Eureka resident Daniel Lawrence Hafer died on October 17, 2024 in the ICU-Blue at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.

Daniel was born on May 30, 1947, in Chicago, Illinois, with his slightly older twin brother Dennis Frank Hafer. When they were six weeks old they were adopted by Donald and Violet Hafer, and a year later the Hafer family moved to Elkhart, Indiana.

When the twins were seven years old, the Hafers adopted a pair of natural sisters — Marilyn, who was a year older than them, and Bonnie, who was three years younger. Family life revolved around school, church, music lessons, paper routes, neighborhood play with all the other post-war boomer kids, and frequent visits to grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins in Chicago.

Later the Hafers took in a foster child, Dorinda, who became a great support to them over the years as the four older kids had gone their separate ways to California and Canada.

All of the children knew they were chosen and loved for who they were.

After high school, Daniel went off to Bob Jones University while Dennis waited a semester to join him — the younger brother paving the way for the elder. After graduation in 1969, Daniel enlisted in the Army, where he served in Headquarters Companies in Viet Nam and Germany. Dennis joined the Navy before moving to Canada.

Upon discharge from the Army in 1972, Daniel returned to Elkhart for a very brief period of time, before relocating to Los Angeles, knowing only his sisters Marilyn and Bonnie, who had already moved to Southern California.

Daniel spent his 43-year career in the insurance industry as a group health claims adjuster, working first for Pilot Life Insurance and then later for the Writer’s Guild.

Most importantly, it was in Los Angeles, on August 13, 1975, that Daniel met Steven Preston and developed a loving relationship that lasted for 49 years, including 16 years of marriage. They celebrated their sixteenth wedding anniversary on October 10, 2024 with cupcakes for all the medical team of the cardiac ICU at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.

In 2014 Daniel and Steve began to think about moving from Los Angeles and were drawn to either Oregon or the northwest coast of California. After several house-hunting trips to both Eugene and Eureka, they decided to re-locate to Eureka, finding their home after four-and-a-half years of looking for “the right house in the right neighborhood at the right price.” A new cat, Opie, was adopted and life began anew in Eureka, where they became active members of Christ Episcopal Church and formed a strong and supportive relationship with members of the congregation.

In November 2023 Daniel was first diagnosed with a slow-growing chronic leukemia (CMML), and in July 2024 with congestive heart failure.

By the beginning of September Daniel seemed to be improving from the congestive heart failure, with lots of changes in meds, dosages, and frequency, in an attempt to get his edema resolved and blood pressure and pulse stabilized. The CMML-related anemia was to be dealt with once the congestive heart failure was stable.

On September 7, 2024, Steve took Daniel to the ER at Providence/St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka, since he was struggling to breathe, where a heart attack was diagnosed and he was stabilized.

Then the medical roller coaster began, with waiting for an open bed at a larger hospital after the decision was made to transfer Daniel from Eureka. There is a photo of a hospital visitor in Eureka — Kiya, the therapy dog — which Daniel enjoyed immensely. Daniel was life-flighted to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento on September 14. Then came days of waiting, tests, recommendations and treatments, including many heart and kidney procedures. Days of hope were followed by days of despair as Daniel’s kidneys began to fail. October 10 was one of the good days as Daniel and Steve celebrated their 16th wedding anniversary in a cardiac-care unit, but by October 14 Daniel was returned to the ICU and his condition was fragile. October 15 his condition became critical and dialysis was performed. On October 16 Daniel’s heart stopped, CPR was performed and he was placed on life-support with a ventilator; his condition was considered stable but critical, with multiple organ failure.

Through it all, Daniel just wanted to go home to Opie and to Eureka. Early in the morning of October 17 Daniel went home, to the arms of the Christ he loved. Steve was with Dan throughout his six-and-a-half week hospitalization, and was with him, holding his hand, at the time of his death.

Beginning sometime in 2017, Daniel began showing an interest in his biological heritage and the ancestry quest began. Original pre-adoption birth certificates showed that Daniel’s birth-mother was Helen Irene Lucas of Tab, Indiana, while the birth father was listed as ‘Intentionally Omitted’. Helen was one of six sisters and one brother and Daniel made contact with at least two maternal cousins.

