LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lois Ruth Tompkins, born Sept. 14, 1922, passed peacefully Jan. 13, 2015, at the age of 92.

She is survived by her children, Dennis Church, Virginia Potter and Patricia Fenton; 12 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; and eight great-great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be at Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 1625 N. High St. in Lakeport, at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24.

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

Steven Smith
Aug. 26, 1963 – Jan. 9, 2014

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Steven passed unexpectedly at home where he was most comfortable.

He is survived by his wife, Lori; his daughter, Jaclyn; sons, James and Coty; father, Jim; mother, Marilyn; sisters, Shelly and Gaylene; brother in-law, Ray; and many nieces and nephews.

He was loved, liked and admired for his good nature and generosity.

He was a family man first, always loving and kind, he took pride in caring for his family. His daughter Jaclyn, son James and son Coty meant the world to him and brought him the most joy.

His love and heart will always be felt on the shores of Clear Lake, Blue Lakes, and in the town, on the hills and trails of Upper Lake where he made many friends and found peace.

He was a gentle and joyful man who put others needs above his own. He was the center of the universe to his family, and he will be missed every day.

There will be a graveside service only, held at the Upper Lake Cemetery at 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 16.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Claudette Marie DeSavigny Fredricksen, age 68, went to be with Our Lord on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2015, in San Francisco.

She was born Jan. 27, 1946, in South San Francisco.

She lived in South San Francisco, Petaluma and Cobb Mountain.

She achieved two master's degrees in psychology and in counseling psychology. Never afraid of messy situations in life, she used it to help change lives working for county crisis, then a foster agency, counseling at her parish and much more.

Claudette was a parishioner at St. Mary Immaculate Catholic Church in Lakeport, Calif., and served her parish as a member of Women of Grace, led adult formation, taught First Communion and was the founder of Lake County Birthright.

A Franciscan at heart, she adored her garden and the little birds that came to visit. She had a special fondness of all things “toad,” including the book “The Wind in the Willows” and all the little frogs that hid in her flower pots.

A loving mother to everyone, she touched many lives in her time on Earth, including many foster children.

Confident that babies are always a gift, she was known as “Bama” to more than her own grandchildren and was always ready for a huggy-wuggy.

She is survived by her husband of 47 years, Larry Fredricksen; three siblings; her seven children, Lisa (Patrick) Lambert, Allison (Hugh) Luce, Lorna Fredricksen, Erin Leverman, Kristen (Michael) Marsh, and Christopher and Emma Fredricksen; and will be dearly missed by her 21 grandchildren and great-grandson.

There will be a rosary at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14.

Funeral mass will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 15, followed by a graveside service at the St. Mary's cemetery. Afterwards there will be a reception in the St. Mary parish hall. 

The Fredricksen family invites you to come celebrate her life.

“We can do no great things; only small things with great love.” – Mother Teresa

James Wayne Humphrey Jr.
Aug. 28, 1960 – Jan. 9, 2015

LAKEPORT, Calif. – James Wayne Humphrey Jr., 54, died on Friday, Jan. 9, 2015, due to complications from diabetes.

Jim was a 17-year resident of Lakeport. He was the “big guy with the long hair” who worked at FASTOP from 2001 to 2011. For several years he also worked as a newspaper carrier delivering papers on Main Street and Soda Bay Road in Lakeport and Kelseyville.

He was born in Richmond, Calif., to Sherre DeRossette and James W. Humphrey Sr. He lived in Fremont from 1973 to 1998.

In 1978, four days after he turned 18 years old, he married his wife and soulmate Robin Berlin and together they raised two sons and a daughter.

He was 38 years old when his daughter was born and boy did she steal his heart. He didn’t always know how to show it but he really loved all of his children and grandchildren and was very proud of them.

