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Carolynn “Thresa” Elenora Henderson-Bussell, 90, passed away peacefully with her family by her side on Friday, April 10, 2020 at the Koon-Henderson-Bussell Ranch “xontehtaw xa:h-mah-xa:n-din.”

She was a proud member of the Bear River Mattole-Wiyot Tribe, where she was the oldest living elder within the Tribe. Thresa was born on August 6, 1929 to Leonard Taylor Henderson, Sr. and Caroline Koon-Henderson at the Old Indian Hospital in Hoopa. She was raised on the Koon Ranch located on South Fork Road, where she was the youngest of six siblings. She graduated early from eighth grade from the one room schoolhouse in Salyer in1942. In 1946, she graduated from Weaverville High School, while also working part-time in a legal office as an assistant. After high school she attended UC Berkeley Business School and Humboldt State University.

Thresa met the love of her life Ozzie Bussell as a young girl and started dating him in 1949 and was married a year later in 1950. They had three children together. Thresa was a lifetime member of the Lady VFW Auxiliary, the co-owner/bookkeeper for the Bussell Auto Body Repair, and the Trinity County Grand Jury member for a number of years. Thresa loved to spend her time traveling with her husband, time with her many grandchildren/great grandchildren, reading books and poetry, watching TV game shows, gambling with friends, going to the ocean, but most importantly she enjoyed spending time on her family ranch where she lived out most of her 90 years. She also excelled at word games of scrabble and crosswords, able to figure out the most complex ones.

Thresa is survived by her three children: Timothy Bussell Sr. (Lulu Baldy), Anita Bussell, and Gordon Bussell; along with 10 grandchildren: Scooter Bussell; Cara Bussell (Tony Williams); Jennifer Donahue Bussell; Timothy Bussell Jr.; Isaac Bussell (Starlene Doolittle); Clarence Bussell; Bruce Bussell; Linda Bussell (J.R. Bowen); Brittany Bussell (Leonard McCullough); Vanessa Bussell; and 14 great-grandchildren; six great-great grandchildren; her sisters: Ravenel Henderson-Chamberlain (101 years old) and Jane-Ann Henderson (98 years old), and numerous nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents, her beloved husband Ozzie, her four brothers Taylor, Leland, Lester and June Nelson-Henderson, and John Henderson, her two grandchildren Jackson Kitsay Bussell and his sister Judith Kosos Bussell, nephew Joe Myers-Henderson, son Julio, and her two very close sister-cousins Iola “Ode” White-Owens and Frances White-Grigsby.

The Pallbearers were Grandsons: Scooter Bussell, Isaac Bussell, Bruce Bussell and great grandsons: Ke-nuh Wynne, Boyumps “Bubbas” Wynne, Tutse’yu “Little Foot” Williams.

Honorary Pallbearers: Keith “Woods” Baldy, Paul Chamberlain, Douglas Chamberlain, Jim Grigsby, Arthur “Artie” Jones, George “Porty” Blake, Stanley Jones, Bill Johnson, Andy Sady, George and Fred Mattingly, Eddie Coleman, Keg Super, Carlo Miguelena Jr., Tristan “Sonny Man” Moon, Timothy Bussell Jr., Clarence Bussell, Josh Trimble and Clyde Trimble Jr., Johnathan Leach Sr. and Edward Leach.

Special thanks to: Patrick and Katherine Shannon, Keith “Woods” Baldy, Martha and son Pete Canclini, Olivia Jackson, Vista McIntosh, Frances Chaney, Bertha Peters, Felicia McNair, Thieta, Vicki and Bev Mattingly, Jim and Darlene Mesunas and family, Pat and Herman “Shack” Sherman and family, Joe and Lottie Ammon, Gina Harmon-Moon, Bessie Ann “Bat” Donahue, and Kathaleena Valdez. The family can’t express enough thanks to Kimaw Medical Center (Dr. Tracy Lunghurst, Dr. Eva Smith and PHN Claudia Stickman), Rebecca Frambach (Reflexologist), the Trinity Alps Funeral Home and especially to the Bear River Tribe for the above and beyond attentive care and respect shown to our beloved Mother/Grandmother. We respectfully apologized to anyone we may have missed, and we appreciate all the prayers and well wishes that were given. It also must be noted all the personal care and regular visitations noted from her immediate family: her Daughther Anita and son Gordon who gave all their time so she could live at her own home, with Anita doing the main brunt of the daily care and Gordon helping her walk, what Anita called a Dance. Also a special thanks to Tim and LuLu for their love and support. Also, it must be recognized of her Grandchildren who visited her regularly during the last few years after her stroke: Cara Bussell and her sons, Brittany Bussell and her son, Vanessa Bussell, Scooter Bussell, Bruce Bussell and special talks with Isaac and his wife Starlene and three children. Grandma’s smile, wit and presence will be remembered. She went peacefully in her sleep, which is the sign of a good person. She was buried at the Southfork family plot on April 16th with immediate family attending. We respectfully apologize to anyone we may have missed, and we appreciate all the prayers and well wishes that were given.