Life Tributes for the week of 4/2/19

Ada W. Stone

Ada W. Stone entered into rest on March 17, 2019. She was preceded in death by her husband of 51 years, Lester H. Stone; three brothers; four sisters; and one grandson. She is survived by her daughter, Helen Louise Miller; and son, Lester Davis Stone; five grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and six great-great grandchildren.

Ada was born April 8, 1921 in Logan, Utah. She was the fifth of eight children born to Donald and Elizabeth Packet Woodward. Ada and her family lived in Provo, Utah until she was 6 years old when they moved to Susanville, California. They lived in the Leavitt Lake area for three years. During that time her father raised sugar beets on land that he rented. They moved to the Johnstonville area where Ada’s father worked as a carpenter for most of the rest of his life.

At about 15 years of age, Ada’s older brother, Don introduced her to Lester Hall Stone. Don was working in the Willow Creek area on the Walsh ranch. Lester was working on the Stone ranch at Eagle Lake. Don used to travel to the Stone ranch to read books from the branch library that were kept at the Stone ranch.

Ada and Lester were married Nov. 20, 1937 at the Lassen County Courthouse in Susanville. Lester’s sister, Jane, Ada’s brother, Don and Ada Naefe stood up for them. Ada was 16 and Lester 21 at the time of their marriage. Lester’s parents, Coit and Laura Stone kept a house in town so their children could attend high school as the distance was long and the winters too hard to travel back and forth from their ranch at Eagle Lake. Lester and Ada stayed in town for approximately two months at the home where Lester’s mother was living with children, Robert, Jane, and Myron so they could attend high school. Ada and Lester (commonly known as Bates) traveled out to the Stone ranch at Eagle Lake about two months after their marriage. Their automobile became stuck in the snow in Willow Creek Valley and they spent the night in the car. It became necessary to leave the car there for the winter. Ada and Lester stayed at the Barron ranch that next night. The owners loaned them some skis so that they could travel the 15 miles into the Stone ranch the next day. Lester’s father, Coit Stone, was stuck in town for six weeks. Lester and Ada lived at the ranch for the rest of that winter and Ada cooked for the brothers. At 16 her cooking skills not yet honed, relinquished the duty to her brother-in-law, Walter Stone and decided to try her hand at fieldwork. Lester worked in construction and drove a logging truck when their daughter, Helen Louise was born July 4, 1942. Shortly after Helen was born they moved to Monterey. Lester worked in construction at Camp Roberts during WWII, and due to the work he was doing for the government and his age, he was not drafted. From there they moved to Sebastopol and purchased a 14 foot trailer to live in while Lester worked in construction.

Ada and Lester moved back to Susanville where their son, Lester Davis was born Jan. 16, 1945. Lester ran a service station and they bought a house on Mesa Street in Susanville. In 1946 they moved to Corning where Lester drove a freight truck. In 1949 Lester bought a logging truck and moved to Lewiston, California. In 1952 after Lester had an accident with a logging truck, they moved to Susanville again and he drove a freight truck. Lester and Ada moved back to Lewiston, California in 1955 and Lester again drove a logging truck. In 1956 Ada went to work at the Post Office as a replacement clerk, and she was also a custodian at the elementary school. Ada became the Postmaster of the Lewiston Post Office in 1957. Lester went to work for the California Department of Forestry in 1964 as a heavy fire equipment operator. He retired from CDF in 1975. Ada worked as Postmaster until 1981 when she retired. In 1982 they moved back to Eagle Lake. Lester passed away Sept. 4, 1989 and Ada remained living at Eagle Lake until her death March 17, 2019.

Patrick William Lee

Patrick William Lee was born August 5, 1947 to George P. Lee and Leslie A. Lee (Warren) in The Dalles, Oregon; he passed away Feb. 8, 2019 in Reno, Nevada. He was raised in Fossil, Oregon until 1963. His parents moved Patrick and his siblings to Goldendale, Washington where he graduated from high school in 1965. Patrick went to Yakima Community College for a year and worked for Frank Beard. He then enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1968. While stationed at Camp Pendleton, Patrick became interested in saddle making from his great uncle Wade Warren, a saddle maker for Visalia Saddlery. This would shape his life from then on out.

After Patrick’s service in the Marines, he returned to Oregon where he worked on several ranches, learning to braid reins and headstalls in the evenings. It was while he was working on a ranch in Mt. Vernon that he met the love of his life, Shirley Nagel; they were married June 25, 1976.

He was given the opportunity to apprentice under Red Oster to learn the art of saddle making. Patrick would then spend the remainder of his life furthering his art with working knowledge of what a cowboy and horseman needed, also what a horse needed, and he took great pride in it. Patrick rode horses and liked to raise and train nice colts especially if they were from his beloved stud Rocky.

Patrick was a cowboy, schooled in the old cowboy ways and happiest when he was on horseback. He was a friend to many and a family man. He loved to pass his knowledge on to others, as he knew a horse would greatly appreciate the effort.

He is survived by his wife, Shirley R. (Nagel) Lee of Susanville, California; his daughter from his first wife, Jennifer Lee Hickel, of Vancouver, Washington; granddaughter, Iris Hickel; brother, Robert Lee (Glenda); sisters Sandra Pitcher (Randy) and Kathleen Lee (Chuck Coffman); nieces and nephew Deena Pitcher, JaiDee Taruscio (B.J.), Carrie Markham (Ryan), Cady Lee, Brian Lee; several great nephews and niece; and many friends in the Susanville area. A memorial will be held at a later date.

Paul J. Cardoza, Jr.
Paul J. Cardoza, Jr., better known as Joey, passed away at his residence in Westwood, California, Wednesday, March 13, 2019. Joey was 65 and had lived in Chester and most recently in Westwood during the past 30 years.

Orignially from Livermore, California, Joey was a retired plumber and business owner of Cardoza Plumbing. Joey was born in Livermore, California, Jan. 21, 1954, and was preceded in death by his parents, Paul J. Cardoza, Sr. and Doralee M. Sanders-Cardoza, who were natives and lifelong residents of Livermore. He is survived by his sister, Janet Cardoza-Miller; brother-in-law, JJ Miller; and nephew, Clinton Foss, of Manteca; brother, Glenn Cardoza; and sister-in-law, Ginamarie Maestas-Cardoza, both lifelong residents of Livermore; and by many cousins and friends.

Joey attended grammar school in Livermore and graduated from Livermore High School in 1972. He was an All Star athlete and played Varsity football, baseball, and basketball. After graduating high school, he attended Chabot College in Hayward, California, and then Arizona State, after receiving a football scholarship.

Starting at an early age, Joey grew up hunting and fishing in the Livermore Valley. Joey had a true passion and lifelong love of the outdoors. His favorite past time and memories were those that included hunting and fishing trips with family and friends. One of his favorite fishing spots was Hamilton Branch at Lake Almanor and on the Feather River in Plumas County. He was a volunteer firefighter in Chester, California, for about 10 years, and he taught Hunter’s Safety Course in Chester. Joey was a Native Son of the Golden West and a Clamper.

A small gathering of family and friends will be held at his home in Westwood and at his Aunt’s ranch on Morgan Territory Rd. in Livermore. Dates are pending.