Ethel May (Brinker) Wilcox
October 9, 1934 – May 10, 2026
Fortuna, California
Ethel’s parents, Herman and Edith Brinker, resided in Cornell, Michigan, where she was born at home,
the second of five children. At the age of 10, her family moved west to Idaho, first residing in
Pocatello, then McCammon and finally Kimberly, where they remained for many years.
When Ethel was 15, her mother contracted a terminal illness and needed care. Ethel quit school and
cared for her mother at home until her passing approximately a year later, in 1951. After caring for her
mother, she went out on her own, working as a nanny for several different families in the Twin Falls
area. During this time period, she gave birth to a baby boy. With the help of dear friends, the baby was
adopted and raised by a wonderful Christian couple. Ethel and Mort were reunited 43 years later, and
the entire family developed a close, loving relationship, bringing great joy to the entire family.
In 1953, Ethel met her husband to be, Glenn Wilcox. The Wilcox family resided in Murtaugh, Idaho.
Glen’s brother, Bob, had married Ethel’s sister Lucy while Glenn was serving in the army, in Germany.
Upon returning home, he met Ethel, and it was love at first sight! They were married five months later, on
October 3, 1953, in Murtaugh, where Glenn was working on a potato farm. In August of 1954, they
welcomed their first child, Rebecca. In November of that year, they made the decision to travel to
California to look for a better employment opportunity. Glenn quickly found work at Pacific Lumber
Company, in Scotia, where he worked his entire life, and from which he eventually retired.
In the ensuing years, three more daughters were born; Esther, Julia and Sarah. While raising her
family, Ethel also became a day care mother, welcoming many children into her home and blessing
them with her love and care. Ethel loved spending time with her large extended family, as well as many
close friends. She and Glenn were lifelong members of the Rio Dell Assembly of God church, giving
countless hours of their time and resources to the church body, from which so many of their dear
friends were found.
Ethel had a giving heart. She was especially adept at judging the needs, likes and sizes of those around
her, and she loved perusing yard sales and thrift stores where she found clothing or useful items she
knew someone in her acquaintance could use. She had a good eye for spotting quality items, and many
of you reading this will fondly recall being blessed by her generous giftings over the years.
She loved flowers, especially pink carnations, going for drives with Glenn to get ice cream or other
treats, visiting family and friends and making their annual vacation trips to Idaho each summer to visit
family. She and Glenn loved being together and rarely did anything apart. They were married for 68,
beautiful, loving years. He passed on May 10, 2022.
When Glenn retired From PL, they moved to Fortuna where they attended The Fortuna Nazarine
church for many years, meeting many new and much loved friends. When Glenn went home to be with
Jesus in 2022, Ethel made the decision to move to the Fortuna Rehab and Wellness Center, where she
resided until she, too, recently went home to be with Jesus. While there, her only remaining sister,
Lucy, visited her every day. They often played games and did crafts together, or simply reminisced over
a long and wonderful life lived side by side in the service of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Ethel is preceded in death by:
Her husband, Glenn Wilcox, May 10, 2022
Her daughter, Rebecca (Wilcox) Laloli, April 15, 2025
Her sister, Betty (Brinker) Dockins, March 24, 2012
Her brother Carl Brinker, May 28, 2012
Her brother Gerald Brinker, May 31, 2001
Her father, Herman Brinker, August 31, 1973
Her mother, Edith Brinker, November 8, 1951
Ethel is survived by:
Her son, Mort (& Tina) Thompson, Buhl, Idaho
Her daughter Esther (& Steve) Smith, Silverton, Oregon
Her daughter Julia (& Gary) Davis, Vine Grove, Kentucky
Her daughter Sarah (Wilcox) Sheldon, Ferndale.
Her sister Lucy (Brinker) Wilcox, Rio Dell.
Also grandchildren, great-grandchildren, a great many nieces and nephews and extended family, all of
whom she loved very much, and who will miss her greatly.
Thank you to everyone who has joined us in celebration of the life of our dear mother, Ethel. She valued each of
you and appreciated that so many of you were able to visit her occasionally or regularly, and keep her in your
prayers. She is waiting to see you again in Glory! Blessings and love to all.
