Steven E. Gaddy passed away unexpectedly in his home on April 24, 2013. He was only 61 years old.  

Steve was born in Lakeport on February 1, 1952, and had been a resident of Lake County, Calif., his entire life. In fact, the Gaddy family was one of the first families to settle in Kelseyville more than a 100 years ago, a fact that made Steve incredibly proud. He was known by his family and friends to be a Kelseyville and Lake County historian.

Steve was preceded in death by his beloved mother, Dolores “Dolly” Todd, and sister, Cynthia Chalmers.

He is survived by father, Edmund Gaddy, and wife, Kathy Gaddy. He also will be sorrowfully missed by stepchildren, Shannon Walker-Smith and Nicholas Walker; and grandchildren, Kellen Smith, Annalise Smith and Arianna Walker, who called him “Pop-Pop.”

As a lifelong resident of Kelseyville, Calif., Steve had hundreds of family and friends he had known for 40, 50 or 60 years, who will also miss him a great deal.

All are welcome to join in a celebration of Steve’s life at 1 p.m. Sunday, May 5, at the Kelseyville Lions Club. Please no donations or gifts, but come prepared to share your stories.

Arrangements entrusted to Jones Mortuary FD311, Lakeport, Calif.

A memorial service for Dolores Nutt, who passed away March 4, 2013, in Redding, Calif., will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 4, at Chapel of the Lakes in Lakeport, Calif.

Inurnment to follow at Hartley Cemetery.

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

Francys Ann Nelson passed away in Lakeport, Calif., on April 13, 2013, at age 92.  

She was born May 17, 1921, in Scotia, Calif., to Julius R. and Anna Sophia Paulson.  

Francys loved to tell the story of how she was born on the “front seat of a logging truck” owned by her father who had his own trucking company.

The family moved to Kelseyville, Calif., where Francys attended school. On May 31, 1947, Francys married Clifford F. Nelson and together they started Nelson Roofing Co. which operated in Lake County, Calif., for many years.  

Later, Francys ran the housekeeping department at Konocti Harbor Inn and after leaving there was executive housekeeper at the Heritage House on the Mendocino Coast for many years before she retired.

Francys was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers, Jack H. and James C. Paulson; her husband, Clifford; sons, James C. and Marc A. Nelson; daughter (niece) Barbara Tallman (Paulson); and grandsons Troy and Tyrone Nelson.

Francys is survived by her sons, Clifford P. Nelson and Leland Paulson (nephew); daughters Candace A. Prairie and Sharon Wright (niece); son-in-law Thomas Wright; daughters-in-law Betsy Nelson, Pamela Paulson, Frances Nelson, Donna Nelson and Roberta Nelson-Strom; grandchildren, Jeffrey Nelson, Catherine Lovett (Nelson), Eric Nelson, Diane Devries Nelson, James and Julius Nelson, Crystal and Justin Prairie, Jack and Blair Paulson, Brett Harmon, Heather McFrederick (Harmon), Thomas Wright and Kelly Sears (Wright); and numerous great-grandchildren.

Instead of a public service the family has chosen a private gathering. They suggest anyone who would like to honor her please make a donation in her name to your favorite charity.

Lewis “Bill” Hamilton, 87, a resident of Lakeport, Calif., passed peacefully at his home April 17, 2013.  He was born in Oklahoma July 7, 1925.

Bill served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Chevalier in World War II.

He married Estelle in May, 1946. They settled down in Oakland then moved to San Lorenzo.

Bill worked for Lawrence Dairy for many years then retired to Lake County where he enjoyed fishing, boating, playing bingo and the slot machines.

He is survived by his wife, Estelle; daughter, Carol; grandchildren, Tammy, Mark and Ashley; and great-grandchildren, Alexandria, Zoey, Tyler and Taya.

Bill was a loving, caring man and will be missed by the many friends and family who loved him.

Family prefers donations to the Lake County Military Funeral Honors Team, P.O. Box 1365, Kelseyville, CA 95451.

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

The family and friends of Jack W. Hutton celebrate his life and mourn his passing at 90 years old.

His integrity, independence, strength and wisdom defined him as a family man and business owner.

He was a well respected and knowledgeable water well driller for seven decades.

His passions included mule deer and elk hunting, reliving and sharing those experiences and memories with all he met, as well as creating memories for “Hutton’s Hideaway” in Pt. Arena, Calif.

Prior to settling in Lake County, Calif., he was a World War II Navy veteran who served in the Pacific Theater and a semi pro baseball player.

In Jack’s personal and professional life he was always the most unselfish, honest and positive role model.

