Search for celebrities on Ancestry.com!Jean Stewart Williamson
Jean Stewart Williamson died Sept. 15, 2003, in Reno, Nev. She was 87.
In 1945, she marriage John C. Williamson, who served in the California Assembly from 1958 to 1966. She raised her four children in Bakersfield and Davis.
She was active in local and statewide political campaign organizations from the 1950s through into the 1980s, was a member of the California Democratic Central Committee and the Yolo Land Trust. At other points in her life she worked as a teacher in Idaho and as an executive secretary for 20th Century Fox in the movie industry.
She was also a skilled pianist and a beautiful singer, her family said. She people, loved the outdoors, especially the Sierra Nevada, music and was an avid reader. Her strength and accuracy with a cast iron skillet brought fear and respect from park bears throughout the West.
She was preceded in death by her husband.
She is survived by her children, Sally Carter and John S. Williamson of Graeagle, Dick Williamson of Reno, Bob Williamson of Cool, nine grandchildren and one great-grandson.
A memorial service will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. at Graeagle Community Church.
Arrangements are under the direction of Northern Nevada Memorial of Reno.
Patricia F. Whittemore
Patricia F. Whittemore, a Davis resident for more than 40 years, died Sept. 13, 2003, at Woodland Memorial Hospital. She was 84.
She was born in Galt on March 21, 1919, to Peter and Lela McEnerney. She attended Galt High School, then Sacramento City College, where she earned her associate of arts degree.
In 1940 she marriage her high school sweetheart, Leland B. Whittemore. They lived briefly in Folsom before moving to Sacramento, where they began their family. In 1952 the couple moved to Davis, and she remained here for the rest of her life.
Patricia enjoyed buying and selling antiques, but her foremost joy was always her family and time shared together.
She was preceded in death by her son Carl L. Whittemore on Jan. 21, 1975, and her husband Leland Whittemore on April 2, 1976, as well as her sister Hattie McEnerney and brother Clare McEnerney.
She is survived by her son, John F. Whittemore of Davis; daughter-in-law Renee Spencer and her husband Tim of Davis; grandchildren Karin Long of Woodland, Ryan Whittemore and his wife Erinn of Davis, Roxanne Eggen and her husband Frankie of Oroville, and Brandon Whittemore of Woodland; eight great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Friends are invited to attend a graveside service Friday at 11 a.m. at the Davis Cemetery, 820 Pole Line Road. No calling hours will be set.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Davis Funeral Chapel.
Travis M. Travis
Travis M. Travis of Davis died Aug. 21, 2003. She was 91.
She was born Oct. 14, 1912, to Virgil A. and Ursa B. Patterson. She later recalled how as a child she helped her father on their Fresno farm while her mother often traveled the San Joaquin Valley working in the fruit-packing industry.
Travis' own early trips to town were in a horse-drawn wagon, and she remembered her dad crank-starting their first automobile. Her family moved to the city when she was in grammar school.
She marriage Robert Travis in 1937. They lived in and around Oakland, where Robert worked in the plumbing trade. She also worked in the family plumbing business for many years, before beginning a 20-year career as an executive secretary for Hale's Testing Laboratory in Oakland. During that time she was active in her local PTA and on several city committees.
After her husband's death in 1984, she moved to Davis to be near family.
She planned to enjoy the easy life here, but quickly discovered the Davis Senior Center. She served three terms as president of the Senior Citizens of Davis Inc., and was named "Davis Senior of the Year" in 1994. She also organized the ceramics program and did much of the shopping for day-to-day supplies for the center. Only her failing health slowed her activities.
She witnessed incredible change during her lifetime, her family noted, from traveling in that horse-drawn wagon to a 747 jet airliner. She remembered her family's first telephone, especially the party line, and she used an early word processor in her secretarial career; later, she learned about computers and the Internet.
She is survived by sons Roger and Robert and his wife Mary, grandchildren Robert, Lyn, Jesse and Carly, and great grandchildren, Aubrianne and Zachary.
No memorial service was held, at the request of the deceased.
Constance Hedrick Bruce
Constance Hedrick Bruce died Sept. 9, 2003, at the University Retirement Community in Davis. She was 80.
She was born in Springfield, Ohio, to Willard and Mildred Hedrick on Sept. 19, 1923. She moved to Houston when she was 17 and lived there until moving to California three years ago to be near her daughter. She graduated from the University of Houston and taught school in Louisiana and Texas.
While in Houston, Connie was an active member of Bethel Independent Presbyterian Church. She also volunteered in her children's schools, at the Lighthouse for the Blind, in the Pine Shadows Garden Club, and for the Daughters of the American Revolution. After moving to Davis, she attended University Covenant Church.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, Homer L. Bruce Jr.
