Future home of memorials and member interviews
Chuck Staetz – Past President and advocate for Friends of Banner Mountain
With sadness we share the passing of Chuck Staetz, long term member, board member and past President of Friends of Banner Mountain. Chuck died on June 4, 2023 after his battle with cancer.
“Chuck Staetz worked for FMC Corporation from the mid 70s till he retired in 2007. He was a biologist and worked in the agricultural/biological division. He traveled globally, visiting several continents, in his capacity as an entomologist (biologist specializing in insects) focused on agriculture. He particularly enjoyed his time in Africa. Chuck and MaryAnn moved from Newtown, Pennsylvania, to Nevada City upon retiring, inspired by its beauty and lifestyle. Instrumental in encouraging this relocation was Willy Kollmeyer, active in Friends of Banner Mountain for many years. He and his wife Barbara were longtime close friends of Chuck and MaryAnn’s. He moved to Nevada City with MaryAnn in 2007
and we became neighbors and good friends. Chuck introduced me to Banner Mountain Homeowners (Now Friends of Banner Mountain) in 2009, and tricked me into joining and being the Treasurer. I would always send my first draft of our Quarterly Financial Report to Chuck, so he could correct anything he saw to improve our communication to our members. Chuck and I became fast friends and worked together on Banner Mountain projects from that day on until last year when he became ill. We worked together from Scotch Broom pulls to our Annual Meeting and picnics. He interfaced with DeMolay for volunteers to help with the Scotch Broom pulls, without whom we could not have done what we accomplished. He helped organize our annual meetings, and MaryAnn always helped cook hot dogs and serve food to our members for the yearly event.
Chuck had a heart as big as this mountain we all live on– he is, and always will be, sorely missed.”
Chip Wilder
FBM Treasure
Geri Bergen Plaque on Canal: Geri retired in 1994 and moved back to Nevada City and the forest area that she loved. Geri did not stop her conservation focus upon retirement. Rather she went head-on into a host of volunteer positions and became more active in volunteer groups that she was already associated with. She became familiar with the Nevada County Land Trust (now the Bear Yuba Land Trust) and became a member, then headed up a committee and was invited to join the board. She was an active board participant for 10 years and president in 2003, where she was deeply involved in accepting land trust ownership of the 1905 North Star House in Grass Valley. More about Geri here.