Ira Wilson Shay

Mr Shay was born in Garden City, Kan., the day after the steamship Titanic went down. He moved to Arizona the next year and lived in Peoria, where the family grew cotton. He lost his father at an early age and was raised by his mother. He sold newspapers around the Capitol building in Phoenix. He moved to California and worked as a florist. He began working for Douglas Aircraft in the 1930s and continued through WWII. He moved to Eloy with his brother Glen to grow cotton. He retired from farming in 1970. He worked as a landscaper for Central Arizona College for five years before retiring again. He lived in Casa Grande and moved to The Garnet in 1999.
Burial was held at Mt. View Cemetery.