Trinity Alps Funeral Home

02/13/2026

02/13/2026

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Thomas Prest on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, Super Bowl Sunday at the age of 85. He was at home with his wife and son Nick. His beloved 49ers were not in the game, so he saw no reason to stick around and watch it.

He was born in Everett, Washington, on Oct. 12, 1940, to George and Rena Prest. He was the third of eight children. His siblings were Loren, Naomi, Kathy, twins Michal Ann and Patrick, Arno and Nita. His family was in the logging industry and followed Martin Logging company from Washington to California.

Tom went to school in Washington, Willits, California, and then graduated from Trinity High School in 1959. In high school he played football, basketball, baseball and wrestled. He attended Taft College with a football scholarship. He married his high school sweetheart Lynn Grant on June 11, 1960. They were married for 65 years, raising three children in Weaverville.

Tom started out logging with his father and uncles. He then was employed by the U.S. Forest Service for 29 years in fire suppression, fuels, timber and recreation. He helped build many of the campgrounds surrounding Trinity Lake. After retirement he delivered mail for the USPS to Lewiston, Douglas City, Hayfork and Hyampom. He also cut and sold firewood during this time.

He coached and played basketball with the Trinity Lakers and softball with Weaver City among many other teams in both sports. Tom traveled with the Weaver City softball team to Arnold, California, for 25-plus years. He coached Little League while his two sons were playing. He also coached a women’s softball team that his daughter played on. He coached a hardball team and for many years co-captained a men’s pool league team. He was a member of the Loyal Order of Moose Ebbetts Pass #1123 and Lewiston #1850, ECV #62 and the Trinity County Historical Society.

He was predeceased by his parents and all of his siblings, except for his sister Kathy (Tommy) Bailey and brother Arno and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

Tom is survived by his wife Lynn; children Tim (Kathleen), Nick, Becky (Chris) Madden; grandchildren Haley (Arthur), Kayla (Essam), Morgan (Sam), Beau (Lily), Tanner (Lupe), Chelsea (Daniel), Abby, and Cade; 10 great-grandchildren and one more on the way.

Tom is also survived by many, many close friends near and far. Also, his beloved dog Daisy that provided a lot of love and comfort during his illness. Daisy is currently sleeping with Tom’s slippers and 49er blanket.

We want to thank everyone that has been involved in Tom’s health care for the past few years.

Private graveside services and a celebration of life will be at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Trinity County Historical Society.

02/05/2026

In Loving Memory
Craig Vernon Houston Jr and Natalie Jewel Atlas Houston
Craig: December 26, 2006 – January 24, 2026 |
Natalie: December 16, 2002 – January 24, 2026
Craig Vernon Houston Jr. and Natalie Jewel Atlas Houston, beloved siblings, tragically passed away on January 24, 2026.
Craig was born in Eureka, California to Craig Houston Sr. and Samantha Cole. At age 3, he lived with his Aunt Nellie and Uncle Tim before joining Christopher and Jessica, who later adopted him.
He grew up in Redding, California, and visited family in Hoopa regularly. Funny, charming, and kind-hearted, Craig had a generous spirit that made him a friend to many. Cars were his passion, and he spent countless hours restoring vintage trucks. A 2025 high school graduate, Craig worked multiple jobs and loved to drive. He passed away suddenly at age 19.
Natalie was born in Red Bluff, California to the same parents. At age 7, she lived briefly with Aunt Nellie and Uncle Tim before joining Christopher and Jessica, who later adopted her. Growing up in Redding, California, Natalie touched the lives of many and cherished family connections, especially her grandmother Vera and her Hoopa relatives. Caring, sweet, funny, and social, she drew friends with her warmth. Natalie graduated high school and most recently worked as a caretaker, with plans to study cosmetology.
Gifted in makeup, hair, and photography, she passed away suddenly at age 23.
Craig and Natalie will be laid to rest alongside their father, Craig Houston Sr., and grandmother, Alvera Houston; proceeded in death great grandparents Elenor and Howard Ames, cousin Clifford Houston Jr. They are survived by their parents, Christopher and Jessica; siblings, Lola, Amelia, and Henry; Aunt Nellie and Uncle Tim, Uncles Cliff and Roger Houston, Loren, Kenny, and Jack Norton; Great Aunt Marcellene Norton; grandparents, Billy and Cindy; and many beloved aunts, uncles, cousins, friends in Redding and Hoopa areas. Their sudden loss leaves a deep void in the hearts of all who knew them.
Pallbearers: Tyler and Logan Houston, Ivan Schreder, Clarence “CJ”, Howard, Matthew Lewis, Dana and Sherman Norton, Domonic and Winterhawk Obie, Michael Gabriel and Sons, Ralphy Peters, Johnny Ericson, Vermon “Muggins” Peters, William “Buck” Peters.
Honorary Pallbearers: Cliff and Roger Houston, Clarence “Sling” and Norman Sr. Lewis, Loren, Kenny, Jack Norton. Carlo Miguelena Sr., Boyd Ferris.
Graveside services will be held on Thursday February 5th, 2026 at 11am at the Hoopa Tribal Cemetery. Food reception will be held afterwards at the Hoopa Trading Post.

