Myrtle Rose Culley – longtime teacher

Myrtle Rose Culley died on February 28, 2005. She was born to
William Deneau and Clista Hunter on September 17, 1917 in a
farmhouse in southern Idaho. She was the eighth of 10 children. She
worked in the fields, cared for livestock and milked cows. During
the summer she and two sisters herded the neighbors’ cows on the
desert and in the fall picked potatoes to pay for school clothes.
Myrtle loved to ride horses. In the Deneau home, education was very
important and Myrtle was valedictorian of her 8th grade and 12th
grade classes. Myrtle married her childhood sweetheart, Hurshell
Culley, on October 3, 1936. They have remained sweethearts and have
been married 68 years and five months. Myrtle graduated from Albion
State Normal School, summa-cum-laude in 1940, with a lifetime
diploma and Teacher Certification. She taught in a private school
at Sun Valley, Idaho. Her husband became superintendent of Ketcham
Public Schools at the same time. In 1942, during World War II, she
and her husband moved to Multnomah, Oregon. After her husband
returned home from Army service the family moved to Pocatello,
Idaho in 1946. Then they moved to Great Falls, Montana and then to
Blackfoot, Idaho where she taught for two years and did the
accounting for the Culley Motor Company for six years. She served
as Cub Scout Den Mother during this six-year period. After selling
their motor company in 1955, she moved to Daly City, where she
taught in the public schools for 11 years, specializing in the
science department. She earned her Bachelors and Master’s Degree in
Education from San Francisco State. In 1965, the family moved to
Pleasanton, where she taught in the public schools for 17 years.
Following her retirement she moved to Healdsburg, where she
remained until her death. Myrtle is survived by her husband; her
daughters Patricia Culley of Livermore and Clista Nelson of
Concord; her son Philip Culley of Healdsburg; her seven
grandchildren, four great-granddaughters and one great-grandson.
Myrtle especially enjoyed being with her family, loved gardening,
dancing, family parties, and she read a great deal. She belonged to
the Healdsburg Garden Club and had 89 rose bushes. She served as a
volunteer to Healdsburg Convalescent Hospital for 15 years where
she took flowers from her garden regularly. Memorial services were
held on March 8, 2005 at the Neptune Society Chapel in Santa Rosa.
In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate a memorial donation
be made in Myrtle’s honor to the Healdsburg District Hospital, 1375
University Street, Healdsburg, CA 95448.