Unlikely Union

Shirley was born in the hill country near West Union, Ohio (Adams County). Soon after she was born, her dad was called to serve in World War II. When he came home from the war, they started to move north to find job opportunities. They started at Hillsboro; then to Xenia; and finally to Christiansburg, where her dad retired. He was a farmer, and he loved it.

When she was nine, her family started si...