LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Mary Margaret Kelley, 82, passed away peacefully on Oct. 17, 2020, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Mary was born Oct. 26, 1937, in Rock Creek, Minnesota, to Margaret (Hejny) and Irven Johnson.

In 1949 the family moved to Tulelake, California, where much of the family still resides. They joined Irven’s brother Bert Johnson and began farming.

Mary and her sister’s thrived, riding horses and enjoying everything farm girls enjoy. Mary was the 1954 Merrill Potato Festival Queen and later a homecoming queen at OTI where she was attending college.

At OTI she met James Kelley whom she married. They settled in his hometown of Kelseyville, California, and built a wonderful life together while raising two sons, Bob and Tom.

She spent decades serving as a secretary for the Kelseyville School District.

Jim and Mary had a beautiful pool built that was always a gathering spot. Everyone was always welcome, and many wonderful and fun memories were made there. Mary did not swim, but she was always poolside. Her kitchen was open and always had a fresh potato salad and chocolate chip cookies.

She also enjoyed a road trip in her red pickup to Tulelake and Merrill in Southern Oregon to visit her sisters and their families. But if there was a cloud in the sky, she would panic that snow was coming.

Mary ran on Mary Time. She was much loved by her family, friends, community and coworkers. In her spare time, she loved her horses, her grandchildren and going to the movies.

James died in 1994. Mary also was preceded in death by her sister, LaVonne Vaughn, and her parents.

Mary is survived by her sons and their wives, Bob and Jennifer Kelley, and Tom and Julie Kelley; her sister, Arlene O’Neil, and brother-in-law, Tom O’Neil; brother-in-law, Richard Vaughn; grandson, Christopher Kelley, his wife, Amanda, and their children, Alexis and Ronan; grandson, Robert Kelley, and his wife, Jessica; granddaughter, Rachel Kelley; her nieces and spouses, Debbie and Jim Robinson, Susan and Andy Hickey, Janice and Terry Woodhouse, RichAnn and Mike Mc Master, Nancy and Tracy Lyons and Tammy and Dan Shuck, along with all their children and grandchildren.

A celebration of life will be planned as soon as circumstances safely permit.

Donations can be made to the Mary Kelley Memorial Fund at WestAmerica Bank by Dec.18, for her angel caregivers for Christmas, where she last lived.

Mary was a beautiful woman, everything a daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt, grandmother and friend should be, she was.

Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Anthony William Jackson, “Tony,” passed peacefully into heavenly paradise surrounded by his loved ones on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020.

Anthony was predeceased by his beloved daughter, Melissa Molly Rahmer; great-granddaughter, Aubree River Rose; mother, Amerdine Jackson McCloud; father, Robert Jackson; and sister, Gwendolyn Loss.

Anthony is survived by his five daughters and their spouses, Amber Jackson (Kyle Williams), Aimee Jackson-Penn (James Penn), Anna Jackson, Danielle Jackson (Brian Dennison), Rebecca Jackson (Jason Compton) and son-in-law Joey Rahmer; 26 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; sister, Jessica Jackson; and his beloved nieces and nephews and cousins.

Anthony was a great man with an incredible sense of humor who knew the value of hard work and had an immense love for his family. He will be greatly missed by all.

Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Katherine Simpson, known to all of her friends as “Dollie,” passed away peacefully on Sept. 19, 2020, in San Francisco after experiencing a stroke the previous week, just short of her 92nd birthday.

She was born on Oct. 27, 1928, in Denison, Texas, to Sidney Green and Cecil Malone.

While her parents were attempting to make a living during the Great Depression, she and her sister Naomi were raised by her loving grandparents, Amos and Naomi Malone.

Living in Texas until she was 12, she developed a love of farming and animals, which she has carried throughout her life.

In 1940, her parents decided to start a new life together in San Francisco and moved the family to the Inner Sunset where she met her lifelong friends, Gloria and Margie, and was introduced to spending wonderful summers in Lake County with Margie’s family.

Attending Lowell High School for two years and eventually graduating from Presentation High School in 1946, she completed her education at Lone Mountain College and San Francisco State University as an English Major.

Marrying Robert Fitzpatrick in 1950, she worked as an executive assistant for Bigge Drayage Co. in Oakland, her experience eventually leading her to invest in small rental properties where she gained a vast knowledge of the construction and remodeling business.

In 1964, she married her much-loved Charlie Simpson (predeceased in 1996), a general contractor, and the two continued a career of remodeling and investing in small properties throughout San Francisco and Oakland.

