“It is with heavy heart that we announce the passing of our father,” announced the children of Norman Stine.
Mr. Stine died in Grants Pass, Ore., on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022. He was born near Oroville, Calif., on Dec. 13, 1936.
Norm was driven in life and stayed busy from the time he was young. He dropped out of high school to pursue the promise of gainful employment but went back a couple of years later and finished graduating from Ukiah High in 1958.
Motivated by the desire to make a better life for himself and his family, he held many occupations, including factory work in Ukiah, service station management in San Francisco (back in the day when gas stations still performed service), and partnering in a lamp factory business in both San Francisco and Santa Rosa. He was also a carpenter, general contractor and a rental property owner.
Not one to give up on relationships, he married four times. He has a total of seven kids he’s looked after from his marriages: Connie, David, Doug, George, Don, RJ and Patrick.
Living the “Brady Bunch” life did not affect his affection for any of his kids, as he was always willing to share knowledge and wisdom from his own life experiences, as well as occasional discipline for some of us “boys” in our younger years.
Mr. Stine enjoyed being with family when he could and driving hobby stock race cars. He owned three different cars through the course of his middle years which he liked to take out on the weekends to the local dirt tracks.
He is survived by all his children and two of his four ex-wives. He also leaves more than a dozen grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.
A private celebration of life is planned in February of 2022. Please contact David Stine before the end of January if you are interested in attending: 530-228-2610.
The Observer sometimes receives inquiries concerning the writing and submission of obituaries.
The following Obituary Guide may help.
It may help regardless of what news source or funeral home you submit it to. For the most part, we all want the same information.
The Observer does not charge for publishing obituaries. Unfortunately, nowadays, most newspapers do charge, a fact that The Observer considers unethical for a number of reasons.
An obituary in The Observer typically reaches about a thousand readers. However, this number can vary dramatically, and one recent obituary reached more than 6,000 readers, which is two or three times the number sold by any newspaper in Glenn County.
Obituary Guide
The Observer accepts obituaries and obituary photos only by email. Please send as much of the following information as possible to vmlarry@gmail.com or gcolarry@yahoo.com:
Name of the deceased, his or her age, city of residency, city where the death occurred, and date of the death
Deceased’s place of birth (city and state), date of birth, and parents’ names
Schools (high schools and colleges) attended; noteworthy education achievements
Military service, if applicable
Work experience
Associations, clubs, religious organizations, etc. to which the deceased belonged
Hobbies and other interests
Any other noteworthy achievements or experiences
Names of the deceased’s survivors and their relationships to the deceased (son, daughter, brother, sister, spouse, etc.)
Names of those who preceded the deceased in death and their relationships to the deceased
Funeral services; be sure to include the time, date, and place of any services that are planned
Memorial contributions; include the name of the charity and the complete address
Name of the mortuary handling the arrangements (optional)
Photograph (optional): If you have a good quality photo of the deceased, preferably but not necessarily a portrait-type photo, you can also email that for inclusion with the obituary. It does not have to be a recent photo.
Here are the latest bookings from the Glenn County Jail. Remember: Everyone accused of a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Thursday, Dec. 22:
5:53 a.m., Joseph James Short, 31, of Orland, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging violation of a court order to prevent domestic violence (a misdemeanor). Bail was set at $5,000. He was taken into custody at 6882 County Road 6, Orland, by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
8:18 a.m., Michael Eugene McKee, 56, of Burns, Ore., was booked into the Glenn County Jail for a court-ordered surrender on charges alleging threatening to commit a crime with intent to terrorize (a misdemeanor). Bail was set at zero. He was taken into custody at the jail by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
1:10 p.m., Octavio Montalvo-Rodarte, 62, of Orland, was returned to the custody of the Glenn County Jail without bail for charges alleging assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm, threatening to commit a crime with intent to terrorize, and battery with serious bodily injury (all felonies). He was taken into custody at the Shasta County Jail by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
1:29 p.m., Robert James Fassbender, 33, of Shasta Lake, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging petty theft of retail merchandise (a misdemeanor). Bail was set at zero. He was taken into custody at County Road G and Highway 162 by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
1:50 p.m., Patricia Marie Garcia, 49, of Gerber, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on warrants alleging disobeying a lawful order of the court (a felony). Total bail was set at $60,000. She was taken into custody at the Tehama County Jail by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
9:30 p.m., Timothy David Warren, 50, of Orland, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on a warrant alleging failure to appear on a misdemeanor charge. Bail was set at $12,000. He was taken into custody at 3948 Highway 99, Orland, by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
Friday, Dec. 23:
9 p.m., Cuitlahuac Padilla, 38, of Arbuckle, was booked into the Glenn County Jail without bail on a felony out-of-county detainer.
