Robert George Nighswonger

James Elvert Shaffer

Clyde Eugene Taylor

Grover Douglas White, Sr.

Pearl Marie Cannon Maurino

Robert George Nighswonger

Robert George Nighswonger passed away in Reno, Nev. on Dec. 19, 2011. He was born Oct. 11, 1932 in Los Angeles, Calif.

He was raised in Los Angeles and graduated from Dorsey High School Class of 1950. In 1955 he married his wife of 56 years, Marilyn.

His son George Shane preceded him in death in 1994.

He is survived by his daughter, Robin and son-in-law George Affonso, of Susanville; and two grandsons, Travis and Warren Jones, of Reno.

Bob became an apprentice bricklayer in 1951 before being drafted into the U.S. Army for service in the Korean War. Upon completion of his military duty, he returned to Southern California and became a journeyman bricklayer in 1955.

In 1974 he went to work for the California Department of Corrections (CDC). At that time he relocated to Janesville. He retired from the CDC in Dec. 1994. He was a master mason and received his 50-year pin in March 2006.

He also received the Hiram Award by Lassen-Janesville Lodge #149 in October 2000. In 1982 he joined Ben Ali Shrine. He joined Ben Ali Clowns in 1985. In 1994 he was appointed as the Ben Ali Ambassador to the local area, a position he still held until his death. He enjoyed hunting and fishing with his nephew, Jim Small. He enjoyed being “Tinkle”, a Ben Ali clown.

Services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28 at the Masonic Hall, 84 N. Lassen St. in Susanville. In lieu of flowers please make donations to the Shrine Hospital for Children.

James Elvert Shaffer, 72, passed away on Jan. 1, 2012. He was born in Winnemucca, Nev. Jan. 4, 1939. As a small child Jim’s family moved to the Lassen County area, living in Herlong for two years and then moving to Janesville where he resided.

Jim was the first-born son of Irene Lily and James Elvert Shaffer, Sr. He had two brothers, Melvin Leroy and Fredrick Lee Shaffer.

Jim graduated from Lassen High School and immediately went into the Army in 1957. Upon his discharge he married Datha Dell Young, of Janesville, in March 1961.

He then went to work for Sierra Army Depot in 1962 as a security guard and then into special weapons until 1988. He also worked for Les Schwab in Susanville for several years and then Western Auto and Sears. In 1995 he began delivering the U.S. Mail and retired in 2008.

Jim loved the outdoors and fished and hunted avidly. He loved animals and operated a small ranch for a while with a few cattle.

Jim and his wife Datha had three daughters, Della Marie, Louise Kathleen (Katy) and Sandra Jean Shaffer.

Jim is survived by his brother, Fred Shaffer, of Albany, Ore.; wife, Datha Shaffer, of Janesville; daughters, Della Noah and Sandy Shaffer, of Janesville, and Katy Mahnke, of Dixon, Calif. Also four grandchildren, Derrick and Karina Noah, of Janesville, and John and Daniel Mahnke, of Dixon.

Jim was preceded in death by his father, James Elvert, Sr., mother, Irene Lily, and brother, Melvin Leroy Shaffer.

Memorial services were held at the Janesville Log Cabin Baptist Church at 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6, 2012, followed by a graveside, military salute at the Janesville cemetery. A fellowship for family and close friends followed the services.

Clyde Eugene Taylor

1930-2011

Family and friends gathered at the Montclair Presbyterian Church in Montclair, Calif. Nov. 20, 2011 for the celebration of the life of Clyde Eugene Taylor, who passed away at his home in Berkeley, Calif. from a bicycle accident that ultimately caused his demise.

Clyde E. Taylor was born Dec. 5, 1930 in Susanville. His parents, Clyde and Hilda Taylor, were from Nova Scotia, Canada, and came to Susanville in 1920, working for the logging industry.

Clyde grew up in Susanville, attended local schools and graduated from Lassen High in 1948. He went to Stanford University on a partial sports scholarship in track and graduated with a B.S. and M.S. in mechanical engineering.

He started his professional life in Ventura, Calif. with Shell Oil. In 1957 he moved to Livermore, Calif. working at Lawrence National Laboratory as Associate Director for the Magnetic Fusion Energy Program where he was responsible for the design of fusion experiments and reactor designs. In 1981 he accepted a position as Group Leader at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory where he ran the engineering team that won the international competition for designing the magnetic systems for the Super Conducting Super Collider that was the largest physics research accelerator in the world.

Besides his distinguished professional life, Clyde’s many interests included civic activities with Livermore Planning Commission, City Council and two years as Mayor of Livermore. He had a lifelong passion for the outdoors and was and avid bicyclist, mountaineer and skier.

In the book, “Small Moments In Time, Memories of Lassen County,” Clyde has a story about “Logging in Susanville, The Story of My Father.”

Clyde is survived by his wife of more than 50 years, Ruthann; two daughters and their husbands, Anna and Nate Brewer, of Denver, Colo., Carol and Coenroad Abas, of Seattle, Wash.; one son and wife, Bruce and Dona Taylor, of Moraga, Calif.; two granddaughters and five grandsons; two sisters, Ina Schoeppner, of Trinity, Texas, and Bernice Hagata, of Susanville, Calif.

Clyde was a lifelong adventurer and a curious student of life. A man of exceptional character and wisdom, he gave life his best and he finished strong.

Grover Douglas White, Sr., 88, died Dec. 27, 2011 in Herlong, Calif. He was born Aug. 4, 1923 in Winnsboro, La.

Grover is survived by his sons, Grover, Jr. and Gloria White, of Herlong, and James and Benita White, of Sacramento, Calif.; daughter, Georgetta Thomas, of Cleveland, Ohio; sister, Kay Waters, of Las Vegas, Nev.; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

A funeral service was held Jan. 2, 2012 at the First Baptist Church of Herlong with burial at Diamond Crest Cemetery in Susanville.

Pearl Marie Cannon Maurino

Pearl Marie Cannon Maurino was born Sept. 20, 1919 in Standish, Calif. She died Dec. 29, 2011 in Arizona.

She is survived by a daughter, Jewel Maurino Horan, of Arizona; her many grandchildren and great grandchildren; two sisters, Frances Cannon and Gloria Farris, both of Susanville; and brother Tiffin Cannon, of Standish.

She was preceded in death by her husband Jack Maurino and daughter Jacqueline Maurino.

A memorial service is planned for the summer of 2012 in Susanville.