Shirley J. Walton, 95, from Lompoc, California, died peacefully at her daughter’s home in San Luis Obispo on Thursday, July 21, 2022.

Born in Smoot, Wyoming, in the old ranch house that her Grandfather Johnson had built, Shirley grew up working on the family farm and attending school in a small three room school house.

She was good student, loved her teachers, and often helped them in the classroom. In third grade, Shirley had a teacher who made her students recite a new poem every week, helping her to develop a love of poetry. Some of the poems she could recite well into old age.

Shirley graduated from Utah State University, and later obtained a masters degree in education from Chapman University. She began her teaching career teaching various fourth and fifth grades in Idaho and Utah.

After she was married, she was helping in her daughter’s kindergarten classroom when she decided kindergarten was her calling.

Shirley had a good friend, Pidy, who loved to roller skate and dance. She taught Shirley to skate and they often went to the Saturday dance at the Berthana in Ogden, Utah. It was at one of the Saturday night dances she met the love of her life, Laron Rae Walton, whom she later married.

After her husband passed away, she taught kindergarten in the Lompoc School District for over 30 years. Teaching was her passion. She loved little children.

 She was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, where she served in many teaching and local leadership positions.

Preceding her in death were her husband, Laron Rae Walton; her father, Ruben Earl Swenson; her mother, Lillian Melvina Swenson; brother Earl Johnson; and sisters Pearl Bruce and Joan Coulson.

She is survived by her daughters, Cay Pooley and Caron D’Orazio, and sons Carl and Cary Walton. Shirley had five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Her memorial service will be held at at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 5, 2022, at the Lompoc Cemetery Pavilion. Grave dedication will follow the service.