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Jonathan Wayne Wells Sr. of Doyle was born July 1, 1954, in Central City, Ky. He continued to live between Kentucky and Chicago through his late teen years. He began his family in the Midwest before moving to the Tacoma, Wash. area in the mid 70s. Upon his arrival in Washington, Wells joined and subsequently served in the U.S. Air Force as an airplane maintenance specialist. He received an honorable discharge from the Air Force in 1978. Wells then began his training and apprenticeship in the Bridge and Structural Ironworkers Union, Seattle Local 86. He continued as a journeyman ironworker for the rest of his life. Over the course of the next several years, he moved to the Susanville area where he owned a ranch. Eventually, he settled in the Doyle area where he has lived the majority of the last six years with fiance Regina Haynes and her children. Wells died the evening of Dec. 26, 2002 from the effects of hypothermia. His body was found on the morning of Dec. 27 at Cold Springs Park in Reno. He was laid to rest on Jan. 2, 2003 in Central City, Ky. next to his son, David. He is survived by his children, Jonathan W. Wells Jr., Joshua Wells and Chrystal Jean Bonecutter, all of Missouri; four grandchildren; mother, Juanita Wells of Evansville, Iowa; siblings, Anita Kay Wells, Mary Delaney and Bennie Wells, all of Evansville and his brother, Jesse Wells of Chigago, together with the Haynes family of Doyle. There will be a local memorial at Cold Springs Park in the spring where a tree will be planted in his memory. If you would like to join us, drop a note to Regina Haynes at P.O. Box 241, Doyle, CA 96109.
Meda Ione "Mini" Whitehead, 94, died on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2003, at Lassen Community Hospital. She was a Lassen County resident for the past 46 years. She was born on Sept. 24, 1908 in Los Angeles. She was a member of the Lutheran Church and enjoyed her attendance there. She was chairperson of Lassen County and Northern District Women's Farm Bureau. She was a member of the credit department of the Janesville Grange. They were some of the original members of the Janesville Senior Citizens and she was always active with them. She was a very good cook, gardener and was very good with crafts and crocheting and loved to play the organ. She was very well liked by all and loved very much by her family. She is survived by her husband, Ralph of Janesville; sons, Kenneth Hill of Arroyo Grande, Calif. and Gerald Whitehead of Janesville; daughter, Joyce Sutherlin of Winters, Calif.; seven grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. There will be no services at this time.
Josephine Chiarello, 91, of Chico, died on Monday, Jan. 6, 2003. She was born on June 25, 1911 in Stirling City, Calif. to Joe and Caroline Mancuso. On Aug. 30, 1925, she married Domenic Chiarello in Susanville. She is survived by her son, Harry Chiarello of Yountville, Calif.; grandsons, Ronald Chiarello of Castro Valley, Calif., Roger and Barry Duensing of Chico, Kevin Chiarello of Laguena Nigel, Calif. and Michael Chiarello of St. Helena, Calif.; granddaughter, Stacie Chivrell of Eureka, Calif.; 16 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren. A funeral Mass was held for Chiarello on Jan 11. A committal service at Diamond Crest Cemetery
in Johnstonville followed the Mass. Arrangements are under the direction of Newton-Bracewell Chico Funeral Home.
Gerald W. Allen, 69, died on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2003 at Sunbridge Convalescent Hospital. He was born in Oklahoma on Aug. 14, 1933 and had been a resident of Lassen County for the past 25 years. He was considered by his friends to be a very easy and laid back type of person who enjoyed fishing, woodworking and being a handyman. He was always willing to help others in any situation, was loved by all and was a very loving husband. He is survived by his wife, Nancy of Doyle; sons, Chuck of Memphis and Dave of Tustin, Calif.; daughters, Theresa Brisco of Huntington Beach and Patty Stevens of Cleveland; brothers, Robert of Huntington Beach, Calif., Ed of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., and Ralph of Reno; sisters, Marie Dugan of Novato, Calif., Georgia Rice of Marango, Calif., Lucy Morris of LaSierra, Calif. and Elaine Olson of Chico, seven grandchildren and on great-grandchild. There will be no services at this time.
