Modoc County Record – May 3, 2001 Dorothy Winset Quinn (no photo available) Graveside services for former Modoc resident Dorothy Winset Quinn, will be held at the Alturas Cemetery at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 5. The Rev. Dr. Ben Zandstra will officiate the interment service. Mrs. Quinn passed away April 22, 2001 in Santa Rosa, Calif. where she had been a resident for many years at London House, a long-term care home. She was born on December 23, 1916 in Stettler, Alberta, Canada to homesteaders Vernia and Mabel Graham Winset. The family relocated to California in 1926 and settled on a farm in Windsor. After she completed her education, she was employed in San Francisco where she met Dr. William Quinn, who was a major in the Army Medical Corps at the Presidio in San Francisco. They were married in 1943. After the war, they went looking for a place to set up Dr. Quinn's medical practice and came through Alturas, where Dr. Stiles had recently died and left a practice and office vacant. The couple moved to Alturas in 1946 and lived here for many years, until retiring to Pebble Beach, Calif. in 1972. Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband in 1982; her grandson Vladimir Quinn in 1993 and her brother Donald Winset in 1998. She is survived by two sons, John Quinn of Oakland and Michael Quinn of Wilson, Wyoming; grandsons Alexander Quinn of Davis and Cooper Quinn of Wilson; sisters Helen Young of Reno, Nev. and Mary Woodward of Alturas, Calif. and brother John Winset of Santa Rosa. Hazel Hutchinson Voorhees (no photo available) A memorial service for Hazel Hutchinson Voorhees will be conducted by her nephew Pastor Larry James on Saturday, April 28 at 1:00 p.m. at the Lake City Cemetery in Lake City, Calif. She was born to Hester and Josh Hutchinson in Cedarville, Calif. on June 6, 1908 and was reared in Surprise Valley, where she graduated from high school. She first taught at the age of 19 in a one room school house in Surprise Valley, then went on to become a high school teacher. For 40 years she taught high school classes in Woodland, Calif. She retired in 1973 and relocated to Auburn, where she worked as a substitute teacher for many years. She also kept active with her church activities and enjoyed spending time with friends and gardening. She passed away in Auburn, Calif. on April 8, 2001. A memorial service was held in Auburn on April 22, with her nephew Pastor James conducting the service. Mrs. Voorhees was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Beatrice Steil and brother Harold Hutchinson. She is survived by her daughter Jane Aven and son-in-law Steve of Nevada City and several nieces and nephews in Modoc County. Modoc County Record - May 5, 2001 Sherry Helen Hinds Stewart Sherry Helen Hinds Stewart, 56, of Hamilton, Montana passed away Thursday, April 26, 2001 at Marcus Daily Memorial Hospital in Hamilton, Montana. She was born March 19, 1945 in Lakeview, Oregon and was reared and educated in Surprise Valley. As a young girl she enjoyed many fond memories of her grandfather Frank Addington. Following high school, she married and was a homemaker and mother to five children. She lived in various places throughout her life. In 1995, she moved to Hamilton, in the Valley, where four of her five children also live. Sherry lived the last two years of her life alone at the Bitterroot Manor and enjoyed many close friendships there and was blessed by the closeness of her children and grandchildren. Survivors include her five children Kim (Dale) Balled of Carboy, Mt.; Scott (Anna) Vale and Ed Vale of Hamilton; Frank (Tarok) Hinds of Lovesick, Nev.; Cell (Jay) Bierer of Victor, Mt.; and 12 grandchildren who referred to her always as "Granny;" sister Sandy Rosendahl of Cedarville, Calif.; half sister Nancy Conner of St. Helens, Ore. and special father J.C. "Pa" Tierce and father Thomas Ahlf, and two brothers. Graveside services will be held at the Cedarville Cemetery on May 14 at 2:00 p.m. for family and friends. A time of fellowship will follow at the Surprise Valley Community Church Hall. May 10, 2001 Mary Carmen Downard Memorial Services for Alturas resident Mary Downard will be conducted by the Rev. Patrick Henry of Sacred Heart Catholic Church on Friday, May 11 at 10:00 a.m. at the Kerr Mortuary Chapel in Alturas. The Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary 113 invite all Mrs. Downard's family and friends to a time of fellowship at Veterans' Memorial Hall, immediately following the service. Mrs. Downard fought a long and courageous battle, but succumbed on Friday, May 4, 2001 in Alturas, Calif. She was 76. She was born to Carmen and Jesus Aguilera on April 17, 1925 in Mojave, Calif., and graduated from high school there. Her father worked for the big railroad yard in Mojave, and Mary worked in the yard office for a time. At the age of 23, she was given three years to live, and had a portion of