Jimbo loved motorcycles, muscle cars, the 49ers, NASCAR’s Tony Stewart, fishing, camping and playing any type of cards from poker to pinochle. He would spend hours in his pontoon boat enjoying the serenity and beauty of Clear Lake. He also loved the beauty of Yosemite and especially Kauai, where he hoped to retire someday.

Jim is survived by his wife of 37 years, Robin Berlin Humphrey; son and daughter-in-law, Randy and Jenee Brooke; son and his fiancé, Brandon Humphrey and Kristin Warner; daughter, Sara Humphrey; sister and brother-in-law, Shannan and Mike Miller; sisters- and brothers-in-law, Billie and Jerry Sutton and Norine and Vince Mungo; grandchildren, Tony Davis, Lisa Davis, Troy Davis, LeAsia Kendrick, Peerliss Brooke, Aries Brook, Adarius Brooke, Harmony Humphrey, Eziah Brooke and Solomon Brooke. He also is survived by numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends.

A church service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan 17, at Grace Church, 6716 Live Oak Drive, Kelseyville (cross street is Highway 29 by CHP).

Following the service there will have a potluck get together at the Lakeport Yacht Club, 15 5th St. (at Library Park). All are welcome.

He was a big man with a big voice, big laugh and a big heart.

He will surely be missed.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – R.G. Dunn, born June 6, 1930, passed away Jan. 10, 2015.

He lived a full life, the last 40 years as a general contractor in Lake County.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 64 years, Nettie; his son, Mike, and grandson, Jason.

R.G. is survived by his sons, Richard (Kathy), and Lewis (Carol); several grandchildren; and great-grandchildren.

A graveside service will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20, at Hartley Cemetery in Lakeport.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Born in Denver, Colo. on Oct. 22, 1922, Darlene Howell started life with two older brothers who died in infancy, so she was raised as an only surviving child.

Her parents moved often as a result of her father’s work as a salesman for the Jewell Tea Co. and later for The Coca Cola Co.

She attended Northwest Christian University, Eugene, Ore. where she met her late former husband, Don Burke, with whom she had two children, Robynne and Randy.

Don in the early years of there marriage was a tent evangelist in Enid, Okla. When her daughter turned 3 and Darlene was still very pregnant with Randy, she was hanging out the clothes, which turned the color of the local soil before they were dry, a dark red; she went into the house and delivered an ultimatum to Don that she would be leaving, pregnant or not, for the West Coast, where her parents were now living.

They moved to Pomona where Don joined the police department.

When Darlene and Don divorced, the children were still very young. They all moved in with Darlene’s mother and father, who raised them well with love and the virtues of honesty, integrity, hard work and compassion.

Darlene devoted her life to their care, making sure they had a sound education and a loving home; she would wait 30 years to remarry.

During this time she worked as a Realtor and eventually received her real estate broker’s license. She also owned and operated a pet shop in Pomona, Calif., for 10 years. Following that time, she moved to Los Olivos to open a mail order pet pharmaceutical company.

She met Ernie Velarde in Los Olivos and they operated the mail order pet supply company in Los Olivos, Gardnerville, and Lucerne, Calif.

They began their adventurous and happy partnership when they were married in 1982 at the Ponderosa Ranch, made famous by the T.V. series Bonanza.

Wherever they traveled, they made wonderful friends and as they moved quite often, they had many!

After 20 years and many adventures, Ernie passed away, while working for a trailer park complex in Kelseyville.

Following Ernie’s passing, she moved for the last time to the Walnut Grove Family Home in Kelseyville, near Soda Bay, where she lived quietly for 10 years, attended by the most loving care givers who treated her as close family.

She passed quietly on Jan. 8, 2015, surrounded by the devoted staff of the Sutter Lakeside Hospital in Lakeport.

Her beauty, gentleness and wonderful smile will be missed by those close to her.

The family wishes to thank Sutter Lakeside Hospital, Walnut Grove Family Home, Kelseyville paramedics and all who showed great kindness for this mother of two.