Judith Anne Payne

Judith Anne Payne, 76 years old moved peacefully away to heaven on September 21st, 2022 at 3:33 am. Judy, to all her friends and family, was born on July 12th, 1946 in San Francisco, Ca. to William (Bill) and Elizabeth (Betty) Jordan. Grew up in Stanfield, Oregon.

Judy married Michael on September 3rd, 1965. Together they moved job to job working construction, including a dam job in New Zealand, settling in Redding Ca. for 47 years. Judy was a faithful believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and loved everyone, she knew no stranger. A home maker, loving mother, and cherished grandmother, great grandmother.

Judy worked in the Gateway Unified School District for 29 years, working with numerous students she loved. She was known as the “Rose Lady” to many as she planted and cared for the rose gardens in the community. She enjoyed playing her trumpet in the Shasta Community Band for many years. She flourished young lives in the Impact Mentoring program and singing in the choir at the Redding Christian Fellowship.

Judy is survived by her sister, Margo Herd, and her husband Michael H. Payne of 57 years, four children Robin Payne born in Weaverville, Ca, Sarah Smith born in New Zealand; husband Brian Smith, Matthew and Michael Payne, twins born in Redding Ca, Matthew's wife Alanna, Michael's wife Jessica. Along with thirteen grandchildren; Kindra, James, Hannah, Cassandra, Halie, William, Danae, Travis, Dakota, Trinity, Lilliana, Isaiah, Elizabeth, and seven great grandchildren; Thalia, Makenna, Tavian, Killian, Rafferty, Adilyn, and Aliana. She is preceded in death by her parents Bill and Betty Jordan.

Graveside service is scheduled for 1pm on October 4th, at Lawncrest Memorial in Redding, Ca. with a Celebration of Life at 3pm at First Baptist Church of Central Valley, Ca. Potluck following, all welcome to join.

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Some Facts About Judy and I

Judy lead a sheltered life before we married, the furthest she had been away from home, by herself, was to classes at Blue Mountain Collage in Pendleton, Oregon. A distance of 29 miles.

Her goal getting married was to have a family. Each month this didn’t happen there were tears. But I think things worked out for the best, we had four years to establish our lives together without the bother of dipper bags and bottles. Then there was four years between each birth, giving each a chance to be the center of attention. But the twins had to share the spotlight.

The first ten years we were married we moved 17 times. That is the nature of heavy construction.

When we were to move to California she was apprehensive. She had heard stories about the number of people per square mile in California, she thought she might have to bring her own rock to have a place to stand. We were moving down by Fresno. We moved to Auberry, a small town East of Fresno. There was one market and a gas station, the sidewalks rolled up about 6 pm, the tavern / cafe closed about 10 pm.

From there to Garberville, both of these are in the foothills. On a trip back to Standfield, Oregon she got real quiet and then asked “Has it always been this flat?” She liked our rural lifestyle with all the mountains and trees. We were asked by our son Mike to move to AZ. She said “No, it’s too brown”. She didn’t see us living in this area without green trees and bushes.

Judy and I were opposites. She would talk to anyone, anywhere, anytime. Moving from job to job, trailer park to trailer park she would, within a week, know all our neighbors, their kids names and birthdays, even their pets names.

Judy loved to talk, one time before Robin was born and I was working long hours, we were parked at Coffee Creek campgrounds. There were few neighbors and she would talk to the cat. We always had a cat or dog or both. When I walked in she greeted me a “meow”. It took a few seconds before she realized that she had done. That week-end we went to the movies.

Returning from New Zealand she wasn’t too happy with me, she did not want to move. She wouldn’t even talk to me on the flight home until after a fuel stop in Tahiti. That was our last move.

With all our moving it didn’t take long before she would find a church. I used to attend with her but due to the long hours I worked Sundays, literary, became my day of rest. She always enjoyed her church family and friends.

In school she knew all her classmates from K-12. In high school I had three buddies.

Judy wasn’t too mechanical but she was game. When I was in Alaska she even changed the oil in our pick -up.

Did Judy like her roses? No, she loved all roses, in the hospital she was itching to dead head the roses in the solarium. Working as a teacher’s aid for CVI school she was known as the Rose Lady, she tended the roses on her own time, even after retirement.

Disappointments, there are always a few. One disappointment for me was music, Judy played trumpet and sang. I am pertly much tone deaf but I had a guitar. I was a “paint by number” player. Rather than helping she was critical. Not much to complain about in the greater scheme of things.

Last Christmas I asked Judy what she wanted, she said “Anything but jewelry, except maybe diamond ear rings.” I got her diamond ear studs. After the news about the cancer we were in bed and I asked her if she thought it would be weird if I kept them for myself. She jumped on that like a chicken on a grasshopper. She and Sarah marched me into the mall to get my ears pierced. I am wearing then now.