Obituaries for the week of 1/18/17

Jan Elaine Elliott

Jan Elaine Elliott passed away on Dec. 31, 2016, at Life Care Center in Reno, Nevada, after a brief illness.

Jan was born in Los Angeles on Jan. 6, 1943, to Maurice Hibbert and Muriel Putnam Hibbert. She was a Meadow Valley resident from 1979 to the late 1980s. She was a part-time student at FRC and was employed with the now closed Bonfield’s woodstove and natural food store.

Jan also lived in parts of southern California, Truckee, Granite Bay, Grass Valley, Reno/Washoe Valley and most recently Portland, Oregon.

She had a deep love for all animals and devoted her life to helping needy and stray pets.She had an extensive background as an herbalist and nutritional counselor and she was passionate about helping others reverse ailments and achieve optimal health. She was enthusiastic about politics and active with her local Democratic Party.

In her youth, she was a dancer and figure skater. She was a longtime member of Sports Car Club of America, with a love for classic sports cars and road course racing. She was a gifted gardener and a skilled horsewoman.She loved the wilderness and she often said that her happiest time of life were the years living in Meadow Valley.

She leaves behind her brother and sister-in-law, John and Fabi Hibbert of Puerto Peñasco, SON, Mexico, her daughter, Christina Elliott Shetterly, a 1984 QHS Alumni, of Portland, Oregon, and numerous cousins in the Los Angeles area and Reno.

Upon her wishes, there will be no memorial service. Her ashes will be scattered at a private location this spring. The family may be contacted at this address: PO Box 684, Wilsonville, OR 97070.

Erica Velma Riley

Erica was born July 18, 1931. She died Jan. 6, 2017.

Erica was raised in Ava, Missouri, and this is where she met her late husband Earl L. Riley. They were married in the same house where she was born. They soon moved to southern California where she worked as a telephone operator for many years while raising their four children. In her most recent years, she was a receptionist at the Greenhorn Guest Ranch near the home where she resided.

She loved to sew, quilt and be with her family and will be remembered as a loving wife and caring mother. She was always more concerned about how others were doing and did not dwell on her own daily challenges. Erica had great morals and respect for others.

In her passing, Erica leaves her four children: Mike (Jenny) Riley, of Temecula; Dave (Cathy) Riley, of Meadow Valley; John (Mickey) Riley, of El Dorado Hills; and Trish (Ralph) Wilburn, of Greenhorn Ranch; sister, LaVelle (Bud) Clinkingbeard and family of Ava, Missouri, eight grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, as well as many aunts, uncles and cousins.

She was preceded in her passing by her husband, Earl L. Riley and brother, Edwin Brentlinger.

She will be fondly remembered as “Greenhorn Nana” to her family and many friends.

Memorial services will take place 1 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 22, at the Meadow Valley Community Church. Food will be provided following the services in the church’s social hall. Any remembrances in Erica’s memory can be made to the Meadow Valley Community Church. An opportunity to express your condolences to the family along with signing the memorial guest register is available online at HYPERLINK “http://www.fehrmanmortuary.com/”fehrmanmortuary.com.

Erica will be greatly missed and remembered by many. May she rest in peace.

Marilee Smith

Marilee Smith was born in Corning, on Oct. 8, 1946, and passed on Dec. 28, 2016.

She was the middle daughter of Cynthia and Andrew Miller who raised their family in the little community of Flournoy, near Corning. Marilee attended Corning Union High School, graduating with scholastic honors in 1964. She then went on to Chico State University where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in the field of Accounting and became a Certified Public Accountant, which was her profession for many years.

As many of Marilee and Mike’s friends and family know, she and husband Mike met when they were just kids. They courted through high school and married in August 1966, after their second year of college. Their unique story is that they became sweethearts at age 13 and remained sweethearts and best friends, over an adventure that lasted 56 years.

Marilee and Mike had two beautiful children, a son Michael Dustin and a daughter Julie. Their son Michael Dustin and his wife Bridget gave Marilee and Mike two special twin grandsons, Storm and Jack. Their daughter Julie and her husband Tony gave them their other beautiful grandchild, Elizabeth. Marilee, “Grammie,” adored her three grandchildren and they adored her. From infancy to the 12-year olds they are today, she had a special loving relationship with each of them, and tireless energy to spend with each one or all three. From bedtime stories to riding four wheelers across the ranch and everything in between, Grammie was there with them.

Marilee loved her family and friends, her home, her profession and horses. She was a very focused person and approached everything she did with passion, determination, and with a desire to be the very best she could be.

Marilee loved horses all her life and became an expert horsewoman.As a longtime member of the National Cutting Horse Association and the Pacific Coast Cutting Horse Association, she competed in this highly competitive sport and won a World Championship in 2001, she also finished in the top 15 in the world in 2015, and competed at the national level in her last show, just three months ago.

Marilee was a CPA and she, and business partner and treasured friend Norm Newell, formed Smith & Newell CPA’s nearly 30 years ago. Their reputation for excellence has made Smith & Newell a company that is in great demand in the specialized field of independent auditing of public agencies.

She is survived by her loving husband, Mike Smith, of Sutter; son Michael Dustin (Bridget) Smith, of Los Angeles; daughter Julie (Tony) Rogers, of San Diego; and her sisters, Adrienne (Guido) Maddelena, of Portola, and Roberta (Dennis) Asbury, of Willows.

Marilee was a shining star and a true champion who loved and enjoyed life to the fullest, a life that was taken suddenly and unexpectedly. She was a joy, always ready with a beautiful smile, and there was no one like her. She was a treasure.

Please join us on Friday, Jan. 27, at 11 a.m. at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, 1390 Franklin Rd., Yuba City, CA 95993, for a Celebration of Life service.