Shirley Wardona Anthony

Shirley Wardona Anthony (83), our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend, passed away on September 19, 2018, at St. Alphonsus Hospital in Boise, Idaho.

Shirley was born on May 15, 1935, in Brawley, California to Lois Gorrell. She always considered Warren D. Peverill to be her father. She was the oldest of four children and loved to help care for her brothers Warren Ray, George and Duane. They lived in Oakhurst, California, near a logging mill. She helped her mom, Lois, and Aunt Rose with a restaurant close to their home. When they first moved to Oakhurst, they lived in a tent by the logging mill for a year before their house was built. Their new home did not have indoor plumbing. One morning a logging truck was parked above their house. The brakes went out, and the truck rolled down the hill and crashed through Shirley’s bedroom. Luckily, she had left the house shortly before.

She attended Sierra High School and graduated in 1953. Since they lived in Oakhurst, she would have to catch the bus at 5:00 a.m. She was active in many school activities. She was a class officer as well as a cheerleader and the head majorette. She also liked acting and was in the junior and senior play cast. She met her husband, Cleon Anthony Jr., while she was cheerleading at a basketball game. He was four years older, but a friend of hers wanted to introduce them. She said the moment he walked through the gym doors she knew he was the one. They were married October 31, 1953. Since it was Halloween, many of the children in attendance were upset that they did not get to dress up and go trick-or-treating. She was always proud that they had been married for 65 years.

Through the years, she had worked at a flower shop and a dental office, but she took the most pride in raising her four children: Lory, Russ, Terri, and Donnell. They lived 40 years in the foothills of California at Millerton Lake in Madera County. This house became known as “The Lake House” by children and grandchildren and was home of many treasured memories shared by family and friends. They moved to Boise, Idaho, in 2002.

Shirley loved to go dancing. She would often go to the Rainbow Ballroom in Fresno. When she was first married, they would travel to Santa Cruz and dance at the ballroom on the corner of the boardwalk. She also loved learning about history and was fascinated with antiques and old houses. She would always say, “If that house could talk…” She loved to spend time with her family and friends. She especially loved to visit with her “mama,” who she loved dearly. She loved to go on little vacations and loved visiting the San Francisco Pier. In her later years, she loved to watch old movies. Her favorite was Gone With the Wind.

Shirley was known for being a good listener. She was someone to confide in without receiving judgement. She continued to love no matter what faults one had or what had been done. Her favorite scripture was Doctrine and Covenants 24:8, “Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many; but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days.” She always taught us that we could endure anything. Shirley was the perfect example of enduring to the end. She had a quiet strength about her.

Shirley is survived by her spouse, Cleon Anthony Jr.; her children, Lory, Russ, Terri, and Donnell; her ten grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her three brothers, Warren Ray, George, and Duane.

She is reunited with her “mama” Lois Peverill-Waldron, her “Daddy Peverill,” Grandma Russell, her dog Ginger, and many loved in-laws, aunts, and uncles.

A graveside service will be held on Friday, September 28, 2018, at 11:00 a.m., at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery, 10100 N. Horseshoe Bend Rd., Boise. A luncheon will follow at the LDS Chapel at 5645 S. Maple Grove Rd., Boise. Arrangements were made through Relyea Funeral Chapel in Boise.