Shirley Mildred Delaney (née Hudspeth) died Jan. 1, 2021 in Reno due to complications from Covid-19. Until very recently, Shirley had been a long term resident of Winnemucca, moving there with her family in 1973.
Shirley was born Feb. 11, 1931 in Sejita, Tex. to parents Manley and Jessie “Hazel” Hudspeth. She was the youngest of four children.
Shirley was a child of the “Great Depression” and her immediate family had to take to the road to earn a living.
During their wandering years they lived in Washington and California, finally settling in Napa, Calif. The Depression made a big influence on Shirley who forever tended to be “thrifty.” However, you would never find a bare cupboard at Shirley’s house and she was always ready to feed family and friends.
Shirley graduated from Napa High School in 1949.
At the time she was engaged to James Lee Delaney who had just completed his two-year degree at Napa Community College. The two walked the graduation path together.
Shirley married “Jim” Sept. 11, 1949 in Napa. Jim was a dashing young man, having recently returned stateside from fighting in the South Pacific during WWII. After their wedding, they moved to Lemon, S. Dakota where they lived on the Delaney Ranch. Soon after they moved to Aberdeen where Jim finished his business degree at Teachers College.
The couple had four children, Mark Edward, Marsha Lee, Bruce James and Cynthia Ann. The family lived in several different locations before settling in Winnemucca.
Shirley was mostly a housewife during her early years of marriage, but she did work at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Reno and a few other locations.
She also helped Jim with his multiple businesses later in life.
Shirley found her “true professional calling” when she began her antique business in the early 1980s.
Shirley ran The Gift Coral for many years. She was a shrewd buyer at estate sales near and far.
She enjoyed finding treasures for resale and personal collection. Even after she closed the shop, Shirley continued selling antiques on consignment.
Shirley always wanted to “see the world” and she did get the opportunity to travel in 1983 to Western Europe on a nine country Eurail trip with Cynthia. She was able to take in many of the world’s great works of art and architecture that she had always dreamed about.
Shirley also enjoyed traveling in the United States and Canada. She especially loved the California and Oregon coastline.
Shirley was an expert gardener, capable of making the desert bloom. Her flower gardens were the envy of many and every August she would dare anyone to even “touch” the biggest tomatoes on the vine.
Shirley also enjoyed reading, painting, sewing, decorating and watching movies.
Shirley’s deepest joy came from spending time with her extended family, including numerous cats and dogs during her long life.
When she and her family first moved to Winnemucca she enjoyed living out of town where she kept goats, chickens, horses and other livestock.
Shirley was preceded in death by her daughter Marsha, parents, sisters June Wilson and Joy Martin and husband Jim. She is survived by children Mark (Martha) Delaney, Bruce Delaney (Michelle Peacock) and Cynthia Delaney (Ronnie Joe Varnell); grandchildren Alicia Georgette Bighames, James Manley Delaney, Edward Wayne Delaney, Leticia Maria Delaney and Melinda Rochelle Murphy; sister Alice Martin; eight great grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
No services will be held at this time, but the extended family is planning to meet in the summer of 2021 to spread Shirley’s ashes among the ever-moving waves of the Pacific Ocean as per her wishes.
The Delaney family would like to thank Angela Alvarez and Amy Amrheim for the years of care they gave to Shirley. She loved them like family.
“It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.” -- Sydney Carton, “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens, Shirley’s favorite novel.
