Shirley
May Wiese Theobault April
6, 1936-October 11, 2023
It
is with deep sadness that we mourn the loss of Shirley May Wiese
Theobault who left this earth on October 11, 2023. We find peace
knowing she is singing with the angels, wrapped in the love of the
Lord.
For
all who knew her, recognized she was an individual like no other. She
blessed our lives with her witty charm, passionate outlooks on life,
and her all consuming love for her family and their walk with God.
Shirley
May was born at home on April 6, 1936 to Lillie May and Jesse J Lewis
in Edge, Texas at 8:55 p.m. She was a country girl at heart with city
dreams. She was raised picking cotton & milking cows during
nights and summers, but she put her foot down when it came to plowing
the fields, stubborn as she was.
At
the age of 10 she met the man that would become the love of her life,
Waldemar “Shorty” Wiese. A tall man in stature with a heart of
gold. He was a real life cowboy, riding up on a horse the first time
she saw him.
A
few years later they began dating before he left to serve in the
Korean War. Upon his return they married in Bryan, Texas in December
of 1952. In April of 1954 they welcomed their first child, a
daughter, Sherrie Lynn. Three months later they moved with her
parents and youngest sister Bonnie to join their eldest sister Anita
in Eureka, with dreams of bigger opportunities. Following
their move they added to their family with two sons, Gary Wayne born
in February of 1957, and Jerry Arnold in November of 1958.
Shirley
was a spirited woman. Her fiery disposition led her to become a
headstrong woman, and the heart of her family. She was an artist, a
painter. Her favorite color was pink. She enjoyed sewing and made
many quilts, aprons, and table linens for her family. One of her most
cherished hobbies was gardening. She would spend countless hours
tending to her gardens, and took great care to create a sanctuary for
the birds she so endlessly loved. She held a special love for the
hummingbirds, they were one of her greatest joys. She loved sharing
her time with her family and friends in her gardens amongst all of
her flowers.
As
the years passed and her family grew, she was blessed with
grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She became the gravity that
pulled them all together. She treasured the time she spent with her
family for the holidays and took great care in showering them with
her unending love.
Above
all, Shirley loved Christ first and foremost. She was a devout
believer in the Lord and wasn’t afraid to speak and share His word.
Truly one of a kind. A spitfire of a Godly woman.
In
recent years Shirley had repeatedly expressed how much she missed her
husband “Shorty” since his passing on October 7, 1989. She was
ready to go home to him. In her final moments she rejoiced in knowing
she would soon be called home to the Lord and to once again be
rejoined with the love of her life. She had peace in her heart. She
is home.
Shirley
May Wiese Theobault was preceded in death by her parents Jesse and
Lillie Lewis of Brazos County, TX, sister Anita Wellesley of Eureka,
CA, brother Doyle Lewis of Waco, TX, husband Waldemar “Shorty”
Wiese of North Zulch, TX, and survived by her sister Bonnie Hamblock
of Eureka, CA, children Sherrie (Ramon) Dominguez of McKinleyville,
CA, Gary (Robin) Wiese of Parma, ID, Jerry (Carolyn) Wiese of
Meridian, ID, grandchildren Josh (Vanessa) Wiese of Cheney, WA,
Alicia (Jake) Cox of McKinleyville, CA, Trisha (Jason) Nauman of
Star, ID, Sarah Wiese of Nampa, ID, Briana Dominguez of Arcata, CA,
Stephanie Wiese of Elkhorn, NE, Elena Dominguez (Mike Pires) of
Fortuna, CA and great grandchildren Josh, Hunter and Cassidy Wiese,
Anthony and Byron Nauman, Austin Wiese, and Addison, Ezra, Avery and
Jaxson Smith, plus numerous family, friends and loved ones. She will
be forever loved, missed and remembered.
Funeral
services will be held Friday, October 20 at Sanders Funeral Home at
1835 E Street Eureka, CA 95501, with viewing from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., with the
funeral service immediately following. All who knew and loved her are
welcome to come and celebrate her life. Following the service,
family, friends and loved ones of Shirley, are welcome to join us for
refreshments at the Eureka Church of Christ at 1610 I St., Eureka, CA
95501.
