Obituary of Lenora Cecelia Carr

Lenora was born in Fort Jones, California the youngest of seven children. Her parents, Marie and Manuel Santos, were ranchers and well known in the Siskiyou area. Her parents are originally from the Azores Islands, Portugal. Lenora spoke both Portuguese and English at a very early age. She graduated from St. Mary Catholic High in Medford, Oregon. Her family later returned to Yreka and Fort Jones, California where many of her relatives still live today. At 21, Lenora left her parents home to marry and move to Ohio. Shortly after, she became a loving mother bearing four children, Donna, Barbara, Deborah and Alfred. After several years in Ohio, life became very difficult for Lenora and her children. To provide her children with a better life and wanting to be closer to her roots, Lenora decided to return with her children to the West Coast. While living in Washington, Lenora met U. S. Army Officer John R. Carr, the love of her life, who became Dad to her children. In 1970, Lenora married John, beginning a new chapter in life. This new life eventually returned the family to California, where the Monterey Peninsula became their home. In 1980, after the children were grown, Lenora and John sold their home in Marina and began traveling throughout the United States in their truck and fifth-wheel trailer. Their traveling adventures took them to every state in the union and Mexico. Lenora enjoyed her travels, especially their drive to Alaska, but she always had a special love for her home state of California. When John became too ill to travel, they returned to the Monterey Peninsula to be close to family. In 2006, after 34 years of marriage, John passed away and Lenora began living with her daughter, Donna, in Seaside, who became her best friend and in later years, her caregiver. Lenora was very proud of all her children and enjoyed attending the births of grandchildren, graduations, music concerts and other family activities. She enjoyed going to lunch with friends and attending church services. If you got to know Lenora, you also knew that she loved dogs, all kinds, but especially dachshunds. Lenora leaves behind her loving children, daughters Donna Marie Bartoli; Barbara Jo Navarro, husband Marciano, grandsons Mark and Manuel; Deborah Ann Schnitzler, husband Hank and grandson Martin; son Alfred Ray Ernst, wife Rene, grandchildren Ashlee, Cole, Alyssa and Jake; brother Joseph Santos and sister Eva Fowler. Brothers John and Fredrick Santos, sisters Hilda Reynolds and Gloria Santos, precede her in death. She was Aunt and Great Aunt to many nieces, nephews and loved them all dearly. Throughout Lenora?s life, her faith in the Lord, gave her the strength to endure the bad times and to rejoice during the good times. She was a servant of the Lord and she never wavered in her belief that the Lord Jesus Christ is our Savior.