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ESCANABA -- Shirley Ann Hivala, age 93, passed away Monday, October 5, 2026, at OSF St. Francis Hospital in Escanaba. Shirley attended Dollar Bay High where she met her sweetheart, Roy. They married and later settled in Escanaba. Together they provided a happy and loving home for their three children. Shirley and Roy instilled in them a love of reading and an understanding of the value of an education. Countless other people were touched by the reading opportunities Shirley provided at the Canterbury Book Store over the course of almost fifty years. Helping someone pick out just the right book, listening with interest as customers shared thoughts, questions and personal stories brought her great joy. The bookstore and her customers were her passion.
Shirley was very proud of her Finnish heritage, making three trips to Finland, hosting a Finnish exchange student and conversing in Finnish with friends and customers. She enjoyed attending many annual Finn Fest celebrations in various cities around the country. Shirley has been a member of Bethany Lutheran Church since 1957 and was a strong advocate for Bethany's Free Store. She would be pleased if memorials would be directed there.
Shirley is survived by her children; Neil (Betty) Hivala, Linda (Bob) Arthur, and Karen (Frank) Nettell; six grandchildren Karen McCabe, Anne Benetti, Dan Nettell, Anna Parker, Douglas Nettell, and Mark Nettell; six great grandchildren Owen, Lily, Elizabeth, Finn, Max, and Elina and several nieces and nephews.
In addition to her husband, Roy, she is preceded in death by her parents, Russell and Pearl (Johndica) Etelamaki, granddaughter Laura Hivala, and siblings Ruth, Lois, Paul, and Sharon.
Private family burial services were held at 1:00 pm Thursday, October 15, 2026 at Lakeview Cemetery in Escanaba with burial to follow in the Lakeview Cemetery with Rev. Lily Brondyke officiating. The Anderson Funeral Homes of Escanaba and Gladstone are assisting the Hivala family. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.andersonfuneralhomes.net.
