Shirley Blanche Schiwal

Our loving mother and nana, Shirley Blanche Curtis Schiwal, 81, passed away on Friday, August 6, 2021, due to heart failure.  She was born on October 3, 1939, in Torrey, Utah, to Volley M. and Luceal Chesnut Curtis.  She was the middle child of five. 

She grew up in Torrey and loved to help her dad around the farm and sawmill.  She also spent much time in Fruita, Utah, now part of Capitol Reef National Park, helping her grandparents and others who had homesteaded in the area.  She used to pick fruit from the orchards to make money to buy fabric to make her own school clothes, and she often said she probably picked fruit from every tree in the area.  She loved to explore the beautiful surroundings with her sisters and special cousin, Connie, and was still in awe every time she visited.  She instilled her love of nature and the area in her children and passed down the wisdom to enjoy the great outdoors while preserving it for others.

After graduating from Wayne High School, she moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, where she met Francis Joseph Schiwal.  They were married on August 30, 1958.  Francis and Shirley had five children and lived in the Salt Lake valley until moving to Layton, Utah, in 2003.

Mom was the most caring and compassionate person, and she was Mom and Nana to all.  She went through many physical challenges in her life, but she never let any of them stop her from doing what she wanted to do or impacting her positive attitude.  Mom loved to cook, and you never left her house hungry or without some goodies to take with you.  She loved all children, and thought of many of her nieces and nephews and her great nieces and nephews as her own.  She had a huge heart and shared it freely.  She will be missed tremendously by many.

Shirley is survived by her children, Kathy Ferguson, Salt Lake City, Utah; Fred (Sheila) Schiwal, Stevensville, Montana; Frank (Danielle) Schiwal, Layton, Utah; and Barbara (Brian) Turner, Riverdale, Utah; as well as 13 grandchildren; 4 great grandchildren; 1 great-great grandchild; numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, and cousins; and three sisters-in-law, Sue Ann Curtis, Joanne Todd, and Leona Schiwal. 

She was proceded in death by her parents; husband, Francis;  daughter, Theresa Johnson;  sisters, Viola Hill, Ione Senn, and Lorna Hensley; one brother, Neil Curtis; and grandson, Robert Ferguson.

At Mom's request, no formal services will be held.  A celebration of her life will take place next summer in Torrey, Utah, where she will be laid to rest beside Dad and Theresa and near many of her loved ones.