This coming Saturday, Aug. 23, local farmer/songwriter Brett McFarland is again swinging for the fences, this time in the form of a concert before the Humboldt County Fairgrounds grandstands, also featuring Huckleberry Flint and Luke Powell. As part of his local promotional tour, a barefoot McFarland was kind enough to wander into LoCOHQ for a li’l interview to discuss this weekend, his music, his crazy year, and, of course, Humboldt.

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LoCO: So, I think it’s fair to say you’re going for a big show feel with this with this Humboldt County Fair performance. What was the first big concert you saw as a kid and what do you remember about it?

McFARLAND: The first big concert I saw as a kid: I got to see Radiohead at Red Rocks in Colorado when I was 18. I remember watching the guys coming out of the rigging — like the people that were working on lighting stuff — and it was so trippy and psychedelic watching that band with all these lights and these people descending from ropes. And the music was was amazing. 

There was all kinds of magic that happened at that concert for me. I felt like I was the youngest person at this concert — I went with my older cousins — but somebody that knew me came and tapped me was like, “Hey, come over here.” And he had tickets like three rows back. So, thank you, Jason Weiss! Because, you know, he snuck me up front in that concert and that brought the magic in. I just remember being blown away by the music and how it brought everyone together. They played so many of the classics off Kid A and, you know, the whole thing was just like a psychedelic blur.

LoCO: I was looking at your press release you sent out to promote your upcoming show and you mention your desire to use the occasion to celebrate Humboldt’s heritage and working class roots. And one of the ways you’re going to do that is you plan to surround the stage with the vintage tractors and logging trucks, etc. Why does going to all that effort feel like an important gesture to make at this point in time?

McFARLAND: Well, there’s more that’s going to be on that stage that’s not in that press release, so let me just tell you that! We’ve hinted at it with the “surprise appearances” and “top secret shenanigans.” 

But yeah, I feel like Humboldt County right now is going through some changes. The perception is a lot of these industries have come and gone or have changed a lot. Like, there was timber and then timber kind of busted. There was fishing and fishing kind of busted. There was weed and weed kind of busted. All these things are still present. We still have fishermen, we still have loggers, there’s still people in the hills that are cultivating. But it’s all changed in a lot of ways. And to me, heritage is about remembering, “Where did you come from?”

Picture a logger in your mind. Now, picture a hippie pot grower. Do they look like the same person to you? In Humboldt County, they might very well be the same person, but that’s not normal in a lot of the country. We’re told there’s these more stark divides now more than ever. To me, celebrating those working class roots is really about celebrating what unites us and what unifies us here in Humboldt.

LoCO: It’s been almost a year since the release of the “Humboldt” music video, which seemed to lift you into a whole other level of public awareness here locally. When you were writing that song, were you consciously thinking about how you might connect with the widest Humboldt audience possible?

McFARLAND: When I wrote that song, I wrote the first line from a place of personal gratitude. The first line in the song says, “I built my home with my own two hands…” I worked my tail off doing a lot of the things that I’ve done, so I was feeling this sense of personal accomplishment. But then, I’m like, well, I can’t really say much more without looking around at all the help that I received, all the support I received, so the next lines in the song talk about “help from my friends and trees from the land.” After the first line — which I had kicking around for maybe a couple months — when I actually sat down and wrote it, it happened in less than 24 hours. It just happened so fast, so I wasn’t even thinking. I just thought, “What do I think about Humboldt,” you know? I wasn’t thinking, “How do I connect with Humboldt?” I’m writing a song about my appreciation of Humboldt. It wasn’t labored over. It just really came through and in that way, to me, I can’t take full credit for that song. When I think about the song “Humboldt,” I think of that song as a co-write between me and the community and all the conversations with people that I’ve had over two decades living here.