01/22/2026

John W. Kizziar, 83, passed away unexpectedly at his home in Hayfork on Jan. 12, 2026.

A graduate of Loma Linda School of Dentistry (1967), John served as a missionary in Okinawa, Japan, before settling in Hayfork in 1974.

For more than 50 years, he was Trinity County’s beloved dentist and a member of the Hayfork Seventh-day Adventist Church, where he led the Pathfinder Club for four decades. He also served as president of the Hayfork Cemetery Association.

He is survived by his wife and five children.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 8, at the Hayfork High School gym.

01/22/2026

Patrick Allen Truman passed away on Nov. 25, 2025, in Weaverville, California. He was born Dec. 29, 1949, in Los Angeles, California.

Patrick moved to Trinity County in his early twenties to work for the U.S. Forest Service on the Pacific Crest Trail and made the area his lifelong home.

He was preceded in death by his wife Kathleen (Cleaves), son Jason Fox, and brothers Robert and Mark. He is survived by his brothers Lawrence of Fallbrook, California, and Michael of Oceanside, California, along with nine nieces and nephews.

Patrick dedicated more than 35 years to conservation and public service in Trinity County and across California. He was the longest-serving board member of the Northwest California Resource Conservation and Development Council and had a long career with the Trinity County Resource Conservation District. He served four terms as president of the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts and represented the state on the National Association of Conservation Districts Board of Directors.

Patrick also worked in real estate with Trinity Alps Realty and Realty World and served on the Trinity County Association of Realtors.

Donations in Patrick’s name may be made to Trinity County (CA) Animal Shelter.

01/12/2026

Gerald Don “Jerry” Brasuell

Gerald Don Brasuell, known to all as Jerry, passed away unexpectedly on December 22, 2025, in Redding, California, at the age of 78.

Jerry was born on December 17, 1947, in Fort Smith, Arkansas, to Reba and Clayton Brasuell. During his early life, Jerry moved with his family from Fort Smith to Odessa, Texas, and later to California, living in Fresno, the Santa Clara Valley and Southern California, eventually graduating from Corona Del Mar School in Newport Beach.

Jerry proudly served his country during the Vietnam War. He enlisted in the United States Navy and completed boot camp in the summer following his junior year of high school. After graduating, he was deployed to Southeast Asia, where he served one tour of duty aboard the Dixie-class destroyer tender USS Piedmont. Following his Navy service, Jerry continued his commitment to service by enlisting in the United States Marine Corps Reserves.

After completing his military service, Jerry began a distinguished career in the defense industry as an engineering technician working on control systems at Raytheon and, subsequently, Quantic Industries. He joined Systron Donner’s Inertial Division in Concord, California, in 1976, where his leadership, technical expertise and dedication earned promotions through engineering and management roles to become general manager, where he applied aerospace control systems to automotive braking control systems. He later served as vice president of Systron’s parent company, BEI Technologies, and retired from a successful and respected career in 2005.

In retirement, Jerry served with distinction on the Trinity County Grand Jury and the Mountain Community Healthcare District Board of Directors, including roles as foreman, board member, vice president and president, continuing his lifelong commitment to service and leadership.