Per Ethel’s wishes, there is to be a viewing at Goble’s Mortuary on May 30, from 9 to 11 a.m., to be
followed with a graveside service at Sunrise Cemetery in Fortuna at 1 p.m. Please join us afterwords for
refreshments in Ethel’s memory at the Fortuna Nazarine Church, located on Ross Hill Road.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Ethel Wilcox’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
Letha May Kirkpatrick passed over from this world at 87 years on May 7, 2026, peacefully in her
Fieldbrook home. Letha was born October 23, 1939 at home outside of Lansing, Michigan. She left
Michigan by bus at three years old, making Humboldt County her home for the last 84 years.
Letha loved gardening, murder mystery shows and books (anything by Agatha Christie), making blankets
for her loved ones and scenery painting on saws. She loved music, most especially musicals, and loved to
sing, whether at home or in the car, driving family around.
Letha worked for a time at Blue Lake Preschool School, where she loved assisting with the kids and
getting keepsakes that she kept for years. Holidays were spent with family getting together and
grandkids running around the house and yard making memories. Letha and her husband had a spot in
Big Lagoon, called the “The Weekenders Club,” which was shared amongst friends. At times friends and
family came together there to enjoy food, games and sunshine with loved ones. Fourth of July was always a
big hit there.
She is survived by her children, Debra Walker (Matthew Walker), Donna Albers and Kathlyn Harrie; her
stepchildren Robert, Kathryn and Gaylien Kirkpatrick; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Virgil Kirkpatrick, and son, Darell Vasquez. Service will be held at Ocean View Cemetery on June 20, 2026 at 2 p.m.
Thank you to all those who helped care for her at the end. A special thank to Hospice for all the care
they provided.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Letha Kirkpatrick’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
Albert Wayne Beissert of Arcata, the very proud
father of four good sons, died April 4, 2026, of cancer. He was 85.
Born Jan. 7, 1941, in Newark, New
Jersey, to Albert Charles Jr. and
Marguerite “Peg” Beissert, Wayne followed in their footsteps and
became a journalist.
He became city editor of the Bridgewater (N.J.)
Courier-News; business writer with the Oakland Tribune; served as
rewrite editor for the initial eight years of USA Today’s
existence, and national editor of the Charlotte (N.C.) Observer.
He was among the first in the general press to
report on asbestosis and mesotheleoma among the families of asbestos
workers.
His childhood was spent in West Orange and
Passaic Township (now Longhill), N.J. He was a member in 1957/58 of
the first senior class at Watchung Hills Regional High School in
Warren, N.J..
He served in the US Marine Corps from 1958 to
1961.
Inside his sometimes grumpy demeanor, Wayne
thoroughly enjoyed life and observing the interesting things that
people do - good or bad.
Wayne volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in
Long Beach, Calif.,
and First Tee in Palm Desert, Calif.
He also served as president of the church council of Zion Lutheran
Church in Long Valley, N.J., and of the Califon (N.J.) First Aid
Squad.
An avid golfer, he spent much of his retirement
in Rancho Mirage working at area golf courses, and was handicap
chairman for the Glen Tee golf group.
He lived his last two years in Arcata. He
enjoyed walking the Hammond Trail, Crabs baseball games and
especially the Samba Parade.
He is survived by his four sons, Christopher of
Arcata; Eric of Matthews, North
Carolina; Caleb of Asheville, N.C., and
Morgan of Linville, N.C.. He also has three granddaughters and two
grandsons. Other survivors include his brother, Neal, of Kilauea,
Hawaii.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Wayne Beissert’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.
The Campus Store on the plaza. Photo courtesy of Cal Poly Humboldt.
Press release from Cal Poly Humboldt:
Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff:
After careful consideration, Cal Poly Humboldt has decided to close the Campus Store on the Arcata Plaza.
The on-campus store in the Gutswarrak Student Activities Center will continue to serve students, employees, and the broader community with retail operations, including Apple sales and repair services. It will remain a hub for Cal Poly Humboldt merchandise, as well as Humboldt State legacy items.
The current downtown store will remain open through Saturday, May 16.
