Frederick Anthony Lema

Frederick Anthony Lema died Feb. 19. He was 99.

Lema was born Oct. 12, 1921, to Anthony and Anna (Silva) Lema, in Newman. He worked with his father for many years on the family dairy. He married Mary Mendoca in 1944. They had four children, Judi Lema (Bennie) Luna of Modesto; Ron Lema, of Wasila, Alaska; Karen Lema McWilliams of Livermore, and Kenneth Lema of Nevada.

He was drafted into the Army at the end of WWII, stationed at Camp Crowder, Missouri. On his return home, he worked for his father-in-law on his dairy, then for the Newman Sales yard. They moved to Livermore in 1963, where he went to work as a structural maintenance manager at Lawrence Livermore National Lab for 22 years. He retired in 1985. His wife, Mary, died in 1989.

He met Charolette Hevle, and they married Feb. 14, 1992, and recently celebrated their 29th anniversary. He has two stepchildren, James Hevle of Modesto, and Annette Hevle Lopez of Modesto. They have 17 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and four great great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Lorraine Lema Loenig and Anna Lema Cotta Jones; and brother, Eddy Lema. 

A visitation will be held from 8:30 to 10 a.m., followed by a rosary and Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m., on March 3, at St. Joachim’s Catholic Church, in Newman. Interment is to follow at Hills Ferry Cemetery in Newman. Services will be conducted by Hillview Funeral Chapel, Newman.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Lema’s name to St. Joachim’s Catholic Church, 1121 Main St., Newman, California 95360 or Seva Hospice, 2813 Coffee Road, Ste. C-1, Modesto, California 95355.