Duane M. Furman
1934-2024
"Scotts Valley Cattle Rancher"
LAKEPORT, Calif. — Duane lived a full and diverse life. He grew up in Martinez, California.
As a child he dreamed of being a cowboy, even though he lived in town and not on a ranch.
He was a 1952 graduate of Alhambra High School in Martinez, where he was the captain of the football team, the Bulldogs.
He attended UC Davis to study animal husbandry and played football for the Cal Aggies. He then returned to Martinez to join his father in the steamfitter trade and was employed for close to 40 years before retiring.
He was a lifetime member of the Steam Fitters Union #342, Concord, California. He started raising cattle and ranching with his family in Contra Costa County from 1953 to 1962 on leased land.
Duane married the girl “next door,” the lovely Dorothy Hastie, on June 24, 1956. In 1962 they and their young family moved to Scotts Valley Road to a 381-acre ranch.
Duane and his father had looked at many ranches to buy in Northern California before purchasing the Scotts Valley Ranch across from the Glen Eden Trailhead. So began a 38 year venture as the Running F Ranch. He did have to continue in the union trade while ranching. The jobs might take him to the Bay Area or Central Valley and closer to home, at The Geysers.
Duane was always striving to improve the genetics of their registered black Angus. He mentored many local youth with 4-H beef projects including his own children.
Duane was deeply devoted to his Christian faith and loved to share God’s word of love and redemption through the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
He was a longtime member of the Lakeport Christian Center. He gave 45 years of service as a jail minister for the Lake County Jail and Konocti Conservation Camp.
He served on many boards and advisory committees. Duane worked for two years for the state of California as a branding inspector and was the Junior Livestock superintendent for the Lake County Fair for many years.
In 2000 the large ranch was sold. Duane and Dorothy moved a few miles away to a log home that he built on 22 acres. He continued to run a smaller herd of Angus and raised quality steers.
Their little ranch survived, unscathed, during the devastating 2018 Complex Fire with a tanker and fire crew from San Jose at the back of their house. The fire burned within yards of their home. The fire crew wanted to take 84 year old Duane back to San Jose to be on their crew!
In true cowboy form Duane was quite proud that at the age of 69 he had been able to tame and ride a mustang that was 80% wild when he purchased him in September 2002 from a Bureau of Land Management wild horse auction. His mustang, who he named Granite, came from the Granite Range in northwest Nevada.
On Duane’s passing he still had some of his Angus cows in the field. For 70 years he was the cowboy who he dreamed of as a child.
Duane loved God, was devoted to Dorothy and was proud of his family. He will be greatly missed by many.
Services are planned for Sunday, April 28, at 1 p.m. at the Lakeport Christian Center, 455 S. Forbes St., to be followed by a celebration of life gathering at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Lewis Hall, 401 Martin St., Lakeport. (Duane loved home baked cookies, please bring some to share at Lewis Hall if you so desire.)
Internment is private with arrangements made by Chapel of the Lakes.
“It started in 1952 when I had a dream or desire to raise cattle and be a cowboy; The Lord let that dream come true, because He loves His children and now I’m the old cowboy.” — Duane Furman