LoCO: Kind of in the same vein of talking about this kind of whirlwind year that you’ve had: Some months ago, it seemed like you kind of lucked into being this sort of de facto spokesman for Humboldt when you were featured in that Peter Santenello YouTube clip. That video has nearly 5 million views now. How did that encounter come to be and what kind of reaction have you received from it?

McFARLAND: Yeah, so I had never heard of Peter Santanello before he reached out to me. And Peter, I think he saw the “Humboldt” video! He had some local contact here, and I’m very grateful for that person because they bridged the gap. 

I’ve had a lot of people reach out to me from all these videos — I have to be careful about who I say yes to, you know? But I looked at Peter’s videos and I saw that he was somebody who went around and just met with different people. I saw this video he did of this farmer in Europe, and I was like, oh, [Humboldt] is going to be right up his alley. So, I kind of knew to say yes. But what surprised me was how much fun we had together! Like he’s a genuine, kind person. We remain in contact. I mean, he’s like messaging me before the gigs and stuff which has been really sweet and it’s been cool to see his journey. 

But the impact of that video was not insignificant. I had a sense when he was coming that it would be meaningful, that I was meeting with somebody who was worthy of my time. And I know I was worthy of his. 

What’s remarkable to me about that video is not just the fact that it has almost 5 million views, but that it’s over an hour long. You know, you can get 5 million views on nine-second TikTok and like, okay, good job, but people have tuned in and that documentary shows so much of the heart of Humboldt. 

But the impact has been tremendous. I mean, right when that video came out, our farm cidery got slammed with so many cider orders. We sold out of cider temporarily. I mean, we had product, we just didn’t have enough labeled and stuff. And we had to get it in the mail and it was new to us. So that was tremendous to have all these people from over the country send so many messages and emails. A lot of people were touched by the music. Because what Peter did, I don’t know if you watched to the end, but the end of that video, he actually put the entire “Humboldt” music video in there. He really showcased the music. All of a sudden it was like, whoa, we’re getting all these new listeners and there’s been all different people reaching out about opportunities to play at different festivals and stuff. So it’s kind of mind blowing how quickly things can change, how something like spending a day with this YouTuber who shows up at your front door can change your life.

LoCO: Going back to the Humboldt County Fair show you’re promoting here: Which song from your live shows do you feel connects with audiences in a way that surprises you?

McFARLAND: Well, first of all, the fact that the music connects with audiences to me is just a stinking miracle. It’s so beautiful. It’s the thing that draws me to it. Even like the song “Humboldt,” how it could connect with so many different people with different backgrounds. It would be easy to think they’d be in conflict with each other and yet they’re not, in so many cases. “Humboldt” is the song that, locally, when we play it, you feel this connection with the audience that’s unparalleled, because people feel so stoked. It’s not just the hit, it’s their hit. That’s what I think is so cool about it. When they’re there celebrating with us, it’s like, oh wow, this is this is all of our hit. We all get to share in this hit. So, that’s kind of the obvious one. 

But I guess the song that was probably the first one that came to mind, is there’s a song on this album called “Sing Son Sing.” It’s a song about about all the great cowboys I’ve known in my life. You know, one of which being my dad. And my neighbor Ken Jarvela, he’s a painter, he appeared in there. “Cowboy” is a loose term to me, because Ken, he don’t raise cows. But you look at Ken, he’s a mountain man. There’s a line in that song, it says “I knew an old cowboy. He used to paint the moon. You can find him by the river from June to June.”  There’s lines about my neighbor, Freddy, about the people I’ve lost. I think about the wisdom and advice they gave me. That’s the spirit of that song. It’s very personal in that way, so to hear other people going deep with it… you ask about surprising? I think that one has been pretty surprising, the way that’s touching people has been cool to hear.

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Tickets ($11) and more info about this weekend’s Brett McFarland and the Freedom Riders show can be found here. McFarland is hosting a meet-and-greet event the night before on Friday, Aug. 23 at 5:30 p.m., with the first 250 people in line set to receive a free t-shirt. 