one lung removed in 1948. After recuperating, she embarked on a career with the banking industry. Over the years, she worked with San Diego Savings & Trust and in San Francisco with Bank of America. She ultimately retired after 25 years with Bank of America. Mary and Gerald Downard were married in August of 1979 in San Diego and moved to Modoc County that same year. Mrs. Downard continued to work at the Alturas Branch of Bank of America for several years. She was a charter member of the Modoc Chapter 113, Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary and a member of the Native Daughters of the Golden West, Alturas Parlor. When Mrs. Downard wasn't busy helping a friend or other worthy person or cause, she volunteered her time in the gift shop of the Modoc Medical Center, as a member of the MMC Auxiliary. She rarely missed attending the Country Jam music sessions, enjoying the varied talents, which her husband video taped each Monday night. She loved cats, of which she had three, and enjoyed making quilts for newborns, as well as a wide variety of crafts, which she gave freely to friends. She also served as a volunteer receptionist at the Alturas Chamber of Commerce office. She is survived by her husband Gerald Downard of Alturas, Calif.; brother Ray Aguilera of Roseville, Calif.; stepdaughter Mary Margaret Stephen of Coarsegold, Calif.; step daughter-in-law Nell Orndorf of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio; step son-in-law Fred Downard of Byrdsville, Tenn.; grandchildren Jerry Stephen of Calif.; Jim Stephen, Montana; Terri Stephen of Calif.; grand nephews and nieces, David, Jim, Carmen, Nancy, Beverly and Pat. Mary was interred at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, Calif. In lieu of flowers, donations may be directed to the D.A.V. Flag Fund, care of D.A.V., P.O. Box 715, Alturas, CA 96101. Patricia L. Williams Madeline native Patricia Lee Williams passed away November 18, 2000 in a hospital in Oroville, Calif., due to heart failure. She was 59. Family members gathered at the Likely Cemetery to place her ashes in the Williams Family plot on May 9. Born on June 30, 1941 in Alturas, Calif. to George E. Williams, III and Sybil Smith Russell, she was reared on the family's Madeline ranch and attended Modoc High School in Alturas. She was a believer in the Mormon faith. She is well remembered by her adopted daughter Fileana Landera of Janesville; half-brother Michael Williams of Lincoln, Neb.; half-sister Susan Williams Paulson of Menaha, Minnesota; two sons, John George of Detroit Lakes, Minn. and Patrick George of Salmon River, Calif.; daughter Kathy Easterlin of Washington; numerous cousins among which are Peg Woodrich of Termo and Betty Reid of Chico and Mona Melvill; and numerous nieces and nephews. May 17, 2001 Anderson man, 62, dies at Blue Lake An Anderson, California man died at Blue Lake May 15, about 12:46 p.m. and the exact cause of death is unknown pending an autopsy. The call came in to the Lassen County Sheriff's Office as a drowning. The victim, Edward B. Davis, age 62, is the former Auditor of Shasta County, and was vacationing at Blue Lake. According to the Lassen County Sheriff, Davis was in a boat with his wife and two friends when his fishing rod was pulled over the side of the boat. He reached for the rod, lost his balance and fell into the water. Davis then reportedly started swimming for the shore, about 50 yards away and never made it. The people in the boat pulled Davis from the water and CPR was started, but attempts to revive him were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at the scene and the cause of death is pending the autopsy. John B. Laxague, Sr. John B. Laxague, Sr., one of the most respected Supervisors in Modoc County history, passed away May 12, 2001 at home in Wilton, Calif. John B. was born on March 5, 1911 in Eagleville, Calif. to Jennie Laxague, one-and-one-half months after his father John B. Laxague, Sr. was killed at Little High Rock. He graduated from Surprise Valley High School in 1929 where he was a star athlete, honor student and student body president. He enrolled in the University of Nevada at Reno, but later completed his college education at Armstrong Business College in Sacramento. He married Janie Espil on October 1, 1938. They devoted their lives to raising their family and developing their ranching operation. For 30 years, Mr. Laxague was a member of the Modoc County Board of Supervisors, over 17 of them as its Chairman. In the first 25 years, he missed only one meeting. Highlights included completing the zoning of the county, construction of many county buildings, the nursing home in Alturas and, the Surprise Valley Hospital. When asked why he became a Supervisor, he said that because he was not able to serve in World War II, this was a way to give back to the people of Modoc County, with another kind of service. When he retired from the Modoc County