Saturday, Dec. 24:
12:29 a.m., Justo Martinez-Garcia, 31, of Orland, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging driving while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, and driving while under the influence of alcohol (both misdemeanors). Bail was set at $10,000. He was taken into custody in the 800 block of Sixth Street by an Orland police officer.
12:47 a.m., Adam Lee Smith, 52, of Orland, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging infliction of corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant, and battery with serious bodily injury (both felonies). Bail was set at $45,000. He was taken into custody at 6379 County Road 16, Orland, by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
12:31 p.m., Robert Nobuo, 58, of Corning, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging petty theft of retail merchandise, possession of controlled substance paraphernalia, and possession of a controlled substance (all misdemeanors). Bail was set at zero. He was taken into custody at Walmart, 470 North Airport Road, Willows, by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
Sunday, Dec. 25:
6:19 p.m., Alejandro Sanchez, 23, of Richmond, Calif., was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging driving while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, and driving while under the influence of alcohol (both misdemeanors). Bail was set at $10,000. He was taken into custody on the southbound side of Interstate 5, north of County Road 68, by a California Highway Patrol officer.
7:09 p.m., Julio Cesar Rodas-Dionicio, 23, of Richmond, Calif., was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging public intoxication (a misdemeanor). Bail was set at zero. He was taken into custody on the southbound side of Interstate 5, north of County Road 68, by a California Highway Patrol officer.
8:02 p.m., Seth Dasan Dominguez-Feathers, 28, of Willows, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on a warrant alleging failure to appear on a misdemeanor charge. Bail was set at $12,000. He was taken into custody at 1201 West Wood Street, Willows, by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
11:13 p.m., Jaime Martinez-Hernandez, 39, of Hamilton City, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging driving while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, driving while under the influence of alcohol, and driving with a license suspended for driving while under the influence (all misdemeanors). Bail was set at $15,000. He was taken into custody in the 700 block of Fifth Street by an Orland police officer.
Monday, Dec. 26:
6:58 p.m., Apolinar Puente Delgado, 44, of Manteca, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging driving while under the influence of a drug, and possession of a controlled substance (both misdemeanors). Bail was set at $5,000. He was taken into custody at County Road 57 and Highway 99 by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
Tuesday, Dec. 27:
1:50 p.m., Andrew Mark White, 50, of Modesto, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on warrants alleging failure to appear on a felony charge. Total bail was set at $115,000. He was taken into custody at the Stanislaus County Jail by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
2:48 p.m., Megan Elizabeth Triano, 28, of Orland, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on warrants alleging driving while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, driving while under the influence of alcohol, possession of a substance similar to toluene (a recreational inhalant), and child endangerment (all misdemeanors). Total bail was set at $49,000. She was taken into custody at Yolo and Second Streets, Orland, by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
Wednesday, Dec. 28:
2:56 p.m., Nicholas Charles Venditto, 62, of Willows, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging violation of a court order to prevent domestic violence (a misdemeanor). Bail was set at $5,000. He was taken into custody at 6155 Highway 162, sp. #16, Willows, by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
8:30 p.m., Christopher Wayne Fisher, 38, of Willows, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging violation of a court order to prevent domestic violence (a misdemeanor). Bail was set at $5,000. He was taken into custody at 540 South Shasta Street, Willows, by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
8:40 p.m., Ross Edward Finley, 44, of Orland, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on a warrant alleging causing fire of property (a misdemeanor). Bail was set at $42,000. He was taken into custody at 214 Fourth Street by an Orland police officer.
10:56 p.m., Dustin Jeffery Springer, 24, of Orland, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on warrants alleging failure to appear on a misdemeanor charge, and failure to appear on a felony charge. Total bail was set at $20,000. He was taken into custody at 214 Fourth Street by an Orland police officer.
Thursday, Dec. 29:
11:04 a.m., Alexander Richard Lawton Duitsman, 25, of Chico, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging driving while under the influence of a drug (a misdemeanor). Bail was set at $5,000. He was taken into custody at Walker and Sixth Streets by an Orland police officer.
