Gail Barbara McDaniel

Gail B. McDaniel 83 Years, 9 Months, 17 Days 30,607 days Gail B. McDaniel, 83, of Yreka, CA passed away at Fairchild Medical Center on December 24, 2019 due to complications of diabetes. She lived with diabetes for more than forty years and is now at peace. Gail was the oldest of seven, born on March 8, 1936 in New Jersey to Floyd and Marion Blanchard. She met and fell in love with Alvin E. "Mike" Michel, Jr. They were blessed with four children, Barbara, Kenneth, Cheryl, and Karen. Gail and Mike were married 23 years at which time the relationship ended in divorce. She later married John McDaniel in Kansas. They lived in Kansas and California during their married life and enjoyed planting and harvesting large vegetable gardens each summer so there was always plenty to share with their family, friends and neighbors. Her favorite music was country and her daughters have fond memories of growing up with this music playing, windows wide open, while doing the Spring/Fall cleaning. Gail especially liked listening to Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Conway Twitty, and Eddie Arnold among others. Ray Price was her ultimate favorite. Gail will be most remembered for her love and care of her children, learning to bake beside her for special occasions, and her great love for the holidays, especially Christmas. The family holidays were often filled with the smells of her wonderful baked desserts she would make like her cakes, quick breads and cookies. She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and especially loved taking part in service to others. Gail was proud of her work at the Kansas State Hospital where she was for some 20+ years. She had a great love for those she served there and in her later years would reminisce about the people she met and helped. She had a special passion for reading and would read everything in the newspapers, catalogs, books, and magazines she could get hold of. She always knew of special, fun things to do for others in her acts of service from all of the resources she would read. One of her daughters would tease her sometimes by telling her she would read toilet paper if it had words on it. Gail is survived by her daughters Barbara Pankey, Cheryl Michel, and Karen Henness (Steve), her sister Jean Muller (Vic),her brother Richard Blanchard; five grandchildren Tracy, Michael, Meghan, Amy, and Andrew; 12 great grandchildren Serena, Michael, Zachery, Katie, Ryan, Christopher, Cadence, Savanna, Annalissa, Hannah, Ezra, and Josiah, and one great-great grandchild, Peter. Those who preceded Gail in death include her parents Floyd and Marion Blanchard, her son Kenneth Michel; a brother Terry Blanchard, three sisters, Shirley Chew, Carol Powell, Patricia Bartell and one grandchild Joshua Henness. Her family asks that memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or our local Rescue Ranch. Gail had many dogs she adopted from similar places over the years. She loved them, every one.

Gail Barbara McDaniel

March 8, 1936 - December 24, 2019