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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
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.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
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.
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
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.