Gail Ruth Samuels: Creative and Outgoing

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Gail Ruth Samuels
April 2, 1947 – October 18, 2023

In loving memory of, Gail Ruth Samuels, 76, of Panther Gap, CA, who passed away peacefully on October 18th, 2023, with family by her side.

Gail was born on April 2nd, 1947, in Portland, OR, to Robert Dale Johnson and Patricia Ruth Johnson, as the second child in a family of six. She was creative and outgoing from a young age, and after being the president of the art club in high school, she graduated with an art scholarship and chose to take classes at the prestigious Portland Art Museum. Gail always looked back at this time fondly, as it was a catalyst for her ever-expanding artistic drive.

She met her first husband, Ronald Bauer, in Portland during the late 1960s. They both shared a love of travel and an adventurous spirit. They went on to travel the United States, drawing inspiration from the beauty of the landscape and the people they met. It was during this time that they had their first two children, and returned to Portland to have their third child in the early 1980s. Shortly after, they traveled back down the coast to Humboldt County, CA. It was here that Ronald unexpectedly passed away in his mid-thirties. With its welcoming community and beautiful rural terrain, Honeydew, CA, was a natural choice for her to live with her three children. Gail inherited a love of gardening from her mother, and began exploring her natural skills there in the Mattole Valley.

Gail met her second husband, Tom, in Honeydew, after having her fourth child. She shared her life with him; they had two more children together and homesteaded their incredible property in Panther Gap, together for (thirty five years) while raising their six children. Gail also had a love of reading, which led her into a job working as a librarian at Triple Junction High School in Honeydew, CA. Gail’s inspiring presence and love of art was visible in so much of her life, as she always shared her creations with the community. Her flower arrangements could always be found at events such as the Roll on the Mattole, birthdays, and weddings. Gail’s garden always flourished as much as her inspiration, and she was also known for her incredible gourd carvings on home-grown gourds, hand-drawn stickers, and beaded jewelry. Gail put the same care into her family, and her love continues to shine through everyone who knew her.

Gail is survived by her husband, Tom Samuels, and their six children, Lila Rose Segesman, Lima Bauer-Moseman, Lin Sun Bauer, Leland Richard Golden, Lars Thomas Samuels, and Leona Ruth Samuels. She is also survived by her three grandchildren, Morrain Ruby Bauer-Safonova, Lilian Ruth Segesman, and Everly Maeve Samuels. She is also survived by her five siblings, Susan Elizabeth Rodgers, Gary Louis Johnson, Robert George Johnson, Philip Raymond Johnson, and Rodger Logan Johnson.

Memorial services to be announced at a later date.