Sheldon W. Wilson

Sheldon W. Wilson, life long resident of Sawyers Bar, CA, left us peacefully on Sept. 4th, 2011. Born in this community on 9-10-23 to John and Katherine Celia Wilson, Sheldon had a long, colorful career in the logging industry. After retiring, he cherished his simple, rural way of life, taking care of the surroundings around his home, socializing with his friends and voluntarily monitoring the Sawyers Bar County Water District plant as a water technician specialist . He was especially fond of his dog Josie, who was always by his side, wherever he went. They were inseparable. Leona, Sheldon's wife of many years, was an avid gardener and a wonderful cook. Having come from Washington, she and Sheldon enjoyed many trips in that area, visiting relatives and family friends. She died in 1987. Sheldon was passionate about reading and always had a novel on the table. He especially enjoyed periodicals about science, in particular studying about physics and cosmology. The universe and its vastness fascinated him and he used a quote from Einstein frequently which said "one has been endowed with just enough intelligence to be able to see clearly how utterly inadequate that intelligence is when confronted with what exists". Sheldon was a WWll veteran, having spent a total of 7 years in the Navy, with two of those years in the Pacific Combat Zone in the southwest Pacific Islands aboard the aircraft carrier Salamaua. He worked as an aviation fuels systems technician aboard ship. He joined the Navy as a 17 year old youngster in the year of 1941. He mentioned many times how much he enjoyed his experiences in the Navy and how it expanded his horizons. Sheldon's presence will certainly be missed in this small community of Sawyers Bar as well as his stories and anecdotes of life, people, and experiences. In particular, he frequently got together with his down river neighbor and good friend, Hank "Wook" McBroom for jokes, story telling, laughter, and rehashing of the same stories. Sheldon was always ready at a moments notice to stop what he was doing and sit down and talk. He is sorely missed! Because of Sheldon's love of animals, especially dogs, individuals wishing to make a donation can do so by sending a contribution to Rescue Ranch Inc., PO Box 1192, Yreka, CA 96097. Respecting Sheldon"s wishes, no formal service will be held. Girdner Funeral Chapel is assisting the family.

Sheldon W. Wilson

September 10, 1923 - September 4, 2011