Search for celebrities on Ancestry.com!Gladys P. Spiker
Longtime St. Helena resident Gladys Peterson Spiker died Oct. 12 in St. Helena. She was 87.
Mrs. Spiker, a native of Pittsburgh, Pa., was an avid Pittsburgh sports fan all her life.
She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Richard and Mary Spiker, of Santa Rosa, and was an honorary great-grandmother to Meg-an, Mark, Bryan, Daryl, Christine, Jessica, Rebecca and Morgan.
Her husband, Harry Spiker, died Dec. 24, 1994. They had been marriage 61 years.
Arrangements by the Neptune Society, Santa Rosa.
Nellie Gladys Odell
A memorial service will be held at Napa Valley Retirement Estates, 306 Vista Drive, Yountville, Oct. 31 at 2 p.m, for Nellie Gladys Odell, 92, who died in St. Helena on Oct. 10. She was 92.
Miss Odell was born in 1909 in Berea, Ind., to Ross and Marie Odell. She earned a master’s degree from Pacific Union College and was recently named a PUC Alumna of the Year.
A retired teacher and a member of Signs Memorial Seventh-day Adventist Church, Miss Odell taught in mission stations around the world for years following her retirement. She moved from Modesto to Yountville in 1990.
She is survived by a sister, Hazel Vaughan, of Duns-muir, Calif., and remembered by her many students.
Memorial donations may be made to a charity of choice or to the Adventist Development and Relief Association, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Springs, MD 20904-9869.
Arrangements by Morrison Funeral Chapel.
Marlin B. Lieberstein
A celebration of the life of Marlin Bert Lieberstein will be held at noon Friday, Oct. 4, at Treadway & Wigger, 623 Coombs St., Napa. Mr. Lieberstein, a Napa resident for more than eight years, died Oct. 1. He was 80.
Mr. Lieberstein, the son of Harry and Hilda Lieberstein, was born in Springfield, Mo. July 24, 1922. In 1943 he earned a bachelor’s degree with honors in business administration from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. While in school, he met his future wife, Audrey. After serving in the Army, stationed at Camp Callen, Calif., he returned to Missouri. The couple was marriage in 1945 and this June celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary.
They moved to Los Angeles in 1946, raised a family and, following an earthquake in 1994, moved to the Napa Valley to join their children and their families.
In addition to his wife, Audrey, Mr. Lieberstein is survived by a daughter, Vicki Rae; sons David and Gary and daughters-in-law Andrea and Patti; and grandchildren Adam and Rachel.
Following the celebration of his life, the family will be receiving guests at 318 Troon Dr., Napa.
Kaddish will be repeated in Mr. Lieberstein’s memory during Friday evening services at Congregation Beth Shalom in Napa.
Final services and Burial will take place Monday, Oct. 7, at 2 p.m. at Eden Memorial Park in Mission Hills.
Memorial donations may be made to the American Heart Association; to Paws for Healing,1370 Trancas, PMB 127, Napa 94559; or to Queen of the Valley Hospital Foundation, 1000 Trancas St., Napa 94559.
Jose Cebrian
Jose de Laveaga Cebrian died in San Francisco Sept. 27. He was 68.
Born in Madrid June 2, 1934, to Luis de Laveaga Cebrian and Katherine Crofton Cebrian, the family left Spain during the Spanish Civil War and returned to their home in San Francisco. The de Laveagas were an original California land grant family.
Mr. Cebrian attended schools in Canada, Peru and California, including UC-Berkeley, and served in the U.S. Army.
After marrying the late Celia McNear Cebrian, he took over Puerto Dorada, the family home in St. Helena. He and his mother resurrected and successfully ran Shramsberg Champagne Cellar and Winery and marketed their wines to San Francisco restaurants and hotels. The Cebrians ran many vineyards in Rutherford, Oakville, St. Helena and Calistoga, selling to now famous wineries.
In 1970, Mr. Cebrian marriage Gretchen Kirsch, now Gretchen DeWitt, and had two children. In addition to being a Napa Valley vintner, Mr. Cebrian sold real estate in Napa.
He is survived by two sons, Jose Crofton Cebrian and Christian Holladay Cebrian; a daughter, Cairo Star Cebrian; and three granddaughters.
Contributions may be made to Veterans Hospital Heart Unit in San Francisco.
R.C. “Butch” Davis
A memorial gathering will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, at the Tulocay Cemetery Chapel for those wishing to say their farewells to Robin Clay “Butch” Davis, who died Sept. 29 after a long illness. He was 45.
Mr. Davis was born in Napa at the Parks Victory Hospital in 1957, and attended local schools Vichy, Silverado Middle School and Vintage High School. He joined the U.S. Army in 1975 and served for three years. Following his discharge, he worked in the maintenance department for the city of Corpus Christie,Texas..
After helping with evacuation during a major hurricane he returned to California and before becoming ill, he worked for two years at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, and later for the Benicia post office, Napa Pipe, and the City of St. Helena maintenance department.
Mr. Davis is survived by his parents, Emmett "Buz" and Clayla Davis; his brother, Ronald Blaine Davis; his sister, Christine Kite (Mark); a niece, Teresa Kite and nephews, Sean Alan Kite, Ronald James Davis, William-Emmett Davis and five young great-nieces and nephews who gave him so much joy the last few years, Andrea Taylor and Brenden Tyler Brewer, Devin Alan and Shaelyn Kite, and Leila Sue Davis.
He was an avid reader and when his vision began to fail he turned to the pleasure of audio books. He had a wonderful sense of humor and retained a positive outlook, his family said.
