Don Nonella; 1931-2026

Donald V. Nonella of Fallon, NV, passed away Aug. 19 at the Highland Village. He was born Sept. 5, 1931, in Fort Bragg, CA, to Silvio and Martha Nonella.

Don grew up on his grandfather’s ranches in Elk and Navarro Ridge, CA. He graduated from high school in 1949. He started driving teams of horses baling straw at 5 years old. He stayed busy in his early years pitching grain bundles to a thrashing machine, shoeing horses, taking care of sheep, CAT skinning, shearing sheep and hunting.

In 1955, Don married Barbara Caughey and had four children Larry, Debra, Tom and Carolyn. Don liked ranching and driving trucks. They moved to Bly, OR, in 1966 where they built 7C Ranch, with help from their children. In 1972, he purchased his first cattle truck, a 1964 Kenworth. He started hauling cattle and didn’t stop until 1997. In 1979, Don and Barabara bought the Eastgate and Campbell Creek ranches east of Fallon, NV. They built a nice herd of Hereford-Angus cross cows but had problems with the Navy. After nine years, they moved to the Elko area, keeping the cattle truck busy, and running bred heifers in the summer.

In 1993, they leased the Saval and Haystack ranches that kept Don busy for 15 years. Barbara died in 2000 after fighting cancer. Don retired in 2008 and bought a camp trailer. He and his dog, Shep, traveled the West visiting friends and family. He wrote a book in 2013, “Starting Below the Bottom.” In 2019, he moved back to Fallon and went to the sale barns on auction days, keeping up on the happenings.

“Good things don’t go on forever.” Don passed two weeks shy of his 95th birthday, with his good friend, Star, and her daughter, Carrie, checking in on him.

Don is survived by son Tom (Darla) Nonella of Klamath Falls, OR; grandsons Roger (Kelsey) Nonella of Redmond, OR, and Mark (Jenna) Nonella of Klamath Falls, OR; grandson Richard (Veronica) Lamb of Spring Creek, NV; granddaughter Kelly Pfeifer of Ruby Valley, NV; great-grandchildren Riley and Reagan Nonella, Nathan, Ace and Sadie Nonella, Shayna (Brandon Mariluch), Shyann, Sharmayne (Nathan Backherms) Lamb and Thomas and Sarah Pfeifer; great-great grandson Atlas Backherms; and son-in-law Mark Leach. Don was preceded in death by his parents, Silvio and Martha Nonella; his wife, Barbara; his son, Larry; daughters Debra and Carolyn; his grandson, Ross Leach; and his siblings, Roy and Delores.

Don did not want a service, so family and close friends put him to rest with Barbara and Larry in Lakeview, OR.