Keith Leonard, 65, died on Monday, Jan. 20, 2003, at his residence in Westwood. He was born on Feb. 23, 1937, in Cherokee, Iowa and was a resident of Lassen County for the past four years, coming from Santa Clarita. He was a self-employed carpenter for 30 years and was also an honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. Navy. He was also a member of the Moose Lodge #2173. He enjoyed hunting and fishing, but the hobby he truly loved was woodworking. He especially liked making bird-houses and once made a 25-room birdhouse for his yard. He is survived by his wife, Jeri of Westwood; sons, Kelly Draheim of Chicago and Marty Ashley of Susanville; daughters, Kandis Bigelow of Westwood, Shelley Hart of Darrington, Wash. and Roxanne Hull of Saugus, Calif. and sister, Delores Bedman of Fort Dodge, Iowa. Also surviving are 14 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Graveside services were held at the Westwood Cemetery
on Friday, Jan. 24.
Raymond Lester Draper of Miami, Okla., 84, died at 4:15 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2003, at Eastwood Manor Nursing Center in Commerce, Okla. Draper was born on Feb. 3, 1918 in Milo, Mo. to James Raymond and Katie (Pruitt) Draper. He graduated from Holton High School in Holton, Kan. He moved to Miami in 1938 and began his working career at Eagle Picher Central Mill in Commerce, where be became a swing foreman and also played baseball with the Commerce Merchants. He married Lavada Mae Huxall in 1940. During World War II he served his country from 1943 to 1946 with the U.S. Army in the Combat Engineers. He was in the Battle of the Bulge. In 1951 he moved to Herlong and began civil service work at the Sierra Army Depot in ammunition storage. He retired as a shift supervisor after 40 years of service. He returned to Miami in 1991. Draper was a lifelong member of VFW Post #6356 at Herlong. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Miami. Draper was preceded in death by his wife Lavada Mae Draper; parents, Raymond and Katie Draper; brothers, Gilbert and Thomas Draper and sisters; Bertha Brumback and Wanda Jadloski. He is survived by a son; Ronald D. Draper of Reno; daughter, Kathryn Balsam and husband, George of McKinney, Texas; brothers, Wayne Draper and his wife, Joyce of Miami, Robert Draper and wife, Lawana of Pinedale, Wyo. and Dean Draper and wife, Chris of Englewood, Colo.; sister, Ethel Harris and husband, Walter of Kansas City, Kan.; grandchildren, Daron, Shari, Debbie and Raymond Draper, Jeff Balsam, Patricia Irias, Amy White and numerous nephews and nieces. The family received friends on Jan. 21, at the Cooper-Althouse Funeral Home in Miami. A local funeral service was held on Wednesday, Jan. 22, at the Cooper-Althouse Funeral Home Chapel in Miami. Graveside services were held at Diamond Crest Cemetery, Susanville on Monday, Jan. 27 under the direction of Colonial Mortuary in Susanville. The Veterans of Foreign Wars provided graveside military rites.
Timothy Allen Student, 60, died on Jan. 5, 2003 at Washoe Medical Center in Reno. He was a resident Doyle for the past 3-1/2 years. Student was born on Feb. 4, 1942 in Portland, Ore. to Jack W. and Velma G. Student. He married Donna Hintz on May 25, 1962 in Sacramento. He worked as a long haul truck driver for several years. He also was a chef, taxi driver and apartment and mobile home park manager. He loved fishing, camping, being with family, oil painting and cooking. He attended the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Herlong. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Elizabeth. Student in survived by his loving wife, Donna; children, Allen, Tammy, Kevin and Tim; grandchildren, Lisa, Michelle, Kristina, Joshua, Amberlee and Jacob; great-grandchild, Chelsea; brother, Jack and sisters, Nancy and Lee Ann. Cremation was arranged by P.H. Dold and Sons Mortuary in Reno. A memorial service for Student will be held on Feb. 4 at the LDS Church in Herlong.
