LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Graveside services for Christopher Knight, who died in Utah on March 28, will take place on Tuesday, April 8.

The services will be held at 11 a.m. at the Elem Cemetery.

Procession to the Elem Tribal building will leave Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary at 10 a.m. Friday, April 4.

For further information call Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary at 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611 or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Paula M. Henderson died Saturday, March 22, 2014, surrounded by family and friends.

Paula was born Aug. 14, 1953, in Pueblo, Colo., to Herb and Gerry Henderson.

She was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses on Oct. 6, 1962, at the age of 9.

Paula loved fishing, playing cards, the 49ers, the Giants and entertaining friends with a great meal.

She was a resident of Lake County for more than 35 years. During this time she was known as a very hard worker and for always putting the needs of others first.

She is survived by her nieces, Stacie Robbins, Kim and her husband Terry Babich; brothers, Alan and wife Joyce Henderson, Tim and his wife Dona Henderson, and Jim Henderson; nephews, David and his wife Cindy Henderson, Kurt and his wife Olivia Henderson, Grant and his wife Monica Henderson, Josh and his wife Diane Robbins, and Jonathan and his wife Erica Henderson; great-niece, Taylor Robbins; great-nephews, Brandon Henderson, Dustin Henderson and Devon Babich; and her best friend, Diana Mongi.

If anyone knew “Aunt Paula,” you knew she loved a great barbecue! In her honor and her memory, her family will host an open house barbecue on Saturday, April 5, beginning at 1 p.m. Friends are invited to stop by the Landgrebe home at 9680 Main St., Upper Lake, CA 95485.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Keith (Patrick) von Haesler, age 86, passed away at home in Lower Lake on March 24, 2014.

He was born on February 23, 1928, in San Francisco to Earnest and Isabel von Haesler.

Keith resided in Lake County for 23 years prior to his death and was a former resident of Los Altos, Calif.

Keith was in the Coast Guard in 1946 and 1947 and spent 40 years in the ship repair industry in sales and contract administration.  

Keith leaves behind his wife of 42 years, Sharon von Haesler of Lower Lake; sons, Stuart von Haesler of Pollock Pines, Calif., and Kenneth von Haesler of San Jose, Calif.; and eight grandchildren.

A memorial mass will be held on Saturday, April 12, 2014, at 1 p.m. at Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Clearlake.

Donations may be made to the Salvation Army or Hospice Services of Lake County.

Arrangements entrusted to Jones & Lewis Clear Lake Memorial Chapel, telephone 707-994-6417 and on the Web, www.jonesandlewis.com .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Delmona Dawn Azbill entered into eternal happiness March 28, 2014, as her work was done here on earth.

She was born August 31, 1970, in Lander, Wyo.

Delmona is preceded in death by her parents, Delmar and Janice Azbill, brothers, Tony Eagle, Allen and Marvin Azbill.

She is survived by her children, Don and Joe; sisters, Victoria and Patricia; and brothers, Andrew Lydale and Danny.

Delmona was known for her kindness, love for animals and her strength she showed for her family.

Delmona will be laid to rest at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 5, at the Faith Tabernacle Church in Covelo.

Visitation will be at Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary from noon to 6 p.m. Thursday, April 3.

For further information call Chapel of the Lakes at 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Born Jan. 2, 1934, to Pauline and Leonard Smith, Geneva was the youngest of five daughters.

It is said that in their household, that Leonard did not have a chance with six women in the house.

Leonard considered the women in his family a chain that God would call home one by one and reassemble there.

On Jan. 3, 2014, one day after her 80th birthday, Geneva Jewel (Smith) McCaffery left this earth to be with the other “links” that have gone before her.

Born in Oklahoma, Geneva and her family came to the Napa Valley in 1947 and settled in St. Helena where she graduated from St. Helena High School. She later married and had two children.

She also worked at the Yountville Veterans Home in Yountville for more than 20 years. She loved to travel to the coast where she enjoyed fishing and the atmosphere of the waves crashing on the rocks, the passing of the fishing boats in and out of the harbor and the occasional whale making its migration north.

Geneva became known to many through her prowess at cooking. Whether for family or friends, she was known for, “cooking up a storm” when they went to her home to share a meal. Those fortunate enough to taste of her culinary creations enjoyed the opportunity for the “best pecan pie” this side of Oklahoma.

Geneva was preceded in death by her parents; and sisters, Ruth (Dudley) and Dorothy (Ellis).

She is survived by her sisters, Edna (Sims) and Myrtle “Mert” (Moberg) of Gilroy. Likewise she is survived by her son, Roger (Farber of Weed, Ca.) and daughter, Victoria (Moore of Middletown, Ca.) and her many friends and church family at the Lower Lake Community United Methodist Church.

A celebration of life service will be held on Saturday, March 29, 2014, at 11 a.m. at the Lower Lake Community United Methodist Church, located at 16255 Second St., Lower Lake.

The community is invited to come and share in this celebration and reception following the service.

For further information call 707-995-2507.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Richard Arlin Larson of the Capay District near Orland died on Friday, March 7, 2014, after a sudden illness. He was 75 years old.

He was born August 26, 1938, in San Francisco, to Arlin Louis Larson, a sheet metal worker and Utah native, and Ethel Louise Rucker Larson, a California native who worked as a nurse in a San Francisco children's hospital during the 1920s and 1930s.

