Robert Francis Silva

Robert “Bob” Francis Silva, lifetime Hawkinsville resident, passed away at his home on Monday, October 24, 2011. He was 89 years old. Bob was born March 7, 1922 to Frank and Marie Silva at Siskiyou General Hospital; he was in the third generation of his family to be born in the Yreka Area. There are now five generations of the Silva and Solus families living in Siskiyou County. Bob’s family emigrated from the Azores Islands and were some of the first settlers to begin ranching and developing the north end of what is now Yreka. His grandfather, John Solus, was patriarch of the Catholic Church in Hawkinsville, and his mother, Marie Silva, was queen of the Holy Ghost festival and the first Miss Yreka. Bob had two siblings, Helen and Raymond. He attended elementary school in Hawkinsville and graduated from Yreka High School in 1941. As a young man, Bob worked on the family cattle ranch with his father, Frank. Bob carried on his families agricultural and cattle ranching for over 40 years while also developing his own business “Silva’s Excavation” which operated in Yreka and the surrounding area until 2004 when he retired. Silva’s excavation helped develop Yreka (including the city pool, commercial ground breaking and much more). He did extensive contracting with the USFS for fire prevention/fighting and road building; he also assisted in the development of several large ranches and agricultural properties in the county. On June 12, 1954 at the age of 32, Bob married his wife and the love of his life, Jeanne Worthley. They had two daughters, Patricia and Flannery and a large beautiful family, celebrating their 50th anniversary shortly before Jeanne’s passing. Bob loved Siskiyou County and all it had to offer, especially the view of it from under the wings of his “Super Cub” plane. He had no desire to go anywhere else. He wanted to serve our country in WWII, but was denied because of difficulty with his vision. That did not deter him from obtaining his pilot’s license for fun as well as flying for Civil Air Patrol and Siskiyou County Search and Rescue. Bob enjoyed many hobbies. He was an avid trap shooter, trapper, bowler, fisherman, hunter, rider and animal lover especially dogs and horses. He was always involved and supported the Portuguese Picnic and Holy Ghost festival. He enjoyed spending time with his grandsons, Asa, Aaron, and Stephan. He was a wonderful grandfather who played a large role in their lives, attending their sporting events, hunting and fishing with them, teaching them to operate his heavy equipment, and always being around when they needed him. Bob was preceded in death by both of his parents Frank and Marie; his brother, Raymond; and his beloved wife, Jeanne. He will be missed by his daughters, Patricia Bennett (Jon) and Flannery Clouse (Clifford); his grandsons, Asa & Aaron Bennett and Stephan Clouse (Nikki); his great-grandson, Rhiley Clouse; his sister, Helen Hammersly and his nephew Buzz Hammersly, all of Yreka and his two nephews who live out of state, John Musser (Sharon) of East Wenatchee, WA and Glenn Musser (Eileen) of Brookings, OR. The Rosary will be recited Friday, October 28, 2011 at 7:00 PM at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. A memorial mass will be held Saturday, October 29, 2011 at 10:00 AM, also at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. A pot luck reception for friends and family will follow at the Hawkinsville Hall (where Bob’s family threw the last shivaree in 1954 for Bob and Jeanne after their wedding). Burial will be at a later date in the St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery in Yreka. Per the family’s request, memorial contributions can be made to the Hawkinsville Hall Association, PO Box 246, Yreka or Madrone Hospice, 255 Collier Circle, Yreka.

Robert Francis Silva

March 7, 1922 - October 24, 2011