Nathan Carl “Bing” Bengtson

 Jack Dormand Burke

 Harold T. Edwards

 Thomas Arnold Hasselwander

 Ray (Buster) Langley

Nathan Carl “Bing” Bengtson   

Bing was born on Oct. 11, 1920 in Gypsum, Kan. He graduated from Salina High School in Salina, Kan., in 1939. He joined the Army Air Corp in 1939 and served with distinction as a pilot of B-17s and B-29s until 1945. In 1942 he married Jean Baxter, of Baxter, Calif.    

He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Jean Bengtson, of Auburn; sons Jon (Sandy), of Reno, Nev., and Perry (Peggy), of Auburn, Calif.; granddaughters Lenora Tate (Frank), of Wheatland, Calif., Kimberly Garman (Kurt), of Reno, Nev., Sherri Freed (Bret), of Foresthill and Andrea Johnston (Ryan), of Reno; and grandson Todd Bengtson (Beth), of Bend, Ore. He is also survived by 10 great-grandchildren.   

In 1949, Bing graduated from Cal Berkeley as a structural engineer. He and Jean moved to Stockton, then to Auburn (1957), where he worked as a construction superintendent for the state of California. In 1963 he and Jan moved to Susanville, Calif., where he owned and operated Lassen Sand and Gravel, Lassen Redimix and Lassen County Title Company.   

They retired back to Auburn in 1999. Bing was active for many years in the Susanville Rotary and Elks Lodge. He served as a Susanville city councilman for several terms. He was a most uncommon man. He did it his way. We will miss him as a great husband, father, grandfather and friend.   

A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m., on Saturday, Jan. 23, at Lou LaBonte’s Restaurant; 13460 Lincoln Way, Auburn, CA. Interment will be held in the Old Auburn Cemetery.

Jack Dormand Burke   

Jack Burke died peacefully at Hopwell Residential Care Facility in Reno, Nev., Jan. 6, 2010, after a long illness. He leaves his wife of 65 years, Patricia, of Lake Almanor; son and daughter-in-law Jay and Tonee, of Houston, Alaska; son and daughter-in-law Jerry and Becky of Alturas; a granddaughter and her husband, Leah and Nate Boltz, of Palmer, Alaska; great-granddaughter, Anna Grace; and his brother, Charles William, of Solana Beach, Calif.   

He was predeceased by his parents John and Jeanette Burke, and brother Donald L. Burke.   

Jack was born in Long Beach, Calif., on Jan. 16, 1920, and moved to San Bernardino in his early youth. There he started his career with the California Dept. of Forestry in 1937 as a seasonal firefighter. In 1940 he received his permanent appointment as a foreman in the San Bernardino Ranger Unit after graduating from San Bernardino Valley College as a forestry major. He was promoted to assistant state forest ranger in 1942 and, in 1943, he took a military leave of absence to enlist as a private in the Marine Corps.    

He was commissioned a 2nd Lt. and sent to a Japanese language school to train as an interpreter. His last tour of duty was as Commanding officer of the Marine detachment aboard the troop carrier USS Ulysses S. Grant. He was discharged in 1946 and returned to duty with CDF. In 1947, Burke was promoted and assigned duties as operations officer for the Southern California district of CDF.   

The Korean War re-called Lt. Burke to duty as base fire marshall and commanding officer of the Camp Pendleton Fire Dept. Discharged as a captain in 1953, he returned to CDF with the important function of fire control and conservation camp coordinator for Southern California. His fire background and experience as a Marine fire marshal, gave him the opportunity of being one of the planners of the state’s first full scale fire research programs for wildland fires.   

Project Operation Fire Stop was a research and development study located on 3,000 acres of Camp Pendleton. Fire behavior, fire control applications and fire method studies were conducted by the California Dept. of Forestry, U.S. Forest Service, Los Angeles County Fire Dept., Los Angeles City Fire Dept. Civil Defense, other fire agencies and many private companies.   

As field operations officer for operation Fire Stop, Jack coordinated field activities of these organizations from which came development of helicopters, air tankers, fire weather forecasts, fire retardants and other aids to forest fire fighting. His last assignment was a unit ranger of the Lassen/Modoc CDF. He retired in 1980.   

Jack was a member of California Fire Chiefs Association, California Rural Fire Association, So. California Association, of Foresters and Fire Wardens, Western Fire Chiefs Association and the International Association of Fire Chiefs. He served on the Lake Almanor Country Club’s board of directors, the LACC water board, the LACC fire commissioners and was the LACC forester for several years. He also served as ski patrol leader of the Lassen Park ski area.  

A memorial celebration of Jack’s life is planned for Spring of 2010.