Richard was the grandson of Swedish Mormon immigrants on his father’s side, and on his mother’s side was the great-grandson of British immigrants, and descended from a German family that first arrived in America in the late 1600s. He also was a descendant of several patriots in the American Revolution.

When he was a small boy, his family left San Francisco for Redwood City, in part, to help deal with his severe asthma.

At that time, Redwood City was still mostly rural, and his family raised pigeons and chickens, and had a large garden at their Norman Street home.

Richard became particularly interested in pigeons and goats, which he began raising while still a child. However, being a dairyman was his great dream from childhood.

Richard graduated from Sequoia High School in Redwood City in 1956. Although extremely intelligent, Richard was, by his own admission, not a very good student and despite his father's desire that he go to college, he wanted to pursue his dream of becoming a dairy farmer.

After graduating from high school, Richard worked for a short time with his father at DuraVent in Belmont before moving to Half Moon Bay. There, on a little hillside ranch, he began raising livestock. His first cow was a Holstein heifer named Rosey.

He later went to work for Elbert Marsh and for Francie Marsh. Francie Marsh grew hay for the horses at Bay Meadows racetrack, and he taught Richard to drive teams of horses on the steep hillsides of San Gregorio, south of Half Moon Bay. People who knew him said Richard learned to speak passable Portuguese after working with the farmers on the coast.

He also worked for Giuseppe “Shorty” Berta, an Italian immigrant who had a well-known truck farm and vegetable stand on Highway 92 in Half Moon Bay.

Not long after his father died, Richard purchased his first team of three horses with funds he received from his Swedish grandmother.

Draft horses would be a lifelong love of his, and he would forgo using a tractor whenever possible in favor of his beloved horses, of which he had many – Belgians, Clydesdales, Percherons and Shires. He would at one point have a large amount of horsedrawn equipment, including a wagon he used for giving hay rides.

In May 1970, Richard married Julia Gray. Early the following year, a month before the birth of their first child, their home burned to the ground, destroying all of their belongings. Their church came to the rescue, helping the couple get back on their feet in time to welcome their new baby.

The couple had two children together: daughter, Elizabeth, and son, Keith.

Richard worked for about eight years as a custodian at Cabrillo Unified School District, particularly at El Grenada Elementary School, while he continued farming. Because he didn’t get home until late at night, his wife let their baby daughter get up late to play with him when he got home, thus making her a perpetual night owl.

In October 1974, the family purchased a 50-acre dairy in the Capay District and moved there.

Richard was intellectually gifted. He taught himself to read and play music, and played the piano and organ. For many years he played the organ at a number of churches, including Methodist and Southern Baptist churches in Half Moon Bay, the House of Prayer in Orland and the Capay Assembly of God.

Richard was a devout Christian, who viewed the world and the people in it with love and compassion. He greeted everyone as a friend, and daily prayed for those around him, as well as for strangers who needed help.

The hard-working dairy farmer was rarely without a smile; he loved life no matter the obstacles and always had a kind word for those me met. He attributed his positive outlook to his connection with God, was an avid reader of the Bible and considered Jesus his primary physician.

He loved the outdoors and was a skilled gardener. Like his mother, he could “throw down doorknobs and grow bungalows.”

After he had retired for being a dairy farmer – he sold his dairy in 2005 – he continued to raise goats, doves and pigeons. His roller pigeons could often be seen flying above his home, doing tumbles as they circled overhead.

Throughout his life he enjoyed sports. Although he had asthma as a young man, he said he was healed of it while at a meeting held by evangelist Kathryn Kuhlman. As a result, he was able to enjoy bicycling, volleyball and basketball, swimming and boating.

He had a curious mind and continued to pursue knowledge into the final days of his life. One of his last efforts was to learn Spanish to help at a local Spanish-speaking church. He also was known for building unusual but useful contraptions around his ranch.

Richard is preceded in death by his parents, Arlin and Ethel Larson; several aunts and uncles; brother-in-law, George Hall of Santa Rosa; mother-in-law, Clara Gray of Orland; and several cousins.

He is survived by his son, Keith Larson of Turlock; daughter, Elizabeth Larson and son-in-law, John Jensen, of Lucerne; sister, Nancy Hall of Windsor; ex-wife, Julia Larson of Orland; niece, Jennifer Hall of Santa Rosa; nephew, Scott Hall of Santa Rosa; grandchildren, Kirsten and Ethan Larson of Hughson; great niece, Daisy Hall of Hawaii; uncle, Sterling Larson of Eagle, Idaho; cousin, Norma Wright and her husband, Fred, of Talent, Ore.; childhood friend of more than 63 years, Carl Antone of Orland; numerous nieces and nephews in North Carolina and Georgia; many cousins; countless friends; and his beloved dog, Missy.

The family will hold a memorial service and dinner to celebrate his life at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 23, at the Capay Elementary School, located at Fourth and Cutting avenues, across the street from where his dairy once stood.

The community is invited to come and share memories of Richard, and to enjoy an afternoon featuring the kinds of things Richard loved – good fellowship and hospitality, and good food. Many of his favorite dishes – including fried chicken, cowboy beans and carrot cake – will be served.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that those wishing to offer a donation in Richard's memory consider supporting the Capay Volunteer Fire Department, 50 Fourth Ave., Orland, CA 95963; or the Capay 4-H Club, P.O. Box 697, Orland, CA 95963.

Messages of condolence and memories of Richard may be shared with the family via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or in care of Julia Larson, 7411 Capay Ave., Orland, CA 95963.