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For the past several years, The Record-Courier has started the new year with a final remembrance of some of those we lost who helped shape our community.
For 2011, our thoughts turn to a 29-year-old Marine sergeant who died in Afghanistan and two women who lost brave battles to cancer.
Our list includes a long-time Lutheran pastor who helped create Shepherd of the Sierra Lutheran Church and several longtime residents.
Our community was not spared tragedy.
Entrepreneur and rancher Budge Brown died in an airplane accident in the Sierra in May. Contractor John Craik was one of 11 victims who died in September after an airplane crashed at the National Championship Air Races in Reno.
Artist Reiko Hervin died in December of injuries she received in a traffic accident on Highway 208 in south Douglas County.
We limit ourselves to 20 names, but our list is by no means complete.
We invite our readers to submit memories and photos of friends and family who died in 2011.
You may send tributes and pictures of your loved ones to editor@recordcourier.com, or post them on The Record-Courier Facebook page.
You also may drop them by The R-C office, 1503 Highway 395, Suite G, Gardnerville 89410.
Please include your name and telephone number for verification.
Lenore Josephine Bergevin, 95, died on Jan. 13. Born Nov. 3, 1915, in Fredericksburg to a pioneering family, she lived in her Gardnerville home for more than 60 years and was preceded in death by her husband Ted. She began a 34-year career at the telephone company at age 15.
Jean F. “Mean Jean” Homer, 82, died Jan. 21. She was a longtime Gardnerville Elementary School playground aide, and volunteer at the St. Gall rummage sale. She is survived by 11 children, and was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Donald.
Susan Jo Phillips Smith, 75, died Feb. 5. She was a Minden resident and active volunteer with the Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center. She produced and directed the annual melodrama for the Douglas County Historical Society for five years.
Dieter Hans Hoffman, 80, died March 31. He was born in a part of Eastern Germany that is now Poland. He emigrated to the United States in 1954 and joined the U.S. Army. He worked at the Topaz Inspection Station beginning in 1982 as plant/quarantine inspector.
Jane Truex Stratton, 80, died April 16. Married to Jim Stratton in 1950, the couple moved to Minden where they purchased Carson Valley Drug. They built the Stratton Center, and operated Carson Valley Pharmacy in Gardnerville for almost 30 years.
Robert H. “Budge” Brown Sr., 78, died May 18 in an airplane crash. He had ranches in Carson Valley and California, and created Cleavage Creek Winery in 2008 following the death of his wife Arlene of breast cancer, donating 10 percent of gross sales to cancer research.
Linda Jaynel Lopez, 58, died May 23 of pancreatic cancer. She worked for the Douglas County School District for nearly 20 years as a school “lunch lady” and head secretary for the nutrition office.
Victor Monroe Hyden, 87, died May 10 in Vista, Calif. He served on the Gardnerville Ranchos General Improvement District board for nearly 20 years. He was a high school teacher and school administrator and taught at the University of Kansas in the Schools of Liberal Arts and Journalism.
Eva Scarselli, 93, died June 15. A school teacher, she married former Douglas County school superintendent Gene Scarselli and the couple worked in Northern Nevada schools until Gene moved into administration. They moved to Douglas County in 1956 where they lived for more than 30 years.
Chuck Jones, 93, died June 27. He homesteaded in Fish Springs and moved to Nevada in 1963 where he built three homes. An avid horseman he owned a stable at Kings Beach, Calif., belonged to the El Dorado Sheriff's Posse Search and Rescue and was an endurance rider.
Larry Coy, 68, died June 27 in Reno. He was a former Douglas County sheriff's public information officer and Lander County undersheriff. He joined the Douglas County Sheriff's Office in 1980 and retired as sergeant in March 1993.
Dean Bernard, 84, died July 29. He was former owner of the Pony Express Saloon and worked for Harvey Gross, becoming casino manager at Harvey's. He was a hot air balloon pilot for Pepsi Co. and operated his own commercial company with three balloons.
