Amelia Agnes Kimson
Dec. 26, 1932-May 25, 2024

Amelia was born at the dawn of aviation in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, to parents Mary “Avice” and Otis Holt. She was named after the pioneering American aviator Amelia Earhart. She lived in Sapulpa and Langley, Oklahoma during her early life. At age 18 she married her first husband, Leroy Oberg. Her sister Doris sang at this wedding. This marriage later ended. After that she met Milton Filgas and moved to California, marrying him and continuing to raise and grow their family.

Mom worked for many years for the Humboldt State University Student Health Center on the administrative side. In the early 1980s she obtained her commercial truck driving license from the College of the Redwoods Truck Driving program. For many years she and her husband Milton traveled the country long hauling as owner-operators of Ranjo Express. They had a Shih Tzu trucking companion named Shoko who they both adored. That little dog loved being on the road with them both at his side. After a number of years while Milton was still truck driving Amelia came back to work for HSU in their business office to finish working for the State and obtain her State retirement. Then she studied for and obtained her California Real Estate License and worked shortly for Hartridge House Realty in Eureka.

She finished her working years doing medical transcription, initially for the Hill Transcription Service and then as her own business. Around this time in 1994 Milton passed away and she fully retired and began traveling around the world visiting Japan, Italy, France, Russia and other places with her sister Doris, with the Trafalgar Tour groups, by herself and finally with her third husband James Kimson.

Not one to like being alone, Mom met James in 2001 and they were married at the Sequoia Park Rose Garden in Eureka just a few months later the same year. They spent the last 23 years together, until May 25 of this year, at their home in McKinleyville. She spent her early life raising four children Otis, Debbie, Randy and Joe and doing it well, instilling important human values in each. She was very proud of all of them and their lifelong accomplishments. She loved her house in McKinleyville and her backyard. She continued to enjoy doing yard work almost up to the end. She loved her beautiful yellow roses by their front door. Over the last few years of her life she immensely enjoyed putting together large puzzles which she then framed and hung on the wall all about their home. She absolutely loved her large 3D puzzles of famous buildings like Downton Abbey, The Eiffel Tower, The Capitol Building and the Empire State Building. Just as recently as Mother’s Day she was planning on ordering more 3D puzzles for herself to build. They adorned a number of tables in their living room. She loved, very much, all her grandchildren and when able, over the years, would attend ball games, music performances, birthdays and more. She was not only a wonderful wife and mother, but also a wonderful and loving grandmother to all our kids

Amelia was preceded in death by her parents Mary “Avice” and Otis Holt, her first husband Leroy Oberg, her sisters Virginia Gibson and Doris Braun, her mother-in-law Frances Filgas and her father-in-law Joseph Filgas, her son Randy Filgas and her second husband Milton Filgas. She leaves behind her husband James Kimson, eldest son Otis Holt (Lorin Leith), her daughter Debbie Provolt (Monte) , her youngest son Joe Filgas (Lorrena) and her daughter-in-law Patricia Martell (Ron). She also leaves behind grandchildren Madeline Richards (John), Ryan Filgas (Nicole), Laura Provolt (Hans Parshall), Mitchell Provolt (Kendal), Claiborne Martell, Kai Martell and Shannon Filgas. She also leaves behind numerous great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Services are being handled by Sanders Funeral Home at 1835 E Street, Eureka, CA 95501. Memorial Services for Amelia will be held on Friday May 31, 2024 at 1:30 p.m. with an interment immediately following at Ocean View St. Bernard’s Cemetery in Eureka. All who knew her or her family are welcome to attend.

Her Journey’s Just Begun

By an Unknown Author

Don’t think of her as gone away her journey’s just begun life holds so many facets this earth is only one.
Just think of her as resting from the sorrows and the tears in a place of warmth and comfort where there are no days or years.
Think how she must be wishing that we could know today
how nothing but our sadness can really pass away.
And think of her as living in the hearts of those she touched for nothing loved is ever lost and she was loved so much.

Amelia’s entire family wishes to extend their gratitude to Providence St. Joseph’s Hospital, Dr. Jonathan Bloch, Elite Caregivers, Sanders Funeral Home, Ocean View Cemetery and Hospice of Humboldt. Memorial contributions may be made in her name to Hospice of Humboldt.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Amelia Kimson’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.