Modoc County Record – June 21, 2007 Joanne Marie Smith Services for Alturas resident Joanne Marie Smith, will be held at 2 p.m today, June 21 at the Alturas Cemetery. The Rev. Dr. Ben Zandstra will conduct the graveside service with a reception to follow at the home of Joanne's sister and brother-in-law Penny and Chic Keeney, 207 East Eighth Street, Alturas. Joanne passed away unexpectedly in her sleep at her Alturas, CA home on June 14, 2007. Joanne was born to Delbert and Lillian Fitzpatrick on August 25, 1935, in Alturas, CA. She graduated with Modoc High School's Class of 1954 and reared her family in Alturas. Her children offer the following description of their beloved mother. Turn the "m's" in mom upside down and you have "wow." That's just the kind of mom she was -- a wow mom. On her honeymoon she was in an auto accident and broke her pelvic bone. The doctors told her she may never walk and would not be able to have children. Not our mom. She walked out of the hospital and had seven children after that. One child was stillborn, but mom raised six children as a single parent from the time her youngest was three months old. She did not raise her children all by herself. She had the help of her family, her parents, her sister and brother-in-law Chic and Penny Keeney, and her brother Scott Fitzpatrick and the help of the community. Once you were a friend of her kids, you became a part of the family and she treated you as one of her own. For her children's friends who called her Mrs. Smitty, she always had a cold beverage and an ear to lend. Joanne worked as a custodian for Modoc Joint Unified School District for many years. Her favorite part of the job was the kids. Every Sunday was football and sandwiches at "Smitty's" place. She was a Boy Scout leader and also worked with the Girl Scouts. Joanne enjoyed riding horses with her dad, camping and watching cattle branding. She also enjoyed gardening both vegetables and flowers. In her younger years, she liked water skiing and swimming. She was a member of the Alturas Bowling League and on Friday nights she enjoyed dancing at Benny's and being with her friends. In recent years, Joanne enjoyed weekly outings for lunches and dinners in Alturas staying connected with long-time friends. Joanne loved her grandchildren and would sit for hours playing cards with them. She enjoyed a good joke but couldn't remember a joke to save her life. She had a great sense of humor and enjoyed practical jokes. Her children admit they gave their mom a "run for her money and so did the neighbor kids." She struggled without child support, but made sure her children were given a good life. Joanne Marie Fitzpatrick Smith's strength and courage has been a blessing to all of her children. She and her family appreciated the community and all their support through the years. Joanne always felt encouragement and always felt loved, as has her family. Joanne taught her children that family is important and must stay connected, no matter what. She will be missed and always dearly loved by her sister Penny (Chic) Keeney, Alturas; her children Kathy (Thor) Skogan, Mesa, AZ; son Bryan Smith, Dallas, TZ; daughter Colleen (Tim) McHugh, Millville, CA; daughter Pam (Mike) Carlock, Reno, NV; daughter Doreen Powers, Sparks, NV; grandchildren Jack, Cody and Steven Bosley, Misty, Jennifer Nelson; Brittany McHugh and Danni Powers; nieces Kristy Brower, Fairbanks, Alaska; Kim Porter, Spokane, WA; Karie Stewart, Carey, Idaho; Keith Fitzpatrick, Elk Grove and Christopher Fitzpatrick, Folsom, CA and many friends. Joanne was preceded in death by her son Dan in 1979, her parents and her brother Scott Fitzpatrick. Because Joanne loved children and her own children appreciated their memories of Blue Lake Camp, they are suggesting any memorial donations be directed to "Blue Lake Camp" P.O. Box 1708, Alturas, CA 96101 to help sponsor youth campers or to the Make a Wish Foundation. Weston Frank Buffum A Memorial Service for Weston Frank Buffum will be held Saturday, June 30, at 2 p.m. at the Federated Community Church, 307 East 1st St. in Alturas. Fellowship and a potluck will follow the service. Wes, a resident of Alturas for 49 years and a long-time educator in Modoc, passed away June 17 in Salem, Oregon. Weston Frank Buffum was born in Oakland, CA, on April 24, 1930, to Glen and Leona Buffum. Weston spent his childhood in