Shirley (DeGroot) Oliver

Ancestors

Daughter of John Daniel DeGroot and Mildred Millicent (Metzger) DeGroot

Descendants

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Sarah Oliver [send private message]

Biography

Shirley Irene Oliver Johnson (née DeGroot) of Montesano passed away on January 31, 2018 in Providence Saint Peter Hospital in Olympia in the company of her family. Shirley was born July 22, 1930 to John Daniel and Mildred Millicent (Metzger) DeGroot. She was raised in Toledo, Oregon and Everett, Washington and graduated from Everett High School (1948) and Everett Community College (1950). In 1950, she married Donald Herbert Oliver, whom she had met when they were both in high school. They raised their family in Bremerton, Kirkland, and Redmond and Shirley worked for many years as a dental assistant for Drs. Iverson and Strandwald (1972-1990). Her family remembers visits to the log house in Redmond where Shirley would make pies from blackberries, raspberries, and huckleberries, cuddle babies, share stories from our family history, applaud plays enacted by grandchildren dressed up in curtains and high heel shoes, and share head-rubs on the couch. In 2004 Shirley and Don moved to Montesano where they lived a few houses away from Don’s brother and sister-in-law Jim (James Edmund) and Betty (Hegdahl) Oliver, niece and husband Suzie (Oliver) and Ron Morella, and grandniece Shylee Morella. Shirley attended United Methodist Church in Montesano. She deeply valued her church community and enjoyed her role as greeter. She married Gust Johnson on December 27, 2014 and they enjoyed three years together in Montesano. Shirley went on early morning walks for many years and loved being outside and active. She enjoyed traveling, particularly to see family members. Shirley was warm, welcoming, and accepting of everyone, and her loving nature shaped our family. Her memorial service was held at United Methodist Church in Montesano on February 1st, 2018.

Shirley's spirit lives on in her descendants; she is survived by sons Dean Stuart Oliver and his wife Yan Chen of Aberdeen, Scotland and Curtis Devin Oliver and his wife Oxie of Golovin, AK, step-daughters Valarie (Johnson) Rooker and her husband James and Cheryl (Johnson) Vessey and her husband Dale, step-son Marty Johnson and his wife Kim; family by choice Jay Thacker, Pam Thacker, and Mary Crossland; grandchildren Sarah Aileen Oliver, Elizabeth Suzanne Oliver, Kate Chen Oliver, Donald Stanley Oliver, Heidi Suzanne (Oliver) Varga, Sky Thacker Pajak, Heather C Shores, Jessie Thacker, Jenna Dee Thacker, Elise Rooker, Brina Johnson, Jimmy Rooker, Kristin Vessey, and Jennifer Vessey; and great-grandchildren Ayla Brooke Shores, Leo Robert Shores, Benjamin James Pajak, Lillian Jane Pajak, David Jay Burgess, Corban Paige Burgess, Evan Jay Oliver, Jeremiah Starr, Rachel Berkley, David Oliver, Denise Oliver, Zachariah Austin, Landon Varga, Jaron Varga, Matthew Ryan Oliver Jr., Ethan Edward Oliver, Evelyn Mary Oliver, Jordan Teesateskie, Ivory Okleasik, Zoe Okleasik, Heidi Okleasik, Grace Okleasik, Delia Primrose Parsons.

She is met with open arms by those who have preceded her: brothers Lawrence DeGroot, Charles DeGroot, sister Marylin (DeGroot) Rundell; daughter Lucinda Ann (Oliver) Thacker; grandchildren Denise Audrey (Oliver) Okleasik and Matthew Ryan Oliver, and great-grandson Joshua Oliver.

Sources

• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VRT9-V78 : 26 July 2019), Shirley J De Groot in household of John D De Groot, Bittner Election Precinct, Lincoln, Oregon, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 21-8, sheet 3B, line 74, family 66, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 3370.
• "Washington, County Marriages, 1855-2008," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP99-B922 : 28 November 2018), Donald W Oliver and Shirley de Groot, 29 Dec 1950, Snohomish, Washington, United States, Washington State Archives, Olympia; FamilySearch digital folder 007388749.
• Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 13 June 2018), memorial page for Shirley Irene DeGroot Oliver (22 Jul 1930–31 Jan 2018), Find A Grave Memorial no. 188117935, ; Maintained by Sarah Oliver (contributor 49513822) Cremated.
• Maternal relationship is confirmed by a GEDmatch test match between Oliver-8603 GEDmatch SE5646443 and her second cousin twice removed Metzger-1545 GEDmatch CM9515664. Their most-recent common ancestors are Florence Clementine Beers and Henry Clay Metzger. Estimated number of generations to MRCA = 3.82, based on sharing 71.6 cM across 5 half-match segments.
• Paternal relationship is confirmed by a 23andMe test match between Oliver-8603 and MV, third cousins. Their most-recent common ancestors are Charles Cassett DeGroot and Eliza Enslow Lewis, the great great grandparents of Oliver-8603 and MV. Predicted relationship from 23andMe: Third Cousins, based on sharing 85 cM across 7 segments.