Further investigation led Daniel to the Carter family of Hoopeston, Illinois, a family of five sons and four daughters. Various ancestry hints suggested that the unknown father was possibly one of the Carter brothers. Daniel wrote to the son and daughter of Eugene Carter, presenting his evidence and suggesting they take a DNA test. Both Ned and Mary Beth agreed and, when the tests showed they were siblings of Daniel, Ned’s first words were that he was “discombobulated” and that the results would change his life.

Around this time, Daniel’s twin brother Dennis took an Ancestry test and the results showed that he was related to Daniel (no surprise there), but was also related to a Ned Carter and to a Mary Beth Carter Nevitt. To say that these results changed everyone’s lives would be an understatement. Everything is different now, as there are now new branches of the Lucas, Carter, and Hafer family trees as well as the branches of their extended families — spouses, in-laws, cousins, nieces and nephews.

When they all –- Ned and his children Robert and Ethel (all from Sweden), Mary Beth, Daniel and Steve, and Dennis — met on Balboa Island in 2019 for a face-to-face reunion, they spent days getting to know each another. Daniel and Dennis remarked to each other of their amazement at their acceptance by the extended Carter family, including their cousin Lynne Carter Armstrong (whom they both have met), and Ned and Mary Beth’s maternal cousins Carol Pinnell and Marilyn Anderson. Daniel also developed a friendship with a Carter second cousin once removed, Beth Harrison, bonded by their shared Episcopal faith. Over the years Daniel also got to know a Lucas cousin, Karen Olsen.

Even if there were no relationships, Daniel and Dennis have said would want these people to be their friends.

Over recent weeks Ned, Mary Beth and Dennis have remarked more than once how Daniel’s curiosity and perseverance, and ultimately his discoveries, have immeasurably changed their lives.

Daniel Lawrence Hafer is survived by his loving husband of 16 years (after a 33-year involuntary engagement) Steven Preston and their beloved cat Opie, Dan’s identical twin brother Dennis Frank Hafer, adopted sisters Bonnie Mitchell and Marilyn Vadase, half-brother Ned Carter, half- sister Mary Beth Carter Nevitt, foster-sister Dorinda Jones, and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. He was pre-deceased by his adopted parents Violet (Gran) and Donald E. Hafer, his birth parents Helen Irene Lucas and Eugene Carter, and Helen’s other son from her marriage, Michael Lee Branam, a half-brother Daniel never met.

Daniel Lawrence Hafer’s life will be celebrated at Christ Episcopal Church in Eureka at 10:30 a.m. on January 25, 2025.

May Daniel’s memory be a blessing.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Daniel Hafer’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Our beloved Gigi got on her dream horse and rode off into the sunset on the trail leading to the stairway to heaven on January 3, 2025 with her family by her side. Born on February 24, 1961 to Robert Lyness and Carol Gossett in Fortuna, Lynett was a very kind and caring soul, who saw the good in all people. She touched the lives of everyone who had the pleasure of knowing her. ​​

Her childhood included growing up in Healdsburg with her older brother, Bob, riding her pony and playing with her yellow lab, Clarence. After moving back to Fortuna, she lived with her grandparents Ernie and Gwen Gossett, where she attended elementary and high school. ​​

In 1977 she met the love of her life, Mike Flockhart, and they spent the rest of her life together. Lynett and Mike married in July 1981 in Fortuna, where she worked for Lon Winburn at Pacific Auto while she went to College of the Redwoods. She recieved her business degree and went to work for the County of Humboldt in the courthouse. She was fortunate enough to work in the Fortuna branch for Judge Suprey for many years. ​​

Her first daughter, Mickelle, was born in 1988, after which she left her job to become a full-time mom. In 1992, she was blessed with the birth of her second daughter, Morgan. She spent the rest of her life dedicated and devoted to her family, where being a mom was her number one priority. As the children grew older, she went back to college and received a degree in nursing, in order to help fund the Mickelle and Morgan’s college expenses. She was hired immediately out of school at Redwood Memorial Hospital and worked the rest of her career (14 years) in the Med/Surg department. She loved her job and all her co-workers, and treated all of her patients with compassion, dignity and respect. ​​

Lynett’s second love was her animals. She had numerous pets throughout the years, but her true passion were her horses, which she rode every chance she got. Her favorite spot to ride was at Cuneo Creek State Park Horse Camp. She looked forward every summer to camping and riding with all her riding buddies, Martha, Karen, Maggie, Jane, Cindy, and many others.

