Search for celebrities on Ancestry.com!Michael A. Corbett
Services will be Wednesday for Michael A. Corbett, who died Nov. 27 at Driftwood Convalescent Home. He was 92.
Corbett is survived by daughters Liz Cass of Santa Cruz and Mary Carlson of Alameda.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 9 a.m. Wednesday at St. Joseph’s Church in Capitola.
December 10, 2002
Fred W. Beuse
A celebration of life is pending for Fred W. Beuse, who died Nov. 29 at Dominican Hospital after a massive stroke. He was 84.
Born in Zehdenick, Germany, Beuse immigrated with his wife and daughter to Cloverdale in 1952, where he worked as a lumber grader.
He moved to Santa Cruz in 1960, working at Lone Star Industries in Davenport until retiring in 1982.
Beuse was a longtime member of BPOE Lodge 824.
He is survived by wife Irene; daughter Anne McIntyre of Tucson, Ariz.; and sister Brigitte Gremler of Germany.
Donations may be made in his name to the Santa Cruz County SPCA, 2200 7th Avenue, Santa Cruz CA 95062.
December 10, 2002
Juanita Leatherman
Friends and family are invited to gather Saturday to remember Juanita Leatherman, who died Dec. 7. She was 60.
Born in Napa, Leatherman moved to Merced as a young girl. She graduated from Merced High School in 1960 and earned a bachelor of arts degree from Holy Names College in Oakland.
She moved to Santa Cruz in 1969, along with husband Don and three children.
The family lived in Happy Valley where they ran Echo Hill Farm. She served on the Branciforte fire board, the Life Lab board and worked in local elections for many years. She was also active in the local 4-H Club and founded the Happy Valley Barbecue and Happy Valley Parents Club.
She is survived by husband Don; daughter Susan Bell of Santa Cruz; son Aaron Leatherman of Folsom; son Thomas Leatherman of Hollister; brother, Dan Macedo of Merced; sister Pam Friedman of Merced; and several grandchildren.
Contributions are preferred to the Happy Valley Endowment Fund or the Visiting Nurse Association of Santa Cruz.
Friends and family are invited to a celebration of her life at 10 a.m. Saturday at the family home on Branciforte Drive. For information, call Kathy Brown, 426-8226.
December 10, 2002
Marilyn L. Minnis
Services will be Monday for Marilyn L. Minnis, who died Wednesday in Cotati. She was 72.
Mrs. Minnis was a longtime Watsonville resident and graduated from Watsonville High School in 1948. She was a member of the San Jose Women’s Traffic Club for 20 years, and a member of the Watsonville Soroptimist Club and the Santa Cruz NAWIC.
For the past six years, she worked alongside her daughter at Cotati Jewelers. She enjoyed spending time and working in her flower garden.
She is survived by children Steve Minnis of San Jose, Michael Minnis of Livermore, Paula Minnis of Santa Rosa, Leslie Achord of San Jose and Patricia Minnis of Cotati; brother Mel Johnson of Montana; and five grandchildren.
A memorial service will be 1 p.m. Monday at First Christian Church, 15 Madison St., Watsonville. Parent-Sorenson Mortuary & Crematory in Petaluma is in charge of arrangements.
Contributions are preferred to the YMCA Domestic Violence Unit, 2235 Challenger Way, Suite 108, Santa Rosa, CA 95407.
December 11, 2002
Michael Streiff
Services will be today for Michael Streiff, who died at his niece’s home in Corralitos Dec. 2 after a brief illness. He was 61.
Mr. Streiff was born in San Diego and had lived in Santa Cruz for 32 years.
He worked as a correctional officer for the county Sheriff’s Office for nearly 20 years and volunteered with the Capitola Police Department.
He is survived by sister Catherine Luchsinger of Avery; brother Joseph Kurpell of Santa Barbara; and three nieces.
Memorial services will be 4:30 p.m. today at the Sheriff’s Posse House, 2127 Ocean St., Santa Cruz. Oakwood Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Contributions are preferred to Hospice Caring Project of Santa Cruz County, 6851 Soquel Drive, Aptos, CA 95003.
