FOWLER, Shirley Mae

Shirley Mae Fowler was born Dec. 20, 1925, in Glendale, Calif., the daughter of Elmer George Casey and Edna Mae Stiles. She passed away Monday, Oct. 13, 2008, at the Valley Inn Nursing Home in Mancos, Colo., at the age of 82. In 1946, Shirley married James Clyde Buck in Aztec. The couple moved to Oregon and lived there until 1954, when their marriage ended. To their union were born two sons, Lee Allan and Lawrence Andrew. Lawrence passed away at the age of three months. In 1955, Shirley married Louis Thomas Fowler in Cortez, Colo. Louis and Shirley had one daughter, Ruth Edna, who passed away as a young child. During their marriage the family lived in various places in the Four Corners area, including Cortez, Hallorville, Mancos, Dolores, Rico, McElmo Canyon and La Salle, Utah. After Louis' death, Shirley moved into the Sun Valley Village in Cortez and was one of the original tenants. She lived there from February 1983 to June 2008. Shirley was an avid reader and worked as a librarian at the Cortez Public Library. In addition to reading, she enjoyed listening to classical music, watching old movies and musicals and viewing classical art. She also enjoyed walking and, until her health failed, she regularly took long walks. As a child, Shirley learned to play the piano and was an accomplished classical pianist. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband and her infant son and daughter. Shirley is survived by her son, Lee Buck and wife, Marsha, of Bloomfield; and by her brother, George Casey and wife, Arline, of Grover Beach, Calif. Cremation has taken place and a private family memorial is being planned. Inurnment will take place at the Cortez Cemetery.