Donald Christy

September 4, 1952 - July 29. 2021

Donald Steven Christy passed away Thursday, July 29, 2021, with his family by his side.

Don was born September 4th, 1952 as the fourth son, to Bill and Ellen Christy in Redding CA and the family moved to Lodi, CA in 1953.Don was a vibrant child. He learned to swim and became a proficient swimmer at Robby's Olympic Club where he met some of his lifelong friends. He went to Lodi High School where he played water polo and swam. Don earned All-American Awards for swimming. He received a full ride scholarship to San Jose State to play water polo. He later finished his collegiate career at San Francisco State where he was selected MVP.

After hanging up his speedo, Don went to work in the construction field. He obtained his contractor's license and started, Don Christy Construction. Don had such an artistic skill set in construction as well as in painting pictures, in his spare time. Don made sure all family members had one of his paintings before he passed. These were always prized wedding and anniversary gifts. In addition, Don gave back to the sport of water polo and coached alongside his brother and earned the name "Mad Dog"! He was always there to lend a helping hand to anyone in need, regardless of the task. No task was too large or too small. Many times, all it entailed was just an ear to listen. Don had an unbelievable sense humor, many claimed whenever he got on a roll, they never laughed so hard in their lives.

We are all going to miss the "Bear" "Mad Dog" "Bean" and many other "AKAs". Most of all, we are going to miss Dad, Grandpa, Father-in-Law, Brother, Brother-in-Law, Uncle, and Friend, that loved us all and would give the shirt off his back for anyone of us.
Don is proceeded in death by his parents, Bill and Ellen Christy; and his best friend, Brad Benson. Don leaves behind his daughter, Stacy Olson and her husband, John; granddaughter, Gemma; brothers and sister in laws, Pete and Debbie Christy, Jack and Diana Christy, Dave and Donna Christy and Dan and Janis Christy; nephews and nieces, Stephen Christy, Julie Luiz, Kelli Pearman, Lacey D'Anna, Sean Christy, Courtney Christy, Chris Christy, Michel Christy, Bradly Christy, Meghan Hayward and Graham Christy; as well as numerous great nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Lodi High School Water Polo. Committal will be private however, a Celebration of Don's Life will be held on Saturday, August 14th at the Elk's Lodge in Woodbridge. Friends and Family are encouraged to attend and share their stories!

Please leave your condolences below.

Cherokee Memorial is honored to serve the Christy family.

Ernesto Avalos

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October 20, 2001 - July 28, 2021

Ernesto Isaiah “Tito” Avalos was born on October 20th, 2001 in Lodi, California.
Ernesto had the most beautiful eyes and smile was a happy spirit. He left an imprint on everybody’s hearts. He also enjoyed riding his skateboard and loved listening to music, writing music, and producing music. He loved his sister Jasmine. She was his best friend they as were inseparable. He had a great bond with his aunts and all family members. He was everybody’s handsome boy. 
We all need to remember Ernesto is still very much alive in our hearts and remember his spirit is the real him.  If we could see him now we wouldn’t shed a tear as he is now at peace. Until We will meet again sweet boy. 
Ernesto is survived by both parents, Joel Cruz and Vanessa Avalos, his grandmothers Hermentina Cruz and Lucy Avalos, his sister  Jasmine Sophia Cruz, his aunts Janet Cruz, Licet Cruz, Inez Ochoa, and his cousins, Xavier Santoyo, Aaron Hernandez, Mariah Millan, Felix Millan, Karina Hernandez, Jaylene Guerrero, Jamie Guerrero, Natalie Ochoa, Emma Millan, Lucy Avalos.


VISITATION
A visitation will be held from 4:00pm - 7:00pm on Monday August 9, 2021 at Vineyard Chapel at Cherokee Memorial Park, 14165 N. Beckman Rd, Lodi, CA 95240.

SERVICE
A funeral service will be held at 10:00am on Tuesday August 10, 2021 at Vineyard Chapel at Cherokee Memorial Park, 14165 N. Beckman Rd, Lodi, CA 95240.

Please leave your condolences below.

Cherokee Memorial is honored to serve the Avalos  family.

Donna Kost

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October 1, 1934 - July 28, 2021

Donna Mae Kost passed away, with her family by her side, on July 28, 2021 in Lodi, CA, at the age of 86. Donna was born on October 1, 1934 in Harvey, North Dakota to her parents Ben and Hulda Harr. Donna wed Ervin C. Kost on July 31, 1954 in Carson City, Nevada and they were married for 38 years, before his passing on October 2, 1992.

