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Armando Apodaca Delfin
Armando Apodaca Delfin died in his Woodland home surrounded by family after a courageous battle with cancer Wednesday, April 10, 2002, at age 67.
Born June 10, 1934, in La Mesilla, N.M., Mr. Delfin was the son of the late Ramon and Rosa Delfin. He was raised in Herndon and moved to the Woodland area where he lived and raised his family for the last 35 years.
He served as a staff sergeant in the Korean War. He was a member of the Holy Rosary Church were he served as an usher until his illness. He was self employed as an irrigation specialist and had many farmer friends throughout Yolo County. According to his family members, "he loved to travel and spend time with his family. He enjoyed movies and was an avid gardener."
Mr. Delfin is survived by his wife, Mary Delfin of Woodland; daughters, Corina Delfin, Amanda Delfin and her partner, Kimberlee Kristofferson of Sacramento; sons, Mark Delfin and wife Cynthia and Matthew Delfin, all of Woodland; stepson, John Castillo of Fresno; and grandchildren, Natalie, Naomi, Melissa, and Kaylee Delfin, Joshua and Rachel Lowe, Christopher and Tiana Castillo.
He is also survived by his brothers and sisters, Henry Delfin, Ida Duran, Corina Villegas of Fresno, Joe Delfin of Anaheim, Max Delfin of Riverside and Ray Delfin of Vista; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A vigil service is scheduled at 7 p.m. Sunday, April 14, at McNary's Chapel.
A funeral Mass is scheduled to be said at 10 a.m. Monday, April 15, at Holy Rosary Catholic Church. Interment will be conducted privately.
The family requests memorials be directed to Alcoholics Anonymous; or Holy Rosary Catholic Church Fund.
McNary's Chapel of Woodland is assisting the family with arrangements.
HEFNER
Donald Ray Hefner
Donald Ray Hefner, born April 15, 1919, passed away unexpectedly on June 24, 2003.
He was a fourth generation Californian in a family of agriculturalists and farmers.
Phillip Hefner, the patriarch and Donald's great grandfather, arrived in California in 1849 and was engaged in the hay and grain business, along with farming instead of gold mining.
By 1853, Phillip owned 1, 800 acres of river bottom and upland property between Oroville and Marysville, on the East Side of the Feather River.
Phillip was a very successful and influential orchard farmer and livestock rancher.
His oldest son Frank marriage Fannie Mae Heckart, whose family arrived in California in 1865 after the Civil War and settled on cattle ranches half a mile east of today's Butte College.
Donald Ray Hefner was born in Oroville, Butte County.
He attended elementary and secondary schools in Oroville and later graduated from the University of California, Davis, with a bachelor of science degree in agriculture.
Donald was an accomplished catcher on the Aggie's baseball team.
Donald was twice elected captain and he earned three letters.
Donald went on to be the starter for the Santa Ana Air Base, Mississippi Keesler Field, and Newfoundland Gander Air Base baseball teams.
Donald enlisted in the United States Air Force in August 1941 and was honorably discharged in September 1945.
In the course of his service he became a "90-Day Wonder" and ended up a first lieutenant.
He went to work for Spreckels Sugar Company after the war ended and remained in their Agriculture Department for over 30 years until his retirement.
Mr. Hefner's employment in the Spreckels Sugar Company's Agriculture Department was a happy time, with Hefner becoming the district manager for the last 13 years of his employment.
Donald enjoyed his fellow co-workers and the civic duties that he was involved with while working for the sugar company.
He became the President of the Woodland Chamber of Commerce, president of the Yolo County YMCA, and president of the Girl Scout Council.
Hefner was very active in the interests of the Woodland Medical Clinic and was director of the Woodland Hospital Foundation for six years.
He was a fundraiser for the Woodland Hospital Foundation and lured Spreckels Sugar Company into a $25, 000 donation and C. Nelson Hackett into the gift of a 40-acre parcel worth $100, 000, plus others.
