Zelda who died July 17 after a month-long illness, was a Russian River mover and shaker who was never afraid to launch a new enterprise or voice an opinion. She was best known as the publisher of the Russian River Monthly, which she founded in 1995, and for her years working behind the counter at El Molino Pharmacy in Forestville.
“She was always working on something,” said her daughter Theo Michaels. “I remember her telling me, ‘What good is time if you can’t use it to better your community?’”
A New Year Day baby, born Berta Zelda Kaufman January 1, 1947 in Cleveland, Ohio, Zelda studied music at Indiana University and then moved to Sonoma County with her first husband Terry Wright, when he was hired to teach geology at Sonoma State University (SSU). During her early years in the county she volunteered at Cinnabar Theater in Petaluma, where she sang in operas and musicals, helped build sets and designed and sewed costumes. She made all the costumes for a production of Man of La Mancha, Theo recalled.
“She was incredibly creative whether she was working with fabric or words,” Theo said. “She loved to create things out of pieces that other people wouldn’t think fit together.”
She was also a student at SSU, which is where she met her second husband and Theo’s father, Patrick Michaels.
“My father said he wanted to meet the woman who shut down SSU by making a speech against the invasion of Cambodia. That was my mom,” Theo said.
That marriage also ended in divorce and Zelda eventually moved to the west county. She worked for a time at the former Santa Rosa News Herald, where she honed her advertising skills and developed a loved for the newspaper business. Later she ran a one-woman agency creating ads for local businesses.
Life with Zelda was always an adventure, according to her daughter, who recounted one remarkable episode in their life together. Theo loved horses and Zelda was going to drive her to a ranch about six miles from their home where Theo planned to groom and feed the horses. But Zelda’s car wouldn’t start, so she suggested that they walk.
“We sang songs, Theo said, “and soon we came to a blackberry bush and started eating blackberries. As we walked on we came across one blackberry bush after another and we ate our way to the ranch.”
After Theo left for college Zelda initiated a new adventure, “The Russian River Monthly”, a hometown newspaper that served the lower Russian River and other small towns in rural west county. With John De Salvio as the managing editor and Zelda as the main ad seller and promoter the paper ran until 2009. It included town columns and news stories about local politics, environmental issues, businesses and culture, and featured a yearly April Fools Day issue that spoofed all those things and more.
In addition to her daughter, Zelda is survived by her brother Michael Kaufman, her dear friend Elise Sokolay, and dozens of other friends and acquaintances who were all an important part of Zelda’s life.
“When she was out in the world she was very present,” Theo said. “She loved hearing people’s stories.” ~ Lois Pearlman
Reading Bunny's obituary made me realize what an activist she was. I'd love to meet Theo. Bunny and I were ffriends at Heights from 10th grade till graduation. We spent lots of time talking on the phone. She encouraged the storyteller in me and laughed at my tales. I think she was an old soul. May she be remembered always.
I always fondly remembered you as "Bunny," if my memory serves me correctly.
The beautifully-written mini-bio brought back several delightful memories about your charming personality and the fun time we shared in Alvin G. Buffalini's English class. Saying all this post (your) life, it is very encouraging to know you achieved happiness and success and raised a beautiful daughter: can we ask for any more?
May your memory always serve as a blessing and may you rest in a well-deserved peace.
Stephen T Bolton
Zelda who died July 17 after a month-long illness, was a Russian River mover and shaker who was never afraid to launch a new enterprise or voice an opinion. She was best known as the publisher of the Russian River Monthly, which she founded in 1995, and for her years working behind the counter at El Molino Pharmacy in Forestville.
“She was always working on something,” said her daughter Theo Michaels. “I remember her telling me, ‘What good is time if you can’t use it to better your community?’”
A New Year Day baby, born Berta Zelda Kaufman January 1, 1947 in Cleveland, Ohio, Zelda studied music at Indiana University and then moved to Sonoma County with her first husband Terry Wright, when he was hired to teach geology at Sonoma State University (SSU). During her early years in the county she volunteered at Cinnabar Theater in Petaluma, where she sang in operas and musicals, helped build sets and designed and sewed costumes. She made all the costumes for a production of Man of La Mancha, Theo recalled.
“She was incredibly creative whether she was working with fabric or words,” Theo said. “She loved to create things out of pieces that other people wouldn’t think fit together.”
She was also a student at SSU, which is where she met her second husband and Theo’s father, Patrick Michaels.
“My father said he wanted to meet the woman who shut down SSU by making a speech against the invasion of Cambodia. That was my mom,” Theo said.
That marriage also ended in divorce and Zelda eventually moved to the west county. She worked for a time at the former Santa Rosa News Herald, where she honed her advertising skills and developed a loved for the newspaper business. Later she ran a one-woman agency creating ads for local businesses.
Life with Zelda was always an adventure, according to her daughter, who recounted one remarkable episode in their life together. Theo loved horses and Zelda was going to drive her to a ranch about six miles from their home where Theo planned to groom and feed the horses. But Zelda’s car wouldn’t start, so she suggested that they walk.
“We sang songs, Theo said, “and soon we came to a blackberry bush and started eating blackberries. As we walked on we came across one blackberry bush after another and we ate our way to the ranch.”
After Theo left for college Zelda initiated a new adventure, “The Russian River Monthly”, a hometown newspaper that served the lower Russian River and other small towns in rural west county. With John De Salvio as the managing editor and Zelda as the main ad seller and promoter the paper ran until 2009. It included town columns and news stories about local politics, environmental issues, businesses and culture, and featured a yearly April Fools Day issue that spoofed all those things and more.
In addition to her daughter, Zelda is survived by her brother Michael Kaufman, her dear friend Elise Sokolay, and dozens of other friends and acquaintances who were all an important part of Zelda’s life.
“When she was out in the world she was very present,” Theo said. “She loved hearing people’s stories.” ~ Lois Pearlman
Ellen Markovitz (Alonzo)
May her memory be as a blessing. RIP, Berta.
Susan Solomon (Lipson)
Reading Bunny's obituary made me realize what an activist she was. I'd love to meet Theo. Bunny and I were ffriends at Heights from 10th grade till graduation. We spent lots of time talking on the phone. She encouraged the storyteller in me and laughed at my tales. I think she was an old soul. May she be remembered always.
Gary Victor Javitch
Berta,
I always fondly remembered you as "Bunny," if my memory serves me correctly.
The beautifully-written mini-bio brought back several delightful memories about your charming personality and the fun time we shared in Alvin G. Buffalini's English class. Saying all this post (your) life, it is very encouraging to know you achieved happiness and success and raised a beautiful daughter: can we ask for any more?
May your memory always serve as a blessing and may you rest in a well-deserved peace.
Gary