ZEPHA JANE LOGAN SHIRLEY

January 4, 1924 – March 28, 2014

Our mom passed away on Friday.  She was 90 years old.  Maybe she wasn’t literally YOUR mom, but she may as well have been.  She was perhaps a difficult woman to describe, since some would say she wanted to keep to herself, never go anywhere, not really call up and invite you over.  Yet you were always welcome in her home.  Going out to visit relatives or friends was simply not her thing, especially in later years.  But when it came to helping people – particularly her children, doing the very best she could do, and putting herself in the shoes of others, she was the Queen.  On any given day during my childhood, I can recall coming in from outside with friends in tow to get the needed Band-Aid, drink of water, or forbidden kitchen utensil for using in  the yard.  We’d smell the aromas of dinner on the stove and immediately know she’d made enough for our friends to stay too, especially if she thought that friend had any difficulties at home.  It was just who she was.  That “stay for dinner” hospitality was the tip of the iceberg, and it never went away.

Born in Bakersfield in 1924, she was the daughter of Benjamin Hayes Logan and Lillian Helena Allred.  She grew up with six older siblings: Ben, Hughene, Russell, Isabel, Don and Matt.  A younger sister, Chloene, died shortly after birth.  As you might expect, times were not easy during the 20’s and 30’s.  The pantry was more-than-sparse a lot of the time. But Mom has always described those as some of the times she felt the most respect for her mother and felt closest to her dad.  He worked hard, along with her brothers, doing millwork and laboring wherever possible to take care of the family.  Some of her happiest memories were spent hiking around the woodsy trails near their home.  In her early teens, the family lived in a small cabin-like house on Horse Mountain, now called “Little Horse Mountain”, in Mendocino County, where there was a lumber mill.  She has, many times, described this as her favorite place on earth, where she rode her horse to school, could watch the snow fall on the pines from her bedroom window, and could dig in the dirt to her heart’s content.  

While living in Chico, she worked as a nut processor at Tri-Co and then Continental Nut.  In 1945 she married Ralph Wallace Shirley.  She and Dad made their homes in a few places, primarily in California, including up north in Montague, and locally in Chico.  They had four children by birth: Ralph David, Janet Lynn, Ben Allen, and Lorna Patrice, but  loved and cared for so many others by way of welcoming them as part of the family.  

Mom remained married to Dad until he left this earth suddenly, and of his own doing, leaving a variety of problems behind.  She handled them with grace, amid a wash of personal turmoil, overcoming incredible obstacles, and moving forward, all the while maintaining stability and providing nurturing love to her kids.  Having been out of the workforce for many years, she returned to school, learned a foreign language, and obtained her teaching certificate.  This enabled her to work as a Teacher’s Assistant with Migrant Head Start and become a Spanish ESL instructor.  She bought a home and continued to help and support her kids; one who was very young and some who were fully grown, as they handled life’s challenges and pains.  

…And then there are the grandkids…and great-grandkids!  No one was ever as lucky as the grandchildren of this lady.  She couldn’t wait to show them the blooms of a tiny teacup rose, teach them how to plant a seed in the dirt, or the right way to tie a towel into a superhero cape. Her gift was her time and undivided attention as she listened to every syllable of a school day story, every tiny magical sound.  Each scribble made on the back of a magazine or scrap of paper became her favorite work of refrigerator art.  Her family, including kids, grandkids, great-grandkids, nieces, nephews, has always been the most treasured part of her heart.

Throughout her life, her favorite hobby has been gardening and planting flowers to make the house and yard bright and beautiful in the spring and summer.  Regardless of her address, she could turn any space, indoors or out, into something pleasant and homey with a variety of bulbs, succulents, seasonal flowers and vines growing just about anywhere.  Her trademark was pots, flower beds, planters, and shrubs scattered throughout the yard, as well as rosebushes making it smell just wonderful!  Wherever she lived, she managed to create gardens that would make you want to wander and spend time outside, or take a trip to the nursery to start your own batch of Shasta daisies.  But you’d never need to do that – she’d give you some clippings to take home, ‘cause that’s just how happy she’d be that you want to make your own garden.  There was a time when you couldn’t go to her house without leaving with a small vase or hand-wrapped bunch of clipped flowers.  It was amazing!

She gave her best to her kids and family and put no importance on material possessions or money.  She chose instead to spend her time enjoying her people and the peace  of her home and garden.  She loved listening to old cowpoke songs, pan flute music and the occasional Bob Marley tune (talk about diversity!) and sitting down with any of her loved ones for a good gab session and a hot cup of coffee.  Her simple philosophy and strength in times of difficulty have been an inspiration for others, myself included, for decades. 

Mom lived her life with the attitude that you should “do what you can” and don’t worry about the rest.   Not a bad outlook if you ask me.

Every shrub I plant, every seed I sow, each trowel full of dirt turned in my yard; 

when there are hummingbirds buzzing past overhead, zipping to the flowers; 

when the roses are heavy with blooms, I’ll smile to myself.  

I love this because of you, Mom.

FUNERAL SERVICES:

Per her wishes, no formal services are planned.

An informal, family-friendly Remembrance gathering is planned for Saturday, April 12th at 2:00 p.m. at Terry Ashe Recreation Center

6626 Skyway in Paradise, CA

All are welcome.  Please join us for food, music, family and friends.