Sgt. Joshua Robinson, 29, of Topaz Ranch Estates, killed Aug. 7 in Afghanistan. He was on his first deployment to Afghanistan, but had been deployed twice to Iraq. Robinson turned his love of the outdoors into tracking, mountain survival and sniper skills at the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center.
Robert Tompkins, 88, died Sept. 4. His wife, Bernice, age 89, died a week later. They were married for 68 years. He was an artist whose hobbies included photography, painting with oils, water colors and pastels.
John Craik, 45, died Sept. 16, a victim of the National Championship Air Races crash in Reno. He was a 1984 graduate of Douglas High School and the University of California, Davis, in 1990. The Gardnerville contractor had been a long-time resident of Alpine County.
Theresa Poppenga, 57, died Nov. 2 at her Gardnerville home after a four-year battle with breast cancer. A teller at City National Bank, her co-workers rallied to help her after she had to stop working at the end of May. She was an active member of High Sierra Fellowship.
Rev. Elmer Thyr, 84, died Oct. 25. He was the founding pastor of Shepherd of the Sierra Lutheran Church in 1996. He served congregations in Pennsylvania and California before accepting a call to Gardnerville's Trinity Lutheran Church in 1993.
J. Hilary Cook, 82, died Nov. 21. He was an Alpine County resident for 40 years, serving as district attorney for seven years, and Superior Court Judge from 1971 — when he was appointed by then Gov. Ronald Reagan — until his retirement in 1991. He was an avid hunter, fly-fisherman and gardener.
Reiko Hervin, 51, died Nov. 30 of injuries she received in a traffic accident. She was an accomplished artist who started her career in her native Japan as a graphic designer. A resident of Wellington, she won numerous awards. She was a member of the Carson Valley Art Association and East Fork Gallery.
Margaret M. Pearson Gregory, 94, died Dec. 14. A native of the Comstock, she moved to Minden where her father was manager of the Minden Butter Manufacturing Co. She graduated from Douglas County High School in 1934 and became a teacher. She lived in Reno where she was active at Our Lady of Snows Catholic Church for more than 65 years.
For 2011, our thoughts turn to a 29-year-old Marine sergeant who died in Afghanistan and two women who lost brave battles to cancer.
Our list includes a long-time Lutheran pastor who helped create Shepherd of the Sierra Lutheran Church and several longtime residents.
Our community was not spared tragedy.
Entrepreneur and rancher Budge Brown died in an airplane accident in the Sierra in May. Contractor John Craik was one of 11 victims who died in September after an airplane crashed at the National Championship Air Races in Reno.
Artist Reiko Hervin died in December of injuries she received in a traffic accident on Highway 208 in south Douglas County.
We limit ourselves to 20 names, but our list is by no means complete.
We invite our readers to submit memories and photos of friends and family who died in 2011.
You may send tributes and pictures of your loved ones to editor@recordcourier.com, or post them on The Record-Courier Facebook page.
You also may drop them by The R-C office, 1503 Highway 395, Suite G, Gardnerville 89410.
Please include your name and telephone number for verification.
Lenore Josephine Bergevin, 95, died on Jan. 13. Born Nov. 3, 1915, in Fredericksburg to a pioneering family, she lived in her Gardnerville home for more than 60 years and was preceded in death by her husband Ted. She began a 34-year career at the telephone company at age 15.
Jean F. “Mean Jean” Homer, 82, died Jan. 21. She was a longtime Gardnerville Elementary School playground aide, and volunteer at the St. Gall rummage sale. She is survived by 11 children, and was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Donald.
Susan Jo Phillips Smith, 75, died Feb. 5. She was a Minden resident and active volunteer with the Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center. She produced and directed the annual melodrama for the Douglas County Historical Society for five years.
Dieter Hans Hoffman, 80, died March 31. He was born in a part of Eastern Germany that is now Poland. He emigrated to the United States in 1954 and joined the U.S. Army. He worked at the Topaz Inspection Station beginning in 1982 as plant/quarantine inspector.