Lucile Emerson Hay, 92, died on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2003, at the Lassen Community Hospital Annex. She was born on June 29, 1910 in Mecaha, Mont. and was a resident of Lassen County since moving from Dayton, Wash. in 1942. Hay had been employed as a cook/waitress for many local restaurants, including the State Cafe, Pioneer and Grand Cafe. In 1942, while living in Washington, Lucile worked as a welder in the shipyards. She was preceded in death by son, Joseph Allen Hay Jr.; brothers, Harry Dundom, Marvin Sherman, Jack Sherman and Raymond Sherman; sisters, Edna Kizer, Nora Smith, Dorothy Thompson and Pat Hoy. Two other infant sisters also preceded her in death. She is survived by her daughter, Beulah Bottini of Susanville; sons, Russell Cory of Redding and John Emerson Hay of Susanville; brothers, James Dundom of Medford, Ore., Fred Sherman of Standish and Walter Sherman of Cut Bank, Mont. and sisters, Ellen Gardner of Libby, Mont., Mae Johnson, Shirley Heard and June Cross, all of Winnemuca. Graveside services were held on Wednesday, Jan. 22 at Diamond Crest Cemetery. The family requests that any donations be made in Lucile's memory to the American Lung Association.
Robert Ellis Cliburn, 57, died on Friday, Jan. 17, 2003, at the Veterans Hospital in Reno. He was born on June 17, 1945, in Brazil, Ind. Cliburn grew up in San Diego, Japan and Hawaii, where he became quite an accomplished surfer. He surfed Pipeline and Waiamea beaches and was teaching tourists how to surf on Waikiki Beach when he joined the U.S. Army in 1966. He did two tours of duty in Vietnam as a gunner in a helicopter. He was seriously wounded and honorably discharged in 1968. He was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church. He is survived by his daughter, Heather Tinney of Stayton, Ore.; sister, Ann Nareau and husband, Mark; nephews Daniel and Sam Nareau; nieces Katie and Lauren Nareau, all of Susanville. A vigil was held on Monday, Jan. 27 at Sacred Heart Church. Mass will be held at 11 a.m., today, Tuesday, Jan. 28. Burial will be at Diamond Crest Cemetery
in the veterans' section. A reception following the burial will be at Monsignor Moran Hall.
Joseph Krupa, 85, died at Washoe Village in Reno, Nev. on Jan. 16, 2003. Joseph was born in Carteret, N.J. on Jan. 25, 1917, and had been a Lassen County resident for the past 40 years. He had been a civil servant for 32 years working as a carpenter at Sierra Army Depot. He was a member of the 101st Airborne Battallion during World War II. Joseph was a leader of both the Cub and Boy Scouts in Herlong. He was a member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church and also one of the Church readers. Joseph is survived by his son, Richard of Wasilla, Alaska; two daughters, Patty Krupa of Herlong and Pam Sherman of Florida; three grandchildren, four nieces, and three nephews, all of New Jersey. Services will be held at Herlong Post Chapel on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2003, with the rosary at 10 a.m., and Mass of Christian burial at 11 a.m. Burial will follow the mass at Doyle Cemetery.
Richard "Dick" Johnston, 76, died on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2002, at Washoe Medical Center in Reno. He was surrounded by his loving family. He was born in Scottsbluff, Neb. He served his country during World War II in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Theater. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of the Pacific. He had a long and successful career as manager of Bank of America, retiring in 1986. Johnston loved golf, sports, the outdoors and a good joke. He was a member of the Good Shepard Episcopal Church, Emerson Lake Golf Club and former member of the Rotary Club, Elks Club and the Cattleman's Association. Johnston is survived by his wife, Betty; son, J.R.; daughter, Jody and two grandchildren Kyler Johnston and Callie McCarthy. A memorial will be held at a later date.
