- Date Of Birth: October 28, 1933
- Date Of Death: February 26, 2016
- State: Montana
Shirley Ann Wise, age 82, passed away Friday, 26 February, 2016 in Kalispell, MT. She was born October 28th, 1933, in Portland OR, to George Carroll Watson and Florence A. (White) Watson.
Her childhood was spent enjoying the outdoors and numerous vacation trips around the United States. She continued her taste for adventure when she married Elbert Busselle and spent time as an Air Force wife in exotic locales like France, Germany, Turkey and Lakeside, Montana in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Their union blessed her with 3 daughters: Dawn, Gloria, and Cheryl.
Shirley loved people and cooking. She was known for her Peanut Brittle and would make cases of it every Christmas to give out as presents. She had an infectious laugh that couldn’t help but make you smile and there wasn’t a person she met that she didn’t touch.
She worked at various restaurants around the valley and was known for her cinnamon rolls at the Park Inn. She later worked at a variety of restaurants including the B&B Restaurant, the Bigfork Inn, Sykes, Buffalo Hill Golf Club, and spent 7 years at the County Detention Center as the “jail-house cook”. One of mom’s favorite ways of introducing herself was to say she “spent 7 years in jail” qualified by “as the jail-house cook”.
Her interests outside of work included the Humane Society, President of the NorthWest Montana Arms Collectors Association, Hospice, and the therapy dog program.
After retiring, she and Bill would take their breakfast at Sykes on a daily basis where they would spend time with old and new friends. She also loved to read and watch the classic movies from the 1940’s to 1960’s and was a master at old movie trivia.
She is survived by her sister Phyllis Watson of Portland, OR, daughters Dawn Gienger, and Kevin, of Kensal, ND; Gloria Brown, Cheryl Busselle and Carrie Wise, all of Kalispell, son Mark Wise in Houston, TX; grandchildren: MSgt Becky Brown-Carlson, Puyallup, WA; Irvin Mulfinger, Bismark, ND; Ashley Powers, Kalispell; Matt Foster, Butte; Ariel Reasner, Cody Brown-Fitzgerald, Kris Allick, of Kalispell; Raylene Miller, of ND; Lavon Miller, of Kalispell, and 10 great-grandchildren.
