Dannie Jean Forbes, 82, of Oakhurst, passed away April 11 after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s.
Dannie was born in Paragould, Arkansas, the youngest daughter of Harold and Elsie Howard. She is survived by her sisters, Joy Higgins and Peggy Davis of Oakhurst.
The Howard family moved to Kingsburg in 1952 where Harold was the foreman of the Davis Ranch. The sisters attended Clay Elementary School and later attended Tulare Union High School in Tulare.
Their parents purchased property in Cedar Valley in the late 1960’s. It was the site of many family gatherings and a love of the mountain area was established.
Dannie moved to Oakhurst in 1976 and opened a small business. It was at this time she became an enthusiastic member of Soroptimist International. She was a lifetime member and served as president three times.
Dannie and Ron Forbes were married in April, 1979, until his death in 2018. They enjoyed every aspect of their life together with their many horses, dogs and cats. Their home was always open to friends and family.
They especially enjoyed camping at Bowler Campground or on their many backpack trips to Sadler Lake. Dannie was the official camp cook and provided many wonderful meals. She was often awake and floating on the lake in her blue rubber raft while the rest of the party were snug in their sleeping bags. Fresh trout for breakfast was one of her specialties.
After working at Golden Oak Bank for several years, Dannie went to work at Sierra Telephone in 1988. She retired as the administrative assistant to the president and owner, Harry Baker, Jr.
In addition to her sisters, she is survived by Ron’s children, Ron, Jr., Sabrina Castaneda and Robert Fenton. Mark Fenton preceded her in death.
Her devotion to her home, family and friends was one of her most endearing qualities. She enjoyed every aspect of life and was always willing to lend a helping hand.
She will be greatly missed by her nieces and nephews who shared her many adventures and benefited from her love and generosity.
A Memorial Service is planned for late summer.
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