Helen Caroline Suppe Thomas, 78, died at her home on Jan. 15, 2003. Helen was born Feb. 19, 1924 in Multnomah, Ore., to Raymond Reinhold and Bertha Louise Kriske Suppe. She grew up in the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Area, and graduated from Roosevelt High School in Oakland. Following graduation, she began working as a secretary at various military bases in Fresno and Sacramento during World War II. She then moved on to Gillig Brothers School Bus Manufacturing in Hayward and Aerojet General in Sacramento. She was Award Clerk at Eden Hospital in Castro Valley. She met her husband in 1942. She had been a resident of Graeagle since 1990, when she moved from Placerville. She enjoyed knitting, crochet, gardening and sewing, as well as traveling in her motorhome with her husband. She was preceded in death by her husband, James, two brothers and two sisters. Helen is survived by her daughters, Carol Barker of Graeagle, Betty Prinz of River Pines and Judy Frederick of Michigan; brother, Robert Suppe of Visalia; five grandchildren; and six grandchildren. Graveside inurnment services will be held in the Newcastle Cemetery
in Newcastle on Jan. 28, 2003.
Gerald Stanley Freemyers, 56, died Jan. 18, 2003 with his wife at his side, at his home in Tracy. Gerald was born March 29, 1946 to James and Louise Martine Freemyers in Westwood. He was raised in Greenvile and graduated from Greenville High School. From 1963 through 1966 he served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam as a member of the 1st Battalion 14th Infantry Division, known as the Golden Dragons. He was awarded an Air Medal for his meritorious achievement. He spent most of his life in Greenville, but was forced to move to Livermoore and Tracy following the closure of the mines in the Indian Valley area. He was a longtime member of Local No. 3 of the Operating Engineers Union located in Alameda. He enjoyed working outdoors. Gerald is survived by his wife, Brooksie of Tracy; son, James Hughes of Tracy; son Stanley Freemyers, currently serving with the U.S. Navy stationed in Monterey; daughters, Geneva Seitzinger of Vero Beach, Fla., Brooklyn Bos of Tracy; father, James Freemyers of Yreka; brother Donnie Freemyers of Oroville; sister, Kathy Bonner of Red Bluff; sisters, Cindy Sharp of Olympia, Wash., and Lorena Lowe of Marysville; and six grandchildren. Visitation will be held Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2003 at Fehrman Mortuary Chapel in Greenville from 5-8 p.m. A celebration of Gerald's life along with military honors will take place at the graveside in the Greenville District Cemetery
Thursday, Jan. 23, 2003 at 11 a.m. An opportunity to express your condolences is available online at www.fehrmanmortuary.com. The family suggests any donations in Gerald's name be made to the American Lung Society c/o Fehrman Mortuary and Crematory, P.O. Box 803, Greenville, CA 95947.
Stella Ann Barksdale Sarkowitz, 85, died Jan. 13, 2003 in Sunbridge Care in Susanville. Stella was born Sept. 12, 1917 in Corcoran to Everett Rolland and Jessie Almira Newbury Barksdale. She was raised in Bakersfield. She was a Social Security benefit reviewer for 26 years. During World War II she drove a Greyhound bus in the San Francisco Bay Area, transporting shipyard workers to work everyday. In 1976, she moved to Portola, where she resided until 2002 when her health required long-term care. She was a member of the Portola Station Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, Walter, brother, Everett Barksdale and one granddaughter. Stella is survived by her daughter, Glenda Sarkowitz of Loyalton; brother, Dan C. Barksdale of Oakdale; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Graveside inurnment will be held in Shady Grove Cemetery
in Portola on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2003 at 1 p.m. Memorial donations in Stella's name can be made to Plumas Animal Welfare Society, P.O. Box 125, Quincy, CA 95971.
