The slide show regards the birthday celebration of Shirley Senn Holmes, aka Shirlfest.

1. Shirlfest 2011 A Celebration of all Things Shirley

2. August 29, 1935 In 1935, Most preemies did not survive. At birth, Joan Shirley Senn weighed less than three pounds.

3. Miraculously, she grew in spite of her low birth weight. Daughter of Julian Senn and Johnnie McDaniel Senn. Named after movie stars Joan Crawford and Shirley Temple She grew golden ringlets like her namesake

4. Soon she had a beautiful sister named Mary. Mary, left and Shirley, right. Here, they lived in Wattsville near Ford School.

5. Mary and Shirley

6. Wattsville House near Ford School She used to play under the porch.

7. “Magic Puppies” One day she found a nest of baby mice in the house. She was so excited! Shirley thought the mice were magic puppies. Of course she believed in magic! Her daddy called her his little princess and she was always making crowns to wear.

8. School Pictures

9. School Picture, 1944 Shirley did well in school. She was so smart. Of her, Grandmother used to say, “Shirley always was a proper-talking young’un.”

10. On the rocks-Lake Murray Left to right: Shirley, Johnnie and Mary. They had a very rocky relationship with their mother Johnnie McDaniel Senn, known to us as “Grandmother.”

11. Melrose Falls In spite of their rough upbringing, Shirley, left, and Mary, right, grew into smart, beautiful and popular young women.

12. Nurse Shirley Senn Shirley went to nurse’s training at Spartanburg Hospital, with Mary soon following her into the profession. Then, nurse’s training ran for 3 continuous years (no summer breaks). Now, it is a 4 year B.S. program. She earned her R.N. in September 1956

13. She worked at woodruff Hospital, But She would not practice nursing long A young man named Jack Holmes called…

14. Oops, wrong girl! Jack called to ask Mary out But Shirley answered the phone The rest is history.

15. Janette Stoner Holmes, Sarah Nelson Holmes and Shirley Senn With in-laws-to-be

16. Shirley Engagement Picture

17. December 16, 1956 There are almost no wedding pictures due to a photography snafu.

18. The Holmes Family Jack and Shirley had one daughter, Jackie, and sons Jeff and Joey, shown together here at Myrtle Beach in the 70’s Left to Right: Jeff, Shirley, Joey, Jack, Jackie

19. The Harper Family Mary married Dr. Herb Harper in March 1958 and they raised three boys, Scott, Mike and Chris in North Augusta, South Carolina. Left to Right: Mike, Chris, Mary, Herb, Scott. Photo taken at Senn’s Florist & home of Julian and Johnnie Senn, Hwy 92, Enoree, SC

20. In front of Senn’s Florist, Highway 92, Enoree, SC Front row: joey, chrisBack row: jeff, scott, jackie, mike

21. ShirlFood. It’ll keep a body moving.

22. Pimento Cheese Sandwich With fritos, Mmm!

23. Bugles and Squirt Cheese “Fill ‘em up”

24. Campell’s Tomato Soup and a PBJ sandwich!

25. School Day Cake Mother-in-law Janette Stoner Holmes’ recipe White sheet cake marbled with fudge

26. Pear Salad – It’s Shirlicious! Pear halves topped with Duke’s mayo, shredded cheddar and a maraschino cherry on a bed of lettuce. Alternately, use peach halves!

27. For recipe secrets or serving on top of soda crackers. Velveeta Cheese

28. “Bite or Two”…for many years I thought it was a single German word for bedtime snack. Biedertoo. Velveeta or other processed cheese on Saltines Or Peanut butter crackers Or Peanut butter on vanilla wafers.

29. Bite or Two was often served on a piece of waxed paper.

30. Meals might be served on waxed paper or a paper towel. You could also keep noisy children busy by pressing leaves or flowers with the waxed paper or breaking up bits of crayon and iron them between sheets of waxed paper. And before there were Baggies and later ZipLocs, it was used to wrap food for travel.

31. Family Outings! Myrtle Beach Oklahoma The Mountains Seay’s Motor Court in Waynesville

32. The Petra Cabot Skotch Kooler was our companion on long trips. Filled with ice and drinks, peanut butter crackers and sandwiches. The top tray safely held the sandwiches wrapped in waxed paper above the waterline, keeping them from becoming soggy. She always had a wet washcloth wrapped in a Baggie to wipe off our dirty or sticky fingers.

33. Wet Ones! Then there was a wonderful innovation and she was able to leave the baggie containing the washcloth at home.

34. The official Shirley Hygiene Kit Now she never leaves home without a few tucked in her purse Wet Ones to go! .

35. Keeping three kids busy on long car trips… The Dictionary The License Plate Game See how many different states you can see!

36. Looks like some of us took the license plate game a little too seriously… But really, little kids and looking up words in a dictionary? For real?

37. Myrtle Beach 1973

38. Shirley’s Giving nature

39. Shirlphilanthropy Robert Bell Federation for the Blind Laurens First Baptist Church Good Shepherd Free Medical Clinic Heifer Project International At one time or another, Shirley gave her time or $ to these organizations

40. Her Mission “I’m a cheerleader.” When she can’t “do,” Shirley writes notes of cheer, encouragement or caring to people that she knows.

41. She’ll cure what ails you Nurse Shirley

42. Like being a U.S. Marine, once a nurse, always a nurse

43. Did they teach sadism in nurse’s training? Ask Shirley what a “triple H enema is.”

44. The triple H enema was usually reserve for the obnoxious patient. “High, Hot and a Helluva Lot”

45. School nurse Kindness, not sadism.

46. Vision Screening

47. Hearing Screening

48. Pediculosis Screening

49. Scoliosis Screening

50. Skinned Knees

51. Splinters

52. Ticks! “When you find a tick, write it down on the calendar. If you get sick within 21 days, tell the doctor when you found the tick.”

53. The Official Shirley Medical Kit

54. Shirley Sleeping Pills!! Helping children sleep on Christmas Eve since 1965

55. And her personal favorite

56. Sex Ed!

57. Grandmother didn’t tell Shirley anything about what to expect when she hit puberty. So her first experience with…er, puberty…was a shock. She wanted to be sure other girls didn’t go through what she did!

58. With her own children and sex ed, she did such a great job…

59. She only has two grandchildren!!! We were too scared to have sex!!!!!!!

60. Shirlfun!

61. Shirley style!

62. Shirley’s Favorite Pastime

63. Shooting with Shirley!

64. Verna & Shirley Visit Mayberry

65. In the Slammer in Mayberry!

67. Alt-Christmas 2009. The actual inspiration for Shirlfest.

68. How could you not love a family whose snowman pees fire?

69. Are they thinking what we think they’re thinking?

70. Masks must run in the family

71. Oh my Lord, that is soooo funny, Punkin!

72. “Hallelujah, everybody say cheese Merry Christmas from the Fam-o-lee.”

73. How could you not love a family that uses a wild turkey hunting decoy as a pool toy?

74. Suellen Crotts Holmes, Hunter Holmes, Greg Ross

75. Aren’t they the same person?

76. Is that big cocktail why she’s grinning?

77. Cross Anchor High School Class Reunion (perhaps 20th) with Shirley 3rd from right

78. Shirley and her raccoon, Munchkin, 1977

79. Nolan joins the Church!

83. Scott and Kathy Harper, Mike Harper, Jeff Holmes, Tracy Tanner, and Greg Ross

84. With dear friend Verna Jenkins, Shirlfest 2009.

85. Shirlfest 2009

91. School Day Cake!

96. Myrtle Beach1973

126. Magic Puppies!

131. Sbirley Splinter removal device