Portia A. Banthrall

Portia Arlene Banthrall passed away at home on Feb. 3, 2013 surrounded by family in person and in spirit all over the globe.

She was born Dec. 12, 1930 in Nettleton, Arkansas. Her family moved to California in childhood where she had fond memories of playing baseball in the apple orchards, working in an ice creamery/soda shop and attending church activities. It was at a church picnic where she met the future love of her life. She was married to Robert James Banthrall Aug. 14, 1947 and together they created and wonderful life and raised four daughters and many foster children.

As a family they enjoyed taking long weekend drives, water skiing on Lake Mendocino, and getting together with extended family for dinners. She had many careers in her life including working at a pencil factory, picking apples, waitress/hostess, hardware store cashier, working in movie theaters with daughter Kathy, casino cashier and a her hobby of crochet become an occupation with many craft fairs over the years.

She had the talent of crocheting while multi-tasking (watching TV, listening to radio, and even napping) and created many beautiful designs and projects. Portia also enjoyed reading, country music, Charles Stanley sermons on TV, cooking everyone's favorite foods like the famous chocolate gravy, going out to eat seafood and bar-bequest, road trips to national parks, and spending time with family. She was a woman full of love, humor, loyalty, strength and dignity and will be remembered as a mother and grandmother to not only family but to all who knew her.

She is preceded in death by her parents Francis and Thelma Shell, siblings Ben, Dorothy and Mattie, husband Robert, and daughter Kathy Smith, and son in law Robert Thrilkill who are all with her now. She is survived by her daughters Shirley (Richard) Southwell, Karen Thrilkill, Linda Moniz, foster daughter Charlotte Briscoe, son in law Edward Smith, 9 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, extended family, friends and many beloved pets who will all miss her greatly.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday Feb. 9, 2013 at Manning-Wheatley Funeral Chapel 510 N. 12th Ave. The family will receive friends on Saturday one hour prior to services at the funeral home. Interment will be in Mountainview Cemetery.