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On Aug.19, 2025 at about 9:27 p.m. Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the 1900 block of Strawberry Ct. in McKinleyville for the report of an attempted homicide.

The Humboldt County Emergency Communications Center received a series of text messages to 9-1-1 stating a male subject inside the residence was physically assaulting and attempting to stab his mother and had started a fire. 

When deputies arrived on scene, a young male adult was observed exiting the residence with his hands raised above his head and he was immediately detained.  Based on the witness and victim statements, 18-year-old, Hunter Taula-Sanson, of Waianae, Hawaii was arrested.  He was transported the Humboldt County Correctional Facility (HCCF) and booked on the following charges: P.C. 664/187(A)-Attempted Homicide, P.C. 245(A)(4)-Assault with a Deadly Weapon, P.C. 422(A)-Criminal Threats, P.C. 594(A)(2)-Felony Vandalism and P.C.417(A)(1) Brandishing a Deadly Weapon.

This case is still under investigation.

Anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.

Press release from the Eureka Police Department:

The Eureka Police Department (EPD) will conduct a driving under the influence (DUI) and Driver’s License checkpoint on Friday, August 22, from 6:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. at a location within the city limits of Eureka.

The exact location is not being disclosed in advance.

The primary purpose of checkpoint is to promote public safety by deterring impaired driving, raising awareness, and removing suspected impaired drivers from the road. Officers will look for drivers who are impaired by alcohol, cannabis, illicit drugs, or prescription medications that can affect driving ability.

“Our goal is simple: prevent crashes and save lives,” said Sergeant Omey. “If you’re planning to drink or use any substance that can impair your driving, plan ahead for a sober ride.”

What Drivers Can Expect

• Vehicles may be stopped in a neutral, pre-determined sequence.
• Drivers will be briefly contacted by officers trained in DUI detection.
• Sobriety tests may be administered as appropriate.
• Delays to motorists will be minimal.

Safety Reminders

• Plan ahead: designate a sober driver, use public transit, rideshare, or taxi.
• If you see an impaired driver on the road, call 9-1-1.
• Medications (including some over-the-counter and prescription drugs) can impair—read labels and consult your doctor.

Driving impaired is not worth the risk. A DUI arrest can lead to jail time, license suspension, and significant fines and fees.

This operation is funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

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As Republicans lambasted California lawmakers for rushing through their effort to gerrymander the state’s congressional map, Democrats are facing a quieter angst in their own party.

To counter what they call President Donald Trump’s undemocratic power grab for Republican seats in Texas, they’re asking voters to temporarily ditch California’s nonpartisan map-drawing process — touted as a national gold standard for fair elections and good governance — in favor of a politico-drawn map to tilt seats in Democrats’ favor.

At the polls, they’ll have to overcome not just Republican opponents but also some Democrats and independent voters who say California shouldn’t respond to partisan gerrymandering in Texas with the same frowned-upon tactics at home.

“This is the kind of moral conflict that, if this goes to the ballot, that every California voter is going to be faced with,” said Sara Sadhawani, a political science professor, Democrat and former member of the state’s independent redistricting commission, at a hearing over the measures Tuesday.

Sadhawani helped draw the state’s existing congressional map when she sat on the commission alongside fellow Democrats, Republicans and independents after the 2020 Census. Now she’s one of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s partisan redistricting effort’s most vocal supporters.

Testifying in favor of the plan on Tuesday, she said lawmakers must respond to the “extreme attacks on our core democratic principles” in Texas and other red states that are considering redrawing their own maps.

“It brings me no joy to see the maps that we passed fairly by the Commission to be tossed aside,” she said. “I do believe this is a necessary step in a much bigger battle to shore up free and fair elections in our nation.”

But even as state- and congressional-level Democrats embrace the plan as their answer to voters clamoring for the party to put up a resistance to Trump, there are misgivings among Democrats statewide.

