Shirley Wilene Koebke, nee Lawrence (b. 1933)

Shirley Lawrence was born in Drumheller, the ninth of eleven children. She came to the Yukon for the summer of 1952, intending to return to the Calgary Business College but that never happened. She met Neille Koebke and they were married in East Coulee in 1953. They lived in Whitehorse and Shirley worked at Hougen’s Photo shop, Northern Commercial Co. in the office of the department store, and then for White Pass & Yukon Route in the highway division. She stayed at home when the children were small and then worked for the army in the office. After their youngest daughter was old enough, she worked for a brief time at Riverside Grocery and then as a hostess on the MV Schwatka for two years. From 1972 to 1995, she worked for the City of Whitehorse in the bylaw enforcement department as a clerk and then office manager. After retirement, Shirley was an active member of the Marsh Lake Community Association. In 2008, Neille and Shirley Koebke were named Mr. and Mrs Yukon for the annual Sourdough Rendezvous Festival.¹⁾