Harrie Jean Whipple

"Cheery" was what our father nicknamed her and cheery she remained throughout their 70 years of marriage and her 95 years of life. Even when a stroke ravaged her ability to communicate in 2020, she would shrug her shoulders and flash a smile adorned with impudent dimples. She was born in San Francisco, July 18, 1926 to Harry Lindeman and Emily Miller, both second generation emigrants from Germany/England and Ireland respectively. Raised in San Francisco she would tell stories of riding the cable cars to school and visiting young polio victims from outside of the hospital. Harrie's father died when she was 8 and when her mother remarried, Wallace Williams "Pop" moved the family to Farmington, Utah near Salt Lake City. There she was delighted to be able to have her own horse,"Tommy", and proclaimed that one day she would marry a rancher. She was drawn back to the West Coast to go to college where she attended UC Berkeley majoring in Interior Design. Harrie worked during the summer at Yosemite National Park and it was there that she met the rancher of her dreams, Keith Whipple. One of her favorite stories was their chance encounter by the fireplace at the Yosemite lodge. A little over a year later, she graduated from Berkeley and they were married on the Decoto ranch on June 27, 1948. They ranched off of Whipple Road near Decoto in the Bay Area until taxes and human density forced them to relocate. In 1957 they bought a ranch in Scott Valley, CA where they moved their young family. Maintaining a connection with relatives in the Bay Area, she would take her daughters to "the city" to shop, complete with white gloves, matching dresses, and very scratchy full slips. Harrie was a stay at home mom skilled at cooking, embroidery, knitting, crochet, and sewing: (although she hated to iron and in later years reveled in non-iron shirts). She was devoted to her husband, an attentive mother, 4-H leader, Etna Elementary School Board member, and did this all while immaculately dressed. As the children started to leave home, her love of reading led her to training and reinventing herself as a librarian. She worked for Etna Elementary School from 1968-1977, always with a fresh seasonal display of flowers in the foreground and classical music in the background. Her joy of life, adventure, and learning was as irrepressible as her smile. This led to extensive travel that included Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Bhutan, the Galapagos Islands, South America, Europe, and The South Seas focusing on the natural history especially birding, but always loving seeing the different sights and cultures. She is survived by her children, Jennifer Whipple, Millie Whipplesmith Plank, Keith (Kip) Wallace Whipple: her grandchildren, Amanda Schmalenburger, Ian James Smith, Emily Jordan Smith, Elizabeth Whipple, Abigail Whipple: her step grandchildren, Alexis Plank, Hillary Plank-Gentry and the next generation: Liam Keith Schmalenberger, Greta Claire Schmalenger, and Clancy Joyce Gentry. As a friend recently said, "She was one classy lady". Harrie's 'life' will be celebrated with a family gathering to be announced at a later date. Contributions in her name may be made to the Siskiyou Land Trust or Madrone Hospice.

Harrie Jean Whipple

July 18, 1926 - February 5, 2022