She is survived by her three children, Cynthia Alexander and husband Don of Virginia; Gennie Bostock and husband Rick in Davis; and H. Lindsey Bruce III and wife Tracy of Austin; grandchildren Michael, Will, Rob and Claire Alexander, Matt and Allison Bruce, and Gregory Bostock; and great-granddaughter Terra Alexander.
Services will be in Houston. In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations may be made to a charity of the donor's choice.
Ruth Anabelle Berna
Ruth Anabelle Berna died Sept. 5, 2003, at Alderson Convalescent Hospital in Woodland. She was 76.
Born Jan. 15, 1927 in Hampton, Ind., she ran a catering service in Phoenix, Ariz., with her husband. After retiring from the business, she worked for Revlon Inc. She moved to Yolo County three years ago.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 47 years, Francis T. Berna.
She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law Bob and Betty Berna of Woodland, and Richard and Debra Berna of Las Vegas; daughter Lynn Barker of Chickasha, Okla.; eight grandchildren and one great grandson.
A memorial service will be held Friday at 2 p.m. at Kraft Brothers Chapel, 175 Second St. in Woodland.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Yolo Hospice, P.O. Box. 1014, Davis, CA 95617.
Imogene "Teddy" Hill
Imogene "Teddy" Hill was to be buried
today alongside her husband at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. Born Feb. 26, 1927, in Fairbank, Pa., she died Sept. 4, 2003, at Kaiser Hospital in Sacramento with her family by her side. She was 78 years old.
She had a rich heritage of interest in education, service to and a love for others throughout her life. She was featured in Neighbors Magazine in 1991 and was quoted as saying, "The four big things for me are my family and friends, the stage, teaching and real estate. Those have been the fabric of my life."
As a child of 3, she acted on the vaudeville stages of Pittsburgh, Pa. She was Little Imogene, a diminutive bundle of energy, who tried to steal the show from the likes of Cab Calloway and Dick Powell. She and her brother Aldino, also a dancer, entertained as a brother/sister act on local stages in and around the Pittsburgh area.
During World War II, she studied at Temple University in Philadelphia, graduating in 1946. While there, she starred in a production of "Junior Miss" and was awarded a listing of "Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities."
In 1949, she marriage a young West Point graduate from the Class of 1946, Steven Hilovsky. He later changed his name to Hill. She traveled with him around the world on assignments.
From 1962 to 1964 they lived in Palo Alto, where she taught elementary school in the Whisman School District in Mountain View. One of her students was Steven Jobs, founder of Apple Computer Corp. Jobs, who was in her fourth-grade class, called her "one of the saints in my life," and has credited her with being a strong influence in his success.
After their assignment in Mountain View, the Hills traveled to the island of Guam. While there, she produced and directed a production of the musical "Bye, Bye Birdie." Upon returning to California, she taught at Del Dayo Elementary School in Sacramento's San Juan Unified School District, where her daughter, Karen Hill Garman, now teaches art.
Mrs. Hill also enrolled at UC Davis. In the early 1970s, while in her 50s, she earned a master of arts degree. She also studied in India and was named a Fulbright Scholar in 1976.
In 1977, she was recognized for her many achievements and dedication to teaching by being selected by the California Teachers Association as the San Juan School District's Teacher of the Year.
More recently, she had been a real estate entrepreneur and a civic leader in North Sacramento, a community for which she had long fought, in hopes of having it achieve what she described as "its ultimate potential."
She was preceded in death by her husband of 40 years, Steven Hill, who died March 14, 1989, and her brother, Aldino Guerrieri of Mechanicsburg, Pa., who died in 2001.
She is survived by a brother, Robert Guerrieri and his wife Gloria of Lower Burrell, Pa.; a sister-in-law, Ruth Guerrieri of Mechanicsburg, Pa.; a daughter, Karen Hill Garman of Davis; two sons, Steven E. Hill and Richard Hill and his wife Ruby; and five grandchildren, Steven Morgan Garman, Flannery Hill, Jonas Hill, Lee Ann Hill and Virginia Hill.
Private services were to be held today at Arlington National Cemetery.
B. Lorraine Reeves
B. Lorraine Reeves of Woodland died in Sacramento on Sept. 1, 2003. She was 54.
Born Aug. 19, 1949, in Fresno, she was a Yolo County resident for 10 years. She previously lived in Calaveras County, and worked in home health care for 15 years.
She was preceded in death by her daughter, Eunice Fish, in 1996; sister, Lee Alec, in 1999; and brother, Charles Quigley, in 2000.
She is survived by her husband Arylis Reeves of Woodland; son Robert Fish of Red Bluff; daughter Shiela Hill of San Angelo, Texas; sisters Blanche James and her husband Don, Belle Hollar and her husband Joe, both of Woodland, and Yalonda Alonzo and her husband Manuel of Madison; brothers Les Brewer of Madison, Archie Quigley and his wife Lucille of Springfield, Ore., and Jack Quigley and his wife Betty of Siloem Springs, Ark.; granddaughter Cheyenne Fish of Red Bluff; and grandsons Chayton Fish of Red Bluff, and Braydon and Triston Hill of San Angelo, Texas.
