Community servant and activist Elsie Ruby Dupree, 78, of Loyalton, Calif., went home to be with the Lord on Feb. 2, 2022.
Born on Feb. 20, 1943, in Burnett County, Wis. to Wayne and Beatrice McCarty, Elsie grew up working the family farm and caring for her younger siblings.
She served her community by working in rural medicine with no formal training. This experience led her to serve as a medic for Women’s Army Corps from 1963 to 1966.
Shortly after, she moved to Reno, Nev., and married Gale Dupree in 1970. They had two sons, William and Daniel. The family lived in Carson City, Nev., for many years.
Elsie spent decades as a conservation advocate. She served on the Bureau of Land Management’s Sierra Front-Northwestern Great Basin Resource Advisory Council from 1995-1999. In 1998, she was named Conservationist of the Year by The Wildlife Society, Western Section. She was also active in the Nevada Wildlife Federation in the 1980s to 2000s acting in leadership positions including lobbyist and president from 2000 to 2002.
In 1997, Elsie earned an associate in general studies and in 2002, an associate of science in environmental sciences from Western Nevada College, in Carson City, Nev. She went on to get a bachelor's in general studies from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2010.
Elsie retired in Loyalton, Calif., where she formed Calvary Chapel Sierra Valley Quilters, teaching people to sew quilts that were donated to Quincy (Calif.) Crisis Center.
She is survived by her sons.
A memorial will be held April 2 at 1 p.m. in Loyalton. Call 530-536-6447 for information. Send letters to the Dupree family at P.O. Box 670, Loyalton, CA 96118.