Obituaries

Warren DeMilton Sommers, 77

Georgette Beauchman-Schmidt, 57

Max Stanley Frantz, 91

Warren DeMilton Sommers, born May 22, 1935, in Martinez, passed away peacefully Feb. 12, 2012, surrounded by family, after a short illness. A lifelong Bay Area native, he was raised in Walnut Creek by his loving parents Cloyse and Georgie Sommers. At the age of 13, Warren started spending his summers at Lake Almanor. He quickly developed a lifelong love affair with the lake, and enjoyed spending time there at the family cabin with his family and friends.

A graduate of San Francisco City College, Warren lived a full and diverse life. He spent time as a merchant marine for Matson Navigation, sailing back and forth between San Francisco and Hawaii while acting as beverage auditor. Warren served in the U.S. Army Reserves, worked for Trader Vic’s restaurant and worked in construction. In 1966, Warren took a “temporary” job with the Piedmont Fire Department; 26 years, one month and 10 days later, he retired as lieutenant. Warren was responsible for many heroic acts during this time, and was especially proud of his role during the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 and the Oakland hills fire of 1991.

In 1972, Warren met his loving partner and wife, Merry. They married in April 1973, and raised two wonderful children. Warren’s hobbies and joys included working with wood (especially oak), reading, gardening, fishing, his single malt scotch, being an Elk, creating mouth-watering treats from the smoker and, most of all, spending time with his two grandsons.

He is preceded in death by his parents and his brothers Leroy and David.

He is survived by his wife Merry; son Chris and daughter-in-law Jacqueline; daughter Kari and son-in-law Chris; brother Charley; grandchildren Zachary and Jackson; and a host of nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, anyone wishing to make a donation in his honor is encouraged to contribute to Las Trampas Inc. in Lafayette, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting adults with developmental disabilities (lastrampas.org).

Funeral memorial will be held Saturday, Feb. 25, at 1 p.m. at Corpus Christi Church, 37891 2nd St. in Fremont.

Georgette Beauchman-Schmidt, of Taylorsville, passed away Monday afternoon Feb. 13, 2012, at Plumas District Hospital in Quincy, with her loving family at her side following a valiant battle with cancer.

Born Sept. 26, 1954, in Quincy to William and Mary Ellen (Reichenbauch), Georgette was raised and educated in Indian Valley attending Taylorsville Elementary School and later Greenville High School.

Georgette spent almost her entire life in Taylorsville. She delivered the U.S. mail for Taylorsville and Genesee and was a popular waitress at restaurants in Greenville, Crescent Mills and Quincy. Along with her passion of caring for and riding her horses, Georgette and her husband, Alvin Beauchman, also raised cattle in Indian Valley. Georgette was a devoted mother and grandmother and will long be remembered for her warm, friendly and outgoing personality, along with her care and concern for all. She was honored as the grand marshall at the Taylorsville Rodeo Parade in 2010.

Georgette was predeceased by her parents, Mary Ellen and William Edward Schmidt. She is survived by her husband, Alvin Beauchman, of Taylorsville; daughters Suzette Reed and her husband Michael, of Greenville, and Mary Rogers and her husband Steve, of Durham; grandsons Mathew Reed and Jason Jahn and his wife Tina; two great-granddaughters, Peyton and Emily; and her brothers, Bill Schmidt, of Placerville, Mike Schmidt, of Red Bluff, and Joe Schmidt, of Maui, Hawaii.

A memorial mass was held at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Greenville Saturday, Feb. 18, with interment in the Taylorsville District Cemetery followed by a potluck celebration of life at the Grange Hall in Taylorsville to honor and remember Georgette.

An opportunity to express condolences to the family and sign the memorial guest register is available online at fehrmanmortuary.com.

Longtime Quincy electrician Max S. Frantz passed from this life early Thursday morning, Feb. 16, 2012, at Plumas District Hospital at the age of 91.

Born in Lindsay June 18, 1920, to Kansas natives Maurice and Zoe (Talhelm) Frantz, he was raised and educated in Modesto and Nampa, Idaho, graduating from Nampa High School as a member of the Class of 1938. He went on to attend the University of California Berkeley before leaving in his junior year to serve his country during World War II in the U.S. Army Signal Corps.

Capt. Frantz was honorably discharged in January 1946, returning to Berkeley and residing there until moving to the northeastern California community of Quincy in 1947. It was in Quincy that he was introduced to Joeana McCumber, an encounter that led to the couple’s marriage in Quincy April 27, 1958. Together they raised five children: John, Mitchell, Karen, Maxine and Bonnie.

Max had shared his expertise as an electrician for some 60 years with those in need. He was a longtime member of Plumas Lodge No. 60 Free and Accepted Masons, serving the Lodge as master in 1976 while also serving as patron of the Order of Eastern Star on numerous occasions.

In passing Max leaves his wife, Joeana, of Quincy; son John, of Bullhead City, Ariz.; daughters Karen Russell, of Pella, Iowa, Maxine Urbanick, of Santa Fe, N.M., and Bonnie Mango, of Denver, Colo.; a brother, Clifford, of Tollhouse; 18 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.