Jerry lived life with curiosity, adventure and passion. An avid traveler, he visited over 40 countries and all 50 U.S. states, maintaining close friendships and professional relationships around the world, especially in Italy, Hungary and Germany. He loved quality family time with his wife, his three children and all his grandchildren, spending vacations and special occasions together. He loved the outdoors, devoting family vacations to camping, backpacking, whitewater rafting, canoeing and visiting national parks. A devoted father, he was actively involved in Boy Scouts as an adult leader, helping both of his sons achieve the rank of Eagle Scout.

Jerry also had a lifelong love of classic cars, working on many over the years, including numerous Corvettes and 56/57 Chevys, a ’40s Ford Coupe and even a Facel Vega. At the time of his passing, he was proudly caring for an award-winning 1967 Chevelle Convertible.

Jerry is preceded in death by his parents, Reba and Clayton Brasuell; his sister, Chloe Sanchez, and his brother, James Brasuell. He is survived by his beloved wife of 48 years, Celeste Brasuell; his daughter, Andra Harris; his sons, James Brasuell and Daniel Brasuell; his brother, Clay Brasuell, and five grandchildren.

Jerry will be remembered for his integrity, leadership, curiosity about the world, love of family, kindness, generosity and unwavering commitment to service. He built a legacy that lives in the hearts of all who knew him—as a husband, father, leader, mentor and friend.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jerry’s honor to The Nature Conservancy, reflecting his lifelong love of the outdoors. A memorial will be held at a later date for friends and family.

01/09/2026

Robert Balfour MacKenzie Jr., also known to his friends as “Mr. Mac,” passed away on at 6 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Weaverville, California.

He was born on Feb. 25, 1938, in Akron, Ohio.

Bob attended Van Nuys High School in Van Nuys, California, where he met his future wife, Sharon. He went on to the University of California at Berkeley and after Sharon graduated from Whittier College, they were married in 1959 and Bob began a career in manufacturing management, starting at Weber Aircraft in Burbank, California.

After the birth of their first son, Robert, he and Sharon moved to Whittier, California, where Bob was employed as an industrial engineer for the Sta-Hi Corporation, a manufacturer of newspaper machinery. When the Sta-Hi plant moved to Newport Beach, California, Bob and Sharon relocated to Diamond Bar, California, where their second son, David, was born.

Bob held a number of increasingly responsible positions at Sta-Hi and when the company was sold, he went to work for several additional firms in the Los Angeles area. He became plant manager for metal office furniture manufacturers InterRoyal Corporation and Holga Metal Products, vice president of Ultra Violet Products in San Gabriel and vice president, Operations for Windsurfing International in Marina Del Rey.

In 1981, after their sons had graduated from high school, Bob and Sharon decided to leave the Los Angeles area and seek out a small community in Northern California, ultimately settling in Weaverville, California. Sharon was hired as the principal of Weaverville Elementary School and Bob became the economic development agent for the Superior California Economic Development Corporation and subsequently became the executive director of Trinity Occupational Training, the federal job training program in Trinity County, prior to his retirement.

Bob loved being involved with his son’s activities and was a board member of Diamond Bar AYSO soccer, Diamond Bar Junior All-America Football and Diamond Bar Little League. He was a Cub Scout and Boy Scout leader and served on the school district Committee for Academically Talented Children. He enjoyed reading, fishing, airplanes and watching football with his friends. A longtime member of the Rotary Clubs of both San Gabriel and Weaverville, Bob was a Paul Harris Fellow and developed the Rotary Club of Weaverville Scholarship program, serving as chairman for many years. He also established the Sharon MacKenzie Rotary Club Education Scholarship in memory of Sharon who preceded him in death in 2010 after almost 51 years of marriage.

Bob is survived by his sons Robert III and David; daughters-in-law Elyse and Cindy; four grandchildren, Sharilyn, Robert IV, Kelcie and Scot; and two great-grandchildren, RJ and Kennedy.

Interment will be in Weaverville Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family is suggesting donations to the Rotary Club of Weaverville Scholarship Foundation.

01/09/2026

Terry Edward Gustine passed away on Nov. 17, 2025, at home at the age of 85.

Terry was born on Aug. 3, 1940, in Pine Island, Minnesota, to Edward and Georgia Gustine. He was the eldest of three sons and grew up alongside his brothers, Larry Gustine of Michigan and Edward Gustine of California.