In 1946, when Hefner moved to Woodland the population was approximately 7, 000 and ripe for the talents of "Donald R., " as he later became known.
He was soon chairman of the Agriculture Committee, and his fun began.
Along with Lou Meikle and Willie Marks, the three promoted the "Gracias Bracero Day."
Senator Kuchel was in attendance of this special celebration.
Next came the bus rides within the community to acquaint the local merchants of their treasures within their county.
The merchants were treated to a royal lunch by Eyvind Faye who introduced them to a product that was not a local staple - huge French prunes soaked and injected with brandy.
Everyone but the bus driver was happy!
The next great-established event was the annual award for the "Outstanding Agriculture Business Person of the Year."
Mr. Hefner felt that he had the unique knowledge of knowing people who worked for the community, but were not in the agriculture business just for the money - they were interested in the youth and the community too.
Mr. Jim Leathers was the first choice for the Outstanding Agriculture Business Person of the Year.
Mr. Hefner was the fourth person who received this award and blamed Jim Cranston for his selection.
Donald R. always said that if he were a cow, he would no doubt have C. of C. on one hip and S.S.C. on the other.
Buster Giovanetti had a great idea that he sold to Hefner and that was the Babe Ruth Baseball League.
It was a real hit, with the assistance of Bill Griffith, Jim Leathers and everyone else in the community.
In 1964 Woodland hosted the World Series.
Fritz Erdman bailed the league out, thanks to Jim Leathers.
Another new development was the Nelson's Grove campground and picnic area.
Nelson's Grove sat in limbo until Don Hays and Hefner went to work on this project and turned this beautiful picnic area over to the YMCA.
Dr. Nichols and Bill Griffith earlier worked on this project with the YMCA.
President Nixon needed help in his re-election and sent his secretary of Agriculture, Earl Butz; to speak at a luncheon attended by 600 community members at the Yolo County Fairgrounds.
There was a television interview with speeches that were handled very professionally by Regnar Paulsen.
Mr. Butz was elated by the event and presented Donald R. with a coveted memento, a set of rhinestone "RN" cuff links, for his dedicated efforts as chairman of the event.
One important event that was not agriculturally oriented was the challenge of saving the Second Baptist Church from oblivion.
The church was torched and the insurance money was held-up for sometime.
Hefner and 11 other past Chamber of Commerce presidents took over the task of finances, site clearance, and the rebuilding of the church.
The Rev. Lindsey and Harry Ackley were the nominal leaders of this project.
The church was rebuilt and at the dedication Donald R. was asked to pass the collection plate, when he was also honored as the real leader of the pack.
He did so in honor of Glen Gravink, and the Foley Foundation who donated the money for the church pews.
After complete retirement, Mr. Hefner ran a dozen or so small localized funding drives in his area for the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, the Mothers March of Dimes, and others.
Donald R. retired with the happy attitude of "done this, done that, I am going fishing."
Hefner inherited an 86-acre parcel near Fairbanks, Alaska, from an uncle who was in the 1897 gold rush.
This land parcel, plus a piece in Kodiak, made for enjoyable trips to Alaska with many a salmon and halibut on the fishing line.
Mr. Hefner and his wife Lucille also spent many wonderful years fishing, hunting, reading and relaxing at their cabin at Bucks Lake.
However, the last few years contained some bitter pills in the form of declining eyesight and heart disease that Donald R. bore with dignity and tolerance.
No fishing, no mountain cabin, no hunting. "Papa Don" was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and friend who will be greatly missed by all.
Mr. Hefner was preceded in death by his mother and father of Oroville, his first wife Ellora Doney, his beloved son Lynn Allen, son-in-law Paul Moore III, along with his brother Harold Hefner of Sacramento.