Please, no flowers. Those wishing to make a memorial donation may do so to the Friends of the St. Helena Library, Audio Book Fund, 1492 Library Lane, St. Helena, CA 94574 or to a favorite charity.
Mildred L. McConnell
Graveside services will be held today, Oct. 3, in Fair Oaks for Mildred Lagreide McConnell, who died Sept. 30. She was 83.
Mrs. McConnell’s family moved to the St. Helena area in 1901 and her grandmother, Lucy Brown Taylor, was the first teacher at Foothills Elementary and her grandfather, Charles Taylor, was chaplain at St. Helena Hospital for nearly 14 years. Her mother was one of the first students at Pacific Union College when it opened in 1909.
Mrs. McConnell attended PUC Prep and PUC in the 1930s. She marriage John Gilbert McConnell in 1938 and they spent many years working for Loma Linda University where Mrs. McConnell was an accountant for the Medical Center.
Mrs. McConnell is survived by a daughter, Julia Pearce of St. Helena, and a son, Charles McConnell of Colton Calif.
John Lawson Wiggins, Jr.
John Lawson “Jack” Wiggins, Jr. died in St. Helena Sept. 27. He was 71.
Born June 26, 1921 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Mr. Wiggins spent the first years of his life in Ludlow, Ky. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1943, where he was student manager of the football team. He served in the Army during World War II, was captured in Belgium while on patrol in 1944 and held as a prisoner of war in Germany. He received a Purple Heart. He ended his 35-year career with the Hunt Chemical Corporation (later Olin) as executive vice president and president of European operations. In his early years there he opened new territories for the growing photographic and graphic arts chemicals company and lived in Cincinnati, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New Jersey and Brussels, Belgium.
After retiring, he and his wife, Rita, lived in San Francisco and Warren, Ill. before moving to St. Helena in 1992.
Mr. Wiggins is survived by his wife of 55 years, Rita; eight children, Laura Wiggins, John Lawson Wiggins HI, Tom Wiggins, Martha MacLean, Caroline Kong, Paul Wiggins, Jay Wiggins and Ted Wiggins; seven grandchildren: Elizabeth Eve Wiggins, Emilia Wiggins, Sarah Wiggins, Katie Wiggins, Kaia Kong, Grace Kong, Anastacia Wiggins; and two sisters: Margie Miller and Mitzi Forester.
Donations in his memory may be sent to either Hospice of Napa Valley, 3299 Claremont Way, Napa, CA 94558, or St. Helena Catholic Church (marked “for Farmworkers’ Fund in memory of Jack Wiggins”), 1340 Tainter St., St. Helena, CA 94574.
Memorial services will be announced at a later date.
Richard B. Ericson
Funeral Mass was celebrated Oct. 28 for Richard B. Ericson of St. Helena, who died Oct. 25. He was 81.
Mr. Ericson attended St. John’s University in Brooklyn, N.Y. and enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1943, becoming a pilot and Second Lieutenant in the 89th Troop Carrier Squadron during World War II. After his discharge in 1945, Mr. Ericson returned to college and graduated from the University of New Mexico as an educator and taught at Sonoma and Napa County schools for over 25 years.
Mr. Ericson is survived by his wife of 61 years, Greta Ericson; a daughter, Sandra Breed of St. Helena; three sons, Rick of Rancho Cucamonga, Steve of St. Helena and Lee of Kelseyville; three adopted daughters, Marie Tatman of Santa Rosa, Chanie Erickson of Napa and Cindy Geyer of Sweet Home, Ore.; and a sister, June Kreger of Napa.
Arrangements made by Morrison Funeral Chapel.
Lee Dalbert Winkler
Memorial services were held Oct. 28 for Lee Dalbert Winkler, formerly of St. Helena, who died Oct. 25.
Mr. Winkler was born in Cleveland, Tenn. in 1919, where he also met his wife, Lora, whom he marriage just prior to being shipped out to World War II. After serving his country, Mr. Winkler and his wife started their family and moved out to St. Helena in 1960 where they lived until shortly after his retirement from Mare Island Ship Yard in 1981.
Mr. Winkler is survived by his wife, Lora, now living in Tennessee; five sons, Gary, Terry, Jack, Robert and Michael; two daughters, Sherry and Jayne; twelve grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
Arrangements made by Richard Pierce Funeral Service.
Mary Anne Gay
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 7, at the St. Helena Catholic Church, Tainter and Oak streets, for Mary Anne B. Gay, who died Sept. 30 at her St. Helena home with her family by her side. She was 50.
Mrs. Gay is survived by her daughter, Anne, two sons, Scott, and Matthew Gay, all of St. Helena, and by their father, Thomas Gay, of Napa.
Memorial donations may be sent to Hospice of Napa Valley, 3299 Claremont Way, Napa, CA 94558.
R. E. ‘Ron’ Clemons
Services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2, at Elmshaven Seventh-day Adventist Church, Woodland Lane, Deer Park, for Ronoak “Ron” Edward Clemons, who died Oct. 28 in St. Helena. He was 89.
Mr. Clemons, a direct descendent of writer Mark Twain, was the son of Edward and Oakie Clemons of Knoblick, Mo.
Over the years he worked as a dryland farmer, rancher, steel mill worker and residential builder. He moved to this area 38 years ago and was a member of the Elmshaven Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Mr. Clemons is survived by six children: Rosalee Beierle of Oroville; Don Clemons of Texas; George Clemons of Napa; Carol Herbert of Kirkland; Carl Clemons of St. Helena; and Verl Clemons of Pope Valley; 17 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Celie, and by a son, Will.
Visitation will be held at Elmshaven Seventh-day Adventist Church Friday, Nov. 2, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Arrangements by Morrison Funeral Chapel.