Jane Truex Stratton, 80, died April 16. Married to Jim Stratton in 1950, the couple moved to Minden where they purchased Carson Valley Drug. They built the Stratton Center, and operated Carson Valley Pharmacy in Gardnerville for almost 30 years.
Robert H. “Budge” Brown Sr., 78, died May 18 in an airplane crash. He had ranches in Carson Valley and California, and created Cleavage Creek Winery in 2008 following the death of his wife Arlene of breast cancer, donating 10 percent of gross sales to cancer research.
Linda Jaynel Lopez, 58, died May 23 of pancreatic cancer. She worked for the Douglas County School District for nearly 20 years as a school “lunch lady” and head secretary for the nutrition office.
Victor Monroe Hyden, 87, died May 10 in Vista, Calif. He served on the Gardnerville Ranchos General Improvement District board for nearly 20 years. He was a high school teacher and school administrator and taught at the University of Kansas in the Schools of Liberal Arts and Journalism.
Eva Scarselli, 93, died June 15. A school teacher, she married former Douglas County school superintendent Gene Scarselli and the couple worked in Northern Nevada schools until Gene moved into administration. They moved to Douglas County in 1956 where they lived for more than 30 years.
Chuck Jones, 93, died June 27. He homesteaded in Fish Springs and moved to Nevada in 1963 where he built three homes. An avid horseman he owned a stable at Kings Beach, Calif., belonged to the El Dorado Sheriff's Posse Search and Rescue and was an endurance rider.
Larry Coy, 68, died June 27 in Reno. He was a former Douglas County sheriff's public information officer and Lander County undersheriff. He joined the Douglas County Sheriff's Office in 1980 and retired as sergeant in March 1993.
Dean Bernard, 84, died July 29. He was former owner of the Pony Express Saloon and worked for Harvey Gross, becoming casino manager at Harvey's. He was a hot air balloon pilot for Pepsi Co. and operated his own commercial company with three balloons.
Sgt. Joshua Robinson, 29, of Topaz Ranch Estates, killed Aug. 7 in Afghanistan. He was on his first deployment to Afghanistan, but had been deployed twice to Iraq. Robinson turned his love of the outdoors into tracking, mountain survival and sniper skills at the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center.
Robert Tompkins, 88, died Sept. 4. His wife, Bernice, age 89, died a week later. They were married for 68 years. He was an artist whose hobbies included photography, painting with oils, water colors and pastels.
John Craik, 45, died Sept. 16, a victim of the National Championship Air Races crash in Reno. He was a 1984 graduate of Douglas High School and the University of California, Davis, in 1990. The Gardnerville contractor had been a long-time resident of Alpine County.
Theresa Poppenga, 57, died Nov. 2 at her Gardnerville home after a four-year battle with breast cancer. A teller at City National Bank, her co-workers rallied to help her after she had to stop working at the end of May. She was an active member of High Sierra Fellowship.
Rev. Elmer Thyr, 84, died Oct. 25. He was the founding pastor of Shepherd of the Sierra Lutheran Church in 1996. He served congregations in Pennsylvania and California before accepting a call to Gardnerville's Trinity Lutheran Church in 1993.
J. Hilary Cook, 82, died Nov. 21. He was an Alpine County resident for 40 years, serving as district attorney for seven years, and Superior Court Judge from 1971 — when he was appointed by then Gov. Ronald Reagan — until his retirement in 1991. He was an avid hunter, fly-fisherman and gardener.
Reiko Hervin, 51, died Nov. 30 of injuries she received in a traffic accident. She was an accomplished artist who started her career in her native Japan as a graphic designer. A resident of Wellington, she won numerous awards. She was a member of the Carson Valley Art Association and East Fork Gallery.
Margaret M. Pearson Gregory, 94, died Dec. 14. A native of the Comstock, she moved to Minden where her father was manager of the Minden Butter Manufacturing Co. She graduated from Douglas County High School in 1934 and became a teacher. She lived in Reno where she was active at Our Lady of Snows Catholic Church for more than 65 years.