1:45 p.m., Heidi Marie Bunio, 42, of Loomis, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging public intoxication (a misdemeanor). Bail was set at zero. She was taken into custody on Highway 99, north of Date Street, by a California Highway Patrol officer.
3:17 p.m., Mia Maria Chavez, 37, of Sunland, Calif., was booked into the Glenn County Jail on a warrant alleging bringing a controlled substance into a prison or jail (a felony). Bail was set at $20,000. She was taken into custody at the Lassen County Jail by a Glenn County Sheriff’s deputy.
8:35 p.m., Brandon Straight, 57, of Orland, was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging using or being under the influence of a controlled substance (a misdemeanor), and a warrant alleging reckless driving on a highway (a misdemeanor). Total bail was set at $3,000. He was taken into custody at Orland Stop and Shop, 10 Walker Street, by an Orland police officer.
Friday, Dec. 30, was officially Glenn County Sheriff Richard Warren’s last day of work at the GCSO.
Lt. Justin Gibbs, who was elected sheriff in June, is scheduled take office on Monday, Jan. 2. Gibbs, however, has been the acting sheriff for weeks now, the result of a serious motorcycle crash from which Warren has been recovering.
Shortly before 4 p.m. on Friday, Sheriff Warren, whose call sign is Adam-1, was heard contacting the Glenn County Sheriff’s Communications Center: “Glenn County, Adam-1.”
“Adam-1,” replied the dispatcher.
“I would just like to say,” said Sheriff Warren, “I am very proud of this agency, and impressed with the people that I serve with. The women and men of the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office are some of the finest I have ever known. They truly lived up to our motto: commitment to service, dedication to community. Break.”
A moment later, he continued, “It is bittersweet, but I would like to say it’s been an honor to serve the community of Glenn County and for the final time, I am 10-10 [off-duty].”
Seconds later, responses from Glenn County Sheriff’s personnel and one from the Orland Police Department began to be received:
“Adam-1, on behalf of the sheriff’s office and the citizens of Glenn County, we thank you for your service. You have dedicated over 35 years to the community, and we have been lucky to share it with you. We … wish you a long and happy retirement. You will be missed. Adam-1, you are 10-10 and retired.”
Another member of the GCSO said, “Adam-1, 10-10, thank you for your service.”
Patrol Deputy Paul-2 remarked, “Adam-1,… thank you for your service. Enjoy your retirement.”
Paul-3 also said, “Adam-1,… thank you for your service.”
Another deputy commented, “Thank you for your service. It’s been an honor.”
Paul-6 also thanked Sheriff Warren for his service, as did still another deputy.
A member of the Orland Police Department said, “Adam-1, 500 units, thanks for your service. Congratulations.”
Edward-12, an evidence technician, remarked, “Adam-1, congrats, and good luck on all your future endeavors.”
Victor-9, also a part of the GCSO team, commented, “Adam-1,… thank you for your service. Enjoy your retirement.”
And the Glenn County Sheriff’s Animal Control and Community Service Officer said, “Adam-1, 128, thank you for your service.”
Finally, the following message was posted on the Facebook page for the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office:
“Thank you for your service, your dedication and your leadership, Sheriff Warren!
“Sheriff Warren completed his final day on the job and provided us with his final radio transmission and 10-10 goodbye.
“We want to thank you for your more than 30 years of service in law enforcement.
“You have shown a dedication to the badge and a desire to protect our community like few others. That professionalism has helped the entire community.
“Congratulations on your many accomplishments. Your career has been truly inspiring and as you retire you should be very proud of everything you’ve achieved.
“You exemplify our motto of Commitment to Service, Dedication to Community.
Following a difficult illness and an extended hospitalization, Joel Danley died on Friday, Dec. 9, 2022. He was born to Newland “Carmon” and Ellen (Newhouse) Danley on Oct. 9, 1952, and enjoyed growing up on the family farm near Willows.
He attended Willows schools, graduating from Willows High School in 1970, and attended Shasta College and CSU Chico.
He spent his entire life doing what he was passionate about: farming and spending time with his family. He also supported his church (Country Bible), and Providence Christian School, where his kids all attended.
He had his pilot’s license and loved flying and aviation history, as well as camping, hiking and fly fishing.
