Bessie Paulsen ("Pauli") Tufts passed away in her Woodland home on July 7. She was 99. Pauli was born in Woodland to Danish immigrants, Christa and Anton Paulsen on November 18, 1920. She attended Woodland schools and graduated from Woodland High School in 1938. She was already a striking beauty.She then attended Stanford University and graduated with a degree in history in 1942. While at Stanford, she was a member of the Chi Omega sorority.Also at Stanford, she met James ("Jim") Graham Adams from Belvedere, CA, who graduated in 1941.After graduation, Pauli moved to San Francisco to work. She also bought 300 acres of prime farmland in the Sutter Basin area north of Woodland. She and Jim Adams were married in San Francisco in 1945. After the wedding, they moved to Marin County.Pauli did not like the persistent Bay fog; so the couple moved to Woodland where Jim went into construction with Anton Paulsen. In 1948, they had a son, in 1951, and a daughter. Jim was recalled into the U. S. Navy during the Korean Conflict, and the family spent some time living in San Diego. Returning to Woodland, Jim went into residential real estate, and with Pauli's help, developed the Gibson Park area of Woodland as well as other residential developments of essentially custom homes .Pauli was active in several organizations such as PTA and Omega Nu, where she served a year as President. One of Pauli's most memorable performances was at an Omega Nu "follies" production where she imitated Eartha Kitt and sang "Let's Fall in Love" clad in a slinky silk dress. Probably Pauli's favorite pastime was playing contract bridge, whether it was with one of her women's bridge clubs or with other married couples. She was an excellent player. Jim Adams passed away in 1971, and Pauli traveled extensively, particularly to Japan where she was intrigued by the beauty and the culture. She also made several trips to Denmark to visit relatives. In 1974, she married William ("Bill") H. Riegels, the brother of noted Woodland resident Roy Riegels. Bill, 10 years her senior, had retired from Del Monte Corporation where he managed their orchard operations in the Central Valley.Shortly after they were married, Bill took on a year-long consulting assignment with Del Monte and moved to South Africa to resurrect Del Monte's orchard operations in that country. He was stationed a few hours north of Capetown. Pauli made several trips to South Africa; Pauli's children both regret that they did not go to South Africa during that time. At the end of the assignment, she and Bill traveled to Kenya where Del Monte had additional orchard operations and where they enjoyed one of the classic African safaris.The trip continued to Athens for another Del Monte operation. On the Nairobi-Athens flight, one of the flight attendants also had the last name Riegels, and as it turned out, she and Bill were related. She was part of the Danish branch of the Riegels family. Both Pauli and Bill made trips to Denmark to visit the Riegels family there.Bill Riegels passed away in 1984, and a few years later, Pauli married Warren G. Tufts of Winters. Warren had three adult children, Vicki, Sandy, and Stan. His family stayed in Winters, but Warren moved to Woodland.Pauli loved both Lake Tahoe and the desert in California's Coachella Valley. Starting in 1954, the Adams family spent the first two weeks of August overlooking Rubicon Bay on Lake Tahoe's West Shore. The "South Rubicon" development attracted many friends from Woodland and Marin County who gathered there at the same time every year. Pauli continued the tradition until mobility issues, primarily stairs, made it too difficult to maneuver.Pauli first visited the desert on her 1945 honeymoon which she and Jim Adams spent in Palm Springs. (Imagine what Palm Springs must have been like in 1945!) She returned to the desert with Bill Riegels when they started visiting Roy and Barbara Riegels in Palm Desert. Those stays were lengthened with Warren Tufts, when they would spend several winter months in Palm Desert, eventually buying a home in Monterey Country Club. After Warren's death, Pauli made additonal trips to the desert, renting various properties in the La Quinta area until maneuverability made the trip too difficult.From 2004 until her death, Pauli employed several Fijians as caregivers. For the past five years, she had the wonderful Bernie Rabaka taking care of her. Bernie lovingly made Pauli's last few years as easy and comfortable as possible. Pauli's family is very grateful and thankful for Bernie.All-in-all, Pauli had a 99-year adventure -- a life richly lived. She is survived by son, daughter, and her daughter's 3 children, and many additional loved ones.
Published by Daily Democrat on Jul. 26, 2020.