Shirley Ann Chidester

Shirley Ann was born on June 5, 1936 to Wallace and Willmetta (Billie) Owens Miller in Panguitch, Utah. She passed away May 2, 2025 at the Garfield Memorial Care Center. The family wishes to express their gratitude to all of the staff at the Care Center that took care of her the last few years of her life.

Shirley grew up in Panguitch and spent some of her childhood working with her parents at the Panguitch Lake Resort. She attended Panguitch High School and was an honor student at graduation. She played the saxophone in the high school dance band and the marching band for six years. She was the first student to be named student body secretary for two consecutive years. After graduation from high school she attended LDS Business College in Salt Lake City.

Shirley married Ted Chidester on July 18, 1955 in the Manti Temple, and they had 6 children. Because of Ted’s employment as a basketball coach, they lived in many places. Cedar City, UT; Atwater, CA; Perris, CA; Logan, UT; Paris, ID; Coalville and Hoytsville, UT; Bloomington, IN; Havre, MT; Laie, HI; Panguitch, UT and Lubbock, TX.

She worked as a telephone operator in Cedar City and Merced, California (Yes the “Number Please” lady, as a secretary at Northern Montana College and Brigham Young University-Hawaii in Laie, Hawaii. She served as Assistant Panguitch City Recorder, later as City Recorder and then City Treasurer, where she was best known as “Sergeant Shirley”.

She was named as Panguitch Business and Professional Women’s Club, “Woman of the Year” in 1990.

She began keeping a book of Burials to be kept at the Panguitch City Cemetery to assist people in finding where burials of loved ones and friends are located.

She and Ted served an LDS mission to Lubbock, Texas at the Texas Tech Institute of Religion for 21 months.

She loved being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She had a strong testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus. She served in many positions including Primary President, Relief Society President, and worked in the Primary, Young Women’s and Relief Society.

She is survived by five of their children: Bret (Liz), Julie, Jill, Bart (Julie V), James (Geremy); son-in-law Tile Sio. Grandchildren: Dennis, Shannon, Anne, Ashley, Kyle, Miller, Billie, Jacqueline, Blake, Lauren, Whitney and Gracie. Great Grandchildren: Miya, Ethan Nathan, Hana, Percius, Cassius, Marley, Remi, Atlas, Siianalia, Alexus J and Ava.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 62 years Ted, daughter Maria, her parents, in laws and great granddaughter Emi Addison Chidester.

Her basketball “Boys” always had a special place in her heart and she loved and cared about each one of them.

Funeral services will be Friday, May 9, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. in the Panguitch Stake Center. There will be a viewing prior to services on Friday from 11:00 am- 12:30 pm at the church. Interment will be in the Panguitch Cemetery.