He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Jenyce (Hiebert); sons Micah and Seth; daughter Anneka; sisters Jan (Than) Williams and Loree (Thad) Stephen; brother Alan (Lee Andrea); numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins; and his best friend, Gary Rumiano.
A celebration of Joel’s life is planned for 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 7, at the Providence Christian School Gym, 6290 County Road 12, Orland.
In lieu of flowers, please know that Joel would just want you to save your money! However, if you feel drawn to donate, he always liked supporting Providence Christian School.
Robert “Bob” Edmund Martin of Willows died at Glenn Medical Center in Willows on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022. He was born in Ferndale to Leslie and Mary Martin in 1930.
In his youth, he participated in Future Farmers of America, which laid the foundation for his long life as a dairyman and farmer. In 1948, he was named FFA’s State Farmer.
After graduating in 1948 from Ferndale High School, he went to work on his uncle’s dairy until 1950, when he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He served in the Marines for five years, including one year of service in Korea.
He moved to Willows in 1955 and married Doris Hirz, his wife of 67 years. He resided in Willows ever since, operating a dairy while raising his nine children.
After turning over day-to-day dairy and farming operations to his sons, he continued to help them well into his 80s. In his later years he started a new business, recycling scrap metal, which kept his mind sharp.
He always knew the current price of copper and other metals and was excellent at estimating the weight of a load of scrap. He worked on scrap until after his 90th birthday, cleaning up his own farmyard as well as many neighbors’ yards.
He also had several hobbies and interests. He enjoyed vintage cars, especially Fords. His pride and joy was restoring a 1941 Ford flatbed truck.
He collected belt buckles, pocketknives and coins. He could whistle, yodel, and play the harmonica. In his final years became quite adept at jigsaw puzzles.
In 2012, he wrote a book about his Korean War experience. The book was later published by the Ferndale Museum.
He subscribed to his hometown newspaper, The Ferndale Enterprise, his entire adult life. He was a member of St. Monica’s Catholic Church, the VFW Post 1770, and the Ferndale Museum.
He was well known among his neighbors as one who would lend a hand and share wisdom from his experience as a dairyman and farmer. He took special delight in touring visitors around his family’s farming operations.
He knew so many people and had so many friends, he will be sorely missed.
He died peacefully at Glenn Medical Center in Willows, with his wife by his side and three generations of family members gathered nearby.
He is survived by his wife, Doris; sister Marie Bugbee; children Paul Martin (Tina), Suzan Couto (Frank), Carl Martin (Sharon), Barbara Eikmeier (Dale), Dale Martin (Carol), Lain Martin (Sandra), Yvonne Mayberry (Craig), Dean Martin (Susie) and Dora Martin; 20 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Leslie and Mary Martin; brother Leslie Martin, Jr.; and sisters Jane Guileri and Rosemary Nielsen.
His family wishes to thank his caregivers and doctors, who gave him such compassionate care, especially over the past 1-1/2 years.
A Rosary is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 4, at St. Monica’s Catholic Church in Willows. A Funeral Mass is planned for 10 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 5, also at St. Monica’s Catholic Church in Willows.
Graveside services are to follow at the Willows Cemetery, Veterans section. A reception and celebration of life are planned to immediately follow at the St. Monica Parish Hall.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of F.D. Sweet and Son of Willows.
Memorial contributions may be made in memory of Robert Martin to St. Monica’s Catholic Church Building Fund, VFW Post 1770, St Jude’s Children Hospital, the Ferndale Museum, or any favorite charity.
With her family by her side, Brenda Lou Baker died peacefully the morning of Friday, Dec. 16, 2022. She fought a hard fight and lived every last moment of her life to the fullest, checking items off her bucket list and being with family.
She was born on April 13,1959.
As a funeral arranger at F.D. Sweet and Son Funeral Home, she found her passion in helping others during their sad times. With care and love, she helped so many people through their toughest times.
She is survived by her loving husband of 40 years, Charles Baker of Willows; children Marsha (Buck) Squier of Willows, David (Kristie) of Arizona, and Brandy Chandar of Willows; grandchildren Joshua (Santana) Baker, Bucky Squier, Allison Baker, Mary Squier, Jessica Abbott, Charlie Squier, Brody Abbott, Bailey Abbot, and Harley Chandar; mother Bonnie Warren; sisters Carolyn Beddow, and Linda Neuhauer; and many other family members.
