Victoria Mae Shields was born February 23, 1912, to John and Edna Gaines in Addyston, Ohio. Her father passed when she was quite young. Her mother later married Henry Long, who became the only father she really knew and loved. Soon the family moved to Cleveland, Ohio where she lived until 2001, when she moved to Huntsville, Alabama.
She was educated in the Cleveland/Collinwood School District. She started working early in life to help with the expenses at home. It was while working at Enamel Products that she met the love of her life, Coleman Larry (James) Shields. They married in 1930 and were together until he passed in 1964. To this union was born four children: Betty Jean, Cynthia Lee, Coleman Larry, Jr. and MaryEdna. She loved to tell the stories about how they survived the depression and World War II on an extremely small income.
In her early forties, Victoria took a Bookkeeping course to encourage her children to further their education. Then at 48, she decided to study to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. She accomplished her goal and worked in that profession for over 20 years.

She always said she was baptized three times: The first time, while she was yet in the womb, her mother, was baptized. The second time was when she accepted Jesus as her personal Savior at about 13 years of age. She was a faithful member of the Baptist Church until the third time in 1948, when she and her mother accepted the Three Angels messages and were rebaptized into the Cedar Avenue-71st Street Seventh-day Adventist Church(now Glenville) under the pastorate of Elder J.H. Laurence. Elder William & Mrs. Myra Scales, Sr. were God's instruments in leading them to this new understanding and conversion.
Around 1940 Victoria joined a club called the Helping Hand Guild. This club was very active in the community, contributing wherever they could, but emphasis was placed on helping children who wanted a Christian Education. She was the only non-SDA member at the time, but fit in quite well as a fellow Christian young lady.
Her favorite pastimes included sewing, crocheting, knitting, counted cross-stitch and embroidery. She made many afghans, quilts and baby blankets for loved ones.
Victoria loved the Lord and was always active in the church. She was an usher in both the Baptist and Seventh-day Adventist Churches. After her Bookkeeping and Nursing education, she became the comptroller for the Glenville SDA Church and also served with the Nurses Guild there. After retirement from nursing, she worked for many years with Community Services.
Her parents, six siblings; Henry Long, Jr., Juanita Coleman, Harold Long, Geraldine Pointer, Dorothy Hall, Kenneth Long; her three oldest children and two of her grandchildren, Craig Shields and Frances Kemp-Ferguson, preceded her in death.
She went to sleep in Jesus on Sabbath, January 24, 2009, where she will wait to be awakened with that mighty trumpet of the Arch Angel when all who have surrendered their hearts to her precious Savior, Jesus Christ can be reunited with her.
Victoria leaves to cherish her memories: one daughter, MaryEdna Shields of Huntsville, AL; four brothers; Karl (Marcelline) Long of Titusville, FL, Vonselle Long of Redondo Beach, CA, Allen (JoAnne) Long of Cleveland, OH and Richard (Mildred) Long of Huntsville, AL; three grandchildren; Anthony Derek Newman, Monica Victoria Price & Calvin Larry Shields; 5 great-grandchildren; Tania Floyd (LeVar), Donnell & Nicholas Ferguson, Jihad Calliens & Destiny Shields; one great-great grandchild, LeVar Floyd, Jr., god-daughter, Leda Victoria Starks of Forestville, MD., devoted daughter-in-law, Christine Shields and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives & friends.