Son of William Henry Shirley and Esther Maria Bubb
Husband of Grace Maud Stock, 12 September 1888, Logan, Cache, Utah
History. Charles Coulson Shirley was born in a log cabin with a dirt roof and a dirt floor in Paris, Bear Lake, Idaho on 21 August 1864. His parents were William Henry Shirley and Esther Bubb Shirley. Charles' parents were pioneers from South Africa who were converts to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a baby, Charles was blessed by and named for apostle Charles Coulson Rich, who was the prominent church leader and founder of that area.
Charles was the fourth of seven sons: George, Thomas, William, [Charles,] Edgar, James, and John. His older brother George died as an infant before his parents left South Africa. Three of his brothers, William, Edgar, and John, all died as infants while the family was living in the Salt Lake Valley. Charles was the middle son of the three surviving brothers.
In 1880 at the age of 16, Charles was living at home in Fish Haven with his parents and brothers, Thomas and James. His father was a wagon maker. He met Grace Maud Stock, the daughter of John Stock and Frances Gillson, who also lived in the community. Charles married Grace in the Logan Temple in Logan, Utah on 12 September 1888. They were married to Mariner Wood Merrill, a member of the 12 Apostles who resided in Logan.
Together, Charles and Grace had 7 children, 5 of whom lived to adulthood: William, Florence, Charles, Ida, Frances, Vera, and Arthur. They raised their children in a Victorian-style frame home in Fish Haven, built not far from the western shores of Bear Lake.
Charles was employed over the years as a sheep shearer and a farmer. Charles also enjoyed music. He and his brother James were in the Fish Haven Band.
Charles and Grace lived during an era when plural marriage was practiced in the Church. Not all Latter-day Saint marriages were plural and Charles and Grace chose not to engage in that practice. They remained active church members. For 22 years, Charles was the bishop of the Fish Haven ward.
On 17 June 1939, his wife Grace died. She was buried in the Fish Haven Cemetery- land which was once owned by her father which he donated to the town for the purpose of a cemetery. Charles continued to live in the Victorian-era home he built. Next door, to the north, his son Arthur lived in a home with his wife, and north of Arthur Shirley, Charles' daughter Vera lived with her husband, Alton Kearl. These 3 homes are still owned by the Shirley and Kearl families.
To the family, Charles was known as "Grandpa Father" and it became a tradition for family members to travel to Fish Haven in August to celebrate Charles' birthday and to have a family reunion. It was during one of these occasions, in 1954, when he passed away. His great-granddaughter Dianne (then 6 years old) remembered that he "went to bed and never woke up the next morning." Charles died on his 90th birthday. He was buried next to his wife Grace in the Fish Haven Cemetery. The tradition of Shirley family descendants traveling to Bear Lake every August still exists. Some of them still stay in one of the three Shirley-Kearl homes in Fish Haven.
Husband of Grace Maud Stock, 12 September 1888, Logan, Cache, Utah
History. Charles Coulson Shirley was born in a log cabin with a dirt roof and a dirt floor in Paris, Bear Lake, Idaho on 21 August 1864. His parents were William Henry Shirley and Esther Bubb Shirley. Charles' parents were pioneers from South Africa who were converts to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a baby, Charles was blessed by and named for apostle Charles Coulson Rich, who was the prominent church leader and founder of that area.
Charles was the fourth of seven sons: George, Thomas, William, [Charles,] Edgar, James, and John. His older brother George died as an infant before his parents left South Africa. Three of his brothers, William, Edgar, and John, all died as infants while the family was living in the Salt Lake Valley. Charles was the middle son of the three surviving brothers.
In 1880 at the age of 16, Charles was living at home in Fish Haven with his parents and brothers, Thomas and James. His father was a wagon maker. He met Grace Maud Stock, the daughter of John Stock and Frances Gillson, who also lived in the community. Charles married Grace in the Logan Temple in Logan, Utah on 12 September 1888. They were married to Mariner Wood Merrill, a member of the 12 Apostles who resided in Logan.
Together, Charles and Grace had 7 children, 5 of whom lived to adulthood: William, Florence, Charles, Ida, Frances, Vera, and Arthur. They raised their children in a Victorian-style frame home in Fish Haven, built not far from the western shores of Bear Lake.
Charles was employed over the years as a sheep shearer and a farmer. Charles also enjoyed music. He and his brother James were in the Fish Haven Band.
Charles and Grace lived during an era when plural marriage was practiced in the Church. Not all Latter-day Saint marriages were plural and Charles and Grace chose not to engage in that practice. They remained active church members. For 22 years, Charles was the bishop of the Fish Haven ward.
On 17 June 1939, his wife Grace died. She was buried in the Fish Haven Cemetery- land which was once owned by her father which he donated to the town for the purpose of a cemetery. Charles continued to live in the Victorian-era home he built. Next door, to the north, his son Arthur lived in a home with his wife, and north of Arthur Shirley, Charles' daughter Vera lived with her husband, Alton Kearl. These 3 homes are still owned by the Shirley and Kearl families.
To the family, Charles was known as "Grandpa Father" and it became a tradition for family members to travel to Fish Haven in August to celebrate Charles' birthday and to have a family reunion. It was during one of these occasions, in 1954, when he passed away. His great-granddaughter Dianne (then 6 years old) remembered that he "went to bed and never woke up the next morning." Charles died on his 90th birthday. He was buried next to his wife Grace in the Fish Haven Cemetery. The tradition of Shirley family descendants traveling to Bear Lake every August still exists. Some of them still stay in one of the three Shirley-Kearl homes in Fish Haven.
