Sunday, 24 November 2024

Obits

No friend ever served me, and no enemy ever wronged me, whom I have not repaid in full. - quote by Lucius Cornelius Sulla

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Terri Felton passed away peacefully on June 25, 2021, just seven months after her husband of 38 years, Mike Felton, passed from cancer. Some could say she died from a broken heart.

Terri was born in Glendale, California, on May 24, 1958, to Harvey and Doris Jones.

She is survived by her two children, Breanna and Cole; granddaughter, Jayla-Lynne’; sisters, Kathy and Sandy; many nieces and nephews; and a few lucky adopted loved ones (Jennifer and Kalaya Mule).

Terri’s love for her family, friends, children and animals was extraordinary, and her selfless acts of kindness are far too numerous to count!

She not only cared deeply for those around her, but she was also the kind of woman who would go out of her way to make friends with strangers to remind them that they were not just part of a community, but they were a part of her world.

Her larger-than-life personality and positive energy were the “secret ingredients” in everything she did and everyone she touched. She knew how to enjoy life and have a good time, and was always the life of the party! From her infectious laugh, to her great sense of humor, people couldn’t help but be drawn to her.

Terri had so many hobbies and interests that it was hard to keep up with and find room for them all! From her amazing oil paintings to her creative cuisine, the bootleg vino and lollipops, her beautifully handcrafted jewelry and the thousands of homemade gifts she made with her day care kids.

Along with spending heartfelt time with loved ones and raising little ones, she also enjoyed camping, fishing, hunting, coaching, concerts, traveling, and a good dive bar here and there. She would love to order a martini, share a few dirty jokes and watch your reaction.

Terri was the best wife, mother, grandmother, friend, babysitter and collector of homeless animals anyone could have asked for! She was always ready and willing to lend an ear and give you a big hug, and knew how to calm the storm of a broken heart.

She will be forever missed, as her absence has left a deep scar among those who loved her dearly.

Funeral service will be held at Hartley Cemetery on Friday, July 23, at 10 a.m.

A memorial gathering to celebrate Michael and Terri Felton will be held on Saturday, July 24, at noon at the Riviera Hills Restaurant.

Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com.

Leslie Snyder. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Leslie Merton Snyder, born March 20, 1948, took his final ride on June 30, 2021, surrounded by family and friends.

Born in Hollywood, California, he was raised in Santa Paula.

Les served in the US Navy during the Vietnam war. While stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii, he met his wife of 49 years, Kristin.

Les is survived by his children, Martin (Jacqueline) Snyder and Aubrey (Erica) Snyder; his three grandchildren, Kerrington, Maxwell and Henry; sisters, Janice (Jim) McNaughton, and Marcia Manes; good friend, Irvin Myers; as well as many nieces and nephews.

He is predeceased by his parents, Geri Cole and Merton Snyder.

Les and Kristin moved to Lake County in 1981. Les worked as an x-ray technician for 40 years.

He was an avid Harley rider and loved boating, traveling back to Hawaii and a good martini.

A celebration of his life will be held for family and friends.

Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com.

Ashley Penrose. Courtesy photo.

Ashley Lynn (Sellards) Penrose
March 23, 1971 - May 26, 2021

As with her life, Ashley Lynn (Sellards) Penrose, could not wait to get her journey started, so much so that she was born to proud and relieved parents, Henry Grady Sellards Jr., and Cheryle Eyerly (Sellards) Yost, March 23, 1971 (at six and a half months) in Detroit, Michigan, giving everyone (especially her mother) a bit of a fright.

After spending the first year of her life in Michigan, her family moved west to Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she spent her early formative years enjoying the beauty of the Rocky Mountains.

At the age of 8, her family moved west to Kelseyville, California, where she discovered that growing up beside a lake could be just as majestic as the mountains. Here, she was blessed with many good friends and a family that loved her dearly.

The years passed as they do, until her graduation day from Kelseyville High school came on a hot June day in 1989.

Ashley’s thirst for knowledge would not stop there, so she sought out higher education and ultimately found her way back to Colorado where she achieved a master’s degree in speech-language pathology from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Many years passed, and Ashley thrived as a speech-language pathologist. She worked with older adults in the beginning, but as with her spirit she gravitated toward kids and found that her true speech passion was helping and working with children.