In 1944, the Gustine family moved to Fallbrook, California. As a teenager, he worked at the San Marcos Airport earning just twenty-five cents an hour, carefully saving every dollar to pay for flight lessons and flying time. His dedication paid off when he completed his solo flight for his private pilot’s license on his 16th birthday, Aug. 3, 1956 — an achievement that marked the beginning of a lifelong love of aviation.

In 1967, Terry earned his Federal Communications Commission license verification card. He worked at several stations, including Channel 10 in San Diego where he worked 22 hours in one day covering the assassination of Sen. Robert F Kennedy in 1968.

His professional career later led him into creative and technical innovation, and he became vice president of Creative Development for Lens Crafters in Escondido, California, a position he held until 1977. During this time, Terry was a key contributor to the development of production machinery for contact lenses. This highlighted his creativity, eye for detail and problem-solving skills.

Terry eventually founded Gustine Interior Woods, beginning with finish carpentry and expanding into custom cabinetry and interior woodwork. He obtained his contractor’s license in 1979 and quickly became known as a master craftsman. His work was highly respected and sought after in Escondido, Rancho Santa Fe, Valley Center and later in Lewiston, California, where Terry and Carol moved in 2004.

Although they intended to retire in Lewiston, his passion led him to promptly build a new cabinet shop so he could continue doing the work he loved.

Throughout his life, Terry embraced the outdoors and creativity in all its forms. His hobbies included flying, surfing, desert camping, off-road adventures in his Jeep, fishing and simply spending time outside. He was deeply creative and artistic, always building, painting and working with his hands. Terry had a genuine love for his dog Lewis.

He had a generous spirit which he shared with the community upon moving to Lewiston, active in fundraising for the Lewiston Sparkies and he was the creator and builder of Santa’s sleigh which has been used in the bridge lighting events.

Terry was married to Carol Gustine, for 49 years. He had three daughters: Shawn Gustine Roessler (Brian), Tasha Gustine Bintliff (Mark), and Terra Gustine Squibb (Michael). Terry had seven grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. He will be remembered as a loving husband and father, a skilled craftsman, an innovator and a man who lived life with passion, creativity and heart.

01/04/2026

Obituary For David Ross Beans
David Ross Beans, 87, of Weaverville, passed away on Dec. 21, 2025, at his home of 46 years — fulfilling his wish to pass peacefully while at home on his property and in his house of many years’ loving work, into his home in Glory.

David was born on May 20, 1938, to Wesley and Florence Beans in Los Angeles, California. After high school, he completed a college degree in forestry from Humboldt University and began working for the Forest Service.

In 1960, David met Carolyn Lemke at Red’s Meadow Campground while he was working a summer contract with the Forest Service. Their first date was a 20-mile hike in the Sierra Nevada, characterizing the steadfastness and determination that their relationship thereafter would have. Their friendship would last for life and they were soon married on Jan. 22, 1961. David and Carolyn went on to have three children, Alan, Daniel and Heidi. They remained loyal and affectionate, loving each other deeply for their 64 years of marriage — forging a strong legacy of commitment and care.

In 1963, David moved his growing family to Trinity County, living first in Hayfork, then Weaverville where he would put his roots down for the rest of his life. He transitioned from the Forest Service to working for Trinity County — continuing there for 27 years.

In 1989, David retired and spent his time working his acreage on Oregon Mountain, planting and tending his evergreen tree farm, taking daily strolls with his German shepherd dog, working for 22 years as executive director of the Trinity County Food Bank, making Meals on Wheels deliveries, singing hymns with residents in the Trinity Hospital Skilled Nursing Facility, faithfully attending Weaverville Church of the Nazarene, actively involved in the Golden Age Center events, enthusiastically savoring time with family, loving and caring for people — eating shared meals, talking, laughing and hugging everyone like close friends — and in the end dedicating his time and attention to care for the love of his life, Carolyn.

David was so servant-hearted and involved in his community, it’s hard to list everything he contributed.

David is survived by his wife Carolyn; brother Larry (Ellen); children Alan (Paula), Daniel (Sheree) and Heidi (Robin); nine grandchildren, Ashley, Stacey, Joshua, Ryan, Nicole, Kyla, Lyndsey, Madelyn and Gregory; and seven great-grandchildren, as well as a close community of friends and neighbors who he wholeheartedly served to the very last.

Services will be held at the Weaverville Church of the Nazarene at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 3. Join his family in celebrating and continuing his legacy.