LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Patricia Beth Neu Tolleson was born on Sept. 12, 1929, in St. Helena, Calif.

Her parents were Leander Neu and Gladys Petit Neu, who owned the Little High Valley Ranch on Spruce Grove Road outside of Lower Lake.

Her mother’s family came to Lake County in August of 1856 on a wagon train from Missouri to escape the violence that preceded the Civil War. They settled on Spruce Grove Road and made a living from farming and cattle ranching.

Patricia and her three siblings lived on the ranch until their mother died of breast cancer in October of 1936, when Patricia was 7 years old.

The children went to live with their aunt in the Oakland until they were old enough to return to the ranch in 1938 to live with their father. The children attended the one room school house on Spruce Grove Road and Lower Lake High School.

Growing up during the depths of the Great Depression was difficult, but her father worked hard on the ranch to provide for his children. These hard times influenced her greatly and she grew to be very frugal and grateful for the small things.

Upon graduation from high school, Patricia worked for a year in a jewelry store in Oakland to save enough money to attend nursing school at Samuel Merritt Hospital School of Nursing.

When she graduated from nursing school with her RN, she returned to Lake County and worked at Lakeside Hospital and then a family doctor in Lower Lake and lived with her father at Little High Valley Ranch.

She married in 1955 and had three children. Patricia returned to work as an RN on the first day that Redbud Community Hospital opened in 1968. She work the night shift so she could care for her children during the day.

She continued to work nights at Redbud Hospital for almost 40 years. She tried to retire from nursing when she turned 78 but found it too dull.

She returned to nursing part-time until the age of 82, caring for patients often younger than herself.  Nursing was her calling and she cared for others her entire life.

She lived quietly in Middletown and in the last months of her life she fell ill. She died in her sleep at the age of 84 in the early morning hours on Sunday, Aug. 31, after spending the day with her close family.

She is survived by her three children, Eddie Jr. (wife Barbara) of Las Vegas, Rebecca (husband Rex) of Orange County and Wesley (wife Georgia) of Lower Lake.

She also is survived by five grandchildren, Eddie III of Las Vegas; Kyle, Rachel and Thomas McMillian of Orange County; and Wesley Jr. Her youngest sister Virginia also survives her.

She will be buried next to her parents in the Lower Lake Pioneer Cemetery after a long life of caring for her family, her patients and enjoying time spent on the ranch she inherited from her father in Little High Valley. She was deeply loved by her family and will be deeply missed.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday, Sept. 9, beginning at 1 p.m. at the United Methodist Church, 16255 Second St. in Lower Lake. Burial will follow at Lower Lake Cemetery.

Arrangements are under the care of Jones & Lewis Clear Lake Memorial Chapel in Lower Lake.

Please share condolences and memories on Patricia’s online guest book at www.jonesandlewis.com .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Emma M. Jackson, 97, of Lucerne was reunited with love ones in heaven on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2014.

She lived the final years of her life in Concord, Calif. at the Young in Heart residential care facility, where she was provided loving care by Aurora, Dumitru, Monica and Coca.

She was preceded in death by her loving husband, L. C. Jackson, and is survived by her sister, Eldene Terry. 

Emma was a past owner of the historic Holbrook Hotel in Grass Valley, Calif., and lived in Lucerne before moving to Concord.

Services will be held at Jones Mortuary in Lakeport.

Viewing will be on Friday, Sept. 5, from 4 to 8 p.m., and funeral services will be held Saturday, Sept. 6, at 12:30 p.m. at Jones Mortuary.

Arrangements and Services entrusted to Jones Mortuary, www.jonesmortuary.com , FD311, Lakeport.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Vivian “Arlene” Bunting was born July 25, 1944, in Kelseyville, Calif., to Carl David Stilley and Lula Mae Stilley. 

Arlene suddenly left this world to join her dad Carl and her older sister, Pat, on Saturday, Aug. 23, 2014, in her home in Sacramento.

She will be deeply missed by her loving and devoted husband of more than 51 years, Robert Bunting, and be their four daughters, Larina, Sherice, Alicia and Lana, and their husbands, Rick, Tim, Joe and Rick. 

