Lainie Lewis: Her ‘Home Was Always Open’

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Ailene (Lainie) Dee Lewis (Fredin) passed away on November 21, 2019 at the age of 81. Lainie was born in Des Moines, Iowa, on June 5, 1938, to her loving parents Harold and Ethel Fredin. The family moved several times as she was growing up, having lived in Iowa, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, finally settling in Arcata, California. Lainie graduated from Franklin High School in Portland, OR, and attended Humboldt State College (as it was then known) where she met the love of her life, Earl Harold “Hal” Lewis. Soon after, they married and started their family.

Earl and Lainie moved frequently in their early years of marriage, first living in Eureka and later Redding, Madera, San Pablo & El Sobrante. In 1966 they made the decision to leave their life in the city and with three kids in tow and another on the way they packed up Earl’s beloved Mercury Convertible and returned to Whitethorn, Earl’s childhood home. Lainie and Earl joined the Whitethorn Grange, and Lainie the Whitehorn School PTA, and the Whitethorn Volunteer Fire Department. One summer day when all the men were at work there was a fire in the sawdust pile at an abandoned sawmill up Harris Creek Road, so Lainie and her mother-in-law Margaret Lewis took out the truck put out the fire before CDF could arrive.

They also participated in many community activities like live reenactments of the Nativity and creating Whitehorn’s entries to the Garberville Rodeo Parade. One year their entry traveled to both the Fortuna parade and Fort Bragg’s Paul Bunyan Days parade (although they had to reimagine the hero from riding a horse to riding Babe the Blue Ox).

This was a time of great change in Southern Humboldt, which they both embraced, making many new friends along the way which sometimes created conflict. Lainie’s home was always open to anyone needing a meal or a place to stay for the night.

Along with raising their own five children, over the years Lainie and Earl opened their home to several kids, acting as unofficial foster parents that enabled them to attend school. Many wonderful friendships were made during this time. In 1980 construction was completed on their ranch in Briceland. Here they hosted family weddings, anniversary parties, cast parties and was the gathering place for all family holidays. In her most recent years Lainie lived in Fortuna where she made many new friends and spent time at the Senior Center and visiting with the children in the neighborhood.

Laine held many jobs throughout her life, starting with flipping burgers at Giant Hamburgers but progressing to being a cook at both the restaurant in Shelter Cove and the Shelter Cover Grotto in Redway, where she developed the Squirrel Burger (named after the Squirrel Tour Bus – a hamburger decorated to look like a squirrel). After a bad fall which resulted in a broken ankle and surgery, Lainie was no longer able to continue as a professional cook and was retrained to become a bookkeeper. She worked many years at Whitethorn Construction, and later for the late Gene Fox in Garberville. When Gene retired and Jim Eddy took over, she continued for several more years, but after another change in ownership decided to venture out on her own until her retirement.

She also owned her own catering company for several years.

Throughout the years Lainie was involved in many community organizations and endeavors, all of which were close to her heart. She was a longtime member of the Soroptimists of the Redwoods (during the time the power lines were removed trees were planted in downtown Garberville). She traveled to many Soroptimist conventions, including the international convention held in Japan. She was actively involved in the campaign to create the hospital district and later served on the Jerold Phelps Hospital board, the Rodeo Association, Southern Humboldt Working Together (SHWT), the WISH shelter and Whitethorn School PTA. She ran the front office for the Redwood Players for many years and spent many hours gathering prizes for the Healy Center Bingo games, and worked on campaigns of several local candidates. She so loved the Southern Humboldt community.

Lainie had a huge and loving family. She was preceded in death by her husband Earl, her “partner in crime”; her parents, Harold and Ethel Fredin, brothers Larry Fredin and Jeri Fredin, sister Coleen (Toots) Jackson, and her in-laws Harold and Margaret Lewis, brothers-in-law Frank Lewis and Leland Lewis, and sister-in-law Mish Lewis. Lainie is survived by her children Tony (Tori) Lewis, Teresa Lewis (Boyce Sanders), Tori Sue Lewis (David Kies), Trevor (Nancy) Lewis, and Todd (Karen) Lewis, her brother-in-law Dennis Lewis and her sister-in-law Lurline (Randy) Moore. She was most proud of her grandchildren Amber, Chelsea (Joel), Christopher, Courtney (Alex), Caleb, Logan, Natalie, Cameron, Trevor Lee, Isaac and Adrian, and her great-grandchildren Lily and Rita Jo. Lainie also leaves behind her nephew Michael, her niece Marci, and numerous other family and friends who were all so special to her.

The San Francisco Giants and 49ers lost one of their biggest fans!

A celebration of life will be held in the spring.