The family of Calvin Harold Kernen is sad to announce his passing on Feb. 11, 2024, in Arcata, California. Cal was born Aug. 5, 1925, in Del Norte, Colorado, to Swiss Immigrants Friederick Alfred and Mary Albertina (nee: Gerber) Kernen and was proud to have turned 98 ½ years old just days before his passing.
He grew up on Pinos Creek near Del Norte as the youngest of seven children and loved life in the great outdoors. Cal grew up farming organically, eating farm to table, composting and living off the grid. He remembered the big changes electricity made to their home in 1937. The family raised their own crops and livestock, and Cal began helping at age 7. He loved tending to cattle in the hills, hunting and fishing. A highlight of growing up was being chosen to drive the school bus. Any 17-year-old in high school got to drive the school bus if they were the farthest one out on the route. That way the person driving had the bus in the morning to pick up the children for school. He drove a Ford V8 bus and was paid $12.50 a month. Cal was equally as proud to have passed the CA DMV written and road test on his last birthday.
Doris Hickerson died Feb. 22, 2024, in Eureka, California after a short illness.
Doris May McCann was born in Eureka Dec. 31, 1924, to Andrew Warren McCann and Cora Margaret Olson McCann. Both her parents were born in Eureka to immigrants from New Brunswick, Canada and Norway. The family included her older sister, Beryl Marie McCann. After her parents divorced, her mother married Barry Brown, and Doris's half-brother, Thomas Ashmun Brown joined the family.
She graduated from Eureka High School in February of 1943 and from Humboldt State College in June of 1946 with a BA in Elementary Education and a teaching credential. While she was a student at HSC, she met Robert Hickerson, a sailor stationed at the Naval Air Station in McKinleyville. They married in June of 1946. Doris taught for several years as Bob took advantage of the GI Bill to graduate from Oregon State College in Corvallis with a degree in physics. She followed Bob to his new job in Burbank, California, where their only child, Dean Robert Hickerson, was born in 1954. Bob's work took the family to Grass Valley, Sacramento, Davis and Yreka, California, as well as to a memorable year in Santiago, Chile. Doris especially liked the house they built a few miles outside Yreka, where they had Araucana chickens that laid colorful eggs, a large and productive vegetable garden, and a beautiful view of Mt. Shasta. In addition to teaching, Doris's various jobs included working in the U.C. Davis library and the Siskiyou County Planning Department.
When she and Bob divorced in 1983, Doris returned to Eureka, where she worked in the Humboldt County Planning Department until she retired in 1997 at the age of 73. In her retirement she took up quilting, writing, watercolor painting and some genealogy, mostly in small groups at The Meadows senior apartment complex where she loved, and was loved by, many of her neighbors. She also continued her life-long enjoyment of plants and gardening at The Meadows.
Doris was preceded in death by her parents, her beloved sister Beryl Carrico, her half-brother Tommy Brown, her ex-husband Robert Hickerson, her Siberian Husky Tara and many spoiled cats. She is survived by her son Dean Hickerson, her nephews Randy Carrico and Rob Buerk, nieces Lynn Carrico, Deborah Dukes, and Lori Buerk, and extended family.
No services are planned.
Orr Marshall, of Bayside, California, died Sept. 4, 2023, at the age of 86. He is survived by his wife, Fukiko; his children Stephen, Nicholas, and Sonya; three grandchildren; and his siblings Ahlene, Delmar, and Suzanne.
Orr was born July 19, 1937, in Toledo, Ohio, to Charles and Juanita Marshall and was interested in art and foreign languages from a very young age. He attended Ottowa Hills High School in Toledo and then moved to the East Coast to attend Yale University. He received a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Fine Arts from Yale where he studied under Josef Albers, a famous Bauhaus artist known for his study and teaching of color. Orr spent his final year of school traveling and studying art in Europe.
Gone too soon from the lives of family, friends, and others who loved her dearly, Tanya Marissa Rodgers Culbert (nee Pieper) slipped from this mortal earth on December 26, 2023, at the age of 50. After many lengthy stays in and out of Northern California hospitals this past fall, Tanya ultimately succumbed to the ravaging effects of diabetes mellitus, recurring sepsis infections, multiple organ failure and COVID pneumonia. She died at Providence Hospital in Eureka surrounded by her loving and heartbroken family.
Born September 12, 1973, at General Hospital in Eureka to parents JoAnn and John Pieper, Tanya lived her entire life in Humboldt County, attending Arcata schools, graduating as an AHS “Tiger” in 1991.
