Shirley Earle, 95

Shirley Jane Earle, 95, passed into the Lord's care April 7, 2024, in Sandpoint, Idaho. 

Shirley was the third of three children, born to Joseph and Helen Miller at home in the wee hours of the morning March 12, 1929, in Rochester, N.Y. A doctor arrived later to check on mother and baby. Shirley's early childhood was during the Great Depression. She had a happy childhood and was not aware of the difficult times.

In 1942, the orange groves and warmth of Southern California called her parents to relocate to Los Angeles. Shirley attended junior and senior high school in Los Angeles and graduated from Fairfax High in 1947. She went on to Whitworth University in Spokane but after one year there she went home to family in North Hollywood. She transferred to the Bible Institute of Los Angeles majoring in Christian Education. After two years there, she transferred to UCLA majoring in elementary education.

In the meantime, Shirley met her future husband, R. Kenwood Earle, at the Village Church of Burbank. They were married at this church during her UCLA time. After graduating from UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education, they were blessed with their first child, Holly Kay, and two years later a son, Rock Lee. Shirley taught a year in a Christian day school and later taught for a few years in the public school system in Escondido, Calif., in the primary grades.

Ken and Shirley were married for a happy 54 years. He passed into the Lord's care at at 87 on Feb. 14, 2006.

Shirley, along with her daughter Holly and son-in-law Michael, relocated to Sagle, Idaho, after falling in love with the Sandpoint area.

She leaves her daughter, Holly Minardo (Mike); and son, Rock; grandsons, Marshall and Parker Minardo; granddaughter, Lisa Beth Coleman (Joe); and great-grandson, Noah Coleman.

Shirley will be placed into her gave next to her husband Ken in El Camino Memorial Park in San Diego. Shirley requested no services. Final arrangements are under the care of Coffelt Funeral Service in Sandpoint.