Shirley Ann Wiles

Shirley Ann (Willing) Wiles, 86, of Augusta, passed away Friday, June 10 at Lakepoint Nursing Center. Her health had been failing since she experienced a heart attack last fall

Shirley was born July 18, 1935, to Lula (Richardson) and Lawrence Giles Willing. She was a 1953 graduate of Augusta High School. She married Phil Wiles in August of that year, divorcing in 1970. Shirley was a member of the First Baptist Church.

Shirley worked at Drain's Drug during high school and went on to work as the bookkeeper at Stafford Lumber for twenty years. She stayed on as manager when Safford's closed out the lumber business and became Safford Decorative Center. In 1975, Shirley purchased Safford's inventory and opened Shirley's Decorative. She later merged her business with Calvin Applegate's electric and plumbing business.

In 1983, she and Calvin bought the "Moyle" building and remodeled it into an apartment building with the first floor used to refinish and sell furniture. The apartment space was later repurposed for added space in the mall. The last seven basement apartments were lost in the "Halloween" flood of 1998.

Pigeon's Roost Mall opened in 1995. The main floor and two upper stories were used for vendor booths and the basement was used for "rustic" items. Most Augustans knew there was "coffee and conversation at Shirley's". Her businesses were never "work" but filled her life with friends and fun. She loved God, her kids, her pets, reading, and serving the community.
Shirley closed her business in 2015 retiring to an apartment with her cat, Punkin. Health concerns prompted her children to persuade her to move to Lakepoint in early 2020.
Shirley was the youngest of five and the last surviving sibling. Preceding her in death were her brothers Harold, Richard, Donald, and a sister, Helen Fulton. Surviving her are her children, daughter, Lois Marie Porter of Newton, son, Michael Allen Wiles of Lenexa and great-granddaughter, Elizabeth Marie Hull of Newton.

A celebration of Shirley's life will be held, Thursday, June 16, 2:00 pm at Headley Funeral Chapel, Augusta. Donations can be made to the Kansas Humane Society, 3313 N Hillside, Wichita, Kansas 67219.