Tanya was an outgoing, bright young girl growing up, easily making friends, many who remained close life-long attachments. A typical teenager who perfected the teen shrug and eye roll, she nevertheless had an amazing work ethic and determination to succeed. She always had a summer job, but perhaps the most challenging was the summer she joined the California Youth Conservation Corps, donning work shirt, jeans, hardhat and steel-toed boots to clear out brush from local forestland. Her determination that summer went far in helping her save for her first car, a sweet Mazda sports car.
After high school Tanya proved herself to be a “Jill of all trades.” Always fascinated by criminal justice, she obtained an AA from College of the Redwoods, emphasizing in legal justice. She worked for a time in the Law Office of Judith Edison further piquing her interest, and considered a future plan to someday open her own private investigation firm, considering how “Pieper P.I.” would look on her name plate. Perhaps her ultimate challenge was tested by enrolling in the College of the Redwoods Police Academy. This she passed with honors, being awarded Outstanding Defense Tactics cadet.
True to her protean nature, though, Tanya’s vocational aspirations took a 180 degree turn and she entered the real estate business for Coldwell Bankers Sellers Realty under the tutelage of Greg Anderson and Betty Dobkin. Content with real estate, Tanya worked there, married Jimmy Rodgers of Eureka, and the couple adopted a daughter Tiana in 2001 and a son “P.J.” in 2005. Before the middle of that decade, though, Tanya’s marriage had ended and she moved over to Ming Tree Realty in Eureka. She had a house built next door to her father’s house in Fortuna, and helped care for him before he passed.
In 2013, Tanya married Paul Culbert, a Eureka resident who is a native of Dunedin, New Zealand. She absolutely delighted in showing off his “Kiwi” accent, though on visits back to New Zealand it was quickly pointed out to her that her flat American accent was the “funny one.” Paul brought to the marriage his two sons Josh and Aidan, and the Culbert/Rodgers family settled into a larger home in Cutten to accommodate the burgeoning clan of six. Tanya and Paul were fortunate to experience many wonderful tropical trips together, including several trips back to New Zealand— one last spring with the whole family. Tanya and Paul had recently renewed their wedding vows in Kauai for their tenth anniversary.
As Tanya’s health declined, though, she spent more and more time at home, crafting dazzling bejeweled travel mugs, decorative holiday plaques and personalized T-shirts she enjoyed gifting to friends and family. The family purchased a house in Trinity Center and had it remodeled with a swimming pool, and there they spent carefree, edenic weekends.
Tanya is survived by her husband Paul Culbert, her daughter Tiana Rodgers, son Pieper James “P.J.” Rodgers, stepsons Josh and Aidan Culbert (Eureka), her sisters Ylena Shayne of Costa Mesa and Courtney Shayne of Freshwater, her mother and stepfather JoAnn Pieper-Shayne and Dennis Shayne of Eureka, father-in-law Jim Culbert of Dunedin, Aunt Karen Elmendorf of Willows, Aunt Sandra Pieper Larson (George) of Bakersfield, and Aunt Margaret Tokarski of Chico. Tanya is also survived by many loving friends, some of whom have been life-long: “bestie/cousin” Stephanie Elmendorf Cole (Lee) of Willows, Heather Farnham of San Francisco, Tansy Woods of San Diego, Kari Hugo Momoa of Bayside, Elizabeth David Stephens (Greg) of Eureka, Lena Santana Gant (Scott) of Eureka, Mary Ann Lahr Loch (Justin) of McKinleyville, Carly V. Huston (Doug) of Sacramento, Kristy Landry of Eureka, and the many, many other schoolhood friends and Bunco pals she has acquired along the way. Tanya is also survived by cousins Kristin Miranda, Jacqueline Elmendorf Click, David Elmendorf, Evone Dessert Albritton, Tom Tokarski (JoAnne), Pete Tokarski (Julia), Tony Tokarski (Celeste), and a host of second-cousins.
Always outgoing and possessing a wry, wicked sense of humor and big personality, Tanya adored dancing, Billy Idol, Prince, and other 80s music, word games, and fine dining. She was an inveterate “foodie” and wonderful gourmet cook, and her home was always the hub of holiday celebrations. She could always be relied upon to be the life of the party. In that spirit, family and friends are invited to a Celebration of Life in Tanya’s honor at the Culbert family home, 5444 Northridge, Cutten, on Saturday, March 23. This is a celebration, so bring your fondest memories and “Tanya stories” to share. A small potluck or hors d’oeuvre dish would be welcomed. Drop in starting at 1 p.m., and it is expected to conclude about 5 p.m. Parking is available along the street, but please be mindful not to block neighbor’s driveways. Those who wish to do so many make a small donation in Tanya’s name to the American Diabetes Association.