In Memory of Twila Shirley

December 20, 1938 - April 18, 2020

Twila’s Obituary

In Her Own Words

Twila has gone to be with her Lord on April 18, 2020 after suffering a stroke.

Born Twila Fern Matthews, the middle child of Harriford and Iva Matthews, December 20, 1938 in Haskell County, Satanta, Kansas. When Twila was 10 she moved with her parents, older brother, and her little sister, Carolyn to Shaw, CO in March of 1949 where they farmed for the Larson Brothers of Garden City, Ks.

She attended Pleasant Hill grade school near Thurman and graduated in 1956 from Linden High School after which she was a student in a one year stenography course at Barns Business College.

From about 12 to 16 she helped her dad with the farming and milking. She drove everything from Cars and Pickups to Wheat trucks, Tractors and Caterpillars without air conditioning that they have today.

She married Mel Woolen Jr. from Last Chance/Woodrow area on August 17, 1958. Their first year was spent in Compton, CA where Mel attended Compton Junior College. She has resided in the Denver metro area for the past 63 years. 

Two children were born into this marriage, Laverne and Christina. During the years along with raising her children, Twila was active in her community as Pre-school chairmen for Pre-school mothers; president of the Johnson Elementary P.T.A.; Den Mother for Pack 223; assistant Girl Scout Leader; Education Chairman at Harvey Park Baptist Church where she was baptized in 1964; Sunday school teacher and along with her husband, Mel, Teen Center Sponsor; Coffee House Sponsor; Circle Leader for the American Baptist Women; President of the American Baptist Women (twice); as well as Day Care for two neighbor boys.

She learned to play the guitar and sang with her brother on many occasions while their dad accompanied them on the guitar. She would later sing and play on her own for about a year on the country radio station KLAK and the U.S.O. in Denver and her church. She was very excited to be on stage one time at the auditorium arena downtown Denver with Tex Ritter. She took photography and psychology in criminology classes at Arapahoe Community College. At Harvey Park Recreation Center she took classes in pottery, cake decorating, stained glass art and Country Scenery Oil Painting.

In the early 70’s she started working part time for Christmas Extras and worked up until 1989 for Piccadilly Portraits, Montgomery Ward Mail Order, Denver Public Schools as a lunchroom aide. In 1976 – 1977 she took in Foster Children, David and Kara Self, a brother and sister, which now live in Washington state. In 1978 Mel passed away from inoperable cancer in the brain stem. In 1980 she went to work full time for KRMA Channel Six TV which was part of DPS at the time. After a couple of years doing clerical duties for other secretaries she became Secretary for the Program Director. Twila worked until 1989.

In 1987 she married an old acquaintance from church, Gene Shirley. The families had known each other casually since 1964. Mel had been one of Gene’s wife’s pall bearers when she died of cancer in 1970. They now had six children with grandchildren on the way which she dedicated her time.

A new interest, Genealogy, took her to places she may not have gone like Mohawk, Tennessee, Spencer, West Virginia, California, Oregon, Kansas and Missouri. She never had a big desire to travel about. She always said there was so much of America she hadn’t seen yet.

Other than migraines and arthritis that would slow her down, she made the most of every minute she could. There have been few times she couldn’t find something to do. In 1980 she volunteered for the Rocky Mountain Headache Association also being a member of the Harvey Park Baptist church choir, secretary for the ABW circles. Caring for aging parents and in-laws and helping her children through their difficult times and setting for grand children when needed. She loved to write and receive letters. She always thought it sad that letter writing was becoming a lost art with the coming of the cell phone and e-mail. Her first joy was her family. She also enjoyed her yard, listening to her music, the family gatherings, reading, computing, traveling and finding other families and ancestors along the way. She had a quiet faith and didn’t do a lot of preaching to anyone. But when the kids were in trouble she could always find a Bible verse to fit the situation.

She loved America and the song “America the Beautiful”. She hopes future generations will keep it that way. In her later years she became a history buff and found it to be much more exciting than when she was in school and read as much as she could. If she watched T.V. at all, it was usually something educational.

She was preceded in death by her brother, Laverne in 1957, her first husband, Mel Woolen in 1978, her dad, Harv Matthews in 1993, her sister, Carolyn Shaw in 2006 and her mother, Iva Matthews in 2007.

She leaves to mourn her passing, husband Gene Shirley, son Vern Woolen(Rochelle) and children Spencer(Amol) and Chelsea(Tom), daughter Chris Knaus(Keith) and children Travis(Andrea), Michael and Tanner(Olivia), step daughter Shelley Covell(Wayne) and children Scott(Alyssa), Mark(Shayna) and Casey, step daughter Kelley Shirley and her son Dallas, step daughter Jill Kimberling(John), step daughter Jody Rice, 14 Great Grand Children, sisters-in-laws, brothers-in-laws and many cousins, nieces and nephews.