Judith Sue Mooers passed away on June 23, 2020 at Wolf Creek Care Home after a several year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was 79.
A service is not currently scheduled due to restrictions because of Covid 19, and will be arranged at a later date. An announcement will be made in The Union newspaper at that time notifying Judy’s many friends.
Judy was born on December 2, 1940 in El Centro, CA to Minnie and Kenneth Crow. By the time she was two, Judy moved with her mother to Grass Valley, where Minnie later married Bill Herubin. Judy was raised and went to schools in Grass Valley. In 1957, Judy married Robert Carman. In 1958, Judy’s first son Steven was born. Because of school rules at the time, as a young mother Judy had to finish high school via a correspondence program. She did that successfully and in 1963, Judy’s second son, Jeff was born. During the time, Judy raised her sons and had several local jobs including a stint at Montgomery Wards. In 1965, Judy and Robert Carman divorced but Judy and her sons remained in the Grass Valley area. In 1966 she began working as a dispatcher at the Nevada County Sheriff’s Department under Sheriff Wayne Brown. It was there she met Deputy Sheriff Richard “Dick” Mooers. In July 1968, Judy and Richard married. Because of County rules at the time, a married couple could not both work at the Sheriff’s Department so Judy left and began a career in the newspaper business. Initially she used her 100+wpm typing ability to begin as a typist for the Nevada County Nugget, a small local newspaper that was located on Broad Street in Nevada City. Within a short time, Judy moved on to The Union, the larger Grass Valley/Nevada City newspaper where she initially worked as a typist but soon upgraded to a “paste up” worker, fitting the printed news stories onto the various pages of the paper’s pages so they could later be printed on the historic presses located in the basement facility on Mill Street in Grass Valley.
Within a few years, Union Publisher R. Peter Ingram, recognizing Judy’s talents, offered her a position as a reporter, writing stories of local interest such as weddings and anniversaries. In her first few years as a reporter, Judy excelled despite never having gone to college and eventually promoted to reporting on other stories. Her mentor and great friend, Margaret Trivelpiece, a long time reporter for The Union recognized Judy’s talents and offered excellent advice and guidance in her work. Judy eventually promoted to covering local “beats” such as the Police/Sheriff’s activity and then on to reporting news of the meetings and activities of other local governmental bodies such as the City Councils, Planning Commission, and the Nevada County Board of Supervisors. In doing so, Judy became fast friends with Sharon Boivin of the Planning Department and Cathy Thompson, Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, friendships that remained throughout her life. Eventually, Judy was promoted to the position of Managing Editor of The Union under then-publisher Jack Moorhead. She served in that position for several years before retiring.
In recent years, Judy battled Alzheimer’s and her previously sharp mind and wonderful memories started to fade. She fought bravely against the disease and spent as much time as possible with family and friends. Judy lived her latter years at the Brunswick Care Home and Wolf Creek Care Home in Grass Valley.
During her professional years, Judy was a member of the Nevada County Business and Professional Women’s Club and the Soroptimist’s. Judy and Dick spent many years associating and making dear friends with the Nevada City Elks Lodge. She adored her family and especially loved her sons and their wives, her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In her later years after Dick’s retirement, Judy and Dick would spend their summers traveling with their little dogs in their motor home. They especially loved the California and Oregon coastlines and serving as camp hosts. They spent several of Judy’s last active summers as camp hosts at Fort Stevens State Park in Astoria, Oregon.
Judy was a loving wife and mother and tremendously hard-working woman who, despite never having the opportunity attend college, achieved many accolades in her work in journalism eventually rising to the second highest position at The Union newspaper. She always provided an excellent example to her sons and family proving that despite challenges, each could achieve anything they put their minds to.
Judy is survived by her husband, Richard, her two sons, Steven (Sue) of Grass Valley and Jeff (Susanne) of Redding, California, former daughters-in-law Barbara Carman and Sharon Carman, grandchildren Clinton, Wade, Ryan and Hallie Carman, and step-grandchildren Kristen Fish and Jessica Gingrich, along with many great-grandchildren.
Judy was preceded in death by her beloved mother and step-father, Minnie and William Herubin and many aunts and uncles with whom she was very close.
Judy’s family asks that memorial contributions can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or a charity of your choosing.
