Everyone has unique experiences in life. Each person has a story to tell and words of wisdom that can be shared with others. With that in mind, we’d like to introduce you to some of the wonderful people who live here at CHCC. Here is a recent resident spotlight Q&A session we did with Shirley F.
Have you lived in other places besides Lynden?
Yes. I was born in Lynden in my grandma’s house and have lived in the Lynden area most of my life. From age three to 12, I lived in Verlot, Washington, then we moved back to Lynden when I was 12. When I did nursing, I lived in the patients’ homes while providing care.
What was your first job?
I taught music starting at age 16 at the Stark Piano Company in downtown Bellingham.
What other types of work did you do before retiring?
My first priority was raising my three children. I didn’t finish that job until I was 50. While raising them, I worked various jobs to pay the bills, including at Tina Navis’s gift shop. Once my kids were grown, I worked in a pharmacy for four years and delivered medications to CHCC when it was on B.C. Avenue.
What was your favorite thing about the work you did?
My favorite thing was the money, since I had three kids to raise. I loved raising them and teaching them how to live. They each had chores and savings accounts, and I gave them music lessons and sports.
What is one thing that you have been most proud of in your life?
I’m most proud of my kids and of myself for teaching them how to live and raising them with good values. They all have healthy lives and strong marriages. I had a very bad marriage, so I had to stick with things through thick and thin.
What is the hardest thing that you’ve lived through, and how did you get through it?
Being married yet being a single parent. I had to be both mother and father because their father was often not around. My kids looked to me to raise them, and now they are all doing fine.
What was your favorite decade to live in, and why?
The 1940s. That was when we lived in Verlot near Mount Pilchuck. We lived on the grounds with my dad, and I got to meet all kinds of interesting people—teachers, poets, pilots and decision-makers. My dad worked with Search and Rescue and the Navy. Mount Pilchuck was the lookout for the Everett area during the war.
Who is your favorite author or musician?
I like Lawrence Welk and the Gaithers.
Do you have a favorite song, inspirational quote or Bible verse?
“How Great Thou Art” by Bill Gaither.
What is one life lesson that you learned from your parents?
In spite of what other people think, hold your head high and follow God.
What is one piece of advice that you would give a 16-year-old person?
Be open to many ideas and opinions, but pick the goal you want to go for and go toward it.
What is one thing most people don’t know about you, but you wish they did?
They think I’m a softie, but I’m actually a tough mom.
What is one thing that you like about living at CHCC?
It’s been a big adjustment for me to live here. I really love the crafts and sewing—they’re my outlet.