Gilbert Neeland Stafford Jr.

Gilbert Neeland Stafford, Jr., age 83, passed away June 25, 2011 at his home in Scott Valley. He is survived by his wife, Myrna and their six children; Marianne Cabot, Debbie Stafford, Kenneth Stafford, Jeffrey Stafford, John Stafford and Dana Kennedy and 12 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. Gil was born on September 10, 1927 and raised in San Diego County, later living in San Luis Obispo and Chicago, Ill. He served in the US Navy and worked on the U-2 spy cameras. He then attended U.C. Berkeley and U.C. Davis where he graduated with a degree in agriculture. He was very accomplished in chemistry and math. While in college he and Myrna were married and in 1955 moved to the Salmon River with their small family and lived there for 11 years where four more children were born. He mined for gold, worked for the forest service and worked on bridge construction on the Salmon and Klamath Rivers. After the 1964 flood on the Salmon, the family moved to Scott Valley to allow their children to go to high school. Gil & Myrna purchased 40 acres on Meamber Creek Road and with the young family and local friends they put in 1,300 apple trees. They built a small house on the 40 acres and many other outbuildings including a sawmill that Gil used frequently. In 1969 Gil was a math and woodshop instructor at Fort Jones High. Later, Gil constructed a winery and produced various varieties of apple wine, all bottled, stored and sold from the premises and through regional grocery markets. In addition to the orchard and winery, Gil was gifted with his hands, had a creative mind and could build or repair most anything. He loved to spend time on the Salmon River with his family, hike and explore the Marble Mountains and take trips to the d