LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Luella “Lue” Stitt, born Nov. 7, 1930, in Forbes, North Dakota, passed away April 8, 2014.

Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother.

Lue and husband Jim started a water trucking company in Sacramento that they ran for 60 years, along with many other businesses over the years.

Lue never said a bad word about anyone and always had a beautiful smile for you.

Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 15, 2014, at East Lawn Elk Grove Memorial Park, 9189 East Stockton Blvd., Elk Grove, CA.

For further information call Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary at 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611 or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Sylvia Maureen Todd, a longtime resident of Kelseyville, Calif., passed away unexpectedly in Yuma, Ariz., her favorite winter spot.

She is survived by her husband of 57 years, Delbert (Dan) Todd; her daughter, Debra (Mike) Seymour; and grandson, Todd Seymour.

A memorial service will be held at Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary in Lakeport at 11 a.m., Saturday, April 12, 2014.

Family prefers donations to Meals on Wheels or Hospice of Lake County.

For further information call Chapel of the Lakes at 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611 or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Born April 20, 1917, in New Almaden, Calif., Helen went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on March 31, 2014.

Helen served as a Navy Wave during World War II, stationed in San Francisco, maintaining records for overseas naval personnel.

After the war, she married Rex Parodi, whom she had known since childhood. They had two children, Rochelle and Paul, and over the years moved several times throughout the Bay Area before relocating to Lake County in 1974.

Following the death of her husband and daughter, Helen continued to live in Kelseyville with her son until 2012 when they moved into Edelweiss Guest Home in Lakeport.

Helen never missed an opportunity to share the Good News of salvation in Christ with those with whom she came into contact.

She faithfully cared for her disabled son well into her 90s. Helen enjoyed being a homemaker and was a wonderful cook.

She prayed often with touching sincerity and trust in God’s will for family, friends and acquaintances. When people came to visit and encourage her, they ended up being blessed as well as she always had just the right thing to say to make them feel better.

She had a special charm, grace and selflessness, and was always accepting of others. A humble person, she shared heartfelt and practical wisdom and was very much loved by those who knew her.

Helen is survived by her son, Paul Parodi; nephew, Ted (Kathie) Lopez; nieces, Pat Tappan and Jan (Nick) Barisich; and several great nephews and nieces.

A celebration of Helen’s life is being planned for a future date.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – James Ronald Old was born April 10, 1945, in Los Angeles, Calif. Jim passed away unexpectedly Thursday, April 3, 2014, in Kelseyville.

He has been a resident of Kelseyville since 1994.

He was a veteran of the Vietnam War, loved to ride his Harley and go fishing.

Jim was a kind and gentle person, loved by all who knew him.

He is survived by his wife, Debi; daughters, Jamie of Joshua Tree, Calif, Jody of Buena Park, Calif., and Kim of Borden, Ind.; siblings, Mike, Pegi and Jackie, all of Lake Havasu City, Ariz; and grandchildren, Deanna, Dylan, Katelyn, Ian, Autumn and Sierra.

He was loved and will be missed dearly by all.

Cremation arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, Lakeport FD1336.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Harold Frank (Jim) Vickers passed away unexpectedly Thursday, April 3, 2014, at Sutter Lakeside Hospital at the age of 85.

Jim was born in Oakland, Calif., and was a lifelong resident of Lake County, Calif.

He served in the Navy from 1948 to 1952.

Jim was a motorcycle enthusiast, having raced motocross into his 40s and continuing to ride until his early 80s.

He worked many years for Prathers and Lange Brothers Construction as a truck driver before retiring.

Jim was preceded in death by his mother, Ella Dowell; and brothers, Elton Vickers and John Hildebrand.

Jim is survived by his wife of 59 years, Nancy; daughters, Terry Vickers of Jonesborough, Tenn., and Becky Karlson of Dallas, Texas; son, Steve (Toni) Vickers of Auburn, Calif.; brother, David Hildebrand of Kelseyville, Calif.; grandchildren, Erik Karlson of Dallas, Corrie Carter (Jason) Martinez of Redding, Calif., and Ryan Carter of Roseville, Calif.;  two great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

Graveside services will be held at Hartley Cemetery in Lakeport at 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 8.

A reception will be held following services.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Buck was born in Marysville, Calif., to Charles and Averil (Boyes) Schroeder.

He passed away on March 20, 2014, at age 72.

He moved as a young child with his family to Williams and then to Clearlake Oaks. On Sept. 23, 1966, he married Peggy Pember, and they moved to Clearlake, then to Kelseyville, then in 1973, they moved to Finley.

Buck belonged to the Lake County Sheriff’s Posse and was a member of the Clearlake Horsemen for almost 40 years, where he served as president and vice president two or three times. He loved horseback riding, and enjoyed many pack trips in the wilderness with the Horsemen.

Seeing new country was always high on his list of things that he liked. He never got lost, even if it was country he had never seen before. Unlike the rest of us, every tree did not look the same to him. He packed everything on his pack horse, rolled up a double bed mattress, and put it, along with a couple of lawn chairs, right on top. He always managed to keep everything on the horse, and still picked up what others had dropped along the way; then he hooked it all with his famous bungee cords.

He was a good cook, and enjoyed cooking every year for the Horsemen’s annual barbecue. He liked to try new recipes, and though he sometimes went a little heavy on the spices, it was still good, and turned out OK most of the time.

He graduated from Lower Lake High School, and has remained close to his high school friends. He and Peggy enjoyed going to “Old Timers” weekend every July, and just spending time with them.

Along with horseback riding, he liked to hunt, especially out of state. He made many trips to Idaho and Wyoming deer and elk hunting. He loved to work at the “ranch” in Paradise Cove, where they had cattle.

He was a good father, and an even better grandfather. He had a great time at the ranch with the kids and grandkids, and always made it fun. He would organize “treasure hunts” for them, let them feed (and sometimes sit on) the cows. He always managed to find a little work for all of them to do.

He showed them how to use their BB guns, whittle sticks with their pocket knives, how to run the cattle in, give them shots, etc. He also had a back hoe and dump truck, numerous tractors, and all the kids enjoyed their turn at “helping” him run the equipment.

He served in the Army when he was young, and was stationed in Manheim, Germany on the Czechoslovakian border.

He loved to do anything outdoors, and hated being cooped up in the house. He enjoyed camping, and just about any outdoor activity, but he also liked going to the theater to watch live plays.

When he and Peggy were young, went many times to see various artists in concert, such as Elvis Presley, Tom Jones, Dean Martin, The Oak Ridge Boys, Alabama, Reba McIntire and many more.

He leaves behind his wife of more than 47 years, Peggy; his daughters, Debra (Allan) Schroeder, Denise (Mark) Stirtz, Cindy Towner (Jessica) and Shelley (Matt) Coffin; and his sister, Sheila (Robert) Hayes.

He also leaves behind 13 grandchildren, Teri Hukkanen, Erika (Kevin) Stark, Charlene Gayaldo, Jeanette (Ken) Westmoreland, Paige McCarthy, Bryce McCarthy, Tiffany Coffin, Lexi Towner, Jaden Rikkelman-Boone, Jake Towner, Ashley Coffin, Colby Rikkelman-Boone and Alec Coffin; and four great-grandchildren, Olivia, Macayla, Zachary and Cannon.

He was a good friend to all who knew him, and was always willing to help just about anyone, he will be missed.

There will be a celebration of his life at noon on Saturday, April 12, 2014, at Rancho De La Fuente, 2290 Soda Bay Road, Lakeport.