Yachats Oregon Writer Rick Schultze

Sadly on Saturday March 6^h 2010 the woman known as Shirley passed on. She was a legend in Yachats and was known all over the Northwest and others parts of the world. She owned and operated “Shirley’s Cottage Industries” in the heart of Yachats. Many, many, visitors, locals and wayfaring travelers on Highway 101 stopped and visited Shirley’s. She moved to Yachats when she was ten years old and attended school in what is today the Yachats Commons.She continued school in Waldport and graduated from Waldport High School in 1953. At that point Shirley hit the road to explore the world and in her travels worked as a bartender all over the West including stints in Hollywood and Hawaii. She returned to Yachats to start “Shirley’s Cottage Industries” in 1983 with her Mother on the west side of Highway 101 in the heart of Yachats. Eventually she relocated to the east side of Highway 101 where the shop stands today. It would be an injustice to simply list the many accomplishments of this small, but strong woman which include being a Mother and Grandmother then just close the book on her life. No, Shirley embodied much more than just being a hardworking woman, she was a character of the highest order. Life experiences gave her a wide scope of intrestests, stories and a treasure chest full of opinions which she shared freely with anyone who asked and some who didn’t! In her shop she served as a notary, sold fishing and hunting licenses and bait, had one of the first copy machines in the area and a vast selection of items necessary for a great visit for visitors and helpful items for local folks. She had her name changed legally from Shirley Ann Harley to just Shirley after a divorce. She loved to talk and for those of us who knew her well a visit to Shirley’s meant you were ready to spend some quality time catching up on the latest action in the village. In a village like Yachats which is always changing “Shirley’s Cottage Industries” was the oldest business in the village and surely the most unique. There was only one Shirley and we were fortunate to have known her. To reach Rick Schultze email: yarick@pioneer.net