Shirley Mae Drake

Shirley Drake, of Tillamook Oregon, passed away in Corvallis on July 19, 2022. She was 94. Shirley Mae Giles Drake was born in Lane, South Dakota, September 2, 1927, in the living quarters behind the Lane Pioneer News office. The sixth child of Leo and Myrtle Giles, she was their only daughter. In 1931, Shirley journeyed by car to Oregon with her family. Owners and managers of many local Oregon newspapers, Shirley’s childhood consisted of many moves. Her family settled in Brownsville, Oregon where her parents owned the Brownsville Times until 1949. Shirley described her young life as a happy one, working alongside her mother and father in the newspaper business, even napping on the press table or folding newspapers. She kept busy in the newspaper office by learning to type and writing a little “newspaper” of her own with news of the day, including ads. Helping her mother with the bookkeeping, Shirley typed up bills at an early age. She enjoyed the outdoors, riding her bicycle, tramping up and down the hills behind Brownsville, often with a single-shot 22, her brother Howard, and their dog. She classified herself as a “tom boy,” growing up with five older brothers, and learned at an early age to keep up. She was a good swimmer and spent many happy hours in the Calapooia, Umpqua, and later the Siletz. In addition to attending Brownsville High School and helping at the print shop, she worked at the local theater and spent evenings working at the Brownsville Woolen Mill before heading to college at University of Oregon. In November of 1946, Shirley married Jim Drake. They traveled to Los Angeles and then to Dallas, Texas where Jim enrolled in Southwest Photo Arts School. After a year, they returned to Corvallis and Albany where Sharon and Nancy were born. With life’s changes came several moves for Shirley, Jim, and their girls. They tried owning and operating a small alder mill in Toledo and “roughing it” while living in their small cabin on the Siletz River near Logsden. They returned to Brownsville to care for Shirley’s mother. Following a move to Salem, they returned to Albany in 1965 and built their home on Riverside Drive. After Shirley’s divorce, she continued maintaining her farm of five acres with her daughters, while boarding horses, growing a vegetable garden, and raising white-faced cattle. She was a 4-H leader for nine years, teaching showmanship and horsemanship. Shirley hosted many memorable family gatherings every year around New Years. She maintained her cabin on the Siletz. Shirley worked for Linn County as a draftsman and also at the Assessor’s Offices in both Clackamas and Benton counties, retiring in 1988. Shirley’s interests were wide-ranging. She loved reading, watching sports on TV, cooking, baking, preserving, flower and vegetable gardening, and horses. Her travels included visits to South Dakota, Kentucky, Georgia, and Tennessee. An avid student of Lewis and Clark history, she took many trips retracing their route. In 2007, Shirley, Nancy, Sharon, and John traveled to New England and toured Plimouth Village and the FDR Estate, among others. One of the highlights was visiting New Boston, New Hampshire where Shirley found a plaque listing four great-great-great-great McNeill uncles who fought in the Revolutionary War. In 1989, Shirley took on the monumental challenge of documenting her family history and genealogy. She spent countless years creating “The Family Tree” book which she updated and gave to many family members. She even verified the link of the Giles/Noble/Billington family of The Mayflower. In addition to “The Family Tree” book, Shirley self-published a book dedicated to her four brothers who served in the military during World War II. Later, she wrote a book about her family’s printing business. Shirley moved from Albany to Tillamook, Oregon in 2013 with her dog, Missy, and enjoyed living close to her older daughter and family members. Even with failing eyesight and hearing loss, she continued taking care of her home and garden until the spring of this year. She is survived by her daughters Sharon Werner, of Tillamook, Oregon, and Nancy Gates of Portage, Michigan, five grandchildren, and six great grandchildren. She is deeply missed by family and friends who admired her hard work, wit, and true grit. DeMoss-Durdan Funeral Home is handling arrangements

Shirley Mae Drake

September 2, 1927 - July 19, 2022