She also is survived by her brother, Lee; sister, Betty; 13 grandchildren, Ricky, Thomas, Erick, Dustin, Tamara, Janna, Breeona, Cole, Dustin, Claire, Chad, Matthew and Mark; as well as her three great-grandchildren, Haylee, Jaydeon and Skyler.

Her family invites the community to a celebration of her life at Kelseyville Presbyterian Church, located at First and Church streets, at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3, with graveside services to follow at Kelseyville Cemetery, 3375 Bell Hill Rd., Kelseyville.

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. – Our much loved Vernon Martin Churchill II is survived by his wife of 59 years, Shirley Joan Churchill, his loving mate and companion through life and eternity.

He is survived by daughter Sheryl Churchill-Torres (Lorenzo), son, Vernon Churchill III, daughter, Rebecca Caires (Cliff), son-in-law, Michael Sabados, sister, Barbara Thompson (Harold), nine grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by parents Vernon and Ina Churchill, mother-in-law, Mary Tuomala, sister, Beverly Pool, daughter, Mary Ina Sabados and grandson, Joshua.

Vernon served in the Army from 1953 until 1955 when he was discharged and served in the reserves for eight years. He was passionate about his country and politics.

He married the woman he loved, fathering four children to begin his own family that loved him dearly.

He was a glorious singer and a well-received square dance caller, wearing the costumes sewn by his wife. He taught his kids and many others the joy of square dancing.

He moved to Middletown in 1980 and started his own business in 1983 with his wife, testing, repairing and fitting of hearing aids, he was successful in his business and retired in 2013.

Vernon was an avid family man whose humor, wit, puns and quips will forever be quoted by everyone who knew him, but mostly by his family; They call them Papa jokes.

Memorial services will be held Saturday, Sept. 6, 2014, beginning at 1 p.m. at Jones & Lewis Clear Lake Memorial Chapel in Lower Lake.

Officiating will be Pastor Larry Fanning with military honors rendered by the U.S. Army and the Lake County Funeral Honors Team.

Please share your memories of Vernon on his online guest book at www.jonesandlewis.com .

Arrangements under the care of Jones & Lewis Clear Lake Memorial Chapel in Lower Lake.

LUCERNE, Calif. – Mary Laurene Broaddus, 85, of Lucerne died Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2014.
 
Mary Laurene was born May 30, 1929, in Bend, Ore., to John and Myrtle Caldwell.

She grew up in Fresno, Calif., and graduated from Fresno High School in 1947, and then received a bachelor of science degree in home economics on June 3, 1951, at Pepperdine College in Los Angeles, Calif.

She married David T. Broaddus that same day, and together lived many locations around the world, settling in Lucerne in 2002.
 
Mary taught home economics for Fresno city schools for 25 years, helping in Head Start programs and private sewing lessons to post high school students. She returned to California State University at Fresno in 1976 to receive her master's in science.
 
Taking an early retirement in 1990, she and her husband traveled three summers to Albania and five years to China, teaching English.

Mary enjoyed her family activities with children and grandchildren, reading, sewing, cooking & baking, and nature in hiking and camping. She collected stamps all her life from all over the world.
 
After moving to Lake County, Mary was an active member of Kelseyville Church of Christ, Sutter Hospital Auxiliary and Lake County Hospice.
 
Mary is survived by her husband of 63 years, David Broaddus of Lucerne; four children, Margaret Retherford of Nice, Calif., Jeff Broaddus of Soulsbyville, Calif., John Broaddus of San Diego, Calif., Jeremy Broaddus of Salinas, Calif.; 11 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
 
A celebration of Mary’s life will be held at United Christian Parish, 745 N. Brush St., Lakeport, at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13.
 
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made to American Cancer Society.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Services for Dixie Lee Porter are scheduled to take place at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 30.

She will be interred at Veterans Circle at Hartley Cemetery, 2552 Hill Road East near Lakeport.

Porter, a Lakeport resident, died July 13. She was 83.

She served in the United States Marines during the Korean War, and will receive full military honors at the Saturday services from the Military Funeral Honors Team of Lake County.