Shirley Ann (Seighman) Hemmings

Shirley Ann (Seighman) Hemmings, age 88, was born April 1, 1931, in Monongahela, Pennsylvania, and went on to her eternal reward June 26, 2019, in Mesa, Arizona. She was a devoted wife, mother, sister, aunt, church deaconess, neighbor, and friend.

Shirley was the fourth of 11 children born to Herbert Benjamin Seighman and Martha Belle (Cowan) Seighman. She grew up on her family’s dairy farm in Monongahela, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Monongahela High School in 1949. She married her husband of 68 years, Herbert Hoover Hemmings, July 7, 1949, and together they had eight children. The family moved to Arizona in 1971, settling in Lakeside and helping to establish a branch of The Church of Jesus Christ, with a mission outreach to the White Mountain Apache people.

Along with caring for her family and raising eight children, Shirley worked for Blue Ridge Unified School District, serving 15 years on the cafeteria staff. She was known for ability to feed her family and friends well. She always had a fully stocked freezer and plenty of cookies in her cookie jar. During the many years that her children participated in high school sports, she was a loyal fan and cheerleader from the stands. She also enjoyed Ladies’ Circle meetings at her church, and especially loved helping to organize layettes to give to families with newborn babies.

Shirley is survived by two brothers, Phillip Seighman and George Seighman; two sisters, Patricia Palensar and Judy Raymond; five sons, David (Auriah Blackmountain) Hemmings, Randy (Donna) Hemmings, Kim (Nancy) Hemmings, Timothy (Paula) Hemmings, and Shawn (Sonya) Hemmings; two daughters, Bonny (Art) Landrey and Faith (Richard) Mathews; 25 grandchildren, and 24 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Herbert Hemmings; her parents; two brothers, Herbert Seighman and Clyde Seighman; four sisters, Jane Whittaker, Elizabeth Bright, Dorothy Matthews, and Thressa Carr; one son, Samuel (Lisa) Hemmings; one grandson, Jeffrey David Hemmings; and one granddaughter, Heidi Lynn Hemmings.

A visitation is scheduled July 11, 2019, 6 to 8 p.m., at Owens Livingston Mortuary — White Mountain Chapel, 329 N. 9th St., Show Low, AZ 85901. A memorial service is scheduled July 12, 2019, 12:30 p.m., at Country Court Event Hall, 3369 W. White Mountain Blvd., Lakeside, AZ 85929