David Allen Black

On April 11, 2018, David Allen Black, 81, long time Scott Valley resident, passed on following a long and well fought battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Dave was born January 3, 1937 to Carl and Sophie Black at Joseph Creek Ranch, Modoc County. Early on it was noticed that Dave was an unusual baby in that he had one green eye and one brown eye. a trait found only in a fraction of one percent of the population. Shortly after David was born the ranch house burned down. The family, with two toddlers and a newborn, spent the rest of the Modoc winter in a tent. The family moved from Modoc to Scott Valley in 1941 purchasing the ranch still owned by Black family. Dave went to school in Etna through high school and then on to Oregon State University, earning a B.S. degree in Agricultural Engineering. While at Oregon State he met Dawn Baltzell who, in 1959, became his loving wife, mother to their children, and best friend for over 58 years. After Army service and 10 years working with the Soil Conservation Service, Dave returned to his beloved Scott Valley and focused on farming the Black Ranch. With his spare time Dave was a continual advocate for the community, local agriculture, and for keeping Scott Valley rural. Somehow during all this, and raising a family, Dave and Dawn managed to build their home from the ground up with their own two hands and when money was available to buy materials. It took 6 years to complete. Dave served for 21 years on the Etna school boards, both elementary and high school, and was Chair on both part of that time. He served for 23 years on the Resource Conservation District board in addition to stints as 4-H leader in wildlife and swine. Late in life Dave stated that he believed his most important achievement, other than raising his family, was the development and adoption of the Scott Valley Land Use Plan. Dave and others wanted to avoid ranches and farms being chopped up pell-mell for housing development and ranchettes. He and many others from all walks of the community worked for 5 years hammering out the plan and getting it adopted by Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors in 1980. The land use planning was very forward thinking for its time and has been successful in preserving Scott Valley’s open space and beauty. Dave loved the mountains, his farm, and wild places. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, and had a passion for gold prospecting and the adventure that came along with it. To quote a Robert Service poem “Yet it isn’t the gold that I’m wanting so much as just finding the gold”. After retirement Dave got in touch with his artistic side, writing and reciting Cowboy poetry, painting and writing stories. He and Dawn ran an antique business during their golden years, buying, repairing and reselling antiques in Medford for 18 years. Dave was even-tempered, kind, honest, and genuine. He was a courageous advocated for what is right, loved a practical joke, and could not have been a better father and grandfather. Through his long battle with ALS, Dave fought bravely, was uncomplaining, and kept his easy demeaner and sense of humor. Dave is survived by his wife and best friend Dawn, their three children; Stacey Stover (Mark) of Medford, OR, Eric (Rachel) Black and Gary (Shannon) Black of Scott Valley, and seven grandchildren, Cody and Chris Stover, Delaney, Brice and Will Black, and Brenna and Wyatt Black. Dave is preceeded in death by his parents, Carl and Sophie Black, his brother, Frank, and sister, Kay. In lieu of flowers, donations to Scott Valley Scholarships are appreciated. Donations may be made to the Black Family Memorial Scholarship in memory of David Black, P.O. Box 352, Etna, CA, 96027. A memorial service for Dave, at Etna Berean church, will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday May 5. Lunch will follow at the church.

David Allen Black

January 3, 1937 - April 11, 2018