Francis Fairly Musser, “Smokey”, started his career with the California Department of Forestry (CDF, now CAL FIRE) in the Tehama-Glenn Unit in 1958. He was assigned to the Lassen Lodge Forest Fire Station in Mineral as a Fire Apparatus Engineer. He promoted to Fire Crew Captain at the Crystal Creek Camp in the Shasta-Trinity Unit, west of Redding. He then returned to TGU after accepting a promotion to the Paskenta Ranger District (now Battalion) as a State Forest Ranger I (Battalion Chief). He retired in 1979 and moved to Indian Valley. Chief Musser remained active during his retirement as a volunteer firefighter with the Indian Valley Volunteer Fire Department from 1984-2010 marking 52 years of public safety service as a firefighter.
Chief Musser is survived by his second wife, Anne Harrigan Musser; his children Katherine Iglesias and Norman Lamb of Greenville CA, Paul Francis and Debbie Musser of Flagstaff Arizona; his twin sister Fay Gilkey of Orofino, ID and his sister Isabell Gleason of Orting, WA, Anne’s children; Tina Popenuck and her children, Katie and Anthony, Tom and Kim Popenuck, Bill Popenuck and Sage Baggott; and many nieces, nephews and relatives on the Noah and Musser sides of the family.
Chief Musser’s full obituary is posted at http://www.fehrmanmortuary.com/current-obituaries.aspx?turl=http://hosting-25538.tributes.com/obituary/show/Francis-Fairly-Musser-105226220.
Donations in Francis’s memory may be made to the following organizations:
Indian Valley Museum
4288 Cemetery St
Taylorsville, CA 95983
Taylorsville Community Methodist Church
4264 Nelson St
Taylorsville, CA 95983
Services will be held September 30, 2017 at 2 PM at the Taylorsville Community Methodist Church, in Taylorsville CA. Interment with Military Honors will follow in the Taylorsville District Cemetery. Chief Lane Caldwell has been assigned as the Family Liaison Officer.