She was preceded in death by Ernie and Gwen Gossett, and Robert and Carol Lyness. She leaves behind husband Mike; daughters Mickelle and husband Travis Ammer, Morgan and husband Jerrad Morss; granddaughters Cassidy, Cadence, Timber and Raelynn; brother Robert Lyness; uncle Ernie and Bridgette Gossett; aunt Loene and Dan McCelland; aunt Diane and Bob Angelini; brother-in-laws Dan and Tiffany Flockhart, Doug and Janet Flockhart; cousins Denise and Seth Taylor, Nicole Robinson, Bob and Teri Angelini, Demaris and Lucas McCelland, Crystal Nichols, Kent and Karina Chapman. ​

The family would like to thank the all the doctors and nurses at UCSF, St. Joe’s and Hospice of Humboldt for their wonderful and excellent care.

A celebration of life for Lynett will be held on Saturday, February 1, 2025 at 2 p.m., at the Gene Lucas Community Center on Newburg Road in Fortuna. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Lynett Flockhart Memorial Nursing Scholarship at College of the Redwoods link at this link or Hospice of Humboldt.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Lynett Flockhart’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Anna Marie Holgersen passed away on January 11, 2025.

Anne was born Anna Marie on November 7, 1941, in San Bernadino, Calif. Anne was raised in Fernbridge and went to and graduated from Fortuna High School. She married our dad, Curtis Lane Holgersen, on September 20, 1975. This is when our family became one. She had three children, and he had three. We were often — then and now — referred to as the “modern-day Brady Bunch.”

Our mom spent the next few years raising a family of six children and being a partner to her and her husband’s business. They ran a small dairy farm in Loleta (Holgersen Dairy) together while raising their family.

Anne had a couple of jobs early on; she worked for Harper Motors in the very early years, and after raising her children she worked for Dr. Wendell Schautz Chiropractic, Faith Center Foursquare Church and Lentz Department Store in Ferndale.

Anne spent many many years volunteering. She was a volunteer for St. Joseph’s and Redwood Memorial Hospitals, she volunteered for Hospice of Humboldt and was also an ombudsman. Mom was very involved when her children were in school. She was president of the PTA for South Bay School. The school had given our mom an engraved bell for her years of service. She was known to stand out on the front porch and ring that bell to call her children in for dinner.

Our mom truly spent her life in services to others. She had a strong faith in Jesus Christ, and I believe her biggest and greatest accomplishment in life was raising her children to believe in Him as their personal Lord and Savior.

Mom enjoyed gardening. She took a lot of pride in her yard and loved spending time in her greenhouse. One of mom’s favorite things to do was travel in the firth wheel with our dad. They had many adventures together.

Our mother is preceded in death by her beloved mother, Isabel Theresa Detlefsen. She is survived by her loving husband of 49 years, Curtis Lane Holgersen; her children, Theresa (Tom) Head, Edward (Jennifer) Holgersen, Todd Hansen, Sharon (Joe) Zanone, Chris (Brad) Jennings and Debbie Nickols (Jay Chamberlain); her 19 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; siblings Gloria (Jeannie) Ward, David (Charlene) Hanson and Debbie (Grant) Philips.

I would like to give a special thank you to the people who helped us care for our mother over the last couple of years: Tessa Johnston, Leah Berti, the staff at First Choice Care Home and Hospice of Humboldt.

There will be a celebration of life service for Anne on June 14, at 1 p.m. at the Loleta Fireman’s Pavillion — 824 Loleta Drive, Loleta, CA. In lieu of flowers please consider giving a donation to the Parkinsons Support Group. Contact information: Rose Bond, 707-826-7764, rosebond95524@suddenlink.net or Hospice of Humboldt.

Colin Keith Livasy aka “Stoney”
July 20, 1943 - January 7, 2025

Colin was born to Keith and Veneta Garrett Livasy in Ft. Dodge, Iowa and passed peacefully in his sleep at home in Fieldbrook.