In the mid 1970s, Lake County came calling, and Charlie and Dollie began a grape-growing adventure in Upper Lake.

Growing Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc grapes became their new hobby, and every weekend was spent in Upper Lake working in the fields and maintaining their 30 acres, each year anticipating the excitement of a good grape harvest for Konocti Winery.

She and Charlie spent many years together enjoying their good friends, outdoor dinners with fresh garden tomatoes and zucchini squash, 4 o’clock cocktails, and cotillion club dances in Lake County, drinking lots of homemade wine along the way.

Always loving the peaceful environment of Lake County, Dollie lived between San Francisco and Upper Lake in her later years, watching her grapevines grow and enjoying her many cats in the Lake County summer sun.

Dollie was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s/dementia in 2009, and her final years were spent living at Coventry Place in San Francisco, where she was wonderfully looked after in comfort by thoughtful caregivers. Thank you also to Healthlink Hospice Care for making her final months very comfortable and peaceful.

She is survived by her loving daughter, Megan, and wonderful son-in-law, Michael; her caring nephews, Jim and Dan Mariner, along with their families Trisha, Cody, Jordan, Ashley, Nick and Lauren; and her big, old, friendly cat, Mr. Whiskers.

We will miss her very much.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Born July 19, 1957, Carlos unexpectedly passed away Oct. 12, 2020, surrounded by his family.

Carlos moved to Kelseyville, California, in 1979 from Tala, Jalisco. He opened his own landscaping business, volunteered as a Kelseyville firefighter, worked every day from sunup ‘til sundown on his property until his last breath.

Carlos is survived by his wife of 36 years, Maria; sons and grandkids, Octavio Martinez (Latasha Hasegawa), Kalaya, Octavio, Makenzee, La’Akea, Sonny, Victor and Jaydyn, Dasan Vazquez (Cheresse Hadley), Na’leah; daughters, Mikaley Monlo (Skins/Cueritos) Azalia, Milania, Zavani, Lupy & Kaiwinabax Monlo; brothers, Armando, Bartolo; sisters, Sylvia, Luz and Marta; and many nieces, nephews, friends and family.

Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Sept. 19, 2020, will be forever a day of remembrance for the Norton family. On this day, sadly John J. Norton III passed peacefully in his sleep due to the medical issues he had so bravely fought off the last few years, and the sadness of losing his son John J Norton IV on Sept. 11, 2020.

His loved ones left to carry on his memory are Lorrie, beloved spouse of 26 unforgettable years; beloved sister, Susan Comtois; brother, Paul Norton; John’s other son, Ryan Villanueva, and daughter, Tammy Villanueva; and his five treasured grandchildren, Kyleigh, Lana, Jayden, Jordon and Jack.

John J Norton III was a loving husband, father, brother and son. He was his sibling’s fiercest protector as a young man.

He has now found peace and is free of all the earthly problems. He will be forever missed, more than words can say.

A celebration of life will be held later when family and friends can rejoice together.

Compassion and care entrusted to Jones Mortuary FD311, telephone, 707-263-5389, www.jonesmortuarylakeport.com / www.facebook.com/jonesmortuarylakeport.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Alice Annette Knauss, 88, died Oct. 12, 2020, at home in Kelseyville.

Alice was born on Feb. 8, 1932, in San Francisco, California, to Ree and Ruth Beeman. She grew up in Hayward and moved to Lake County during her junior year in high school.

She graduated from Kelseyville Union High School, where she was perhaps best known for the prank of placing a skunk's scent sac into the school's heating vents, leading to not only the evacuation of the entire school but its closure for two days until the air cleared.

After short stints of living in Oxnard, California, and Amarillo, Texas, from 1951 to 1952, Alice lived the remainder of her life in Kelseyville.

She married early, at age 20, but it didn't last. Alice was no quitter, so she gave it a shot three more times. Although it didn't work out with any of the husbands, she remained life-long friends with all of them.

Alice loved flower gardening, mystery novels, her grandchildren, men, beer, crime dramas, all types of music, dogs and raccoons. Not necessarily in that order. She hated warm beer and stuck up people. Not necessarily in that order.

Alice is predeceased by her siblings, Margaret, Evelyn, Barbara and Robert; and by her son, Michael.

She leaves behind daughters, Lane (husband Ariki) and Susan (husband, Steve; children, Jasper and Ruth).

Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com.