August 14, 2002
Feather River Bulletin
Quincy, California
Dearrel Freeman Cearley, 81, died Aug. 10, 2002, at Seneca District
Hospital in Chester. Dearrel was born in Hotsprings, Ark. to Jesse and
Mary Lewis Cearley on Jan. 6, 1921. Dearrel served his country during
World War II in the European theater and the Pillippine liberation as a
member of the U.S. Army where he was a special vehicle operator with the
1301st Engineers. Following his discharge from the military he went to
work for AC Transit in the South Bay area working for them for nineteen
years. Following his retirement he purchased the Knights Landing Sports
Center which he operated for 25 years.
Dearrell was an avid outdoorsman and a passionate sturgeon fisherman. He
was admired and sought after by many for his fishing expertise of the
Knights Landing area and was a longtime Sacramento River sturgeon record
holder. He had been a longtime member of the Knights Landing Sportsman
Club. He moved to Chester in June of 1992 following the sale of his
business. Dearrel is survived by his wife, Nancie of Chester; children
John of Yuba City, Sandra Thomas of Carmichael, Jerry and David, both of
Knights Landing and Jan Cearley-Smith of Woodland; brothers, Denver of
McKinney, Texas, and Farris of Pinole; sisters, Hazel Crause of Knights
Landing, Norma Lusk of Amarillo, Texas, Maxine Purser of Yukon, Okla.
and Iris Chacey of Norman, Okla.; and 13 grandchildren and three
great-grandchildren. Following cremation a celebration of Dearrel's life
along with military honors will be held Thursday morning 10 a.m. August
15, 2002 at the graveside in the Chester District Cemetery. An
opportunity to leave the family a personal memorial tribute is
available online at
www.fehrmanmortuary.com. The family suggests any
donations in Dearrel's memory be made to the Long Term Care Unit of the
Seneca Health Care District, c/o Fehrman Mortuary and Crematory P.O. Box
803 Greenville, CA 95947.