Shirley passed away Dec. 5, 2012, at her home in Craigmont.
Shirley was born at the family farm in Craigmont, the youngest of the five children of Iver J. and Frances Longeteig. She grew up on the Camas Prairie and furthered her education at the University of Idaho. She loved her college years and made lifelong friends from college that she kept in touch with until her death. On her first day of college life, she met Robert Strom and they were married shortly after Shirley's graduation from UI, in 1952. Bob and Shirley moved back to Craigmont, where Bob set up a law practice and where Shirley first worked in the office. Bob passed away in 2008.
Shirley and Bob have three daughters and she is survived by Kristin Mattson (Bob Mattson), Trina Strom (Michael Gruszka) and Camber Strom. She is also survived by four grandchildren, Chad Zenner (Amy Zenner), Shane Zenner (Jennika Zenner), Dana Scharping (Tim Scharping) and Robert Wynne Gruszka; as well as five great-grandchildren, Cal and Elle Zenner, Carter and Hudson Zenner and Ava Scharping. She is also survived by her beloved cat, Zilly.
Shirley was a great mom and a loving and fun mother. She also was an early feminist and had a number of interests and activities outside of the home. A partial list of these activities are the following:
Employment as a pollster for the Response Analysis; founding member of the Idaho Political Caucus; justice of the peace, 1967-1971; member of the Idaho Humanities Council. She also attended two national conventions with Bob. Shirley was proud to be the University of Idaho Alumni Association president from 1982-83. She was a member of numerous committees including: the University of Idaho College of Letters and Sciences, University of Idaho Foundation and the UI Library Board. Shirley and her husband established the Robert C. Strom - Shirley Longeteig Strom Endowment for the Library - Special Collections (University of Idaho).
Shirley and Bob donated their Northwest history book collection (that they had collected for more than 60 years) to the Idaho Northwest history book collection at the university. Shirley also was a recipient of the University of Idaho Association Jim Lyle Award.
Shirley and Bob traveled all over the world and she enjoyed a hot air balloon ride in Kenya, rode camels and elephants. After Bob's death, she went zip-lining in Mexico at the age of 78 with her granddaughter and enjoyed a sky diving jump given to her by her daughters as a 79th birthday gift. She celebrated her 80th birthday in San Diego with a tiara-wearing ride in a convertible to dinner. Shirley took solo road trips and visited the East Coast, Hawaii and Belize. She loved the theater and good food. She was known as an accomplished cook and her rolls and pies were always fought over at the holidays. Anyone who knew Shirley knew that she was an obsessive reader. She was also a killer Scrabble player and everyone in the family fought to have her on their "team." Shirley was a role model and a person with a lot of dignity and grace. We will miss her.
At Shirley's request there will be no service. Any memorials may be made to the University of Idaho Library Special Collections or the University of Idaho Foundation, Moscow, ID 83844.