A private family service is planned.
The family requests that memorials be directed to the American Cancer Society.
Arrangements are under the direction of Evergreen Funeral Service of Woodland.
Burneda Cummings
Burneda Cummings of Davis died peacefully in her sleep on Aug. 31, 2003. She was 88.
Born on American Ridge above Kendrick, Idaho, on Nov. 13, 1914, she was the daughter of Benjamin Harrison and Rebecca Reed Cummings. Her hometown was so small when she grew up, there were only four jobs for women -- and she and her sisters held three of them.
She later attended business college in Spokane, Wash. There she worked 10 years for Bowles Furniture Company as a bookkeeper, then 30 years at the Old National Bank before retiring.
She moved to Davis in 1992 to live with her sister, Ethel, and a much-adored Yorkshire terrier named Ginger.
According to her family, Burneda's many interests included reading, playing Scrabble (she was "unbeatable") and cards ("a shark"), book and stamp collecting, and making "memorable" divinity candy and angel food cakes.
She also traveled extensively throughout the United States, Western Europe and the Middle East.
She was preceded in death by her parents, sister Phyllis Dennler, nephew John Dennler, niece Linda Grossen and grand-nephew Jeff Laird.
She is survived by sisters Ethel Lyberger of Davis and Jewel Dunnler of Juliaetta, Idaho, nieces and nephews, Arlene Laird of Clarkston, Wash., Janice Lohman of Lewiston, Idaho, Karen Lyberger of Oakland, Dale Lyberger of Davis, Mark Dennler of Juliaetta; numerous grand-nieces and -nephews; and a host of good friends.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Heifer International Project, P.O. Box 8058, Little Rock, AR 77203.
James G. Leathers
Born in San Francisco on Sept. 4, 1918, James George Leathers died Sept. 1, 2003, with his wife Dorothy Worth Leathers and his family by his side in Woodland, his home and community for the last 53 years of his life. He was 84.
Raised in Marin County, he graduated from UC Davis in 1939, marriage Dorothy Worth on Feb. 15, 1940, and moved to Knights Landing to farm in Sutter Basin with his two brothers, Bill and Jack, and mother, Alma Zang Leathers, and begin their family.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Dorothy; five sons and one daughter, James G. Leathers Jr. and his wife Carol, Timothy J. Leathers and his wife Linda, Joan G. (Leathers) Rhoads and her husband Rick, Patrick D. Leathers and his wife Kathrine, Michael W. Leathers and his wife Cynthia, and Scott W. Leathers and his wife Donis; 20 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Leathers will be remembered for his love of family, his friends, his community and the passion for which he honored and respected all that he knew, served and shared life. At one point, he served on 22 separate boards of directors, commissions and committees, most of which he chaired at one time or another, a distinction that his wife credits to his "secretary" -- her.
They were a team that went on to even greater distinction when Jim "retired" from all his official activities and became Dorothy's "special assistant" during her 22 years of service on the Yuba Community College Board of Trustees, representing the Woodland district.
To fully list or quantify Leathers' volunteer and professional activities is simply impossible. A short list would include chairman of the Federal Land Bank Board in Yuba City for 40 years and the Western States District Federal Land Bank Board member for 10 years. He was the last surviving signatory to the articles of incorporation forming the Farmers Rice Cooperative in 1946, an organization he chaired and served as a board member for 20 years.
He was manager of the Sutter Basin Growers Cooperative and, for more than 35 years, farm adviser for Barber-Rowland Chemical Co. He also helped establish and chaired the California Rice Research Committee, invented the "Leathers method" of rice irrigation, so named by UC Davis, and was a leader of Operation Port Folio, representing agriculture and introducing the new Port of Sacramento on a 30-day trip in the 1960s to Western Europe.
Leathers also represented the agriculture community on the California Air Resources Board as an appointee of Gov. Jerry Brown from 1978 to 1983.
He was recognized for his many achievements in agriculture. He was named Ag Businessman of the Year by the Yolo County Chamber of Commerce in 1968, received the state of California Rice Industry Award and received a 50th anniversary Farm Credit Commemorative Medal for Outstanding Contribution to Agriculture and Community.
Leathers and his two brothers shared an early love of the Boy Scouts of America. All three became Eagle Scouts, as are all five of Jim's sons and three grandsons. He was Cubmaster of Troop 69 in Woodland for 12 years, Yolo County district chairman of the Boy Scouts, National Committeeman of the Boy Scouts of America, and chairman of the Special Gifts Finance Drive for the Yolo County Boy Scouts for 15 years. All of this scouting spirit helped Jim and his brothers build a cabin in the woods in 1936 that remains the family mountain getaway in sight of Mount Shasta.
