Christina Chris Marie McPherson

The world lost a proud, strong, independent woman Christina Marie McPherson on July 26, 2011. Chris was born in Torrance, Ca. on July 30th 1970. She lived the majority of her school years in Orick, CA. Chris always set her sights on bigger and better things. She graduated from McKinleyville High School in 1988 and attended College of the Redwoods. In the evenings she played women's league basketball and she met Lynette Ballew there in 1989. Christina and Lynette became a couple on August 27, 1990, In June of the same year her nephew Brandon Thomas McPherson was born. He was a very important part of her life. She fought for custody of him and became his guardian and raised him like her son. After attending College of the Redwood's police academy she worked as a Correctional Officer for the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office. Still wanting more she applied and was accepted to the CHP Academy. She graduated from there in 1999. Her first assignment as a CHP officer was in Marin, then Garberville and finally Humboldt. She loved her job and her brothers and sisters of the CHP. She was both honored and proud to be a CHP officer.

Chris's life was blessed with the birth of her son Nathan Ryan Ballew on August 16, 2001 and then again with the birth of her daughter Ashley Renee Ballew on July 16, 2003. Chris loved and cherished her children and she was a fantastic mother. She helped coach her kid's teams and was involved with all their sports. She never let her illness stop her from doing anything. She just said she did everything a little slower. She instilled in her kids her honesty, integrity, and loyalty and her spirit lives on through them.

Chris is survived by her partner of 21 years Lynette Ballew, her children Nathan and Ashley, her nephew Brandon, her mother- and father-in-law Shirley and Ken Ballew, her brother-in- laws Ken and Michael Ballew, her extended family, her very dear friends Terri, Jovoné, Shannon, Robin, and so many more it would take up pages to list.

Chris's life was cut way too short, but she had a positive impact on everyone around her. She was called up early and is probably writing someone a ticket in heaven right now. Chris had a saying she used often to get her through her long and courageously fought battle against stage 4 breast cancer. "Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day." & "Keep your head up."

Services will be held on August 5 at 2 o'clock, reception will follow. It will be at the 1st Assembly of God, 1060 Hoover St., Eureka, CA. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the CHP 11-99 FOUNDATION P.O. BOX 3537 LA HABRA CALIF. 90632-3537.

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CHP Officer dies after year and a half battle with cancer

Funeral Scheduled for Friday

Donna Tam

The Times-Standard

California Highway Patrol Officer Christina Marie McPherson always displayed the strength of an officer, even in the face of an aggressive breast cancer.

Her loved ones and the CHP are mourning the loss of McPherson on Friday. The 41-year-old officer died on July 26 after battling cancer for a year and a half.

The officer's funeral is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the 1st Assembly of God, 1060 Hoover St., in Eureka.

Lynette Ballew, McPherson’s partner of nearly 21 years, said the longtime Humboldt County resident fought to stay alive. McPherson discovered her stage-four breast cancer last year and went through seven months of traveling to San Francisco twice a week to participate in a clinical trial.

"She was a really strong, opinionated person. She was really passionate about her job and justice," Ballew said. "She was just so motivated to beat this cancer, and she had the worst of the worst."

After finding a lump in her breast in early 2010, McPherson went for a mammogram that came back negative. Three months later, the lump grew, and McPherson returned for a biopsy. The cancer was rapidly spreading.

"Her cancer was so aggressive, it-was actually growing while she was on chemo," Ballet said.

The couple has two children together, and McPherson raised her nephew since gaining guardianship of him after he was born in 1990.

McPherson was born in Torrance, Calif., and grew up in Orick. After graduating from McKinleyville High School in 1988 she attended College of the Redwoods. She graduated from the Police Academy, which she attended while working as a corrections officer for the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office in 1999. Her first CHP assignment was in Marin County, but she eventually made her way back to Humboldt County.

CHP Sgt. Hal Rosendahl, McPherson's supervisor at the Humboldt area office, said McPherson will be missed.

"Chris was revered as an officer who worked very hard at her job and never shied away from an assignment," Rosendahl said in a statement. "She truly cared about making the communities for which she served safer. She had a great sense of humor, and her presence will be sorely missed by us all. Our hearts go out to her family."

Garberville CHP Area Cmdr. Lt. Adam Jager echoed Rosendahl's remarks. McPherson worked in the Garberville area from 2002 to 2005.

"She took pride in her accomplishments down here working rural roads and small communities we serve, especially Shelter Cove," Jager said in a statement. "She was an outstanding officer who loved her job."

Ballew said McPherson wanted to be in law enforcement all of her adult life.

"She would have done that job forever," she said, adding that she's probably writing tickets in Heaven. "I'm certain that she's still doing it somewhere."