Donna was a homemaker that enjoyed cooking, working in her yard and taking care of her family. She was generous with her family to a fault. Donna lived in her home for 61 years and enjoyed walking to see her neighbor and best friend, Pauline Litfin. She was always eager to learn and master new things. She loved researching on her computer into her eighties. She had a sense of humor that could make you shake your head and giggle for weeks.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Ben and Hulda Harr; brother, Orville Harr; Son, Leslie Kost; infant daughter, Connie Kost and her husband, Ervin Kost.

She is survived by her son; Larry (Tia) Kost. Grandchildren; Dustin (Amber) Kost, Kyle Kost, and Carly (Patrick) Glover; great granddaughter, Olivia; and her precious kitty, Lulu. She will be held forever in our hearts.

She will be held forever in our hearts.

Private family services were held.

Our family would like to give a special thanks to Balance Assisted Living and Memory Care in Lodi for their exceptional care while she was there, and to Donna’s amazing nurses from American Home Health & Hospice for their care and compassion, not only to Donna, but to our family.

The family has requested that remembrances be made in the form of contributions to the Alzheimers Association (Alzheimer’s and Dementia). https://www.alz.org/get-involved-now/other_ways_to_give

Martha Chaffin

 March 12, 1927 - June 25, 2021

Martha was born the seventh of eight children on March 12, 1927, to John and Mary (Schroeder) Harder, in Hillsboro, KS. She passed away on June 25, 2021 in Lodi, CA.

She was born in the Depression when her father was declining from the neurological effects of encephalitis. Everyone learned to work hard by helping out to take care of daddy and keep up with the chores. Her mother went to work and kept the home fires burning.

Martha attended Enterprise Academy and then took secretarial classes to prepare for her lifelong career in office work.   

She spent some time in San Francisco with her oldest brother Paul and his wife Lee where she met their neighbor Allen Kirtley. They married on Christmas Day in 1948. Al decided to go to college so they moved into married housing at Pacific Union College. During this time they had their first child Steve. The next year found them in Alabama where Al tried his hand at farming. While there, Marcia was born. Then they moved to Lincoln, Nebraska where Rhonda was born. Martha raised the kids and held the family together through polio and the struggles of early married life and parenting young kids while working as a secretary.

After divorcing, Martha decided to take the kids and move back to California. She worked at Stanford University in the Science and Math departments for ten years. While there she started a sandwich business selling deli sandwiches to workers at lunch time at Stanford. She also typed dissertations for students in the evening at home but still always had a delicious dinner on the table for her three teenagers. Then she moved to a job at the Central Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in San Jose, CA.

After the kids were grown she moved to Oregon. There she took an art class and became a wonderful painter. She started a small hobby store that had art and hobby supplies, stamps, and local crafts. She also worked for years in a doctor’s office doing billing and office work. As well as being a hard worker and an entrepreneur she had a lifelong hobby that she loved, of collecting stamps. She became the head of a national singles group for Adventist Singles over 50. She was always thrilled to see people in the club marry until one day she got a call from a prospective member. She wondered who she could introduce him to but their conversations got longer and longer. He was just too nice. This one she ended up keeping for herself. Martha and Merrill were married in April 2002

Martha was a lifelong member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. She worked for years as her local church’s public relations person. She wrote many articles for the paper about the happenings of the church.

Martha was preceded in death by her loving husband Merrill Chaffin, parents John and Mary Harder, brothers Irwin and Paul Harder, sisters Elsie Kripps and E. Jessica Saxton, son in law Joseph McKennee, grandsons Joseph “Scott” McKennee and Aaron Romstad.

She is survived by her children, Steven Kirtley (Debbie) their daughter Rebecca,

Marcia McKennee (Paul) and her daughters Kerri Nation and her daughter Mikayla, son Schyler (Miranda) his daughter Jesse and Erin Gintz (Adam) their daughters Schyler, Lacy and Jewel.

Rhonda Kirtley Romstad (Arne) and their girls Charity Romstad, Melysa Romstad and her girls Kailee and Lily, Grace Romstad, Journi Romstad.

She is also survived by three of her siblings Esther Belchunus, Ida Caine, Fred Harder (Ruth).

Martha never lost her faith in God and will certainly be waiting to see us in heaven.

A celebration of life will be held at the Fairmont Seventh Day Adventist Church, on July 25, 2021

 

Betty Smallin

September 20, 1938 - July 25, 2021

Betty Jean Smallin (Polk) was born 09/20/1938, and entered the gates of heaven 7/25/2021. Betty grew up on a farm, enjoyed gardening and watching her flowers bloom every season. She also loved everything about Elvis, and her beloved pets brought her comfort and joy.

