Obituaries

Ernestine Afton Barff

1937-2007

A memorial service for Ernestine Afton Barff, 69, a 48-year resident of Carson City and Douglas County, will be 2 p.m. Saturday at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Mrs. Barff died Sept. 13, 2007. She was born Sept. 22, 1937, to Wallace and Julia Mathews, in Saratoga, Wyo. She attended Mendocino High School in California and graduated from Truckee High School in 1957. She married George Barff July 3, 1957. Prior to moving to Carson City in 1959 she lived in Tahoe City. She did the bookkeeping for Clearview Construction Company that she and her husband owned and operated.

She was a Jehovah's Witness. She enjoyed the ministry, Bible study, helping people, crocheting, puzzles, poetry, singing, photography, rock collecting, camping, hiking and her birds.

She was preceded in death by her parents, step-father, and brother, Thomas Alameda.

Among her survivors are her husband of Carson City; sons, George Barff III of Carson City and Michael Barff of McMinnville, Ore; brothers, Stanley Alameda, Tony Alameda, Eldon Alameda and William Alameda; sisters, Carol Ann Perkins, Alice Lycan, and Patricia; two grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews.

Autumn Funerals and Cremations is in charge of arrangements.

Philip D. Heater

1938-2007

A memorial service will be 1 p.m. Saturday at Freitas Rupracht Funeral Home, 25 Highway 208, Yerington for Philip D. Heater, 69, who died Sept. 22, 2007 at Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center in Carson City.

Mr. Heater was born Jan. 9, 1938, in Bishop, Calif., to Samuel P. and Helene Irene Nelson Heater. He was a veteran, having served in the U.S. Army. He was retired from working most of his life as a contractor and a miner. He lived most of his life in Nevada.

He is survived by his wife, Velma Heater; his children, Mona Heater, Jane Endicott, Heidi Lattie, Katie Frayo; stepchildren Michael Phillips, Lynn Cauley, Susan Cannon; his sisters Lori Thompson and Joan Siri; his four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren and his mother Irene Heater.

Arrangements are in the care of Freitas Rupracht Funeral Home in Yerington. Inurnment will take place at the East Line Street Cemetery in Bishop at a later date. Family and friends may sign the online guest book at www.FRFH.net and memorial donations may be made, in his name, to a charity of your choice.

Franklin (Spec)

Kjar Rahbeck

1922-2007

A memorial service is 11 a.m. Friday at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Gardnerville for Franklin (Spec) Kjar Rahbeck, 85, who died at his Wind River Ranch home, Sept. 23, 2007.

Spec was a native Nevadan, born May 2, 1922, to Teena and Peter Rahbeck (formerly of Bodie, Calif.) the last of five children, at his family's home in the Rahbeck Hotel in Gardnerville, now the J.T. Basque Bar & Dining room. He attended Carson Valley schools, graduating from Douglas County High School and continuing his studies at University of Nevada, Reno, where he was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy during World War II and became a naval aviator. He flew Dauntless SBD dive bombers and the SB2C Curtis Helldivers in the Aleutian and Marshall islands, where he was decorated for his military efforts.

He returned to the university after the war, studying business but being newly married to fellow student, Irene Plimpton, was anxious to begin his business career and start a family. The Rahbecks moved to Lake Tahoe and entered into business with Irene's two brothers forming the Plimpton and Rahbeck Lumber Co. In a few years the Plimpton brothers sold their interest to Harold Dayton and Herb Cross. The new partners renamed the business the Nevada Lumber Co. Spec lost his wife to cancer in 1956, leaving him with two small children. He married Lake Tahoe resident Pat Martin in 1957 and the couple was married for more than 50 years. After 13 years in the lumber business, the partners sold. Spec and Dayton along with businessman, Bill Ledbetter, opened the Outdoorsman Sporting Goods Store in South Lake Tahoe. It was one of the premier sporting goods stores in the country, receiving national and international recognition for their efforts including the Ski Industries National Retailer of the Year Award.

In 1979 the partners were approached by a national retailer and sold the business, ending their ownership of the Outdoorsman.

The Rahbecks purchased a 130-acre ranch on the west fork of the Carson River in the early 1980s, where they spent the next 27 years raising cattle and quarter horses.

Mr. Rahbeck loved playing golf and belonged to numerous country clubs in the area and participated in golf-tournaments throughout the country, his favorite being the Hawaiian Open where he played as an amateur for almost 15 years.

Mr. Rahbeck served as a board member to many local business including Harveys Resort Hotel and Casino, First Interstate Bank of Nevada, Wells Fargo Bank and the advisory board for the Washoe Indian Tribe.

Mr. Rahbeck was one of Tahoe Valley's first fire chiefs, a founding member of the Rotary Club in South Lake Tahoe, a past president and received the Paul Harris Award. He was a founding member of Barton Hospital Foundation and a member of numerous clubs and organizations throughout Northern Nevada including the Prospector Club of Reno, Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, the Shriner's, Carson Valley Nut Club, Hidden Valley Country Club, Edgewood Tahoe Country Club, Canvasback Gun Club and Carson Valley Gun Club.

He was preceded in death by his parents, three infant brothers and sisters, his first wife Irene and sister Lourinda Wines of Ruby Valley. He is survived by wife of 50 years, Patricia of Gardnerville; son Jeffery and wife Kathy of Gardnerville, son Steven and wife Cathie of Lake Tahoe; grandsons Scott and Marty, brother-in-law Jack Martin and wife Maria, numerous nephews, nieces, great-nephews and great-nieces.

Arrangements are in the care of FitzHenry's Carson Valley Funeral Home in Gardnerville. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The Douglas County Historical Society, Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care, the Douglas Animal Welfare Group or a favorite charity.

Robert W. Sanders

1941-2007

No services have been announced for Robert W. Sanders, 66, who died Sept. 20, 2007, at the Carson Valley Medical Center after a long battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma. Mr. Sanders, formerly from Newburgh, N.Y., was a resident of Gardnerville.

He was born Feb. 25, 1941, in Massachusetts to Mabel Payne and Clarence Roy Sanders. He served 28 months in the U.S. Army, serving in Germany as a Specialist 5th Class Helicopter Mechanic. He was then employed by IBM as an applications programmer from 1964 to 1999. After retiring he moved to Gardnerville. He spent much of his free time crafting things out of wood and searching for items to add to his extensive Coca Cola collection.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Angela Vosburg Sanders, and his brothers Leland Sanders and James Sanders, both of California. He is survived by his daughter Jill Sanders of Kingston, N.Y.; sisters Claire Sears of Florida, Mabel Adams of Texas, Phoebe Ann Glaze of Calif., Florence Hightower of Calif., Jean Sanders of Massachusetts as well as many nieces and nephews.

Arrangements are in the care of FitzHenry's Carson Valley Funeral Home in Gardnerville.