Jesse J. Stevenson
‘Papa Jess’

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – How do you begin to share the story of a life that spans 98 years? The reality is there are many stories and many people whose lives have been touched by Jesse Jewell Stevenson ... here are some of these stories he loved to tell.

Jess arrived in Lake County when he was a young boy. He arrived in a wagon full of hunting dogs. He camped his first night by the lake where the old Lakeport grammar school was located. Along with his father Eber Stevenson they had traveled from finishing work at the Hoover dam. Jess made more money than his dad selling fried pies to the workers. With this money, he helped to buy the lot on which he eventually built his family home.

Jesse married Lila Reynolds and they had three children Bob, Patty and Rick. As a family, they worked hard and had adventures together.

Jess was proud of his large garden and shared his abundance. Summer evenings were spent canning corn, tomatoes and picking beans, making salsa, pear honey and runny plum jam. Dried pears and deer jerky that had to be hidden in order to keep kids and grandkids from devouring it all! In the fall hitting the hillsides to cut wood filling his woodshed for the winter cold.

Jess loved to hunt for bucks in the hills of Lake County. In later years he enjoyed rides through Scotts Valley and Upper Lake always looking for signs of deer. His skills kept the walk-in and freezer filled with pheasants, quails, duck, salmon and even squirrel!

Jess and Lila always shared their abundance of food and love with their backyard summer family barbecue and holiday dinners. There was always room for more.

For many years the family would head to the coast every weekend and dive for abalone, surf fish and spearfish. Together with other families, they formed the Lake County jeep club and diving club. Jess was active in the Lions Club and volunteered with many local organizations.

Lila and Jess were active in the little league and helped build the dugouts and fields at the Lake County fairgrounds.

Jesse was in the Navy and served in World War II and the Korean War. He proudly flew his American flag from a tall pole in his backyard. In later years, friends would stop by with a new flag as needed.

Jess had many jobs through the years, from custodian at the elementary school, truck driver for Pacific Lumber, he also owned Arco gas station on Main Street. He eventually retired from the Lake County Road Department as a heavy equipment operator. He was very proud of the roads he built and maintained, and up until the very end he would complain about the terrible Lake County roads, and “while I worked for the county, roads would never get this bad!!”

But of all the stories that can be told and remembered, it will be the story of his love he had for Lila. Side by side they worked hard, volunteered for community projects, made the best squash pies, and danced together like no one was watching! After 30 years, he is once again embraced in Lila’s love, what joy fills his heart.

A graveside funeral service will be held at Hartley Cemetery in Lakeport on Thursday, Dec. 19, at 1 p.m.

Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com.