smaller apartment and a dining hall where the meals were all cooked by someone else and she didn’t have to do the dishes, or take care of the yards. After Mom passed away at 93 years old on Dec. 14th, the residents in the Mobile Home Park kept asking me “When are we having a memorial for Shirley in the Mobile Home Park?”  Since the winter was freezing cold, I said “In the spring, when the weather is warmer.” So on March 5th Bonnie Botham and I had a smaller Memorial gathering in the Clubhouse with 24 of Mom’s friends at the Mobile Home Park. It turned out wonderful, and it made me realize how she has touched the lives of so many people over the years. 

     It’s hard for me to talk about Mom without talking about Dad too. They loved one another dearly, and enjoyed 60 years of marriage, until Dad passed away from a stroke in 2007. Mom and Dad were both great parents, and good role models for me and my two brothers, Les and Marty. I am thankful that we had a well-rounded childhood. They provided us with everything that children need to grow up healthy, and be successful in this world: family love, going to church every week to learn about God, having church family friends to do activities with, having regular home-cooked meals every day, having nice clothes (for me- dresses and sweaters that Mom sewed and knitted). We always had a clean, nicely decorated home, good education, family fun like going camping in the national and state parks. We didn’t have a lot of money, but we had lots of quality time together as a family. And we had fun parties, and get-together dinners and celebrations with our relatives and friends. Mom and Dad were very active in our family life.

I’d like to describe some of Mom’s talents and personality traits:

Mom was always a very hard worker: 

     She and Dad always had a job, sometimes 2 jobs outside of home. They did not believe in accepting hand-outs from the government, when they were physically capable of working. Neither of them finished high school because World War II broke out. My Dad as a teenager joined the Canadian army that went to Europe to defeat the German forces, and my Mom as a teenager went to work in a garment factory to help support her family. That work ethic was passed on to us 3 kids. My 2 brothers and I have been very hard workers our entire lives. Mom taught us how to do a lot of chores to contribute towards running the household: doing the laundry, ironing, vacuuming, cooking, cleaning, cutting the lawn, pulling the weeds, etc. We did not pay other people to do these chores for us, nor did we get an allowance. We were expected to have after school jobs and earn money to pay for things that we wanted. This taught us to be responsible citizens as we grew up.

Mom was independent, strong-minded, brave, adventurous, and loved exploring new areas of the country:

      Mom and Dad took us kids on many camping trips in California. When I was 15 years old, Mom took me on a week’s camping trip to Mt. Lassen National Park. We had no idea how hard it would be to hike up to the top of Mt. Lassen, but we both decided to hike it. What a fabulous view at the top! We felt so proud of ourselves that we climbed that mountain, and got to tell the ranger and all the other campers that had gathered around the campfire that night.

    When Mom was turning 83 years old, she told me that she wanted to climb the Lower Table Rock Mountain here in our valley! Just to be safe, we signed up to go with a nature group. The trail guide stopped along the trail and talked about different plants. Pretty soon we noticed that the group was way ahead of us. So we just slowly plodded along, hoping there might be an outhouse somewhere along the trail. But there never was. And there was no outhouse at the top of the mountain either! But we ate our lunch at the top, and slowly made it back down the mountain, to the restroom by the parking lot. This all day hike was quite an accomplishment on Mom’s 83rd birthday!

     Mom and Dad have always had itchy feet to go see and explore new places. Camping with us kids on air mattresses in a canvas tent, turned into pulling a trailer behind their car, then traveling in their small RV around the United States. Mom and I have also gone together to fun places like Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee to explore our country’s rich musical heritage. She especially loved Branson, Missouri, and all the musical concerts there. After Dad passed away, Mom and I, and Bonnie and Les traveled together to many places in Oregon and other states. It has really enriched my life to have Mom and Dad and other people in my family to travel with. 

Mom and Dad were always proud of our family history in the past and proud of our current family members in the present.  

     Mom and Dad and I spent 3 weeks together at a large genealogy center in Salt Lake City, searching through rolls of microfilms, for birth records, marriage records, church records, census records, tracing our family roots. Mom created family history binders, documenting all of our relatives back as far as we could. 

Mom loved getting together with our many family members for Family Reunions, and celebrating holidays and birthdays together. 

     For many years, Mom and Dad enjoyed attending our huge Family Reunion Campouts with our relatives in Canada and the United States.  The Reunions every two years were so much fun, and gave us time to get to know our relatives. Sometimes around 100 relatives came! My favorite part was singing around the campfire at night, joining in the outdoor games and races, and participating in the talent shows. 