And in lieu of flowers, please send any contributions to the
Ida Emerson Hospice House at 3327 Timber Fall Ct., Eureka, CA 95503,
thank you.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Shirley Theobault’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.
On September 18, 2023, Loran Parker passed away at St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka with his loving son, sister-in-law and cousins by his side. Loran had been fighting health issues for several years and ultimately succumbed to those health issues.
Loran was born to Jacqueline and Harold ‘Jay’ Parker on November 19, 1956 in Eureka. Loran had five brothers and one sister, also born and raised in Eureka. Loren lived most of his life in Eureka and was married to Janet Porter on March 3, 1978.
Loran was initiated in to the Clampers in 1979, when a chapter was made in Eureka, and will be honored next month at their BBQ. Loran was a truck driver/ mechanic. In the 1980s he drove truck for Arcata Salvage, taking metal to Oakland and dropping it off. Then he started hauled logs here in Eureka for few years for Bear Logging. Then, in 1991, his kids Jackie and James were in a car accident. James broke his back and ended up in a wheelchair, so Loran stayed home and helped him and worked on cars for friends.
In 1999 he got sick was told had six months to live, but fought it for 24 years.
Loran is survived by three brothers and one sister — Donald Parker, Vernon Parker, Guy Parker and sister Linda Bullock-Clowers. He is also survived by one son and one daughter — James Parker (and Kelsey) and Jackie and Brad Raines, and his three grandchildren, Kyle Raines, Matthew Raines and James Raines of new Albany, Mississippi. Loran’s mother- and father-in-law also hailed from Eureka (Delores and Alfred Porter).
Loran’s celebration of life will be announced at a later date.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Loran Parker’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.
Daisy Mar, longtime resident of King City, passed away September 28, 2023 in McKinleyville. Born in 1926 to parents Young and Yip Shee Mar in Monterey, she lived in King City for 80 years. Daisy worked throughout her youth at Mar’s Cafe on Broadway in King City, the family-run business, leaving school at midday to work in the restaurant, helping to manage the lunch rush. After graduating from King City High School she continued to work in the family business until it closed, then worked as a tireless caregiver to her elders, siblings and youngsters over the years. She was a reliable and steady volunteer, including at the Red Cross, March of Dimes, and community events.
Daisy loved to socialize, and her laughter, wit, and charm were endearing to everyone she met. She was friendly, chatty and clever, and loved to tease. She knew everyone “downtown,” including their family members and often their extended family members. She was truly interested in people’s lives and their accomplishments, celebrating with them, and offering encouragement when needed. Many will miss those hours long “chat fests” in person or on the phone with Daisy.
Daisy loved babies and kids, and family was the most important thing in the world to her. She was known for cutting out newspaper articles, comic strips, and magazine recipes and mailing them to family members. Receiving a chubby envelope from her was like opening a gift on Christmas morning. She was an avid gardener and had a bountiful garden, from which she generously shared cutting and starts with her family and friends.
Daisy leaves numerous nieces and nephews and their families, including Valerie Green, also of McKinleyville. She was predeceased by brothers William, Ed, and Davis Mar and sisters Alice M. Mar and Clara Mar Senter.
A celebration of life will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, November 18th, 2023 at Eddington Funeral Services in King City. Donations may be made to the Multiple Sclerosis Society or your favorite charity.
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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Daisy Mar’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.
Warning: Fish and Wildlife is advising confirmed mountain lion sighting at the Fortuna Sunrise Cemetery, 3315 Newburg Road in Fortuna.
Fish and Wildlife has requested this information be shared with the public and if there are any questions they can be directed to Ian Keith at the Fish and Wildlife Unit, (707) 445-6493.
On Wednesday, October 18th 2023 Fortuna Police received a report that Fortuna Middle School staff discovered
a written threat written on an exterior school wall threatening to “blow up the school on 10-19-23.”
Officers responded to the school and began working with school officials to investigate the threat.