Harold T. Edwards   

Harold T. Edwards was born in Slaton, Texas, on May 21, 1933. He passed away Jan. 7, 2010.   

Harold was a long time resident of Susanville moving from Texas with his family in 1936. Harold was married for 47 years to his wife Sharon and has three children, Carole, Dustin and Jimmy Edwards, of Susanville, Calif., and Daniel Edwards, of Colorado. He has seven Grandchildren, Mathew, Dusting and Diana Goetchius, of Susanville; Jacob and Caleb Edwards, of Colorado; Bryon and Mike Bushnell, of Oregon; and Christina LaCoca, of San Marcos.   

He is also survived by his twin brother Howard Edwards and sister Billie Paulson, of Susanville; four nephews; two nieces and 12 great-grandchildren.   

Harold retired in 1995 having worked 30 years with the City of Susanville public works department, plowing snow in the winter and laying blacktop in the summer. He served in the Army National Guard and retired after 20 years. Harold was a life member of the Elks Lodge and enjoyed hunting, gardening and cribbage tournaments. Harold worked hard all his life and was very talented. He designed and built two homes, and he loved to play hard, too. Two of his favorite hobbies were bottle digging and cutting firewood with his best friend, Howard.   

Harold and Sharon have been enjoying snow birding for the last four years in their winter home in Yuma, Ariz.   

Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m., on Saturday, Jan. 30 at Walton’s Colonial Mortuary and all are invited to meet with the family for refreshments after the service at the Monticola Club on Lassen Street. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to your favorite charity.

Thomas Arnold Hasselwander    

Thomas Arnold Hasselwander passed away suddenly at his home in Long Beach on the evening of Jan. 9, 2010 at the age of 40 years old.   

Tom was born on Labor Day, Sept. 1, 1969 to Mary and Arnie Hasselwander in Westwood, Calif. He attended Westwood schools, graduating from Westwood High School in 1987. His high school years were highlighted by sports, student government activity and his show-stopping performance as Huey Lewis in the first Westwood High Mountain Rock Show.   

Tom earned an Associate of Art degree at Lassen College and then attended Chico State, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in communications. He worked at KHSL Channel 12 in Chico and for a production studio in Reno before relocating to Burbank where he was director of technical operations at TVN Studios in Burbank.  

He met the love of his life, Julia Jenkinson, in 2004 and they married in 2006. Their son, Gabriel Thomas, was born on April 13, 2008. When he wasn’t working, he enjoyed family activities and sports.   

In addition to his wife and son, Tom is survived by his mother, Mary Hasselwander and sister, Gina Hasselwander, of Westwood; his brother, Joe Hasselwander of Windsor; sisters, Jenny Alton of Windsor and Anna, and brother-in-law, Rick Macintire, of Livermore.  

He also leaves nephews Steven and Michael Hutchison and nieces Jessica Hutchison and Madison Alton, of Windsor, along with nephews, Ryan and David Macintire of Livermore.   

Services are set for 5 p.m., on Friday evening, Jan. 15 at Rose Hill Memorial Park's Hillside Chapel located in Whittier, Calif. An opportunity to express your condolences to the family along with signing the memorial guest register is available online at fehrmanmortuary.com.    

The family asks that any remembrances in Tommy's memory be made to the Gabriel Hasselwander savings c/o Julia Hasselwander, 3431 Greenbrier Road, Long Beach, CA 90808.

Ray (Buster) Langley   

Ray (Buster) Langley, 82, of Susanville, Calif., died of cancer, Friday, Jan. 8, 2010, peacefully at home surrounded by his children.   

Ray was an avid fisherman and hunter. He was also a gardner, winning many ribbons at the fair and selling produce at the farmer’s market. Ray was born Oct. 30, 1927 in Nowata, Okla., as the son of Zack and Edna Langley.   

He married Alma Ruth Waggoner on July 25, 1947. Ray served in the military, in the Navy during WWII. He was a logger for Paul Bunyan Logging Co., and worked for Sierra Army Depot for many years.    He is survived by his children Pam, Lillie, Margene, Ray Jr. (Little Buster) and Burnice (Breen).   

He was preceded in death by two of his daughters Jessie Maxine and Julia Irene; his grandson Harlan and his wife Alma Ruth.   

He is also survived by 10 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; two sisters Virginia Middleton, and Elaine Bailey; and one brother, Jim Langley.    

Services were held at Walton’s Colonial Mortuary on Tuesday, Jan.  12, 2010; Military was accorded.   

In lieu of flowers his children request donations be made to Quincy Home Medical Service (Hospice) at 2930 Riverside Dr., Susanville.