On the other side of the issue in the hearing rooms weren’t the Republicans who have vowed to fight Newsom through lawsuits and at the ballot box. Instead, opponents presented members of prior nonpartisan redistricting commissions: Jeanne Raya and Cynthia Dai, who are Democrats, and Connie Archbold Robinson, an independent, to testify against the measures.

“Our citizens in other parts of the country, who are being held hostage by politicians who do not represent their interests, have been looking to California as the alternative, as the model,” Robinson said. “If we gut the great work that we have been doing there, then not only do we lose our credibility, those efforts actually get stalled and get reversed.”

Voters backed independent redistricting

Voters added the nonpartisan process for redrawing California’s political maps to the state constitution by a slim margin in 2008. In 2010 they approved using that same independent system to draw new congressional maps just as Republicans nationally campaigned to flip state legislatures for the purpose of drawing more GOP House seats in states like Wisconsin, North Carolina and Michigan.

Three other states use a similar process as California to draw congressional maps, but just over half of all states give that power directly to their legislatures, meaning the party in power can tilt seats to their advantage.

The current California congressional map gave Democrats a slight advantage. But while Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance have called the map unfair to the GOP, Republicans in California have been, for the most part, satisfied with it. It maintained competitive districts that the GOP has been able to win or put up significant fights for — districts that will be eliminated under the partisan map voters will likely weigh in on this fall.

Statewide, Democratic voters outnumber Republicans nearly 2-to-1. Recent polling shows voters favor independent redistricting by about the same margin.

California vs. Texas

To sell the redistricting measure to the public, Democrats have leaned heavily on framing it as a fight against Trump — and, ironically, in favor of fairer elections nationwide. In the state Senate elections committee, Democrats grilled the former map-drawers on whether it would ever be acceptable for them to draw new districts for political reasons and whether California ought to retaliate to discourage Texas’ efforts.

“Texas is actively reducing their own competitive seat count,” Sen. Sabrina Cervantes, a Riverside Democrat, said. “So then do you expect our communities to remain silent while their voices are being stripped away from Washington?”

Raya stressed she, too, opposed both the Trump administration and the Republican gerrymandering effort in Texas, which she called “reprehensible.”

“We’re living with … the despair that people have about the current political climate,” she said. “For me, this is not about declaring an emergency, and now, what do we do? This is, every day, we need to be doing something to make the system work and today what we need to do is protect the independent, nonpartisanship of drawing lines.”

But her fellow party members in the Senate said it’s not the time to go high.

“I will speak for myself, the conditions have been met for us to take action,” incoming Senate President Pro Tem Monique Limón, a Santa Barbara Democrat, said to the former commissioners. “I have utmost respect and recognition for the work that all of you do to protect our democracy.”

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California regulators, responding to the Trump Administration’s attacks on the state’s climate policy, propose to fight back in part by asking lawmakers to backfill electric vehicle incentives, recommending more private investment, and beginning to write clean car rules — again.

“Clean air efforts are under siege, putting the health of every American at risk,” said Air Resources Board chairperson Liane Randolph. “California is continuing to fight back and will not give up on cleaner air and better public health. We have a legal and moral obligation.”

Several state agencies jointly made the recommendations in response to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s June executive order calling for California to double down on efforts to transition away from fossil fuels.

Proposals unveiled Tuesday also include replacing expiring federal EV tax credits — a tough ask in a tight budget year — and restoring carpool lane access, which would require federal approval. One recommendation seeks to expand vehicle charging access by streamlining utility hookups and simplifying permits for new stations.

The air board is advancing just a few regulatory ideas: one to enact stronger consumer protections for clean car owners, and another to curb diesel pollution from freight hubs such as ports and warehouses. Randolph also said the board would begin work on a new clean cars rule.

A spokesman for the governor said he would review the agencies’ report.