Jack is preceded in death by his wife of 43 years, Ellie, and his twin brother Jerry.

Surviving family who honor his legacy are Cheryl (Hendricks) Renfro and husband Fred; Kathy (Hendricks) Andrews and husband Mark; Jim Hendricks and wife Colleen; Matthew Hutton and wife Lisa; nieces Tina and Karen Hutton; eight grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

To honor his wishes there will be no services.

Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of your choice.

Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes, Lakeport, Calif.

Thomas Larsen Lode Jr. passed away peacefully in his sleep on April 21, 2013, at home with his family. He was 95 years old.

He was born Finn Egon Lindtner Olsen in Stavanger, Norway on January 15, 1918. He was raised by his aunt and uncle.

When he was 8 years old, the new family emigrated to the United States through Ellis Island. They started a new life in America and throughout his life he was a proud American and also proud of his Norwegian heritage.

Thomas graduated from San Jose State University in 1941 with a degree in business administration and economics and became a management trainee for the JC Penney Co.

He was drafted in 1942, but college graduates who were not American citizens could not be trained as officers. He entered the Army as a Private at Camp Ripley, Minnesota in November 1942 in the 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate).

This special battalion of 1,001 Norwegian speaking men was formed for the potential invasion of Europe through Norway. They had extensive skiing, winter survival, intelligence and infantry training in Camp Hale, Colorado.

Shortly before leaving for England in August 1943, he became an American citizen and attained the rank of staff sergeant.

In June 1944, the 99th joined the invasion of Normandy and they participated in the five major battles in Europe: Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Central Europe and the full duration of the Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes.

In 1945, the 99th became part of the 474th Infantry Regiment and they were sent to Oslo, Norway for five months after the war to repatriate the country. When the king of Norway returned to the country after the war, Thomas was part of his honor guard.

At the end of the war he received the Good Conduct Medal, European African Middle Eastern Campaign Ribbon, American Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. He was most proud of his Combat Infantryman Badge.

After being discharged from the Army, Thomas returned home to California and proposed to his future wife Lillian Christophersen. They first met at the age of 8 when he arrived in America. They were married for 60 years before her death in 2006.

Thomas is survived by two daughters, Kären Lode Nady (Louie) living in Daphne, AL, and Marette Myers (Earl) residents of Willits, Calif.

Thomas and Lillian were both proud of their three grandchildren, András Nady (Berkeley), Christian Myers (Erin) of Walnut Creek, Calif., and Kirsten Myers Shipp (Jeffrey) of Katy, Texas. Thomas also leaves two great-grandchildren, Lillian Marie Myers and Finn Sawyer Shipp.

He was delighted to meet his namesake Finn in January when four generations of the family celebrated his 95th birthday. Thomas passed away knowing that a third great-grandchild was due to be born any day.

Thomas was very proud of his accomplishments in business and his successful management career of 34 years with the JC Penney Co. He moved many times during his career and was active in each community where he lived and worked.

He served as the chairman of several Salvation Army Advisory Boards, chairman of the California Republican Central Committee, Board of Directors of United Way, founding member of Santa Maria Valley Boys Club, Member of Military Affairs Committee of Vandenburg Air Force Base, President of Retail Merchants Associations in five different cities.

After retirement and moving to Clearlake, Calif., he became a member of Commonwealth Club San Francisco, and Foreman of the Grand Jury in Lake County, California. Throughout his business career he was a member of Rotary International. Thomas was a resident of Clearlake for 38 years.

In May 2011, Thomas and the other remaining members of the 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) were awarded the “Deltagermedaljen,” a Norwegian WWII medal, and received a Diploma signed by the King of Norway in thanks for their war service. The moving ceremony was held at the Norwegian Ambassador’s residence in Washington, DC. It was a proud day for him and his family.

The family will gather this summer in Clearlake to celebrate his life. The family suggests memorials to Thomas’ favorite charity, the Salvation Army, or to the 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) Educational Foundation.

Over the last few years, he has been very engaged in preserving the history of his special army unit the 99th and keeping its memory alive. Their Web site is www.99battalion.org .

Thomas had a wonderful experience as a child at a Salvation Army summer camp and for decades has sponsored a child annually to Camp Del Oro. Their address is C/O Salvation Army, PO Box 348000 Sacramento, CA 95834.

Thomas remained engaged in current events until the end of his life. His keen memory and special spark was a delight to his family and friends. He enjoyed his weekly Sunday lunch at the Main Street Café where he could keep everyone informed about the latest family news.

He will be missed by everyone who knew him.