The downtown space will become the new home for the University’s College of Extended Education (CEE). This decision allows the Campus Store to fulfill the retail-related needs of the campus and community, while ensuring a prime downtown location allows the University to engage with our community in meaningful ways.
In keeping with our commitment to our educational purpose, we are now focused on creating additional classroom and programming space in the heart of Arcata for CEE’s community-based learning and engagement. CEE provides flexible learning opportunities for community members and students through certificate programs, workshops, professional development, and continuing education courses. The University’s Bachelor of Arts in Leadership Studies and Master’s in Social Work—Distributed Learning are offered through the college along with Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, for learners 50 and better.
Thank you to everyone for your continued support of Cal Poly Humboldt. We’re excited about continuing to grow and learn alongside our community and the opportunities ahead.
Sincerely,
Chrissy Holliday, Vice President for Enrollment Management & Student Success
Shawna Young, Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
What does it take to become a Kinetic Grand Champion? Heck, what does it take to even compete in the grueling but glorious three-day Arcata-to-Ferndale art race?
In the months leading up to the Memorial Day weekend marathon, kinetic teams meet up every couple weeks to hone their artistic vision, pick out costumes, fine-tune dance moves and prepare their human-powered machines for the upcoming 40-mile race over land, sand, mud and water.
To get a better idea of what the months of preparation entail, self-taught documentarian Ray Olson embedded himself with mPROM2 on their journey to the finish line for the 2025 Kinetic Grand Championship.
In this three-part edition of Humboldt Outdoors, Olson joins mPROM2 two months before the race, just as the team solidifies plans for its ‘80s prom theme and stretch limousine machine. He then follows the team through bicycle chain mishaps, numerous dance practices, and lots and lots of pedaling.
“You never know what’s gonna happen, but I trust in the universe, and the Kinetic Universe usually grants us some good times,” CJ, the team’s “peon coordinator,” said on the eve of the race. “It’s all going to work out.”
I don’t want to spoil it for you, but mPROM2 actually fared quite well in the 2025 race, securing several coveted awards. Check out the videos linked above and below to see for yourself!
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This year’s Kinetic Grand Championship kicks off at the Arcata Plaza at noon(ish) on Saturday, May 23 and ends in Ferndale on Monday, May 25. If you wanna get in on the action a little early, be sure to attend the Rutabaga Ball at the Eureka Theater at 6 p.m. Saturday, May 16.
On December 3, 2023, the Eureka Police Department (EPD) Criminal Investigations Unit was contacted by the
Arcata Police Department to assist with a missing person investigation. EPD Detectives responded and assisted
with the investigation. During the course of the investigation, Detectives learned that a juvenile had not been
seen by family members for an extended period of time and it was believed the child was possibly deceased,
with their death being concealed by the child’s mother, Nichole Thorpe.
On December 4, 2023, EPD Detectives, in conjunction with the Humboldt County Search and Rescue Team, the
Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office, and Cal Poly Humboldt personnel, conducted a search in a remote
area near Blue Lake. During the search, human remains were located. Subsequent DNA testing confirmed the
remains belonged to the missing child.
Via Redkey Indiana Police Department.
Following an extensive investigation, an arrest warrant was issued for Nichole Thorpe on April 9, 2026, for
charges including homicide, child endangerment, and welfare fraud. EPD Detectives worked in conjunction
with the U.S. Marshall’s Office and local agencies in Indiana to locate Thorpe. Thorpe was subsequently
located in Indiana and taken into custody on the warrant pending extradition to Humboldt County.
If anyone has information regarding this case, please contact Detective Sergeant Cory Crnich at (707) 441-
4300.
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.
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When you’re leading the polls, everyone takes their shots. Xavier Becerra found that out Thursday night as six gubernatorial rivals ganged up on him in the final debate before California’s primary — attacking everything from his ethics to his ideas to his choice of political consultants.
It was their last chance to make a personal appeal to California voters ahead of the June 2 election to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom.
While the San Francisco debate was calmer than the brawls in the last few meet-ups, everyone’s target was the Democratic frontrunner Becerra.