The recommendations reflect the hard shift the state has experienced from a supportive Biden administration toward a hostile one under President Trump, said Guillermo Ortiz, senior clean vehicles advocate for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

“When you have your federal government using every tool at its disposal to attack its own state …how are you able to see every attack angle, every vector, everything that this administration is willing to do to harm California?” he said. “That’s difficult.”

Other experts also said they expected more. “Folks familiar with this kind of policy will read it and feel…underwhelmed,” wrote Earthjustice lawyer Adrian Martinez in an analysis of the plan.

“Nothing jumps out at me as being particularly aggressive,” said Daniel Sperling, a former Air Resources Board member who is the director of the Institute for Transportation Studies at UC Davis. “I’m puzzled, actually, because they had acted like they were really going to do something significant.”

Trucking deal collapses

California offered the remedies as a fallback after the Trump Administration announced it would cancel federal waivers issued under the Clean Air Act that have long allowed the state to set more aggressive car and truck standards.

Attacks on the state’s climate policies escalated last week, centered on the Clean Truck Partnership, a voluntary deal between major truck manufacturers and the state that would continue advancing zero emission truck technology even if the waiver programs fell through.

Last week, four manufacturers filed a lawsuit, seeking to dissolve their commitments under the partnership. The Federal Trade Commission, after launching an investigation into California’s program, declared the partnership unenforceable.

Days later, Trump’s Justice Department intervened in two lawsuits, arguing that the decision whether to ban internal-combustion engines in heavy-duty trucks rests ultimately with the federal government.

California’s climate policies matter most in communities near ports, warehouses and railyards, where diesel pollution chokes the air, said Ortiz of the Natural Resources Defense Council. Truck exhaust is a major source of cancer risk and drives respiratory and heart disease.

Without authority to make aggressive rules or strong voluntary measures like the Clean Truck Partnership, experts say the transition to less-polluting trucks could slow down.

A call for bolder action

Experts who called for bolder action said the state has more power than its executive and legislative branches are using.

Sperling said the state could better disincentivize gas-powered cars with a “feebate program,” which could charge fees on high-polluting vehicles in order to pay for clean-car rebates.

“If you really want to put your money where your mouth is, I think really supercharging those programs to advance transportation electrification could be a massively successful strategy,” said Martinez, who directs Earthjustice’s campaign toward that goal.

Martinez said that the state could better structure existing state programs including the Low Carbon Fuel Standard and the state’s Cap and Trade program to pay for electric cars and trucks.

“California shouldn’t blink” as the Trump Administration moves “aggressively,” he added.

Ethan Elkind, who directs the climate program at UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy and the Environment, said a statewide rule tightening controls at warehouses and other pollution magnets could achieve similar aims to the truck mandates.

Elkind previously has pushed to go further. If the federal government is getting out of the business of regulating tailpipe emissions and making climate policy, he added, California could fill that vacuum in the future.

“The state could take a pretty aggressive approach here,” he added.

Air Resources Board chair Randolph said that California is not backing down, though she admitted that developing a new clean car rule aimed at phasing out gas-powered cars could take time.

“Because these rulemakings take two, three, sometimes even four years, we decided that it would be good to start that process now, and have it … be ready, ideally for a more receptive U.S. EPA,” Randolph said.

15:20:24

Ethel Ruth Marshall Davis was born on June 23, 1931 in Hoopa and went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus surrounded by loved ones on August 17, 2025. Ethel left her large family and loving community with a great legacy of: faith, perseverance, strength, love, kindness, hard work, and lasting memories.

For 94 remarkable years, Ethel met life’s challenges with courage, leaving behind a legacy as a cherished mother, wife, grandmother, aunt, cousin, teacher, and friend. She grew up on the Marshall family farm, where she lovingly cared for her elders and, in the process, blossomed into the woman we all came to cherish and love.

