William Francis Somers passed away peacefully the evening of September 7, at the age of 100. Bill was born to Artie (Clarke) Somers and William F. Somers in Gardena, CA. He graduated from Gardena High School in 1939 then attended the University of California Berkeley until his enlistment in the Army Air Corp in 1942. While serving as a Radio Technician, he was sent to a Canadian Radar Training facility outside Kitchener, Ontario where he met his future wife, the lovely Betty Bauman. After a long-distance romance, they married in Kitchener in May 1947 and returned to the Bay Area where Bill started work with Pacific Bell Telephone. As their family grew they moved to Sacramento. They would often visit his sister Ann (Oglesbee) and her family in Meadow Vista, which the kids loved! By 1961, Bill transferred to Auburn to maintain microwave systems across the Sierra Nevadas, and the family moved to Grass Valley. He and Betty, with other families in the area, co-founded the Meadowlarks 4-H Club. Many meetings were held in Bill's large workshop. Retirement brought the freedom to travel in their RV, but after a few snowbird years they returned, settling in Auburn. While they continued to travel both abroad and throughout the States and Canada, their home remained the center of family gatherings. Directly up the hill from their house was the First Congregational Church, where they became active members, with Bill serving as an usher and part-time caretaker. Back in the 1960's the church had built the Auburn Ravine Terrace Retirement Community, and after the passing of his beloved Betty in 2003, Bill would often say "If I can't stay here anymore, I want to live at Auburn Ravine Terrace" - and when he turned 98, he sold his home and moved up the hill. He was grateful for the kind and helpful staff and for No More Yard Work, just a lovely deck and his hummingbirds. Dad loved to go for drives, especially the familiar backroads of the foothills he loved. Only now he was the navigator, and relying on his memory of those roads could really add some excitement to a trip! He supported numerous nature charities and we could all count on a calendar waiting for us when we visited. The TV wouldn't come on until the 5 o'clock news, followed by "Seinfeld" and history programs which would keep him up late. It was at Auburn Ravine Terrace that Bill celebrated his 100th birthday, surrounded over the course of days by his entire far-flung family. It was a blessing to celebrate this milestone with this much-loved man. A man who, when asked the secret to his longevity, replied "Not holding a grudge" and "Everything in moderation" – which included his shot of hooch at night!
Bill was preceded in death by wife Betty, sister Ann, daughter Susan (Young) and sons-in-law Lester Young and Eric Waisanen.
He is survived by his daughters, his son, nieces, nephews, four grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
His ashes will be placed in the First Congregational Church Memorial Rose Garden in Spring 2022.

Betty Somers
https://goldcountrymedia.com/news/122733/betty-somers/

William F Somers Jr.
Census • United States Census, 1930
Event Type Census
Name William F Somers Jr.
Sex Male
Age 8
Event Date 1930
Event Place Yucaipa, San Bernardino, California, United States
Birth Year (Estimated) 1922
Birthplace California
Marital Status Single
Race White
Relationship to Head of Household Son
Father's Birthplace Indiana
Mother's Birthplace Colorado
Sheet Letter A
Sheet Number 1
William F Somers Jr.'s Parents and Siblings
William F Somers
Father
Artie M Somers
Mother
Anna M Somers
Sister
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XC6Z-DP5