 1914 - 2011 (97 years)
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| Name |
Vallie Cecelia Rouse |
| Born |
22 Aug 1914 |
Statesboro, Georgia  |
| Gender |
Female |
| Died |
2 Oct 2011 |
Statesboro, Georgia |
| Buried |
Eastside Cemetery, Statesboro, Georgia |
| Person ID |
I101894 |
Virts |
| Last Modified |
18 Jul 2017 |
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| Notes |
- Statesboro Herald, October 9, 2011
Vallie Cecelia Rouse Shirer was born in Statesboro, Georgia, on August 22, 1914. She graduated from Statesboro High School in 1931 and moved to Chicago, Illinois, to live with her brother and his wife and attend business college. After earning her degree, she returned to Statesboro and was employed by the Honorable Gesmon Neville as his legal secretary. Years later she liked to tell about typing many papers on an old-fashioned typewriter in an office in a time before air conditioning. She also liked to say she walked every morning to the courthouse, a distance of one mile from her home, where she lived with her parents on Savannah Avenue. She walked home every afternoon - both efforts in high heels (move over, Ginger Rogers).
Vallie, or "Aunt Vallie" as she is called by her family and most of her friends, continued to work for Mr. Neville until 1945, at which time she married a young Air Force pilot, Herbert E. Shirer, who was stationed at the air base in Statesboro, a young man she had dated several years. Vallie, at this time, was like a typical 5'2" World War II poster girl. She dressed stylishly (always high heels) and liked wearing her hair on top of her head, Betty Grable style. Her good friends, Edna Neville and Tommy Tomlinson, owned and operated the Co-Ed Beauty Shop, just around the corner from the Georgia Theater, and helped with the styling.
This young Vallie went with her husband to his home in Iowa, moving there immediately after their marriage, and Herbert began working as a farmer. After many years the couple decided to move to Florida, where Herb worked as an animal food salesman, with Disney World as one of his clients. They lived in various locations in Florida and traveled by automobile to many major U.S. cities. Unfortunately, after his retirement, Herb died in the mid 90s in Clearwater of an inoperable brain tumor.
Aunt Vallie continued to live in Florida until the year 2000, when she moved to Statesboro once again. She lived independently in a condominium until she could no longer function alone. By this time, she was legally blind and was moved into Southern Manor, located in Statesboro, where she lived peacefully and somewhat independently until October of 2011. Then, she was placed in Ogeechee Area Hospice, where she died on October 2, 2011.
Vallie Shirer was preceded in death by her husband, Herbert E. Shirer; her parents, Joe S. and Polly Cowart Rouse of Statesboro, Georgia; her brother, Dreyfus O. Rouse of Chicago, Illinois; her three sisters, all of Statesboro: Valerie Rouse, Varo Rouse Waters and Verna Rouse Clements Crouse.
Survivors include six nephews and nieces, Charles M. Clements of Stone Mountain, Georgia, Joe P. Waters of Statesboro, Kenneth Brooks Waters of Valdosta, Georgia, Charlotte Clements Crittenden of Statesboro, Kay Crouse Brannen of Statesboro and Jamey Waters Sikes of Cordele, Georgia. Also surviving are great-nephews and great-nieces. Aunt Vallie was especially fond of great-nephew, Charles Crittenden, about whom she expressed her feelings, "I just love Charles. He is so caring and he always comes to see me." Aunt Vallie also had a lifelong friend, Delo Brown of Tampa, Florida, who is like a daughter. Mrs. Brown called every week to keep a close check on her.
Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home of Statesboro is in charge of arrangements.
Friends may sign the online register book at www.joineranderson.com.
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