Shirley Jean Wiley

Shirley Jean Smith/Wiley was born on August 3, 1919 in Spring Valley Minnesota. At the age of 7 she moved with her parents William Henry Smith and Grace Ethyl Taylor/Smith to Long Beach, California. Shirley had an older brother William Henry Smith, Jr. who was 4 years older than her. Shirley's family was considered quite wealthy in the day. Her grandparents had many business ventures in the Spring Valley area, a lumber mill, a bank, a store and a hotel. Shirley attended Los Cerritos Elementary School and later Long Beach Poly High School. After high school Shirley attended UCLA for three years and was a member of a sorority. Unfortunately, she did not graduate because she fell in love and married John Hamilton Wiley Sr. Shirley and John were married on November 20, 1939 in Long Beach, California. They had three children John Hamilton Wiley Jr., Patricia Ann Wiley, and James Allen Wiley. During the early years of their marriage and the birth of their children Shirley and John lived in Santa Monica. When John Jr., was about 6 they moved to Yucaipa, California because he had a chronic condition with asthma. John Sr. and Shirley were married for 72 years. Her life was much like other woman of the forties and fifties, June Cleaver had nothing on her. She worked at Douglas Aircraft during WWII up on top of relay towers and even did some classified work that she still will not tell us about. Shirley had gone to see John on the east coast when he was in the Navy to let him know she was pregnant with John Jr. On the trip home she was placed on a train with nothing but soldiers, all men of course. Nervous being the only woman, she wound up playing cards all night and never going to sleep. She remembers departing the train with a pocket book full of cash. After their move to Yucaipa, Shirley joined the PTA and was president for three years. Her life was very full raising three active kids. After the kids got older she went to work for a knit shop in Yucaipa. At the knit shop she honed her skills at knitting and soon opened her own custom knit shop at home. Shirley had a huge customer base and made entire wardrobes for several ladies in Yucaipa. "Shirley's Knits" was in business for about 30 years.