Board of Supervisors, letters poured in from around the state. A special letter came from then President Ronald Reagan who had tried to recruit him to be his Secretary of Agriculture when he was Governor of California. None of that meant as much to him as the warm retirement reception from the people of Surprise Valley. Mr. Laxague served as President of the Wool Growers Association. Starting in 1940, he served on the Bureau of Land Management district, state and federal advisory boards. He was named Cattleman of the Year twice, both for his excellent ranch operation and for his public service. He was an avid sports fan of the San Francisco 49'ers, the San Francisco Giants and more recently the Sacramento Kings, attending Kings' games this past season. His wife Janie passed away in 1986. In 1990, he and Connie Kingston of Boise, Idaho were married in Reno, Nev. He is survived by his daughter Lucie Fjeldstad of Bellevue, Wash.; his son John B. Laxague, Jr. of Gardnerville, Calif.; and three grandsons; his wife Connie of Cedarville and her three children Bryan, Kori and Kyle and their families of the Sacramento area. He is also survived by a brother Frank Arreche of Cedarville; sister Faye Harrington of Pine Grove, Calif.; and several nieces and nephews. He is survived by many people whom he has mentored and loved throughout their lives. Mr. Laxague was a remarkable man who touched the lives of many people and will be missed by all. Mass of Christian Burial was held at St. James Catholic Church in Cedarville on Wednesday, May 16 at 10 a.m. Interment followed at the Cedarville Cemetery. Pall bearers were William Laxague, Sr., Bud Laxague, Ron Laxague, Ron Henderson, Louis Arreche, Tom Espil, Steve Hicks and Erik Nissen. Remembrances in memory of John B. may be made to the Surprise Valley Medical Center, P.O. Box 246, Cedarville, CA 96104. Jerry W. 'Kearney' Goodwin Jerry Whitney Goodwin, better known to his friends as Kearney, passed away at the Surprise Valley Community Hospital in Cedarville, Calif. on May 10, 2001. He was 86. Kearney was born in Cedarville, Calif. on March 20, 1915 to Lawrence and Daisey Goodwin. He was the first of six children; the others being Mildred, Isabel, Bea, Marion and Dale. He married Jessie Fay Miller Rinehart in Alturas on February 1, 1937. The couple worked on various ranches before Jerry entered the Army to serve during World War II. Upon his discharge on February 20, 1943, the couple moved to Vya, Nev. where he was employed with Washoe County Road Department. He later was hired by the California Department of Roads, and worked as a heavy equipment operator for 20 years, moving throughout the state as his job required. After retiring, they moved back to Cedarville where Mr. Goodwin enjoyed haying and riding for cattle. The riding was what he loved most. He was a member of the Odd Fellows during his lifetime. Jessie preceded him in death on September 26, 1997. He is survived by his sisters Mildred Webb of Alturas, Calif.; Isabel Scott of Elko, Nev.; Marion Goodwin of Winnemucca, Nev.; brother Dale Goodwin of Cedarville, CA; numerous nieces and nephews. He was also preceded in death by his parents and sister Bea Winnop. The Rev. Dr. Ben Zandstra conducted services at graveside on Tuesday, May 15 at Lake City Cemetery in Lake City, Calif. Donations in Mr. Goodwin's memory may be directed to the Surprise Valley Community Hospital, P.O. Box 246, Cedarville, CA 96104. Weller Webster Spaulding Weller Webster Spaulding, 87, passed away of pneumonia on May 15, 2001 at Modoc Medical Center in Alturas, Calif. Services for the long-time Modoc resident, will be held on Wednesday, May 23 at 1:00 p.m. graveside at the Alturas Cemetery. The Rev. Dr. Ben Zandstra will officiate. Weller was born to Hattie (Poindexter) and Chester Spaulding on June 18, 1913 in Davis Creek, Calif. As a young man he lived on the family ranch on Cedar Pass. He left home at a young age to enter the logging business in Lakeview, Ore. He later worked on ranches. In July 1940, he married Marie Hack of Superior, Wisconsin in Reno, Nev. The couple worked for Bailey Dorris, south of Alturas. Marie cooked and Weller worked around the ranch. In the 50s, he went to work for Alturas building contractors Gibbons and Zick and later for Clovis Bagwell. Mr. Spaulding loved to fish, especially at the F and C Reservoirs on Modoc's Devil's Garden. He was preceded in death by his wife Marie, three brothers Charlie, Elwood, Harvey and a sister Myra DeWitt. Mr. Spaulding is survived by a sister Leola Bartholomew of the Skilled Nursing Facility, Alturas; a half-sister Marge Cain of Merrill, Ore.; and numerous nieces and nephews; and special friends Laverna Thompson, Ken and Jacquie Skaufel and good neighbors Dot and Earl Clark. ~~~~~~ Billie C. & Anita 'Jean' Reynolds Family Researcher of "The Last Frontier" Modoc County, California --- Our outgoing mail is checked by ZoneAlarm AntiVirus.