His spent his early years living in California’s Central Valley before Colin’s family moved to McKinleyville in the late 1950s.

He graduated from Arcata High in 1962 and for several years, worked as a millwright at many lumber/plywood mills in the Arcata area. He then worked 20 years for Cal Poly Humboldt Plant Operations, retiring as a Building Services Engineer in 2008.

Colin is survived by his wife, Linda; daughter Amy; foster brother Steve Livasy and his son Michael; grandchildren Brandon, Dillon, Haylley and Malia; and great grandchildren Bow, River and her mother Kimber, Tanner, Mackenzie and Eddie.

He will be missed by the many friends he made over the years, but especially Fred Taylor and the Thursday lunch bunch; fellow “Road Toad” Doug Vaughn and Betty; the Shumard’s, Dunaway’s, Grosshans’, and Farley’s; and his Fieldbrook friends, the Bailey’s and Brown’s;

Amy and Linda wish to thank the staff at Hospice of Humboldt for their compassionate care and making Colin’s last two weeks as comfortable as possible. Please consider making a donation to them in his memory:

Hospice of Humboldt 3327 Timber Fall Court. Eureka, CA 95503.

hospiceofhumboldt.org

At Colin’s request, there will be no memorial service.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Colin Livasy’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On Jan. 13, deputies with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Marijuana Enforcement Team (MET) served a search warrant in the 200 block of Cougar Rd. in Shelter Cove. The warrant service was the culmination of a month-long investigation initiated after deputies intercepted a parcel containing multiple pounds of processed marijuana being shipped out of state.

During the investigation, Fredrick Hoss, 60, of Shelter Cove, was identified as the individual who sent the package. Hoss was on scene at the time of the warrant service and found to be in possession of a firearm, 10g of methamphetamine, and 15 lbs. of marijuana being processed for sales.

Hoss was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on the following charges:

• Felon in possession of a firearm—PC 29800(a)(1)
• Prohibited person in possession of ammunition—PC 30305(a)(1)
• Maintaining a drug house—H&S 11366.5
• Possession of methamphetamine—H&S 11377
• Possession of marijuana for sale—H&S 11359

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.

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CORRECTION: Hoss was not actually booked into jail on the struck-through charge above — apparently due to an administrative oversight, according to Sheriff’s Office public information officer Meghan Ruiz. Ruiz said that the office will ask the District Attorney’s Office to add the charge if/when those charges are filed in court.

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With less than one week before President-elect Donald J. Trump returns to the White House, local leaders and human rights advocates are bracing for what could be the “largest mass deportation campaign” in U.S. history. The anticipated crackdown on immigration enforcement has triggered panic in undocumented communities, fueling rampant misinformation on social media and false reports of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sweeps in dozens of California cities, including Eureka.

A post making the rounds on social media claims ICE “showed up at Winco in Eureka” on Monday and “started doing a raid/making arrests of customers.” Other posts have claimed federal immigration officials are “actively conducting raids” at local shopping centers. None of the reports proved to be true.

“We do not have any evidence to support that ICE was in fact in town over the past two days conducting any enforcement action,” Humboldt County Sheriff spokesperson Meghan Ruiz wrote in an emailed response to the Outpost’s inquiry. Ruiz added that federal immigration officials do not notify the sheriff’s office when they’re in town due to Humboldt’s Sanctuary Ordinance, a voter-approved measure that prohibits local law enforcement agencies from cooperating with ICE.

Centro del Pueblo, a local nonprofit community service group, called out the false reports in a recent Instagram post and asked their followers to avoid repeating rumors. 

“Town Center Watchers and organized community went to Winco, Costco, Walmart, Target and all Valley East/west hotels, Blue Lake casinos and Loleta today … and confirmed with workers of these places that ICE DID NOT HAVE ACTIVITY TODAY IN HUMBOLDT IN THESE PLACES,” the translated post states. “HELP US KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE AND INFORMED.”

Reached for additional comment, Fourth District Supervisor Natalie Arroyo urged community members to verify information before sharing it on social media. “Please, only share information if it’s accurate and you can determine the source,” Arroyo told the Outpost. “There is a broad concern that some of this may be coming from a place of urging people to self-deport or trying to frighten people into taking similar actions that are based on fear.”