December 11, 2002
William C. Neal
Private services will be held for William C. "Bill" Neal, who died Sunday in Scotts Valley. He was 93.
Mr. Neal was born and raised in Cleveland and had lived at Oak Tree Villa in Scotts Valley since 2001.
He owned and operated a moving and storage business in Cleveland until his retirement in 1972. He then moved to Grass Valley, where he raised quarter horses. He enjoyed many outdoor activities, and was interested in environmental issues.
He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
His is survived by daughters Linda Morello of Aptos and Martha Randall of Whiteboro, Texas; four grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
His wife, Mary Alice Neal, died in 1998.
A private family service will be at Alta Mesa Cemetery in Palo Alto. Benito and Azzaro Pacific Gardens Chapel is in the charge of arrangements.
Contributions are preferred to the Sierra Club or the Wilderness Conservancy.
December 11, 2002
Donald Arthur Waters
No services are planned for Donald Arthur Waters, who died Dec. 1 in La Mesa of complications of Alzheimer’s disease. He was 81.
Mr. Waters was born in Boulder Creek, where his father and uncle owned Waters Brothers general store. He was the grandson of William Dool, the first warden of Big Basin State Park and a former Boulder Creek mayor.
He graduated from Boulder Creek Union High School before attending San Jose State College. He spent summers at Big Basin, camping with his grandfather.
At the start of World War II, Mr. Waters joined the newly formed Army Air Corps. He was stationed in East Anglia, United Kingdom. As a B-17 aircraft commander, he flew scores of bombing missions over Germany.
During a raid on Munich in July 1944, his plane was shot down by German anti-aircraft fire. He managed to guide the crippled B-17 to a crash landing in nearby Switzerland without losing a single crew member. He was interned in a camp in Davos for a year before escaping across Lake Geneva in a rowboat with the help of Swiss and Yugoslav resistance fighters and the French underground.
After the war, Mr. Waters flew dozens of missions as part of the Berlin Airlift. Among other honors, he received the Purple Heart and the Air Medal.
He completed his bachelor’s degree after the war and continued his military service until the late 1960s, achieving the rank of lieutenant colonel. During his career, he was posted in Paris, Augsburg and Wiesbaden in Germany, at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, and in Falls Church, Va.
Mr. Waters was a lifelong member of the Experimental Aircraft Association and a member of the Swiss Internees Association. He was a competitive tennis player throughout his life.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Marie Waters of La Mesa; brother Richard Dool Waters of Cashmere, Wash.; and daughter Christina Waters of Santa Cruz.
His youngest daughter, Melissa Magnussen, died before him.
At his request, no services will be held.
Contributions are preferred to Vitas Hospice Care, 8880 Rio San Diego Drive, Suite 950, San Diego, CA 92108.
December 11, 2002
Francisco F. Farao
Services will be Friday for Francisco F. Farao, who died Monday at his Watsonville home after a long illness. He was 84.
Mr. Farao was born in Pico in The Azores, Portugal, and had lived in Watsonville since 1964.
He was a retired nurseryman, who had worked for Kitayama Bros. and Siri Bros. nurseries. He belonged to the ISTW, SDES of Castroville and the Holy Spirit Society, all Portuguese fraternal organizations.
He enjoyed growing flowers, especially roses. He also grew fruit trees.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Zelia Farao of Watsonville; son Manuel Farao of Castroville; daughters Mary Henderson and Arlene Nunes, both of Watsonville; brothers Antonio Farao of Lemoore and Jaime Farao of Arroyo Grande; sisters Mary Rosa of Watsonville and Marianna Farao of Faial, the Azores; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
A rosary will be recited at 8:30 p.m. Thursday at Valley Catholic Church, 2401 E. Lake Ave., Watsonville. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday at the church, followed by Burial at Valley Cemetery. Friends may call from 1-5 p.m. Thursday at Mehl’s Colonial Chapel, 222 E. Lake Ave.
December 11, 2002