This ultimately led her to the schools and classrooms, which allowed her to work with and touch the lives of children on a daily basis. She helped many kids overcome various levels of speech and early development physical communication issues, and helped them to find their voices.

On Valentine’s Day of 2015 Ashley married the man she loved, Robert Corey Penrose in a beautiful ceremony above the fountains at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas.

Ashley and Corey wasted no time getting their life together started, and soon thereafter had purchased a beautiful home on a hill with a view of the water in Vallejo, California.

They were very happy together and, in addition to spending time with family on both sides, which was very important to them both, they found the things that made them happy including traveling, enjoying great food, cooking, entertaining and so much more.

Family was more important to Ashley than anything, and she loved embracing and adding to the traditions of Corey’s family as well as her own.

Ashley was a unique spirit. She was a fiercely loyal wife, daughter, sister, auntie and friend. She had a heart of gold and would go to the ends of the earth and back again to help someone in need, or to just put a smile on their faces. She often put everyone else’s wants and needs above her own.

For those who called Ashley “friend,” never a truer friend could they have. She not only cared deeply about each of her many friends, but she also literally cataloged her engagements and logged the memories that were so precious to her.

Outside of work, her greatest passions were her husband, her family, her dog Pepper and being the best “Aunticorn” (a mythical creature related to the unicorn capable of incredible love, patience and fun for her nieces and nephews).

For us, her family, we can only say she was the keeper of our hearts. Ashley wanted every interaction to be a special one and found ways to add to even unambiguous events.

For special ones including holidays and birthdays she always made sure we all remembered the traditions and little details (birthday crowns, sashes and running around the table were a must) which so many take for granted and was always finding the magic, making the day truly ours.

She loved to read and was involved in many book clubs as well as being a beautiful writer. She loved a good party, good food, music to boogie to and had a laugh and smile to fill the room.

Ashley is proceeded in death by her father, Henry Grady Sellards Jr.

Ashley is survived by her loving husband, Corey Penrose; mother, Cheryle, and stepfather, Wayne Yost of Kelseyville; brother, Grady (Reggie) Sellards of Glendale, California; sister, Heather (Josh) Adams of Windsor, California; stepbrother, Bryce (Amy) Yost of Lemoore, California; stepsister, Jinny Spring (Rick) of Roseville, California; mother-in-law, Jan Penrose of Woodland, California; brother-in-law, Nicholas Penrose and Esther Jacobo of Woodland; sister-in-law, Lori Penrose and Gregory Calderon of Woodland; and beloved nephews and nieces, Benjamin, Sebastian, Elizabeth, Emily, Madelynn, Arik, Carina, Joey and Samantha; as well as many aunts, uncles and cousins.

ASHLEY, YOU WILL BE MISSED.

A celebration of life for Ashley is tentatively planned for Labor Day weekend. More information will follow.

Ed Carver. Courtesy photo.

Ed Carver

Sunrise: Aug. 26, 1940
Sunset: July 2, 2021

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Ed passed away on July 2, 2021.

As Ed was rehabilitating from a fall at home and then a subsequent fall at his son’s house, he succumbed to complications of his lungs and heart.

He was the second of three sons born to Edgar and Frances Sutton in Normal, Illinois on Aug. 26, 1940.

They migrated to California and settled in El Cerrito.

Ed was predeceased by his parents, brothers, Larry and Scott, and his precious fur baby, Bear.

Ed and Barbara met in 1957, remained friends and married in 1982.

He is survived by three children, Eddie, Chris and Jennifer; two stepchildren, Greg Stanfill and Carrie Moore; nine grandchildren, Bobby, Cherylynn, Aurora, Heather, Brycen, Kelso, Sutton, Profiera and Keeli; and two great-grandchildren, Rylan and Ava.

Barbara and Ed retired in 2001, moved to Hidden Valley Lake, where they built a beautiful home and made many friends.

Ed was a car guy, loved classic cars and hot rods and spent time restoring their 1957 Chevy.

He also enjoyed fishing, reading, golfing and gardening, but the highlight of his retirement was spending time with their grandchildren, Bobby, Heather and Rylan.

He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.

Private services will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Middletown Senior Center, 21256 Washington St., PO Box 1037 Middletown, CA 95461, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Arrangements by Neptune Society.