During her 27 years working at Hoopa Elementary School, Ethel made countless lifelong friends, mentored many children, and selflessly dedicated her time and energy to fundraising for youth events and trips. Ethel was deeply proud of her service on the Hoopa Tribal Education Board and the Hoopa Recreation Committee, where she worked to create opportunities that helped shape what is now the second-longest running All-Indian annual basketball tournament in the nation. More than 40 years later, she witnessed her grandsons and other local Natives bring home the championship—an achievement not seen in over 25 years and not repeated since. That year’s jackets were purple, her favorite color, so the team honored her with one of her own, which she will wear on her journey to be reunited with her loved ones.

Ethel had a gift for turning her talents into joy for others. Her famous divinity candy (which she started making at the age of eighteen), fresh bread, and homemade pies weren’t just delicious—they helped support her family, youth fundraisers, and brought smiles to friends and neighbors. Every summer, people knew exactly where to go for the best fireworks, as Ethel proudly became one of California’s top sellers. And if her kids or grandkids were playing ball, you could count on her being in the stands, cheering them on with all her heart — sometimes even threatening to run out on the field or court with her cane if the refs missed a call.

Her love for dancing, including winning contests with the jitterbug, traveling (especially to Hawaii, Reno, and Bishop); the pride she took in her flowers, plants and the beauty of her yard; and nice cars, always bringing a great amount of spirit for Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Halloween. All were some of the things that made Ethel who she was. She took a lot of pride in self care and maintaining a positive image. She loved music, especially Elvis Presley and was very proud of her dad Gilbert Marshall Sr., one of the first Hoopa Tribal Councilmembers, who played in an all Native band that traveled the country, even playing in presidential inaugurations.

Ethel was the backbone and matriarch of her large family, and a pillar of the Hoopa Community for the better part of the past 100 years. Her personality and stable spirit made it easy for any of her family or friends to lean on her during moments of need. Her smile, charismatic persona, and well-disciplined lifestyle will be deeply missed, but is now embedded into all who she knew. She now enters into rest as the eldest Hupa Tribal Member, a distinction that she was proud of.

She is survived by her sisters Eloise Marshall; Daughters Robyn Reed (Ron Sr.) and Raylyne Davis, Daughter in-law Elizabeth “Tissy” Davis; Grandchildren JJ (Stacy), Jason “Baby Boy” (Ramona), Janelle (Asa), Rony Jr.(Perla), Charley (Danielle), and Ryan Reed, Aaron Williams (Alaina), Talon Davis, Samantha Norton (Travis), Joseph and Stormie Lewis, Angela, Joe (Kayla), and Nancy Davis, Crystal Williams (Dave), Melissa “Annie Bear” Kane (Curtis), April Peters (Mike), Ronny Dean Davis Jr. (Dolli), Celestina, Rayme Lee and Jonah Davis, her nieces Cindi Marshall Sylvia and Amber Baker, Jill Sherman-Warne (Jim), Leslie Sherman-Hunt (Tim), Stevie Davis Jahrnaghan (Joe), Filomena Harvey, Nisha Blake, Mary, Sherri, Gilberta and Cindy Marshall nephew Harold Marshall, Filmore Harvey Jr., Eric Caserdarna, Duane Sherman Sr. (Kayla), Arnold Davis (Connie), great nephews and nieces are Kikya, Cody, Hazel Fletcher, Robert McBride, Josh Dillon, Phylecia, Duane Jr., and Briaunna Sherman, Barbara, Marilyn Randle; close cousin Melvin Marshall, and best friends Gloria Shuster, Joe and Elaine Aguado, Ethel Maloney, Viviana Masten and Lori Davis. Ethel also leaves behind 41 great-grandchildren, 4 great-great-grandchildren. And last but not least her beloved dog, Teddy Bear. Ethel raised and came from a large family so we apologize for anyone who we may have missed.