He is survived by his wife Lucille, their children and their families: Donna DeVries and her husband Joe of Davis, and their children Jeff and Doney; Deborah Moore of Danville and her children, Ellora Cooper and husband Gary, Lisa Sanguinet and husband Jeff, and Paul IV; Scott Hefner and wife Diane of Dixon, and their children, Miles and Kevin; stepsons, Keith Mannee, Kent Mannee and wife Dena of Woodland, and their children Kristina, Ryan and Tamara Cartagena and husband Robert; daughter-in-law, Susan Hefner and her daughter Heidi Lynn of Woodland; and three adorable great grandchildren and numerous special friends.
As requested by Donald R. there will be no memorial services, his family will celebrate his life at a private family gathering.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that those who wish to make memorial donations please send them to the Woodland Memorial Hospital Foundation, 1207 Fairchild Court, Woodland.
HEGGER
Janell Brazell (Williams) Hegger
Janell Brazell (Williams) Hegger died April 6, 2001, in Dixon. Born Jan. 3, 1932, she was 69.
She was the fourth daughter of William Andrew Ellis and Delorace Viola Brazell. Together with her older sisters, Margie Pearl, Dorothy Mae and Luzelle, they rented a farm, raised cotton and wheat, milked cows and raised chickens.
They lived there until she was about 7, when her father bought a farm just outside of Elk City, Okla. She started second grade in the school house called Pixlee, about a mile from their home. She met her first husband, Leon Williams, at a grocery and feed store where she worked in Elk City. Leon went in to the store with his uncle, and when he left, he said that he would have to come back to ask her for a date.
She was marriage at 16, on June 18, 1948. They started their marriage life at Pittsburgh, Texas. Leon's parents bought them a store and meat market. They sold the store when she became pregnant with her first child, and moved to Pampa, Texas. They had three children; Carol, David Leon and Stephen Ellis. The family moved to California when Carol, at age 4, needed surgery for heart problems.
When Stephen was 14, she and Leon were divorced. She moved to Napa for a few years and then to San Rafael. In 1971, she met Pete Hegger, and the two were marriage May 5, 1974. Pete had five daughters. He was an ironworker constructing high rises in San Francisco and the surrounding area. They bought a home in Novato in 1974 and lived there until moving to Fairfield in 1997.
Pete developed cancer and died in 1997 on their wedding anniversary. She continued living there for about one year, then moved to Dixon in 1998 to be closer to her family, who live in Davis and the Sacramento area. She was active in the First Southern Baptist Church of Davis.
She is survived by her daughter and two sons, Carolyn Ross of Sacramento, David Williams of Dixon and Stephen Williams of Rancho Cordova; 10 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Marge and Luzelle.
Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. today at the Davis Funeral Chapel, 116 D St. The funeral service will begin at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the First Southern Baptist Church of Davis, 770 Pole Line Road. Burial will be private at the Fairfield-Suisun Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Davis Funeral Chapel.
HEIDOTTING
Joseph I. Heidotting
Joseph I. Heidotting died at Alderson's Convalescent Hospital in Woodland, Ca. Thursday, Feb. 13, 2003 at age 96. He was born on a ranch at Oswald, Sutter County, Ca. and graduated from Marysville High School in 1926.
He marriage Dora Catherine Stoker September 14, 1928 at the Presbyterian Church in Santa Cruz. He was employed at The Bank of Italy, which later became Bank of America, as messenger boy, and later as manager in Corning and Loyalton until 1941.
Ensign Heidotting spent three years in the Navy as Paymaster on the escort carrier "Savo Island." If a shift went down the paymaster and assistants with the payroll money and records left the ship last along with the captain.
In 1945 the Heidottings lived in San Francisco where he was employed at the main branch of Bank of America. They later moved to Woodland where he served as assistant manager. After 40 years in the banking business he retired in 1966.
Surviving is his wife of 74 years, his niece, Joyce Healy of Great Falls, Montana, her son Kenneth Healy, wife and family of Alaska.
Services are scheduled at McNary's Chapel at 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, 2003, with a burial at Sutter Cemetery, Sutter, Ca. McNary's Chapel is assisting the family with arrangements.