A safety plan was put into place for school on today’s date, October 19th 2023. Fortuna Middle School
Administrators sent notice to parents, and officers conducted searches of the school campus throughout the
night and before school. Fortuna Police were present on campus before school and during the school day. In
addition, the school campus was secured and arriving students were searched prior to entering the school
grounds.
Throughout the school day, the Fortuna Police Department’s School Resource Officer and school staff
continued to investigate the identity of the student responsible for the written threat and they eventually
identified the culprit using CCTV footage. The student who wrote the threat on the school wall was taken into
custody by Fortuna Police after providing a confession to school administrators. The student was transported to
and booked at the Humboldt County Juvenile Hall. The student faces felony charges of section 422 of the
California Penal Code - Criminal Threats.
As a follow-up effort, officers conducted a search of the student’s residence and no further evidence was
located.
It should be noted, during the evening of October 18th 2023 after the schools parental notice was released, the
department received reports of the same threat being circulated through social media and students. During the
investigation it was determined that there was no evidence to suggest that the student arrested was responsible
for the social media portion of the threat. This determination was made as police confirmed that the arrested
student had no access to the proper electronic devices needed to spread such a threat.
The Fortuna Police Department is committed to public safety.
Arcata City Councilmembers (from left) Stacy Atkins-Salazar, Meredith Matthews, Sarah Schaefer and Alex Stillman (Kimberly White absent) | Screenshot from online meeting video
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During its regular meeting on Wednesday night the Arcata City Council unanimously voted to oppose the controversial Cannabis Reform Initiative, or Measure A, a ballot measure aimed to impose stricter regulations on cannabis cultivation in unincorporated Humboldt County.
David Loya, Arcata’s community development director, began by giving a bit of background on the ballot initiative and explaining staff’s recommendation for the council to formally oppose it. Though the initiative would not affect the City of Arcata’s cannabis cultivation regulations, Loya said, he does believe that it would have “secondary effects, particularly on our manufacturing sector that we’ve worked to try to cultivate and keep together as cannabis has suffered many market shocks since it was first made legal. ”
The 38-page initiative, if passed, would dramatically restrict the size and number of permitted cannabis cultivation operations in the county, increase government oversight and add new rules for water storage, well-drilling, access roads, generators and more. Many local farmers and the Humboldt County Growers Alliance are adamantly opposed to the measure and even filed a legal challenge last week alleging that the proponents of the initiative, Mark Thurmond and Elizabeth Watson, “intentionally misled” the public while gathering signatures to place the initiative on ballot. Unless the suit is successful in getting the measure removed, it will appear on March 2024 ballots.
Several people, including local farmers, members of HCGA and local dispensary owners, urged the council to oppose the initiative, voicing concerns over the potential negative effects the initiative could have on our community, particularly small cannabis farmers who would be unfairly impacted.
“I think the crux of the issue for us is that this has been presented as an initiative that’s about restricting large-scale cultivation and that’s not true,” Ross Gordon, policy director for HCGA, said to the council during public comment. “The restrictions that are contained in these 38 pages are applicable – almost all of them – to farms of every single size within the county. “
Mark Thurmond, one of the initiative’s proponents, called into the meeting to ask the council members to wait to take a stance on the initiative until they had a chance to review it further. Thurmond defended the initiative, saying that the purpose of Measure A is to address environmental concerns, including the impacts of cannabis farms on our local watersheds and rivers.
“I think it’s important to bear in mind that a vote against Measure A would appear, at least for some, to be a vote against our environment, which might be considered a big poke in the eye for a couple thousand Arcata residents who signed the initiative,” Thurmond said to the council.
But the council wasn’t swayed by Thurmond’s plea and all four present councilmembers (Kimberly White was absent) agreed that they did not support the initiative, which they fear would negatively impact our local economy, unfairly impact small farms and be very difficult to amend if it were passed, since voter initiatives can only be amended through more voter initiatives.
“In my mind, and from what I’ve heard from farmers and members of this cannabis community, honestly, this [initiative] is gonna be the nail in the coffin for the cannabis industry in Humboldt County,’ Arcata Mayor Sarah Schaefer said during the meeting.