While local and state sanctuary laws limit cooperation with ICE, federal agents can still conduct immigration enforcement. Humboldt’s ordinance notes that sanctuary laws “do not prevent undocumented immigrants from being prosecuted for criminal activity, and state and federal laws address the situation of serious, criminal offenders.”

With that in mind, Arroyo encouraged community members to read the local ordinance — linked here — to understand what it can and cannot do.

The Humboldt County Human Rights Commission’s Sanctuary Ordinance Standing Committee will host a virtual public meeting at 5 p.m. on Thursday to discuss the status of the local sanctuary ordinance and what protections it may offer undocumented residents. 

“Right now, our hope is to provide people with information,” Committee Chair Guy Arnoff told the Outpost in a recent phone interview. “I think that will give us the kick we need to make sure that we’re looking into the right things and that our local authorities are upholding the sanctuary ordinance as much as they’re allowed to.”

“I can’t speak for everybody on our committee, but I don’t want people to be scapegoat immigrant communities and I don’t want people to feel like they’re alone,” he added. 

The committee will consider sending a letter to the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors and local law enforcement agencies “urging cautious compliance.” Several local officials will be available to answer questions, including Humboldt District Attorney Stacey Eads, members of the Board of Supervisors and a representative of the sheriff’s office. 

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The Sanctuary Ordinance Standing Committee will meet virtually at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 16. You can find a copy of the agenda and remote viewing/participation instructions at this link.

PREVIOUSLY: Weekend Shooting Incidents in Arcata, Hoopa and McKinleyville; Sheriff’s Office Investigating Possible Connections Between Them All

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Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

In December 2024, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) deputies responded to multiple shooting incidents. Investigations were launched and a suspect, Dauwin Poe, 19, of McKinleyville, was identified as the suspected shooter. Poe has now been taken into custody on several charges relating to shootings in Humboldt County and the City of Eureka’s jurisdiction. 

On Dec. 28 around 12 a.m., Poe and Cote Lincoln, 38, of Hoopa, got into an altercation with several individuals at Toni’s 24-Hour Restaurant, Arcata. Several individuals involved in the altercation left the restaurant and fled the area at a high rate of speed. One of the involved parties in the altercation fled in their vehicle to the McKinleyville area. Poe and Lincoln were identified as pursuing the subject’s vehicle into McKinleyville. Once the vehicles passed the 1300 block of Central Ave., Poe shot at the subject’s vehicle. Both vehicles then dispersed the area and the Sheriff’s Office was called to investigate. No one was injured in this shooting incident. 

On Dec. 28 around 11 p.m., Poe was present during a physical altercation involving several adult males that occurred in Hoopa near the Hoopa Modular Building plant. During that altercation, one 23-year-old male sustained non-life-threatening gunshot wounds to the chest and side area, and was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Poe was positively identified as the person responsible for shooting the victim.

Poe is also a suspect in a shooting incident being investigated by the Eureka Police Department (EPD), wherein a shooting occurred on 3^rd St. in Eureka on Dec. 27, just a few hours before the incident at Toni’s. EPD placed a BOLO (“be on the lookout”) for Poe. 

On Jan. 9, Poe was located by HCSO deputies at the Humboldt Courthouse and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility (HCCF) on charges related to an additional incident being investigated by EPD for the following charges:

• Threats to commit death or great bodily injury—PC 422(a)
• Exhibit a firearm—PC 417(a)(2)
• Conspiracy to commit a crime—PC 182(a)(1)

While in custody, Poe continued to be investigated by HCSO investigators for involvement in the shooting incidents. Based upon the corroborating evidence, HCSO investigators were able to add the following charges:

• Attempted murder—PC 664/187(a)
• Shooting at inhabited dwelling/vehicle—PC 246
• Conspiracy to commit a crime—PC 182(a)(1)

On Jan. 11, Lincoln was located and arrested for his involvement in the incident relating to the shooting in the 1300 block of Central Avenue following the altercation at Toni’s. Lincoln was booked at HCCF for the following warrant charges:

• Conspiracy to commit a crime—PC 1832(a)(1)
• Shooting at inhabited dwelling/vehicle—PC 246

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.