He joins his parents; son Mitchell; three brothers; and three sisters in their eternal home.

At Max’s request no services will be held; private scattering will take place at a later date. An opportunity to express condolences to the family and sign the memorial guest register is available online at fehrmanmortuary.com.

Memorial donations may be made to Shriners Children’s Hospital.

Ruth Mildred Coffin Cliff was gently lifted from this life to the next Feb. 16, 2012, at age 96, in Reno, Nev. Ruth was born at home in East Waldoboro, Maine, July 11, 1915, to John Benjamin Franklin Coffin and Helen Hoffses Coffin. Her parents named her, but by the time the birth certificate was filled out, her older brother’s name for her stuck: Ruth Mildred.

Ruth was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers, Ralph and Harry Coffin; her loving husband, Walter Cliff; and her grandson Mark Dill. She is survived by her daughter Roberta Dill (Don), of Reno, Nev.; grandson Stephen (Joanne), of San Mateo; grandson Kevin Dill and two great-grandsons, Jason and Scott, as well as a nephew, Richard Coffin (Joan), of Pollack Pines; and a niece, Florence Ellis (Randy), of Barrie, Ontario, Canada.

Maybe because one grandfather was a Civil War survivor and the other was a sea captain, Ruth and her younger brother grew up and worked hard, and were expected to do chores that were age-appropriate, whether it was bringing the milk cows in to the barn or driving a team of horses. Times were difficult and meals were served three times a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. No snacks and you ate what was served to you.

Ruth knew the value of thrift and was resourceful. She was loyal to friends and family and assumed responsibility for whatever task she undertook. She had a strong work ethic and had to be reminded that it wasn’t necessary to wipe up water spots on a sink before exiting a public restroom.

Ruth was quick to laugh, possessed a sharp tongue and loved to play cribbage. If you really didn’t want to hear her true opinion, you shouldn’t have asked her for it.

On Oct. 1, 1925, when she was 10, her family left Maine, bound for Sonoma, Calif. Her father drove his 1925 Dodge Touring Car, accompanied by her brother Ralph in his car. They stayed with relatives until they reached St. Louis, Mo. Lacking motels, they camped. Everything they needed was packed into the two cars: home-canned food, clothes and some furniture. Many pieces of good furniture were left behind. They arrived in Sonoma Oct. 23, 1925.

The roads were dirt and there were no bridges to cross the river. Las Vegas, Nev., was a crossroad with a gas station, a small general store and maybe a post office.

Ruth and her younger brother started school and her classmates teased her about her Maine accent. She survived and thrived. As a teenager, during the Depression after 1929, she was frugal and a “no frills” common-sense kind of woman, except for having her hair done in a beauty shop. She worked during the summer in the local fruit orchards by gathering fruit then working in the packing shed. She used the money to buy school clothes. She also saved money and by age 13, she bought a horse for $50.

Ruth was one of the few girls who rode horses. A favorite ride was to go east from Sonoma into the hills, until she could see the Napa Valley.

Her father had always encouraged her to stand up for herself and say what she thought. Those moments of feistiness would shine through periodically. She drove her father’s car for two years before the highway patrolman spoke to her father; she got her driver’s license at age 14. She drove until she was 92, when she moved to Reno.

Ruth played the violin in the high school orchestra, knew shorthand and loved to dance. She was a member of the Rebekahs by age 18. At a joint meeting with the Odd Fellows one night, she saw a tall, handsome young man, Walter Cliff. She thought to herself, if he’s not married, he will be.

In October 1935 they married, creating a union which lasted for 54 years until Walter’s death. Walter built a beautiful home in El Verano, and they lived there until 1943. In August of that year, they bought a 400-acre ranch and with their daughter, Roberta, they moved to Taylorsville. It came complete with cattle and horses, a dream come true.

Walter learned to ride horses, but preferred to leave most of the riding to Ruth and Roberta. They raised 2,000 laying hens every year and sold the eggs commercially. Once a week, Ruth delivered fresh eggs by the dozen to customers in Greenville, then bought groceries. They hatched and raised turkeys, as well as sold eggs for hatching. Ruth worked alongside Walter. If she could lift something, she carried it.

Summers brought friends and family to visit, and many ended up working on the ranch and forming good work habits from stacking hay bales to washing dishes. Some said it was the best time of their lives.

Ruth was a charter member of the Greenville Soroptimist Club, and served as its president as well as convention delegate. She and Walter were co-community leaders for the local 4-H club, and members of the Farm Bureau. She also played bridge in her spare time.

Ruth could shoot and clean a rifle. She had a permit to carry a concealed weapon. She preferred to be outdoors and enjoyed gardening until she moved to Reno.

In 1975, Ruth and Walter sold the ranch and moved to a new home, built on 80 acres that they owned. In the 1980s, Ruth finally stopped riding horses only because her last horse died of old age. She enjoyed having her grandsons come to stay and visit. She was amazed that she had great-grandsons.

Ruth continued to live there until 2007, when she sold her home and moved to Reno to be near her daughter and family. She still continued to live by herself, and still gave orders, as needed, on how to do things.