GEORGE CHILTON GAINES
June 16th, 1929 - February 3rd, 2025
George Chilton Gaines died after a brief illness on Monday, February 3rd, 2025, at his home in Philo, California, surrounded by his family. He was the best of men, and he lived the best of lives.
George was born in Fayetteville, West Virginia on Sunday, June 16th, 1929 to Betty Chilton Gaines and Ludwell Ebersole Gaines. He was the third of five children who were great friends throughout their entire lives.
He married Mary Moore Thompson on August 16th, 1951, and they had six children and 73 years of fun together. They lived in Charlottesville, Cincinnati, Brussels, Finchampstead (England), Monaco, San Francisco, and Philo, California. He planted trees in all those places.
Like his father before him, George attended Lawrenceville School (1947) and Princeton University (1951). He graduated from the University of Virginia Law School in 1954 and was the fourth consecutive generation in his family to practice law.
In the early ‘60s George entered the business world and, in 1963, moved his family to Brussels where he worked for C&I Girdler before becoming Vice President and European Manager for General Mills Corporation. In 1970 they moved to England where he was a partner at Russell Reynolds Associates and established their European practice. He founded his own management consulting firm, Executive Partners International Corporation (“EPIC”).
In 1984, Mary Moore enrolled at seminary in San Francisco, so off they went to discover yet another new place. George went to work at Korn Ferry but big city life was not his cup of tea. Shortly after living through the 7.1 magnitude earthquake from within the Transamerica Building, he bought a guest ranch in the Anderson Valley and never looked back.
While Mary Moore served as Rector of St. James Church on California Street, George hosted many family reunions, and regaled countless guests and friends at Highland Ranch: riding, making hooch, singing, playing the banjo, and serving first-rate food and drink. George was also a Cincinnati Reds fan who suffered all his life from their lack of pitching.
He is survived by his wife of 73 years, Mary Moore; his brother Stanley (Gay); his children Caroline, George Jr (Andrea), Meg (Margaret), Mary Moore (Paul), Jim (Terryl), and Christian (Jill); his grandchildren Sarah, David, Martha, George III, Joanna, Taylor, Reed, Grace, Emily, Ian, Lila, Lola, Luke and Emery; his great-grandchildren Sarah, Teddy and Linnea; and many adored nieces and nephews. We were so lucky to have him, and for so many years.
A Celebration of Life will take place at the Philo Church on Saturday, June 14th at 11:00 a.m.
UNITY CLUB NEWS
by Miriam Martinez
Spring came in with gentle rain and a few freezing nights. The Wildflowers should be exceptional this year. The Unity Club meeting will be held on April 3rd at 1:30 in the Fairgrounds Dining Room. It will be part Wildflower Show and part Program. The Budget will also get some time. Our program will be presented by Superintendent of Anderson Valley Unified Schools, Kristen Larson Balliet. The title is “ABC - Reporting Challenges and Successes”. Our Hostess team will be Liz Dusenberry, Ellen Fontaine, Janet Lombard and Jo Atley. They will provide snacks and beverages.
The Annual Wildflower Show will be held May 3rd & 4th in June Hall. Preparations are under way. The Plant ID classes will begin Tuesday April 1st (no joke) in the Library (Home Arts Bldg.) from 2 to 4. There will be 4 sessions with the 5th week devoted to Wildflower collection.
A sign up sheet will be circulated for members to participate in various roles during the set up, bottle cleaning, booth person, greeting table, Silent Auction, and break down of the room after Monday’s Elementary School visit to the Show. This is a major fundraiser, so member participation is vitally needed. We will have a special presentation on Saturday, the 3rd, on “Sudden Oak Death.” We expect a good response from Wildflower Show visitors and membership alike.
Our Lending Library will be open as usual Tuesdays from 1 to 4 and Saturdays from 12:30 to 2:30, except when the Fairgrounds are rented out for special events.
School will be on Spring Break so I will definitely see you at the April 3rd meeting at 1:30 in the Dining Rooms. Enjoy all the beautiful blossoms around you.
REPORT FROM A SMALL FARM IN BOONVILLE
Petit Teton Monthly Farm Report - February 2025
Dear friends,
Our newly minted Secretary of Agriculture declared that to beat the high cost of eggs, every American should raise backyard chickens. Hmmmm, have you purchased your chickens yet? How about the organic chick feed, the coop, and the heat lamp, etc? Are you keeping your babies in the bathtub or the closet or on the kitchen floor? Or are you lucky enough to have a backyard in which owning chickens is legal? Oh, but roosters aren’t! Often at least one is a rooster. Do you know how to “process” the rooster or spent hens? Sigh. You get the point…STUPID order…one among many.
Yesterday we picked up our first batch of 20 chicks and feed from our local farm supply. The total cost was $350. In our experience usually one or two chicks in each batch die. The survivors will only start laying small eggs around six months of age. After one month, and just before picking up our second batch, we move the first ones to a small coop outdoors away from the grown chickens, and run an extension cord to power a heat lamp until they’re strong enough to be let out into a small enclosure. Over the course of the six months we buy many bags of chick feed. Once mature enough they are moved to their own adult coop in a field of their own so they can work out their pecking order, then we let them mingle with the older chickens. Most of the time they won’t intermingle and each group will return to its own coop, where they’re shut in for the night. Everyone loves chicken, including all the night roamers; plus dogs, bobcats and hawks, which can attack during the day. Speaking of which, that’s why it’s good to have a rooster. They warn of danger and tell the hens where there’s food as well as making sure that the eggs are fertile. Lots of fun in your backyard!
This month has made up for our dry January. Everything is growing fast with all the water. In the next few days, when the temps are predicted to be close to 80 degrees, we expect all the trees to burst into bloom and everything to grow rapidly. We also expect to be doing endless days of weed whacking once the rains have stopped, still a ways away since more rain is predicted. It’s beautiful, rain or shine, and as always you are most welcome to visit.
Be healthy and happy and skip chicken raising; buy those expensive eggs when you can.
Happy Spring resistance…
Nikki Auschnitt and Steve Krieg
Boonville
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