Obituaries for the week of 9/5/17
Elizabeth “Betty” Ramos
Elizabeth “Betty” Ramos, 83, of Gresham, Oregon, passed away Aug. 15, 2017 after a lengthy battle with cancer.
Her memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9 at Springwater Church of the Nazarene in Gresham.
Betty was born Sept. 27, 1933 in Fisher, Minnesota to John Paul and Andrea Morales. Betty was raised ministering to people, and that continued throughout her life. She learned this from her father, a Baptist pastor to the migrant farm workers. This led her family to move to California when she was a child.
She met and married the love of her life, Alfonso Ramos, in Reno at the age of 16. They were married for 67 years and two days. Together they raised four children — Christine, Ralph, Rosie and Rita in Susanville.
At the encouragement of her husband, she obtained her GED and studied to be a licensed vocational nurse, a job that she loved and held for 22 years. She assisted at the births of several of her family members and friends, including her first grandchild.
Betty excelled in the gift of hospitality and was an amazing cook. Her home was always filled with family and friends. One of her son-in-laws insists that he married her daughter because of Betty’s cooking. Her kids used to say that she had a magic refrigerator because she could make a complete dinner for company out of what looked like, to them, a refrigerator with no food in it. After retirement, Alfonso and Betty moved to Mexico for 20 years where they ministered together to the people around them. They opened their home to traveling missionaries. Betty always made them feel like it was their home away from home.
She had a strong faith and was a prayer warrior with a great capacity to love her family and her friends. At times she was known as “the preacher” because it was important to her that people know Jesus. One of her best qualities was her sense of humor. She truly exhibited the gifts of the spirit in her daily life.
After retirement Betty was able to follow her creative side. She made some exquisite bread dough dolls, intricate embroidery, knitting, beading projects, unique bonsai trees and even taught one of her daughters how to make her own dress patterns.
After returning from 20 years in Mexico, Betty and Alfonso lived in Baker City, Oregon, for a year before settling in Gresham, Oregon. After moving to Gresham, Betty worked at Gresham Manor Assisted Living Center attending to the personal needs of many of the older residents. Although she was older than many of her clients, she was very young at heart. She had more energy than many people younger than her. She continued doing this until she was 80 years old. She loved helping anybody who needed her assistance and truly had a servant’s heart. She was an incredible, one-of-kind woman.
Survivors include her husband Alfonso; daughter Christine Nelson (Christopher) of Juneau, Alaska, son Ralph Ramos (Vicki) of Calhoun, Georgia, daughter Rosie Snider (Steve) of Baker City, Oregon, daughter Rita Tidyman (Steve) of Stevenson, Washington; 10 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, John Paul and Andrea Morales and all of her siblings; brothers Louis, Alfred, and Johnnie, and sisters Lupe, Sarah, Ruth and Martha.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society.
Sarah Luetta Harding
Clear Creek resident Sarah Luetta Harding passed from this life peacefully, with her loving family at her side, Monday morning, Aug. 28, 2017 at her residence at the tender age of 92.
Born on the farm in Montgomery County, Iowa on July 25, 1925 to the late Orpha and Sarah (Moore) Shafer. At the age of 10, she and her family relocated to the then thriving mining community of Seneca where she attended grammar school. She attended school in Lassen County before graduating from Greenville High School as a member of the Class of 1944.
On the day following her graduation, she married in Reno, Nevada to a handsome young truck driver named Leslie T. Harding whom she had met earlier while he was up visiting friends. To this union a son and daughter were born.
The family moved from Greenville to Chester where Sarah worked for a time as a custodian at the Post Office, and upon her husband’s retirement from Collins Pine, the couple relocated to Lassen County, first residing in Westwood and later settling in Clear Creek.
Sarah enjoyed all types of crafts, but especially leatherwork and sewing.
She had a love of the outdoors, especially hunting and fishing and found relaxation in doing genealogy.
In her passing she leaves her husband of almost 74 years, Leslie, of Clear Creek; son, Michael, of Clear Creek; daughter, Kathleen Harding, of Wells, Nevada; five grandchildren; 12 great grandchildren; and five great great grandchildren.
Along with her parents, she joins one brother and three sisters in their eternal home.
Private family services will take place at a later date following cremation locally at Fehrman Crematory.
An opportunity to express your condolences to the family along with signing the memorial guest register is available online at fehrmanmortuary.com.
Soledad Solie Barrera
Westwood native and lifelong resident, Soledad “Solie” Barrera, went on to join her son in their heavenly home Thursday morning, Aug. 24, 2017 at Enloe Medical Center located in Chico, California.
Born April 10, 1927 in the Hospital of Fruit Growers Supply in Westwood to the late Augustin and Eduvigen (Rodriguez) Perez, Solie as she affectionately became known, attended grammar school and high school in the old school buildings of the time, graduating from Westwood High School as a member of the Class of 1945. She is remembered by her classmates as an exceptional athlete. She played softball well into her adult life.
On Oct. 6, 1951 at the former Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church in Westwood, Solie married her longtime family friend who was to become her best friend, loving husband and hunting partner, Robert Barrera, and to this holy union three daughters and two sons were born.
Solie devoted her life to caring for her husband and family and is remembered fondly for her cooking, especially her tasty homemade tortillas she cooked on her wood stove until just recently when she finally got an electric stove. She was an accomplished seamstress. Solie was an avid hunter and was still planning to go deer hunting this coming season. She was a longtime member of the Westwood Pistol and Rifle Club. She is a member of the Roman Catholic faith who received all of her sacraments and attended Mass regularly until the Sacramento Diocese decided to close her beloved Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church in Westwood.
In her passing she leaves her loving husband of almost 66 years, Robert, of Westwood; son, Fernando, of Westwood; daughters, Susan Barrera and her husband, John, of San Francisco, California; Anita Barrera, of Sacramento; and Nancy Barrera, of Westwood; her precious grandchildren, Ariel and Emily; brothers, Fernando Perez, of Susanville; and Augustine Perez, of Redding; along with numerous nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews.
She joins in her eternal home her with son, Stephen; brother, Carlos Perez; and sister, Maria Santos Kelly.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated for the repose of her soul 10 a.m. Saturday morning, Sept. 2, 2017 at Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church, 220 Clifford Drive, Lake Almanor, CA 96137. Interment will take place alongside her late son in the Westwood Cemetery. A potluck reception will follow at the Westwood Community Center and all are invited to attend. An opportunity to express your condolences to the family along with signing the memorial guest register is available online at fehrmanmortuary.com.