The author was born November 6, 1937, to Lovida and Albert Anderson in Seattle, Washington, the youngest of four childrenatwo older sisters and one brother. Her parents named her Jean Ardel for ten days and then her mother changed it to Shirley Ann. She attended a Woodinville, Washington grade school until the seventh grade when she, her parents and brother moved to Monroe, Washington. She graduated from Monroe High School in 1956, and was married in December of that same year to Darrell aBuzza Smith. The couple has five childrenathree boys, two girls; and nine grandchildrenathree granddaughters, and six grandsons. She is almost five feet, two inches tall. Shirley was employed all her working years in the city of Monroe and is now retired. Her husband is still employed part-time as a journeyman electrician. They live five miles south of Monroe on five acres of land with her mother, who was born in 1910, and two cats. This is her first book.