Son of William Henry Shirley and Esther Maria Bubb
Husband of Grace Maud Stock, 12 September 1888, Logan, Cache, Utah
History. Charles Coulson Shirley was born in a log cabin with a dirt roof and a dirt floor in Paris, Bear Lake, Idaho on 21 August 1864. His parents were William Henry Shirley and Esther Bubb Shirley. Charles' parents were pioneers from South Africa who were converts to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a baby, Charles was blessed by and named for apostle Charles Coulson Rich, who was the prominent church leader and founder of that area.
Charles was the fourth of seven sons: George, Thomas, William, [Charles,] Edgar, James, and John. His older brother George died as an infant before his parents left South Africa. Three of his brothers, William, Edgar, and John, all died as infants while the family was living in the Salt Lake Valley. Charles was the middle son of the three surviving brothers.
In 1880 at the age of 16, Charles was living at home in Fish Haven with his parents and brothers, Thomas and James. His father was a wagon maker. He met Grace Maud Stock, the daughter of John Stock and Frances Gillson, who also lived in the community. Charles married Grace in the Logan Temple in Logan, Utah on 12 September 1888. They were married to Mariner Wood Merrill, a member of the 12 Apostles who resided in Logan.
Together, Charles and Grace had 7 children, 5 of whom lived to adulthood: William, Florence, Charles, Ida, Frances, Vera, and Arthur. They raised their children in a Victorian-style frame home in Fish Haven, built not far from the western shores of Bear Lake.
Charles was employed over the years as a sheep shearer and a farmer. Charles also enjoyed music. He and his brother James were in the Fish Haven Band.
Charles and Grace lived during an era when plural marriage was practiced in the Church. Not all Latter-day Saint marriages were plural and Charles and Grace chose not to engage in that practice. They remained active church members. For 22 years, Charles was the bishop of the Fish Haven ward.
On 17 June 1939, his wife Grace died. She was buried in the Fish Haven Cemetery- land which was once owned by her father which he donated to the town for the purpose of a cemetery. Charles continued to live in the Victorian-era home he built. Next door, to the north, his son Arthur lived in a home with his wife, and north of Arthur Shirley, Charles' daughter Vera lived with her husband, Alton Kearl. These 3 homes are still owned by the Shirley and Kearl families.
To the family, Charles was known as "Grandpa Father" and it became a tradition for family members to travel to Fish Haven in August to celebrate Charles' birthday and to have a family reunion. It was during one of these occasions, in 1954, when he passed away. His great-granddaughter Dianne (then 6 years old) remembered that he "went to bed and never woke up the next morning." Charles died on his 90th birthday. He was buried next to his wife Grace in the Fish Haven Cemetery. The tradition of Shirley family descendants traveling to Bear Lake every August still exists. Some of them still stay in one of the three Shirley-Kearl homes in Fish Haven.
Husband of Grace Maud Stock, 12 September 1888, Logan, Cache, Utah
History. Charles Coulson Shirley was born in a log cabin with a dirt roof and a dirt floor in Paris, Bear Lake, Idaho on 21 August 1864. His parents were William Henry Shirley and Esther Bubb Shirley. Charles' parents were pioneers from South Africa who were converts to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a baby, Charles was blessed by and named for apostle Charles Coulson Rich, who was the prominent church leader and founder of that area.
Charles was the fourth of seven sons: George, Thomas, William, [Charles,] Edgar, James, and John. His older brother George died as an infant before his parents left South Africa. Three of his brothers, William, Edgar, and John, all died as infants while the family was living in the Salt Lake Valley. Charles was the middle son of the three surviving brothers.
In 1880 at the age of 16, Charles was living at home in Fish Haven with his parents and brothers, Thomas and James. His father was a wagon maker. He met Grace Maud Stock, the daughter of John Stock and Frances Gillson, who also lived in the community. Charles married Grace in the Logan Temple in Logan, Utah on 12 September 1888. They were married to Mariner Wood Merrill, a member of the 12 Apostles who resided in Logan.
Together, Charles and Grace had 7 children, 5 of whom lived to adulthood: William, Florence, Charles, Ida, Frances, Vera, and Arthur. They raised their children in a Victorian-style frame home in Fish Haven, built not far from the western shores of Bear Lake.
Charles was employed over the years as a sheep shearer and a farmer. Charles also enjoyed music. He and his brother James were in the Fish Haven Band.
Charles and Grace lived during an era when plural marriage was practiced in the Church. Not all Latter-day Saint marriages were plural and Charles and Grace chose not to engage in that practice. They remained active church members. For 22 years, Charles was the bishop of the Fish Haven ward.
On 17 June 1939, his wife Grace died. She was buried in the Fish Haven Cemetery- land which was once owned by her father which he donated to the town for the purpose of a cemetery. Charles continued to live in the Victorian-era home he built. Next door, to the north, his son Arthur lived in a home with his wife, and north of Arthur Shirley, Charles' daughter Vera lived with her husband, Alton Kearl. These 3 homes are still owned by the Shirley and Kearl families.
To the family, Charles was known as "Grandpa Father" and it became a tradition for family members to travel to Fish Haven in August to celebrate Charles' birthday and to have a family reunion. It was during one of these occasions, in 1954, when he passed away. His great-granddaughter Dianne (then 6 years old) remembered that he "went to bed and never woke up the next morning." Charles died on his 90th birthday. He was buried next to his wife Grace in the Fish Haven Cemetery. The tradition of Shirley family descendants traveling to Bear Lake every August still exists. Some of them still stay in one of the three Shirley-Kearl homes in Fish Haven.
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