Obituaries

Barbara Willson Blenkinsop

1922-2005

Barbara Willson Blenkinsop, 82, formerly of Minden, died at her home in Fresno, Calif., Oct. 10, 2005. She was born Dec. 20, 1922 in Woodland, Calif. to Blanche and Walker Davis, the eighth of nine children. She lost her parents when she was nine-years-old and went to live with her sisters, Zelda and Colene and their husbands Tom and D.T. Locke at their Firebaugh, Calif. ranch. She graduated from Tranquility High School and worked at the Ration Board during World War II. In 1942 she married an army man, Jessie Glover and at the age of 20, she was a war widow and mother to her first child, Janet.

She then married Harold Willson and they had three children, Donner, Carolyn and Larry. In 1951, the family moved to Minden, where her husband worked for the H.F. Dangberg Land and Livestock Co. She spent the next 32 years of her life in Minden. She was one of the first employees hired by the Bently Nevada Corp. where she worked for 18 years as manager of the transducer department.

In 1972, she married the love of her life, Bob Blenkinsop and began saying "life begins at 50." She and her husband traveled extensively and lived life to its fullest until she was struck by Alzheimer's Disease and suffered a major stroke in 2000.

Mrs. Willson-Blenkinsop was preceded in death by her children Donner, Carolyn and Larry Willson, as well as her siblings, Vera, Jeff, Claire, Harold, Zelda and Colene. She is survived by her husband, Bob, daughter Janet Adams, both of Fresno, Calif. granddaughter Amber of Redlands, Calif., sister Genevieve Arthurs of Lincoln, Calif., brother Virgil Davis of Mendota, Calif. and numerous nieces and nephews.

A memorial service for Mrs. Blenkinsop was Oct. 15, 2005 in Fresno, Calif.

Roy Freeland Cauley

1915-2006

A memorial service for Roy Freeland Cauley, 90, a 41-year resident of the Carson City area, will be at 1 p.m. Friday in the meeting room of the Douglas County Public Library, 1625 Library Lane, Minden.

Mr. Cauley died Jan. 11, 2006, of cancer at the Evergreen Convalescent Center in Gardnerville. He was born June 3, 1915, in San Antonio, Texas, to Roy Hubbard Cauley and Margaret "Bali" Smith.

He married Beatrice Helen Hemme in 1952.

He graduated from military high school at age 16 and received a bachelor's degree from Tulane University in New Orleans in 1935.

He served with the merchant marines for several years before working in the newspaper industry prior to World War II.

He served in the 82nd Airborne Division in the U. S. Army in the European theater during World War II.

After World War II he attended Louisiana State University and received a master's degree in journalism. As a journalist, he worked for the Los Angeles Times, was editor-in-chief of the Ojai Press Sentinel and news editor of the Ely Daily Times.

Mr. Cauley moved to Carson City in 1964 to work as a public information officer for the Nevada Highway Department and as the first information officer for the Nevada Department of Education. He later started his own newspaper, the Nevada Horsemen's News.

He was a noted labor activist, supporting Democratic candidates and refusing to cross picket lines. He was a member of the Silver State Horsemen and rode with that group in the Nevada Day Parade on numerous occasions. He was preceded in death by his brother Donald M. Cauley in 1990, and stepmother Mierolin Ramsey Cauley in 2003.

Among his survivors are his former wife, Beatrice Helen Cauley, of San Diego; son and daughter-in-law Ronald F. and Nancy K.; son Milton Ray of South Lake Tahoe; grandchildren Shane, Mackenzie and Sullivan, all of Gardnerville; and Brandon, of South Lake Tahoe; niece Linda Sue Cauley and her family, of Boulder, Colo.

His ashes will be interred at the Veteran's Memorial Cemetery in Fernley.

Donald Fredrick

Hellwinkel

1922-2006

A memorial service for Donald Fredrick Hellwinkel, 83, a lifetime Minden resident, will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Gall Catholic Church in Gardnerville.

Mr. Hellwinkel died Jan. 15, 2006. He was born June 28, 1922, in Minden, to Fred H. and Josephine Raycraft Hellwinkel.

He graduated from Douglas County High School in 1940. He attended the University of Nevada, Reno, until he received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. He graduated in 1946.

He served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean conflict, serving on the USS Amsterdam, the USS Saipan, the USS Adirondack and the USS Mt. McKinley. He was stationed in Japan.

He owned and operated the C.O.D. Garage Co. until its sale in 2003.

While serving on the Minden Town Board he was instrumental in adopting the policy that all new developments provide open space for a park.

He was a member of the Minden Rotary Club and a Paul Harris Fellow.

He volunteered with the Douglas County Engine Company and held memberships in the Carson Valley Nut Club, the Gardnerville Gun Club, the National Auto Dealers Association and the Nevada Franchised Auto Dealers Association. He held lifetime memberships to the Douglas County and Alpine County historical societies and the National Pony Express Association.

He was preceded in death by his brother Daniel.

Among his survivors are his wife of 51 years, Marlena; son Robert, of Minden; daughter and son-in-law Donna and Darrell Armuth and grandchildren Spencer, Lena and Grace Armuth, all of Reno; and several nieces and nephews.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Douglas County Historical Society Endowment Fund, 1477 Highway 395, Gardnerville, NV 89410.

Walton's Chapel of the Valley is in charge of arrangements.

Barbara Ann Manista

1947-2006

A memorial service will be 11 a.m. Jan. 21 at FitzHenry's Carson Valley Funeral Home in Gardnerville for Barbara Ann Manista, 58, who died Jan.12, 2006 at her home in Gardnerville.

Mrs. Manista was born Nov. 10, 1947 in Palo Alto, Calif. to Arthur and Mary S. Cocco. She graduated from Mountain View High School in 1965 and moved to Gardnerville from the Bay Area in 1997. She was married to her husband, Tim Manista for 23 years. She worked as a coin host. She was preceded in death by her mother Mary S. Cocco, sisters Joan M. Cocco-Burns and Teresa G. Cocco, and her son Thomas M Boharsik, Jr.

She is survived by her husband Tim Manista of Gardnerville, son Terence M. Boharsik, five grandchildren Amanda, Ashley, Michael Thomas, Michael Paul and Brandon, one great grandchild Maddison Nicole, her father Arthur Cocco, sisters Marcia Appert and Kathy Takahashi as well as five brothers David, Jim, Greg, Mark and Bill Cocco.

Arrangements are in the care of FitzHenry's Carson Valley Funeral Home. Cremation took place at FitzHenry's Crematory in Carson City.