William O. Shirley

William O. Shirley III, 66, of Libby died Thursday Jan. 4, 2007, from injuries he suffered in a fall on Dec. 23.

His daughters, Camilla Shirley of Libby and Ozzie Shirley of Spokane, were by his side at the time of death.

William was born Jan. 25, 1940.

He moved from North Dakota to the Yaak in 1969 and then to the Basseraba Farm south of Libby in 1974.

William will be remembered for his spirituality, physical ruggedness, stories of North Dakota marksmanship, fossil hunting, connections with the wild, Nick Basseraba's place, feeding cattle in 35-degree below temperatures, comedic antics, and his knowledge of ballistics and firearms.

He will be missed by all who loved him.

William also is survived by his grandchildren, Miah Shirley-Tanner, Kendra Shirley and Skylar Shirley.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11, at Christ Lutheran Church in Libby.