Leland Heman Tompkins died peacefully in his home on the evening of December 6, 2019 surrounded by his loved ones. Heman, as he preferred to be called, was born in Paso Robles on May 12, 1935 to Willis and Mabel Tompkins. The family moved to Willows in 1947 after purchasing a piece of property east of Willows when Heman was 12 years old. He excelled in sports throughout his high school years, playing football and participating in track. Heman qualified for the state high school track meet in his senior year finishing second in the long jump. He joined the National Guards after completing high school in 1955 and was deployed that year to the Yuba City area to assist with flooding when the levees broke. He remained in the Guard until 1962. Heman was very actively involved in the Willows volunteer fire department and was on Fire Board for many years. He was instrumental in the starting the rural fire departments in the area. He was involved with the Jacinto Grange from his childhood on, was in the Future Farmers of America in high school and was a frequent buyer at the Glenn County Livestock Auctions. He loved country and gospel music, antique farm equipment, fishing, and his constant companions, his dogs. Heman met the first of his great loves, his wife, Patricia (Pat) Brainard when she was working at Zumwalt’s as bookkeeper in 1957. They married on March 2nd, 1958 and had four children, Debra Barbara, Donna, and David from 1959 to 1966. Heman worked diligently as a farmer throughout the years to support his family, initially converting the family land to rice base, while adding leased lands in the area to help support his growing family. Throughout the years, Heman raised sheep, pigs, and cattle, grew rice, wheat, milo, focusing on just rice in his later years of farming. After the passing of his wife Pat in 1988, Heman greatly enjoyed traveling around the country with family and friends. For many years, he participated in the organized bus trips from the Willows area, traveling with Harold Reed, enjoying concerts, gambling, and sight-seeing throughout the western and mid-west portions of the United States. He traveled with his daughter Barbara’s family more than once to Hawaii and enjoyed an amazing trip with them to Nashville, TN. In the last years of his life, Heman reunited with his high school sweetheart Dalene (Schuman) Shipplehoute. They first met in Vic Kronberg’s art class at Willows High School in 1954 and became close friends, enjoying deer hunting with each other at the family’s ranch in Guinda. They went their separate ways after Heman graduated from high school but remained friends throughout the years, attending each other’s weddings and visiting each other’s families. In 2014 they reunited after the passing of Dalene’s husband, and enjoyed a happy, loving relationship during Heman’s last years. Heman was preceded in death by his wife Patricia, his parents, Mabel and Willis Tompkins, his mother and father-in-law Milton and Mildred Brainard, his sister Wilma (Tompkins) Hill, his son-in-law Jeff Davis and his daughter-in-law Colleen Tompkins. He is survived by his brothers Willis and Don Tompkins, his children Debbie (David) Garcia, Barbara (Ojay) On, Donna Davis, and David Tompkins, along with 9 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren with one on the way, his loving companion of 5 years, Dalene Shipplehoute, and his constant dog companion, Dottie. The family would like to express its gratitude to the women who lovingly cared for him in his last years of life. Kelly Bray, Carmen Lopez, Lily Fox, and Susie Halverstadt did an amazing job keeping him comfortable, well-fed, and entertained through his remaining days. Graveside services will be held Saturday, December 14th at 11 am at the Willows Cemetery. A reception will follow at the Methodist Church in Willows.

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LELAND HEMAN TOMPKINS Leland Heman Tompkins died peacefully in his home on the evening of December 6, 2019 surrounded by his loved ones. Heman was preceded in death by his wife Patricia, his parents, Mabel and Willis Tompkins, his mother and father-in-law Milton and Mildred Brainard, his sister Wilma (Tompkins) Hill, his son-in-law Jeff Davis and his daughter-in-law Colleen Tompkins. He is survived by his brothers Willis and Don Tompkins, his children Debbie (David) Garcia, Barbara (Ojay) On, Donna Davis, and David Tompkins, along with 9 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren with one on the way, his loving companion of 5 years, Dalene Shipplehoute, and his constant dog companion, Dottie. Graveside services will be held Saturday, December 14th at 11 am at the Willows Cemetery. A reception will follow at the Methodist Church in Willows. To view full obituary go to https://wwww.fhwsolutions.com/obituaries/fd-sweet-son/

Published in Chico Enterprise-Record on Dec. 12, 2019