She was preceded in death by her two fathers; two brothers; and grandson Hunter Thornton.
“At this time,” said her loved ones, “we would like to thank everyone for their continuous support through her battle against cancer, and all the thoughts and prayers.”
A celebration of life is being planned for after the holidays, on Saturday, Feb. 18, time and location to be announced.
Longtime readers of The Sacramento Valley Mirror may remember the letters to the newspaper’s religion editor (yours truly, until mid-January of 2021) written by Leonard Burkhardt.
He wrote to The Mirror almost weekly from 1997 (perhaps a year or so earlier) to 2018 (perhaps a year or so later). His “Religion Soapboxes,” as his letters were called, numbered somewhere around 1,000.
When he began submitting letters to The Mirror, he was living in the Redding, Calif., area. In later years, he was living in Niles, Ill., a village adjacent to northeast Chicago.
This reporter became acquainted with Burkhardt long before either of us began writing for The Mirror. In the early 1990s, we both began volunteering at the Redding Feminist Health Center, an abortion clinic.
Burkhardt, who was only about 70 at the time, helped escort clients past the abortion protesters, while I worked to divide various groups of protesters (Catholics and fundamentalist Protestants, for instance) and distract various protesters by debating religion with them.
Interestingly, when Mirror Publisher Tim Crews was in court, facing jail time for refusing to reveal the sources for one of his reports, both Burkhardt and one prominent abortion protester were there to support Crews. As I pointed out at the time, when two people with such otherwise opposing political views agree that the legal system’s actions are endangering the First Amendment, it’s a pretty good indication that the court is making a serious blunder.
In addition to these encounters, I also met with Burkhardt at such Redding-area gatherings as two or three National Day of Prayer protests, a solstice celebration for Shasta County atheists and other freethinkers, a picnic or two for the same group of unbelievers, and some other events.
Leonard Burkhardt died peacefully in Chicago, Ill., on Sunday, Nov. 6, 2022. He was born in Chicago to Sam and Bessie Burkhardt on March 7, 1922, during the Roaring Twenties.
In 1930, during the Great Depression, he and his family moved to Los Angeles. From 1942 to 1945, he served in the U.S. Army, spending much of World War II in strategically important Panama.
On Nov. 30, 1946, he married Mildred “Millie” Stein, his “kindred spirit.” As the obituary in The Redding Record Searchlight stated, the Burkhardts “had the admirable quality of doing what is right, not what is comfortable, often stepping out from the crowd.
“They led by example, with kindness and unselfishness.”
After World War II, Burkhardt worked during the day and went to school at night. According to The Record Searchlight, in 1958, some 18 years after he took his first post-high school, pre-war courses, he graduated with a degree in education.
He taught for six years before settling in Redding in 1964, where he accepted a position teaching the high school district’s moderately handicapped students. He taught there for 20-plus years.
During summers, also for 20-plus years, he served as the arts and crafts director at Camp Castanoan, a camp for children and adults with physical and/or developmental disabilities in Santa Clara County.
Burkhardt had an interesting habit of being in the right place at the right time to rescue people. Skilled in first aid, he twice saved people in horrific car accidents, and once rescued a tied-up custodian, the victim of a robbery.
Burkhardt was always ready with a joke or a poem, and while not aggressive in an economic sense, he was quite the opposite when it came to expressing his beliefs. His scrapbooks are filled with some 200 letters to the editor published in newspapers on such subjects as gun control, pollution, religion, American Indian and farmworker rights, press freedoms, etc.
But nothing touched the nerve of Burkhardt’s outrage and eloquence as did the Vietnam War. “His words were harsh and designed to disturb,” stated his obituary in The Record Searchlight.
He was also a frequent participant in anti-war parades, marches, and silent vigils, carrying anti-war signs, which he also displayed near his home and on his car. “I didn’t keep my views a secret,” he said.
Burkhardt participated in many organizations as a member or board member, including the ACLU, American Field Service, American Red Cross, Boy Scouts, Council for Exceptional Children, Democratic Party, NAACP, The Arc, Unitarians, United Nations Association, his synagogue, and prisoner support groups.
He and his wife also harbored homeless teenagers and abused children, and, as he once related in one of his “Soapboxes” in The Mirror, the couple provided sanctuary for legal and illegal immigrants, many fleeing for their lives.
An advocate for world peace, he once said, “If we had exerted ourselves here on Earth, we could have created a Garden of Eden. Instead, we seem hell-bent on destruction.”