the Bay Area and in Alturas. He graduated from Modoc High School in 1948, and received his teaching degree from College of the Pacific and his Masters Degree from Chico State University. While in college, Wes met Darlene Mary Young at a YMCA summer camp and a lifetime partnership was formed. They were married on Nov. 30, 1951 in Modesto, and the couple moved to Alturas in 1957 to fulfill Wes' dream to raise his family in Modoc County. Wes was a teacher and administrator in the Modoc County School District from 1957 to his retirement in 1987. His professional passion was teaching music. His favorite hobbies included duck hunting, fishing and camping with his wife and their many friends. He was also an award-winning watercolor artist. Wes was preceded in death by his wife, Darlene, his brother, Bill, and by his father and mother. He is survived by his sister, Eleanor, two sons, Steven and Jeffrey, daughters-in-law, Laura and Linda, and three grandchildren, Matthew (wife Sarah), Melanie and Alyxandria. The family asks that in lieu of flowers contributions may be made in Wes' memory to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 11454, Alexandria, VA, 22312. Services for Phillip Brown, Sr. Phillip Brown, Sr., 65, of Alturas passed away June 17, 2007, at Rogue Valley Medical Center, Medford, OR. Services will be held on Saturday, June 23 at 11 a.m. at the Chiloquin Gym in Chiloquin, OR with burial to follow in Beatty, OR. Mr. Brown was reared in Alturas and graduated from Modoc High. Davenport's Chapel in Klamath Falls, OR is in charge of arrangements. Mr. Brown's brothers Irvin and Arlie Brown and sister Florence Parcher reside in Alturas, CA and sister Delores DeGarmo resides in Ft. Bidwell. The obituary for Mr. Brown will be published in a future issue. Federico 'Fred' Torres Lookout resident Federico "Fred" H. Torres, 74, passed away June 13, 2007, at Mayers Memorial Hospital in Fall River Mills, CA. Mr. Torres had worked as a section foreman for the McCloud River Railroad. Services were held Saturday, June 16 at the Lookout Cemetery. The Rev. John Thompson of Fall River Full Gospel Indian Mission officiated. Mr. Torres was born October 7, 1932 in Uvalde, Texas. He met and married his wife Josie in 1950, and they moved to McCloud, CA in 1953. Fred went to work for McCloud River Railroad and in 1960, he moved his family to Bieber, CA. In 1963, they moved to Lookout, CA. Fred enjoyed traveling with his wife and he enjoyed spending time with his friends and family. Fred retired from McCloud River Railroad in March 1996. He was preceded in death by his daughter Oralia Torres and grandson Issac Torres. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Josie Torres of Lookout, CA; son Abraham Torres, Lookout; daughters Yolanda Torres and Romelia Gonzalez of Burney, CA; Maria Mix of Redding, CA; Rosalinda Greene of Novato, CA; Estela Lumbreras of West Port, WA. He leaves 24 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Lookout Volunteer Fire Department. McDonald's Chapel of Burney handled arrangements. Condolences may be posted at www.mem.com Mary Lennon Mary Lennon, 100 and 8 months old, peacefully passed away on Friday, June 8, 2007, at the home of Danette Carey (Carey's Compassionate Care) in Klamath Falls, Ore. Mary dearly loved Danette, whom she affectionately called Sunshine. A funeral mass will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, June 23, at St. Francis Catholic Church in Bieber, Calif., with an interment service following at Hillside Cemetery. Mary was born on Oct. 18, 1906, in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland, and was the fourth of many children who all preceded her in death. She emigrated to the U.S. when she was 15 and later married John Joseph Lennon, who was also an Irish emigrant. She resided in The Bronx, New York, until 1963 when she moved to California. She lived in Lookout, Calif., and Klamath Falls, Ore., for many years. She leaves her son John Lennon and his wife Gail of Lookout and three grandchildren Paul Lennon, Redding, Calif., Linda Wann, Lookout, and Nettie Asiasi, Redwood City, Calif. She also has four great-grandchildren Devin, Neveah, Nyana and Dylan, who will all miss her greatly. ~~~~~~ Billie C. & Anita 'Jean' Reynolds Family Researcher of "The Last Frontier" Modoc County, California --- Our outgoing mail is checked by ZoneAlarm AntiVirus.