She was a member of, and held offices for the Native Daughters of the Golden West and Women's Bowling Association. She was an avid bowler and bowled on the Winter and Summer Leagues. Betty held various Jobs throughout her life, she worked at Catalina Swimwear as a seamstress, was a stay at home Mom to 4 children, and a military Wife to her beloved Husband, Millard. She was a Bookkeeper for her husband’s business Altaville Distributing, after retiring, she continued with bookkeeping for the Dorrington Hotel, and her last job was as an In home caretaker for the elderly.

She is preceded in Death by her husband Millard Smallin Jr. Her mother, Verna Burns Polk (Midgley), Her father Henry Melvin Polk, Her brother Rodney Polk, and daughter Susan Smallin Ramponi.

She is survived by her brother Raymond Polk of Florida, 3 children Myron Smallin of Stockton, Kandellyn (Kandy) Smallin Monroe of Herlong, and Brenda Smallin of Murphys. She has 4 grandchildren, Jeremy Smallin of Herlong, Mathew Smallin of North Dakota, Joshua Ramponi of Eldorado Hills, and Zachary West of Murphys,and 4 Great Grandchildren. Parker Smallin and Bennett Smallin of North Dakota. Alyssia Smallin and Charity Smallin of Herlong.

SERVICES:
Her Internment will be with her Husband, Millard Smallin Jr. at Cherokee Memorial Park in Lodi California, on August 10th 2021 at 12:00 P.M., her celebration of Life will be at a Later Date.


In Lieu of flowers please donate to the National Kidney Foundation, the Breast
Cancer Society and Leukemia/Lymphoma Society.

Suzanne Mecum

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April 28, 1941 - July 23, 2021

On Friday, July 23, 2021, Suzanne Mecum, devoted wife and mother, passed away at the age of 80.

Born Suzanne Rose Kezar on April 28, 1941 in Stockton, California, she lived in the Stockton area her entire life, attending the University of the Pacific as well as Sacramento State University. If you asked her as a child what she wanted to be when she grew up, she would always reply, “A teacher”, so it was no surprise that she spent 16 years as a first and second grade teacher for the Manteca Unified School District. She once said that her favorite students were the ones who tried their hardest, no matter how difficult the subject matter was for them, and she would go out of her way to help those students who really struggled with reading.

Her favorite pastimes included shopping for antiques all over the Central Valley, and attending Scottish Highland Games. She was a deacon at First Presbyterian Church of Stockton, and she could often be found writing get-well cards for members of her church community who were homebound and ailing.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Bertram Kezar and Priscilla Harmon Kezar. She is survived by her husband, Walter Lee Mecum of Stockton, her brother Ronald Kezar of Ely, Nevada, a daughter, Caitlin Jacob of San Jose, California, two grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

A viewing will be held at Cherokee Memorial Cemetery of Lodi in the Vineyard Chapel on Sunday, August 1, at 9:00 am, with a small graveside service following at 10:00 am. A larger memorial service is to be held later in the year at First Presbyterian Church of Stockton. Flowers can be sent in Suzanne’s name to the flower room at Vineyard Chapel, Cherokee Memorial Park, 14165 N. Beckman Rd, Lodi, CA 95240.

VISITATION

A visitation will be held from 9:00am - 9:50am Sunday August 1, 2021 at Vineyard Chapel at Cherokee Memorial Park, 14165 N. Beckman Rd, Lodi, CA 95240.

SERVICE

A graveside service will be follow at 10:00am on Sunday August 1, 2021 Cherokee Memorial Park, located off Highway 99 at Harney Lane, Lodi CA, 95240.

Please leave your condolences below.

Cherokee Memorial is honored to serve the Mecum family.

Robin Liette

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January 17, 1964 - June 30, 2021

Robin Lyn Liette (age 57) was born on January 17, 1964 in Oakland, California to Robert and Deanna Price.

She is survived by her husband Michael Liette and her children Jasmine Bowen and Nicholas Liette.

SERVICES:

A memorial service for Robin will be held on Monday July 26, 2021 at 10:00am in the Vineyard Chapel located in Cherokee Memorial Park 14165 Beckman Rd. Lodi, CA.

Cherokee Memorial is honored to serve the Liette family.

Please leave your condolences below.

Cherokee Memorial Park is a 501(c)13 non-profit company, owned and operated exclusively for the benefit of the community, serving Lodi, Stockton, Galt, Manteca and the San Joaquin Valley since 1940.

CEMETERY OFFICE HOURS
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