Abe Kaupanger

Robert William Mattern

Lorraine Evelyn Norton

Steven Earl Robinson

Abe Kaupanger

Abe Kaupanger died at Banner Lassen Medical Center on Feb. 24, 2013. He was born in Minnesota on Jan. 29, 1931.

He is survived by his wife, Viola, of 56 years; son, Bruce; and daughters, Carla Berry, Valerie McKenzie and Robyn Guice.

Memorial services are pending.

Robert William Mattern

Robert William Mattern passed away Dec. 30, 2012 in Apache Junction, Ariz. He was a native Californian.

Bob was born Aug. 15, 1943 in Bakersfield, Calif. He was raised in Whittier, Calif. where he attended Don Bosco Technical High School and Whittier High School. He also attended Fullerton College. He moved to Westwood, Calif. in 1963. He was a longtime Lassen County resident in the community of Westwood. He retired from Collins Pine Lumber Company in Chester, Calif. He was also a small business owner in Westwood. During that time, he was active in the fraternal organization of the Masons and was a longtime member of the Lassen County Board of Education.

Bob loved this country and proudly served in the U.S. Army.

He was predeceased by his parents, Bob and Eileen Mattern, of Westwood and Susanville, along with his younger brother, Mark, of Susanville.

Bob was living with his wife of 12 years, Georgia Sue, in Apache Junction, Ariz. He leaves daughters, Shawna (Rob) Hall, of Auburn, Wash., and Tracy (Corey) Kindle, of Susanville, Calif.; also, Kathy Mattern Ferguson, of Westwood, mother of his two daughters; his remaining brother, Steve (Fran), of Auburn, Calif.; his five grandchildren, Melissa, Emma, Nikko, Ashley and Rachel; as well as cousins, nieces and nephews.

He loved to travel with his wife in their motor home. He was an avid big game hunter and outdoorsman. He and his brothers made annual trips to Colorado, Idaho, Oregon and Wyoming during several decades to enjoy the great outdoors. He frequently hunted in Arizona. Bob spent endless hours watching and enjoying wildlife. He was a real dog lover, an avid NASCAR fan as well as a long-time Raiders fan. He loved his politics, Facebook, fine food and country music. Bob was a Johnny Cash and Elvis fan, forever.

Bob had many friends and a large extended family that loved him. He will be missed by all.

Lorraine Evelyn Norton

Lorraine Evelyn Norton, of Cottonwood, Calif., passed away Jan. 21, 2013 at Mercy Medical Center in Redding, Calif. She was 81 years old. Lorraine was born in Ada, Okla. on May 27, 1931.

She and her family lived in Dairyville, in Tehama County, for a number of years where she and her husband, Walter, owned a peach farm. In 1963 they moved to Cottonwood, where they began raising a garden and selling to the public, they did this for a number of years.

Lorraine was the matriarch of her family and was loved and appreciated by everyone who knew her.

She is survived by her husband, Walt. They were married for 66 years. She also left Doris Leffler, of Anderson, Calif.; Mike Norton, of Redding; Sue Hatfield, of Susanville, Calif.; Connie Reeves, of Battle Mountain, Nev.; and Mary Pasiemiak, of Cedar City, Utah. She had nine grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren — and we will miss her so much.

Steven Earl Robinson

Steven Earl Robinson, born Aug. 15, 1946 in San Diego to Nathan and Mildred Grace Robinson, went fishing for the big one Feb. 17, 2013.

Steve was a loving and constant partner to his wife, Judy, and was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Nate; sister, Jill; and father-in-law, Duke McCarty.

Steve is survived by his three children, Sparke Robinson (Tiffany), Jackie Oswald (Michael) and Jennifer Roberts (Larry); and nine wonderful grandchildren. He was a loving uncle to his nieces and nephews.

As soon as Steve could carry a long board, he began surfing and surfed until he joined the Air Force during the Vietnam War. Most of his tour of duty was in the Philippines, ending with a short tour in Washington, D.C.

Following his military service, Steve came to Westwood for a short visit with friends. He returned the following week with all of his possessions and never looked back.

Steve formed the Mountain Meadows Conservancy (MMC) in 2000 and worked tirelessly to protect and enhance his beloved Mountain Meadows. For 13 years, Steve volunteered his time without pay to see his dream live on. Before retirement, he was a carpenter for 30 years.

He loved fishing and the outdoors. He loved all of the friends he met throughout the Sierra Nevada and was well respected for gaining the knowledge he needed to form and operate MMC.

Fishing for largemouth bass was his passion, but the MMC was his true passion. He volunteered tirelessly for MMC, becoming a major force in the Sierra Nevada. He made numerous friends throughout the Sierra. Steve was a true Renaissance man and a true environmentalist. There wasn’t anything he could not do once he put his mind to it. We will hold Steve close to our hearts forever, but no one as much as his fishing partner, wood cutting buddy and helper with the conservancy, his wife, Judy.

Donations to honor Steve’s tireless devotion to the region may be made to Mountain Meadows Conservancy with a stipulation for the Steve Robinson Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 40, Westwood, CA 96137.