Mom was a talented artist. 

     She signed up for many art classes and visited art galleries to develop her skills. She entered her paintings in county fairs, and won several prizes. Even in her 80’s, she loved taking educational college classes to interact with other students, and to keep her brain engaged. 

Mom enjoyed gardening.  

     In her younger years, that included growing vegetables and fruits. But in her later years, she loved flower gardening. That love of gardening was something that she and I both had in common. And we both enjoyed gardening our entire adult lives.

Mom supported Dad and us 3 kids in our chosen hobbies too. 

     When I was 7 years old, Mom gave up her piano lessons and let me have them instead. Mom paid for all of my piano lessons for 5 years. That allowed me to develop my musical talents to eventually become a Music Teacher.  Mom and Dad always came to see my students’ Christmas programs and band concerts over the years. I was very grateful for their support. 

     Mom and Dad also supported my brothers in their activities like the Boy Scouts and Cross Country Racing. Les and Marty were both excellent runners. I remember Mom and Dad cheering like crazy for both of my brothers as they competed in their high school track meets. As an adult, Marty asked Mom to go into business with him to run a seafood restaurant and market called Princeton Seafood Company in Half Moon Bay, CA. My parents dropped everything in their lives and  moved to that location to help Marty and Mary run the restaurant for 5 years. There were lots of challenges, and it was hard work for everyone involved. But the restaurant was a success. Mom’s recipe for clam chowder was a hit with the customers.

     Mom supported Dad’s idea of starting a Giant Pumpkin Weigh Off and Pumpkin Harvest Festival in their hometown of Ukiah, CA., Back then, people were growing enormous 400 pound pumpkins in their backyard gardens as a hobby. Last year the heaviest pumpkin in North American history was weighed in Half Moon Bay, CA at 2,560 pounds! Mom and I supported Dad’s idea of encouraging people in Mendocino County to grow gigantic pumpkins for the weigh off contest. It was a great success! Each year the event grew bigger and bigger until the city council took over and added more events like a giant bouncy house, local musicians, arts and crafts fair, children’s games, and a harvest festival parade. Dad and Mom are still honored today for starting it all.

Mom and Dad and us 3 kids enjoyed being members of a church. 

     I am very thankful that our family regularly attended the Congregational Church of San Mateo, CA as we 3 kids grew up. In Colorado, they attended a Science of Mind Church for several years when they lived there. Mom and Dad became members of the historic Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville soon after they moved here in 2001. They loved getting dressed up to go to hear the sermon, study the Bible, and sing the traditional hymns with the other church members. They were involved in the church activities, and they made lots of friends there. We went to the Presbyterian Church Camp Bradley 3 summers on the coast, and it was spiritually uplifting. 

Mom was very caring towards family members and neighbors in need.

     When her sister Mariem had a major operation, Mom, Dad, and I drove to Mariem’s home in Canada for 3 weeks to help her recover and to renovate her home, which was in need of repairs and painting. Mom and I also spent several years helping Dad recover from his heart operations and leg amputation. This taught me how to have empathy, patience, and endurance to help my Mom for 15 years after Dad died. 

As you know, getting older is filled with challenges, mentally and physically.  The last 99 days of Mom’s life were overwhelming not only for her, but for me, and my brother Marty, his wife Mary, and my sister-in-law Bonnie, as we were with Mom every day. We want to thank those of you for sending cards or calling Mom, or bringing flowers and little gifts, or visiting Mom while she was trying to recover at Avamere Nursing Care Facility. It really helped her and our family to remain positive in our minds. We are so grateful for your kindness. After Mom’s fall at Pioneer Village, she broke her hip. Then she had a stroke after the hip replacement surgery. Then she had internal bleeding in her digestive tract. For quite a while, she was healing from the hip replacement and the stroke. But then her kidneys were not functioning very well, and she started losing her physical strength. And the final blow was getting covid. Our family was very sad when Mom passed away, but we are thankful that she was no longer suffering.

Mom was sociable and loved living in the senior park and Pioneer Village. 

    She loved living next door to the clubhouse and walking over to play Bingo and card games or visiting with the park residents at the potluck dinners and barbeques. She loved sitting on the porch and talking to people and inviting them over for tea or lunch or a Christmas party. 

These are only some things that I admired about my Mom. Now it’s Bonnie Botham’s turn to speak. Other people can share a story or a memory about Mom at the luncheon.