These are five takeaways:
Becerra was the one to beat …
Opponents piled on with anything that might stick, from his acceptance of a campaign contribution from Chevron to his failure to answer questions at a housing forum last week to fraud in the hospice system while Becerra was secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the Biden administration.
But the Becerra weakness du jour was the guilty plea earlier Thursday of his former political strategist Dana Williamson, who admitted to conspiring with Becerra’s former longtime chief of staff to steal money from his campaign account.
Opponents were unified in their skepticism about Becerra’s repeated claims that he wasn’t involved. Despite the plea deal that did not accuse him, Democratic rival Katie Porter went so far as to say he could still be implicated in the case.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, a moderate backed by tech leaders, went out of his way to call Becerra the “embodiment of the status quo” in Sacramento.
Once lagging in polls and fundraising, Becerra has surged since ex-Rep. Eric Swalwell dropped out in early April over sexual assault allegations, offering Democratic voters a familiar face who’s held public office for decades and who frequently talks about fighting with Trump.
… and he made the most of it
Becerra appeared pleased with the attention.
“This is what happens when you take the lead in the polls,” he said. “They all come at you.”
Republican frontrunner Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, quickly jumped in to correct him: Hilton is leading, per some polls. (Accounting for margins of error, both candidates are essentially tied.)
But Becerra used the moment to try to shut the door on the Williamson scandal, touting a statement from the prosecutor’s office Thursday saying that “no candidate running for governor has been implicated” in the case.
Earlier in the week, he refused to answer when a reporter asked if he was sure Williamson couldn’t connect him to the case. Asked Thursday if he could guarantee the case wouldn’t be a “distraction” if he advances to November, he responded, “I can.”
Mahan looks to separate from Republicans
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan has made a name for himself as a moderate Democrat willing to take on his own party. That has included his early support for Prop. 36, the tough-on-crime ballot measure that Newsom and the party opposed in 2024 but which voters passed overwhelmingly, and his campaign proposals to tie pay to performance in the public sector that rankle organized labor.
But on TV in a state where Democrats vastly outnumber Republicans and Trump is anathema, he sought to clarify that he’s not a Republican.
“I’m going to offer something different,” he said. “Not MAGA and not more of the same.”
Mahan appeared to relish his spats with Hilton, taking care to point out Hilton’s association with Trump and his former employer, Fox News. Mahan criticized the Republican’s plan to expand California suburbs by building on undeveloped land as likely to drive up carbon emissions, and aattackded hiover rumors he was pushed out of British Prime Minister David Cameron’s government.
“I attacked the extremes on both sides,” Mahan said after the debate.
Mahan was the only Democrat not to say on stage that he would support any of the other Democrats if they advanced to November and he didn’t, instead naming fellow moderate former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, because “mayors get things done.”
Later, he wavered, first saying “it depends” when asked if he would support another Democrat, clarifying, “I would vote for a fellow Democrat against a Republican.”
Everyone but Hilton would restrict chatbots
When moderators asked a lightning-round “yes or no” question on whether the state should more strictly regulate artificial intelligence chatbots that interact with children, the candidates appeared united across party lines.
Democrats in the state Capitol this year are already pursuing stricter chatbot regulations after advocates decried a law Newsom signed last year as too weak. Steyer promoted his brother’s influential work on the topic.
In contrast, Hilton hesitated, then refused to answer yes or no, saying “it’s not as simple as that” and expressing a desire not to over-regulate the industry.
“It’s not the right way to discuss a very important and serious issue,” he said as opponents and moderators tried to pin him down. “It causes problems that are unintended.”
Hilton moved to California from the United Kingdom to Silicon Valley in 2012 to join his wife Rachel Whetstone, a prominent tech executive.
Republicans boost each other
Even before the moderators asked the candidates who else they would support if they didn’t make it onto the November ballot, the two Republicans were already practically high-fiving.
In previous debates, interviews and TV ads the two have attacked each other, but by Thursday they were often referencing each other’s points.
With numerous Democrats competing for liberal support, Hilton has consistently led in the polls. While he and Bianco have previously declined to specifically endorse the other, the only realistic way for a Republican to win in blue California is for both Republicans to come in Nos. 1 and 2 and shut Democrats out of the general election.