Giving back to one's community was not just a slogan to Leathers. He chaired the capital campaign to raise funds to build Woodland Memorial Hospital, chaired the hospital foundation and served as a member of the hospital board for 20 years.
Sports were another area of commitment for Leathers. In 1964, as president of the Woodland Babe Ruth league, he ran the campaign to bring the Babe Ruth World Series to Woodland, which resulted in the development of Clark Field.
Leathers tended his own spiritual garden as well. He was a vestryman at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Woodland, at 515 Second St., where a service for family and friends will be held Friday at 11 a.m., after which he will be laid to rest exactly where he always wanted to be: Knights Landing, so everyone can wave at him as they drive by on their way to their beloved community of family, friends and through the countryside where he expressed his ever present passion for farming.
A reception will follow.
Visitation and viewing for friends and family will take place Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Kraft Bros. Funeral Home, 175 Second St. in Woodland.
The Leathers family suggest that memorial donations be made to the donor's favorite community activity.
Joyce M. Walz
Joyce M. Walz died Aug. 31, 2003, in Davis after a lengthy illness. Born on May 24, 1940, in Parkston, S.D., she was 63 years old.
She was raised in Dimock, S.D., and came to California in 1959. She worked for many years as an X-ray technologist at Davis Orthopedics and Sacramento Occupational Health, where she also did medical assisting.
A 38-year resident of Yolo County, she was a member of the Full Moon Club. Her family describe her as the matriarch who kept the family together. She was very involved in her nieces' and nephews' lives.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Verlin and Marie Walz, and two brothers, Delmer Elliott Walz and Allen Walz.
She is survived by her children, Craig Hernandez of Davis and Casey Walz and his wife Chris of Lander, Wyo.; her daughter-in-law, Susan Lupoli of Davis; her granddaughter, Amber Lupoli-Hernandez of Davis; her brother, Clifford Walz of Spooner, Wis.; and her sisters, Beverly Juhnke of Davis and Audrey Jadczak of Hulmeville, Pa.
Friends are invited to attend a memorial Mass at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. James Catholic Church, 200 W. 14th St. Burial of her ashes will take place this spring at St. Peter and Paul Cemetery in Dimock, S.D.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Davis Funeral Chapel.
Joan Carlson
Joan Carlson died at her Davis home on Oct. 11, 2003, of cancer. She was 69.
Born in New Jersey to a military family, she spent her early years in Kansas, North Carolina, Texas, Panama, Germany and California. She earned a bachelor's degree in political science from San Jose State University in 1957. Before moving to Davis in 1965, she spent three years living in Argentina.
She was active in the Davis League of Women Voters, the Design Alliance and the Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum.
She is survived by her husband Robert and son Roland of Davis, sister Judy Ziegler of Santa Cruz, brother Jack Whiteside of San Jose, sister Jean Munro of Cottonwood, Ariz., and many friends.
At her request, a public memorial service will not be held.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Davis Branch of the Yolo County Library, 315 E. 14th St., Davis.
John W. Brewer
John William Brewer, a UC Davis professor emeritus, died Oct. 17, 2003, at the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. He was 65.
Born Jan. 29, 1938, in San Francisco, he was raised in Petaluma. He graduated from high school there in 1955. He lettered in three sports and was inducted into the high school football hall of fame.
He later attended UC Berkeley, where he earned his doctorate in engineering and physics. While a graduate student, he worked as a lecturer.
He accepted a position as a professor of engineering at UCD in 1965. He went on to author numerous technical papers and two text books, one of them on automatic controls.
He was an avid Aggie fan and never missed home games, his family said. He also maintained a Web site called "Male Voices in Praise of Jane Austen," that serves as a compendium of scholarship on that author. He also loved animals, and faithfully fed a small colony of feral cats on the UCD campus for many years.
He enjoyed spending time with and mentoring young people, and had a particularly close relationship with his cousin, Kent Boes, a UCD engineering student. In 1995, Brewer took six of his nieces and nephews on a cross-country train trip to Washington, D.C.
He is survived by his wife, Marylou Brewer of Davis, and children, Jeffrey C. Brewer of Davis and Cori M. Brewer of Woodland. He is also survived by his brother Thomas Brewer and his wife Linda of Elk Grove; sister Caryl Spencer and her husband Emory of Sacramento; grandchildren Anthony William Brewer and Chelsea Griffith; nieces and nephews, Kristina, Heather and Angela Brewer, Janine and Bret Zumwalt, Cheriene, Susann and David Griffith, Tresa Abuan, Sule and Ibrahim Suleiman; and numerous grandnieces and grandnephews.
A memorial service will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. in the AGR Room at the Alumni & Visitors Center at UC Davis.
Davis Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