U.S. Sen. Laphonza Butler made herself a lame duck a little more than two weeks into the job and solidified the contours of the U.S. Senate race in 2024.
The newly-appointed senator announced today she will not run for a full six-year term, avoiding an already crowded 2024 field that includes three fellow Democrats: U.S. Reps. Barbara Lee, Katie Porter and Adam Schiff.
“I’ve always believed elected leaders should have real clarity about why they’re in office and what they want to do with the responsibility and power they have,” she said in a statement. “I’ve spent the past 16 days pursuing my clarity — what kind of life I want to have, what kind of service I want to offer and what kind of voice I want to bring forward. After considering those questions I’ve decided not to run for Senate in the upcoming election.”
“Knowing you can win a campaign doesn’t always mean you should run a campaign.” Butler added. “I know this will be a surprise to many because traditionally we don’t see those who have power let it go. It may not be the decision people expected but it’s the right one for me. California voters want leaders who think about them and the issues they care most about. I now have 383 days to serve the people of California with every ounce of energy and effort that I have.”
While her decision might indeed come as a surprise to some, if Butler had decided to run, she would have also faced multiple challenges. She would have only had less than five months to assemble a competitive campaign before the March 5 primary and catch up in fundraising. As of Sept. 30, Schiff’s campaign had $32 million in the bank, whereas Porter had $12 million and Lee, $1.3 million.
Butler was also behind in name recognition, and some labor unions — which could have been a key ally to Butler — were already endorsing other candidates and were unlikely to change their minds. Schiff has received the most endorsements from statewide unions among all four Democrats, but several major labor organizations — such as the California Labor Federation, SEIU California and the California Teachers Association — have not decided yet.
“Nobody was looking for a fourth candidate,” said John Burton, former chairperson of the California Democratic Party. “It wasn’t like they were looking for another person to run in a weak field. It’s a very strong field.”
Her choice means that California voters will choose a new senator next year to serve out the final two months of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s term from November to January, as well as who they want to serve the full six-year term.
Spokespersons for Democrats already in the race said they looked forward to continuing working with Butler.
“Senate Butler took on the enormous responsibility of filling an open Senate seat with grace, integrity, and a deep commitment to delivering for the people of California,” said a spokesperson for Lee, who pushed Gov. Gavin Newsom to appoint her instead.
Butler, 44, grew up in Magnolia, Mississippi, and graduated from historically Black Jackson State University. She currently resides in Maryland, but re-registered to vote in California after Newsom tapped her on Oct. 1 to replace Feinstein. Butler made history as the first Black, openly LGBTQ person to serve in the Senate.
Butler was a longtime leader in the labor movement in California, serving as the president of the Service Employees International Union Local 2015 — a union representing long term caregivers in the state. She also led the SEIU State Council, the political coordination arm of the union. She was also the president of EMILY’s List, a national fundraising machine supporting female Democrats running for office.
She is known for representing both corporations and unions. In 2015, she successfully brokered a deal with then-Gov. Jerry Brown and state lawmakers to raise California’s minimum wage to $15 an hour — the highest in the nation at the time. But she also advised Uber in 2019 as the company fought against legislation to allow independent gig workers to be counted as employees.
Butler’s bid could have further split Democratic votes in the primary and boosted the likelihood of a Republican candidate emerging from California’s top-two primary, although the chance would have been slim, said Thad Kousser, professor of political science at the University of California San Diego.
Butler’s run could have also further splintered Black votes as well as labor union support, political experts say. It would have given voters who want to see a Black woman in the Senate a second option — a potential setback for Lee’s campaign, said Wesley Hussey, professor of political science at the California State University, Sacramento.
The Republican field is far less crowded. Former Dodgers star Steve Garvey announced Oct. 10 he is joining the race, and a poll last month put him ahead of Attorney Eric Early and Coast Guard veteran James Bradley.
If a Republican makes the November ballot, Kousser said it could “change the game.” Democrats could be more relentless in attacking their fellow Democrats during the primary campaign without worrying about losing those voters for the general election, since a Democrat would almost certainly win against a Republican in November, Kousser said.
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