Marcia Jo Buchanan

Marcia Jo Buchanan passed away at her home in Yreka on March 27, 2020 after a brief battle with cancer of the tongue and throat. She was 69 years old. Marcia was born at home on November 1, 1950 in Rippey, Iowa to Melvin and Karla Kallesen, who are now deceased. Her family moved to the Sacramento area when she was 13 years old, which Marcia often said was a difficult time in her life because she loved the rural farm life so much. She was a true Iowa girl. She graduated from Elk Gove High School and later worked in the personnel department at U.C. Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. During this time she was briefly married to Jon Mills, and they had a son (Christopher Jon Mills), who was the love of her life. In 1977, she married Doug Buchanan and they moved to the Santa Barbara area where she worked in the personnel section at U.C. Santa Barbara. Doug’s job as a California State Game Warden later brought them to Siskiyou County, where Marcia had a 20 year career as a rural mail carrier in the Shasta Valley. She loved all of her mail customers! Marcia spent many years and hours as a volunteer administrator and board member for the South Yreka Fire Department and the South Yreka Firefighters Auxiliary. Her skills will be missed by these organizations. She enjoyed just about any outdoor activity and was especially fond of hiking and birding. She always looked forward to the annual get together with some of her girlfriends from high school as well as the meetings of her quilting group. Marcia is survived by Doug, her husband of 42 years; son Christopher of Wasilla, Alaska; daughter Kelly Buchanan of Desert Hot Springs, California; sister Debbie Odom and her husband Jim of Eagle, Idaho; granddaughters Mercedes and April, and four great grandchildren. A special thank you goes out to the Madrone Hospice nurses and good friend Debbie Robinson who helped Marcia so much on her last days. True angels all! And we can’t forget Girdner Funeral Chapel for their compassion during this difficult time. A memorial service for Marcia will take place when we can once again gather together. The time and place will be announced via local media.

Marcia Jo Buchanan

November 1, 1950 - March 27, 2020