Ethel is preceded in death by her parents Gilbert Marshall Sr. and Elizabeth Montgomery, sisters Marie and Ronnie Marshall, brothers Goober Marshall and Filmore Harvey Jr., her four sons Reginald Jr. “Babe”, Rayme, Deanie, and Ricky Lee Davis, newborn baby daughter Rory, her husbands Reggie Davis Sr. and Alme Allen, brothers Gillie Marshall, Corky Blacksmith (Duane Abbot) and Filmore Harvey Sr., granddaughter Shana Davis, grandsons Anthony “Lil Tulalip” Williams, Arlen Williams, and Jordan Allen, Uncle Julious Marshall, and many more.

A service in honor of our beloved matriarch will be held on Friday, August 22, at 11 a.m. at the Hoopa Neighborhood Facilities, with Pastor Harold Jones officiating. She will be laid to rest at the Hoopa Tribal Cemetery, followed by a reception at the Hoopa Fire House.

Pall bearers will be Aaron Williams, Talon Davis, Joseph Lewis, JJ, Jason, Rony, Charley, and Ryan Reed, Jonah Davis, Joe Davis, and Ronny Dean Davis Jr.

Honorary Pall Bearers: Curtis Kane, Allen Kane, Ron Reed Sr., Jayden Reed, Mike Peters, David Williams, Asa Donahue, Harold Marshall, Melvin Marshall, Dale Risling, Carlo Miguelena, Chance Carpenter III, Arnold Davis Jr., Duane Sherman Sr., Troy Fletcher, Duane Sherman Jr., Tashone Rice, and Tyler Hunt. Harold Jones, Keoki Burbank, Bobby Perez, Chase Gatlin, Finnigan Gatlin, Joe Aguado, Earl “Babe” Moon, John “Knox” Marshall, Emil Marshall, and John Marshall of Visalia.

Ethel’s family would like to thank everyone who came to visit, her caregivers including the K’ima:w Hospital at Home Team, St. Joseph Hospital, and other family members. Grandma Ethel left a wonderful impact on many, many lives and we will always be thankful. We “love you more,” Grandma.

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Shirley Diane (Roberts) Wilson passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 16, 2025 at the age of 89. She was born November 12, 1935 in Rohnerville, Fortuna at her grandparents, Ed and Gladys Baxter’s home.

Shirley was a graduate of the Rohnerville elementary school in 1949 and Fortuna High, graduating in 1953. As she graduated at the age of 17, she had to wait two years to attend the nursing program at Ben Franklin nursing school in San Francisco. After graduating nursing school she joined the US Navy in 1956 where she became a registered nurse and served 2 years.

After her service, she returned home where she continued her nursing career at the County Community Hospital (the old General Hospital) until her retirement in 1962.

Shirley met her future husband, Earl Wilson in 1958 after the purchase of a horse he was selling. They were married in 1962 for 40 years until his passing in 2002. He always said, he not only got the girl, but the return of his horse as well. They remained in Carlotta, California where they rode horses together, gardened, and raised their two boys.

Shirley leaves behind her oldest son Andrew and wife Cristal, granddaughter Makayla Wilson, grandson Wyatt Wilson (Brynn Ivy). Her youngest son Scott and wife TrinnaLynn, grandson Adam Wilson and wife Kaylee Pogue-Wilson. Brother Edgar Roberts and wife Judy. Nephew Garvin Rollins, neice Melodie Chittenden and husband Dave. Nephews Chuck and Rick Roberts. As well as many more nieces, nephews and friends to numerous to name.

Shirley was preceded in death by her parents Richard and Florene Roberts and husband Earl Wilson.

Shirley lived a long prosperous life and will be missed by her family and friends

Special thanks to Hospice of Humboldt and Katrina Davis for their care in her final days.

There will be a private graveside service. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 30, 2025 at noon at the Wilson property in Carlotta. Please bring a potluck dish if you can.

In lieu of flowers the family has asked that you make a donation to either Hospice of Humboldt or the Heart Association.