Shirley Witt

Shirley A. Witt was born to Peter and Ethel (Holmgren) Witt in Minot, N.D., on May 25, 1935. Shirley was the eldest of three sisters, with Joyce born in 1936 and Patricia born in 1938. Shirley died in Spokane, Wash., on Sept. 6, 2026, after living at Solista Independent Living, where she continued to make good friends for the last part of her life.

Shirley attended the University of Chicago at age 16. She graduated from the University of Iowa with a B.A. in history and a minor in French and, later, from San Francisco State University with her M.A. in English literature.

Shirley taught for many years, including in the San Francisco Unified School District and in Montana at the Fort Peck Community College in Poplar and Rocky Mountain College in Billings.

Shirley loved to travel, and she lived in many interesting places, including Minot, San Francisco, Poplar, Billings and Spokane. Outside of the U.S., she lived in Mexico and Germany.

Shirley is survived by three nephews and a niece and by their respective families: (by age) Andrew Hendrickson, Temecula, Calif.; Beth Torgerson, Spokane, Wash. (Bob