Bill Lawver. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Bill Lawver, a devoted husband, loving father, grandfather, brother, brother-in-law and uncle, passed away on July 6, 2021.

He is survived by his devoted wife, Lorna; his son, Darell, and his daughter-in-law, Diane; his daughters, Dara and Shellie; his grandchildren, Daniel, David, Jennifer, Jayson and Ross; his sister, Darlene; and many other grieving family members.

Born on Jan. 16, 1931, in Watonga, Oklahoma, Bill was a wrestler in high school and was awarded a scholarship to wrestle in college. However, he chose to turn down the scholarship in order to attend his favored Oklahoma State.

With the onset of the Korean War, Bill left school to join the United States Air Force, where he proudly served from 1950 to 1954. Among other places, he was stationed in England and the infamous base in Roswell.

Bill moved to California in 1963 and settled in Sonoma. He met the love of his life, Lorna, in 1963 at Beasley’s Restaurant in Petaluma. They married on Aug. 21, 1966, and would have celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary next month.

Bill moved his family to Lake County in October of 1970 where he proudly raised his three children. He and Lorna joined the KonoTayee community in 1979, and Bill remained a member of that community until his death.

Bill’s professional life was varied, including working as a loan officer for UCB Bank, as a hospital administrator for Hillside Community Hospital, as the assistant assessor of Lake County, and after a break to personally build his own home, he finished his career as an appraiser for Mendocino County.

Bill took an early retirement in 1991, and Bill and Lorna enjoyed many years camping, fishing, boating on their houseboat “Happy Ours,” taking cruises, traveling in their RV, and visiting their timeshare in Cancun.

He was the champion of the family’s annual Horseshoe Tournament multiple times, and even won a championship at the Lake Shasta Boaters Horseshoe Tournament.

One of Bill’s very special places was Eagle Lake, where he and Lorna spent over 20 happy Septembers there, catching trout with beloved family members.

Above all, Lorna and his family meant everything to Bill. He loved all his family, and he was loved by all of them.

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the family still gathered to celebrate Bill’s 90th birthday via Zoom this last January. During that celebration his grandsons told him he was an inspiration to them, teaching them how to be a good man. They aspire to be the husband, father and man he taught them how to be by example. His granddaughter also learned from him how to be a valuable member of the community and a wonderful human being. He was a sterling example to the whole family.

There will be a celebration of Bill’s life on Friday, July 16, at 10 a.m. at The Chapel of the Lakes, N. High St, in Lakeport.

The burial and military honors will follow at the Upper Lake Cemetery, Clover Valley Rd, Upper Lake.

In lieu of flowers the family is requesting donations be made to the American Cancer Society in Bill’s honor.

Donald Prather. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Donald Prather was born on June 5, 1956, the youngest of seven sons to Lilburn Robert Prather and Evelyn Prather Wolfe.

Donny lived on Cobb and roamed the countryside with his brothers and friends. He was a loving husband, father, son, brother and grandfather. Donny made an impression on those who touched his life.

Donny was an accomplished drummer whose first paying job was at age 8 with his mother, performing in venues throughout Lake County.

He mastered everything that interested him including the drums, songwriting and recording music for himself, his brothers and friends. The Prather Bros. Band has played for 50 years and opened at Konocti for well-known bands such as the Doobie Brothers, Kansas and the Guess Who.

He was a self-taught man who enjoyed many hobbies such as music, RC cars and 3D printing. There was very little that Donny couldn’t fix, improve on, create or invent.

During his 32 years working as a heavy equipment operator for the Lake County Road Department, he supervised the county’s chip seal programs along with the many projects he undertook.

For all who knew Donny, they will miss his humor, smile and laugh; his deep love and pride for his children and family; his mentorship and his incredible intelligence. His passing is a true loss for a family and community.

Donny ended his journey on June 19, 2021, and leaves behind his wife, Mary; children, Tara and Donny Junior; grandson, Colten; stepchildren, Eva and Erik; father and wife, LR Prather (Carol); stepfather, Dick Wolfe; brothers and wives, Steven (Jennifer), Mike (Kathy), Gary (Cathy), Danny and Tim (Linda); first wife, Sharon Ornellas; and numerous relatives.

He is predeceased by his mother, Evelyn and brother, Darryl.

Donny talked about having ice cream social with friends when he was feeling better and to honor his wish there will be one held later in the summer.

Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com.

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