KERCH, WIDDOP

Posted by Cathy Gowdy on Thursday, August 17, 2006 at 04:59:57 :

Point Reyes Light
December 19, 2002

Hazel Kerch, ex-owner of Rancho Nicasio dies
By Larken Bradley

Longtime Nicasio resident Hazel Kerch, who with her husband Glenn Kerch owned and operated Rancho Nicasio for more than 25 years, died Saturday, Dec. 7 in Chico, of natural causes. She was 87.

Town for sale

In the mid-1950s while reading a San Francisco newspaper, Mrs. Kerch’s husband spotted an advertisement offering a Marin County town for sale. He and a partner shelled out $25,000 to snap up a real estate package that included Rancho Nicasio and the town square, baseball diamond included.

After the couple retired in the mid-1980s, the square was sold to the Buck Fund, while restaurateur Ken Marshall purchased Rancho Nicasio.

One of three children, Hazel Widdop was born in San Francisco on August 31, 1915, to parents who had emigrated from England five years earlier. She grew up in the City’s Noe Valley district, and graduated from Mission High School where she met her husband-to-be.

The couple began their married life living in her family’s home while Mr. Kerch served in the US Navy during World War II.

Busy eatery

At Rancho Nicasio, Mrs. Kerch worked as the country restaurant’s garde mangier, making salads at the busy eatery. She later took a job as a clerk at Marin Stationers in San Rafael.

Quick moving and small, Mrs. Kerch was always on the go, her daughter-in-law, Jan Kerch recalled this week. "She never sat to eat," Kerch laughed.

Possessed of an insatiable craving for chocolate, "she would skip dinner but would eat three slices of chocolate cake," her daughter-in-law marveled.

A football and baseball devotee, in the many years Mrs. Kerch was an Oakland A’s fan she committed to memory the names of each and every team player, never forgetting them from year to year. Over the decades, even the players’ wives and children’s names remained emblazoned in her memory, her family reported.

Longtime neighbor Grace Farley this week recalled waving at her neighbor across the field from the back door. "Hazel loved her sons and adored her grandsons . . . and bragged about them quite often," Farley observed.

Set sail

Added her daughter-in-law, "her sons and grandsons could never do anything wrong." At the time of her death, Mrs. Kerch still treasured every stick-figure drawing the boys had ever scribbled.

In their retirement years Mrs. Kerch and her husband set sail from Loch Lomond Marina in San Rafael nearly every day for a fishing excursion on San Pablo Bay. One year the couple caught so many sturgeon (a total of 98) that family and friends said, in effect, enough already with the sturgeon.

She was predeceased by her husband; a sister, Lucy; and her brother, Norman.

Mrs. Kerch is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Gary and Linda Kerch of Chico; and Tom and Jan Kerch of Nicasio; grandsons, Treavor Kerch of Rohnert Park; and Adam Kerch of Nicasio.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2003, in Nicasio. Those wanting more information may call 662-2303.

The family has suggested that any memorial contributions be made to the Alzeimer’s Association, or to a hospice.