Michael Louis Slette

Native Scott Valley resident, Michael (Mike) Louis Slette, passed away unexpectedly on Jan. 22, 2017, at his ranch near Fort Jones. Mike was born on October 2, 1956, in Yreka, California to Harold and Mary Lou Slette. Mike attended Fort Jones Elementary and graduated from Fort Jones High School where he lettered in football, baseball and track and began a lifetime member of the California Scholarship Federation. After receiving his Associates degree at College of Siskiyous he earned his engineering degree from California State University, Chico. He passed the tough civil engineering exam and became a Registered Engineer. He was an employee of U.S. Forest Service for 39 years and retired in 2014. Mike spent his engineering life working in the Klamath National Forest. He worked on upgrading camp grounds, inspecting bridges and designing structures. In addition to his engineering duties, Mike could often be found operating the Air Tanker base in Montague during the fire season. Mike married Candice “Candy” Louise Cook on June 16, 1996. Mike and Candy shared many interests including, nature, history, archeology, and getting their hands dirty to make something better. They eventually purchased his grandparents’ (Elizabeth and Carl “Curly” Mello) ranch on McAdams Creek Road in Fort Jones where they put their considerable skills to work. Together they spent a great deal of time and effort in remodeling and upgrading the house, barn and other buildings to make it into the oasis it is today. Mike always enjoyed nature and spent a great deal of time out-of-doors. As a youth, he spent most of the summer hiking with family and friends, hunting, fishing and camping at lakes in the Marble Mountain Wilderness, the Trinity Alps, and Salmon River areas. Later in the 1980s and 90s he could often be seen skiing, and fishing off the coast at Crescent City with family and friends. He continued to enjoy the outdoors throughout his life with Candy. Mike and Candy had a keen interest in wine making, so much so that they put several acres of land under cultivation with grapes. They experimented with different types of grapes to see what types would prosper in the local microclimates. This past fall, Candy and he had their first significant harvest of grapes. Mike was not a man of many words so when he spoke everyone listened. His wit, intelligence and insight will be greatly missed. Mike is survived by his wife Candy, his mother Mary-Lou Slette, his sister Monica Hall and her husband Roy, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and other relatives. He is predeceased in death by his father Harold Slette. A Mass of Christian burial will at 2:00pm on Saturday, January 28, 2016 at Sacred Heart Church in Fort Jones, California. A potluck reception at the Fort Jones Parish Hall will follow graveside services in the Fort Jones Catholic Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donation be made to your favorite charity.

Michael Louis Slette

October 2, 1956 - January 22, 2017