Shirley Ann Livingston-Lived a Life of Loving her family

Shirley Ann Pickens Livingston made us kids smile, and had a winsome twinkle in her eye, and an endearing wink when she would catch us kids looking her way! 🥰

She was a gift from God to her own parents, as well as to her brothers Herman Leon, and Joe Pickens. Her only sister died of polio at 2 in 1937 whom Shirley never met, who wasn't born until 1939.

Here is Shirley with her older brother Herman Leon (middle child), and blonde hair younger brother Joe (left side).

Shirley would wink at us niece's & nephews, tease & tickle us, and gave us hugs.
It was evident she genuinely loved us. I was not fond of liking girls at that stage of life, and would easily blush, so I'm pretty sure I ran from her kisses & hugs. Of course, that was on the surface, because I really liked it, secretly, or I wouldn't have remembered the times!

Shirley was quiet a delightful aunt. Her presence was so pleasing, and I could tell she loved us nieces and nephews. She really loved Jim, her husband, and her boys, Tracy, Troy, and Russell.
I must have been no older than about 10, and now I recall something was different about Shirley. I now feel pretty confident as to why she was the way she was. Shirley loved Jesus and wasn't ashamed of it. She was a very talented lady, could cook good, and had a love for crafts and art. I'm not sure, but it seemed she did some decoupage artwork on wood, and did some paintings on pots and ceramics, but I could be wrong, for boys don't try to remember all that kind of stuff. I was busy playing with her sons, my cousins!
I barely recall Shirley, Jim, and a couple of boys, living in Jackson, TN, out by the airport. I sort of recall one Christmas, going to their home, and seeing a toy steel jetliner among the toy presents, which may have been my Christmas toy that year! The toy airplane would have been right at home at Uncle Jim's house, for Jim worked as a air-traffic-controller. He might have even worked close by, at McKellar Airfield, in Jackson, TN. Again, I maybe be wrong about that faint memory, too!

At the young age of 37, God had another path & plan for Shirley, who only God would know about, when back then, God said, "Shirley, I want you to come up here and be with Me!" Shirley took the Heavenly Father's hand and went home to her heavenly home! I can only imagine she met the loving & merciful arms of Jesus, with a twinkle and wink in her eyes, as she graduated to heaven on August 4, 1976.

Here's a writeup from the website of FamilySearch:

"Shirley Ann Pickens was born on 7 February 1939, in Jackson, Madison, Tennessee, United States. She married James Wallace Livingston on 22 May 1960, in Madison, Tennessee, United States. She died on 4 August 1976, in Elizabethton, Carter, Tennessee, United States, at the age of 37, and was buried in Blountville, Sullivan, Tennessee, United States."

https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LD9F-TPV/shirley-ann-pickens-1939-1976

Here's the grave marker for Shirley Ann Livingston on the Find A Grave website. 

When Shirley's health failed her, it was right after I had just graduated from Northside High School, Jackson, TN, May 1976. I recall the Pickens family living in Jackson, TN at the time, made the driver over to Kingsport, Elizabethan, TN area, and attended the memorial service, which was held at a white church. I recall hearing for the first time, Gaither song titled, "One Day At a Time", which still remains a favorite of mine!
As part of the memorial service, a family with kids sang, with their dad sang-out with wonderful declaration, "Yes, I love Jesus!, as they sang the following lyrics: 

DO YOU LOVE JESUS

Oh, Do you love Jesus?
(Oh, yes, we love Jesus)
Are you sure you love Jesus?
(Yes, we're sure we love Jesus)
Tell us why you love Jesus,
(This is why we love Jesus)
Because He first loved me.
CHORUS:
Oh, how I love Jesus
Oh, how I love Jesus
Oh, how I love Jesus
Because He first loved me.

I only wish I had other memories to share of Shirley Ann Livingston, and as my 5 siblings relay these to me, I may just include them in this blog. 💕

Shirley never got to meet her only older sister, Doris Ruth, because Doris died at 2 years old. However, the good news is that Shirley is knowing her sister, Doris Ruth, and they get to see one another every day, both being together in heaven, along with other family members. 😂

Shirley is experiencing the joys and splendors of that heavenly city. That is a promise we have from The Holy Bible, where God has prepared a place for us to live in forever and ever.

As an update to this story, 38 years after Shirley Ann Livingston departed this life, August 6, 1976, her husband James Wallace Livingston, a US veteran, AD3 US Navy, Korea, joined his late wife, Shirley, in Heaven, which no doubt was a wonderful reunion.  💖

Here's the grave marker for James Wallace Livingston on the Find A Grave website. 

I don't worry about tomorrow, or even about my Aunt Shirley, for in her brief life, she showed & loved people within her circle of influence, most notably Jim her husband, and those 3 boys. She fought a good fight to the end, and ever since she closed her eyes in this life, Shirley has been enjoying heaven with her Lord Jesus Christ. I haven't a doubt she would want us all to be saved by Jesus, so we too can join her in that heavenly city. 👏 

Yes, she smiled a lot, therefore it's very appropriate in describing & honoring Aunt Shirley with "She Smiled Alot | She Loved Even More"❤️