Stella Cortner Wilcher died Oct. 9 at the age of 89 at the
William and Inez Mabie Skilled Nursing Facility in Hollister after
a six-week illness.
Stella Cortner Wilcher died Oct. 9 at the age of 89 at the William and Inez Mabie Skilled Nursing Facility in Hollister after a six-week illness.
She was born in the small mountain community of Badger, near Kings Canyon National Park, where her father owned the general store. Stella descends from the Pioneer Jordan Family which has their annual reunion in Exeter every year in May.
This year they celebrated their 111th reunion. Captain John Jordan, who headed a wagon train from Texas to California in 1850, was her great grandfather.
In 1941, Stella married C.W. “Bill” Wilcher. They had there first daughter Sally in 1943. Soon after Bill joined the U.S. Marines and left to fight in the South Pacific during WWII. Stella Raised her daughter Sally, while both her husband, brother and brothers-in-law were fighting in a war to protect America. Bill returned from Midway Island in 1946. A second daughter, Marcia, was born in 1947. Bill resumed his career with the California Dept. of Forestry. He was the Chief Ranger of San Benito County from 1959 to 1975. After Bill’s retirement from the Dept. of Forestry, he and Stella bought a home in the mountain community of Pinehurst in Fresno County. Bill passed away in August of 1996.
Stella is survived by her two daughters, Sally Bettencourt and her husband Richard of Hollister, and her daughter Marcia Wilcher of Miramonte; three grandchildren, Kim Nicholson, Allan M. Aguirre, and Aaron Aguirre; and three great grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister Ann Burnside of Citrus Heights.
Graveside services will be held on Thursday, Oct. 14 at 1pm at Reedley Cemetery in Reedley, Calif. Pastor Ray Groff of Navalencia Community Church will officiate. Friends and family are invited to attend Black Cooper Sander Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Donations are preferred to Hazel Hawkins Hospital Foundation, Hazel Hawkins Hospital Auxiliary or Shriner’s Hospital for Children c/o Black Cooper Sander Funeral Home 363 7th St. Hollister, CA 95023.