He is survived by his children, Sam, Dave, and Judy; grandchildren Jacob and Rachel; sisters-in-law Nila and Marsha; and nephews and nieces Lewis, Paul, Sara, Jenny, and Gareth. He was preceded in death by his wife of 66 years, Millie, who died in 2012.
His loved ones recommend that readers “help continue Leonard’s humanitarian legacy by doing your own kindness or donating to your favorite charity.”
By early 2018, Mirror Publisher Tim Crews was growing weary of running opinion pieces (columns and letters) on the religion page, and he began “cutting and pasting” national news stories for the page. As a result, some of Burkhardt’s later letters did not get printed.
One of those letters, written on Feb. 21, 2018, follows:
“Religion Editor:
“I write this as news broke about not unexpected profiteering from construction of the ridiculous wall, planned to discourage Latino neighbors from swarming too easily into our sacred lands.
“Walls have been constructed for defensive measures down through the ages. Romans built a wall in northern Britannia to keep Scots out; the ancient Chinese (with plenty of cheap labor) built the world’s longest, most massive defensive wall; and just across Rome’s Tiber River, in the Middle Ages, a wall was built to defend the Eternal City from barbaric attacks.
“Unfortunately, we no longer enjoy the free labor that those countries had in the past. In addition, we are becoming heavily over-budgeted in many areas.
“This reminds me of my own situation when I lived between Redding and Palo Cedro, in Shasta County. At that time, I had two innovative dogs who tested my resolve with their doggone tactics in the adequately fenced yard where they played.
“Niki would dig under the fence while Mamie could, surprisingly, climb over the fence!
“Many of us have been told, in church-related stories, that the ethnic Jew, Saint Peter, diligently guards the Pearly Gates at the entrance to Heaven. If you are as inquisitive as I am, you might have wondered whether celestial walls surround God’s Heaven.
“If not, then why have a gate? And if such a wall does exist, is it to keep good souls in or bad spirits out?
“On another topic, if you or I go to different lands, our names still remain the same. Why is it then that the supposed One-and-Only-God has a different name (or even names) with each religious group?
“In Greece, the chief god (of many) was Zeus, while among Romans he was called Jupiter; Osiris was the head god among numerous Egyptian deities; Mazda, I believe, was a leading god of light for ancient Persians; and Dagon was the principal creator of Phoenicians.
“Among Germans, He is called Gott. There are four words used in Hebrew that mean God: Adonai, El, Elohim, and Yahweh.
“In addition, Jehovah’s Witnesses, of course, still pronounce the four Hebrew consonants from which we get Yahweh as Jehovah!
“I ask you, if you were the real God, wouldn’t you want all your worshippers to know your true name, or are the names infinite, like everything else may be in an infinite universe?
With her loving family at her bedside, Natibida Joan Perez died at her Orland home on Friday, Dec. 9, 2022. She was born in Midland, Texas, to Angelita and Cirilo Ramirez on July 24, 1938.
She enjoyed baking, working in her garden with her flowers, and being a grandma. She worked in the field and various other jobs, then in her later years worked for Glenn County schools in the cafeteria for many years.
For many years, she was a volunteer for the Senior Thrift Shop and Altar Society. She was always there whenever needed to give a helping hand.
She is survived by her husband, Ricardo Perez of Orland; daughters Luz Ortega of Bakersfield, Rachel Patrick of Austin, Texas, and Concepcion Wilson of Orland; sisters Joan Ramirez of Corning, Charlene Orduno of Corning, Trinidad Chavez of Hamilton City; brother Mingo Ramirez of Willows; grandchildren Amanda, Brianna, and Daniel Ortega, Monica, Veronica, and Rocco Patrick, Jessica and Jedidiah Pluto, Sam Saldana, Sid Counts, Stevie Pavelich, Nathaniel Saldana, Leslie Cowee, Angelica Perez, Victoria Diaz, and Mika Wilson; and numerous nieces, nephews, and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents; son Ruben Saldana; daughters Rebecca Saldana and Angelita Cowee; brother Jessie Ramirez; and sisters Rita Gonzalez and Jenny Saavedra.
A Mass is scheduled for celebration at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 7, at St. Dominic’s Catholic Church, 822 A Street, Orland. A Celebration of Life is to follow at the parish hall immediately after the Mass.
The Glenn County Observer 