Note: Roger went by the name of Roger Terry while he lived in Trona. The family left Trona about 1954/1955.

Roger Kenneth Mitchell
March 22, 1938  – July 14, 2022

Roger Kenneth Mitchell was born March 22, 1938 in Waukegan, IL, and went to be with his Lord on July 14, 2022, aboard the cruise ship Ruby Princess while docked in Juneau, AK.

Spending his youth in Trona, CA, Roger spent many hours exploring the surrounding mountains and desert near Death Valley, ultimately leading him to earn a university degree in geology.

Following graduation, he began following another passion, that of travel to and exploration of other countries, expanding his thirst for knowledge and experiencing world cultures different from his own. His love of travel continued until the end of his life, even though the menace of Parkinson’s Disease wracked his body, making mobility more difficult. The day before he passed away, he enjoyed the wonder and beauty of the Yukon Territory, adding another place to his long list as a member of the Travelers’ Century Club.

Roger believed in helping his fellow Americans and world neighbors. He served in the U.S. Air Force Reserves as a medic. He joined the Peace Corps in its formative years and spent two years helping the indigenous people of the 12,000-foot-high Altiplano plateau of Bolivia build a water system to better their existence.

Service to the members of his community continued while he lived for a number of years in Bishop, CA, where he was a member of the Inyo County Sheriff Department Search and Rescue Team, using the experience he gained while climbing many of the Sierra Club 100 Peaks and twice hiking the John Muir trail on his own.

After moving his family with three sons to Oakhurst in 1980, Roger became a Scout leader, sharing his knowledge and love of the mountains and nature with the boys in the troop and camping with them each summer at Camp Chawanakee.

As Roger commuted to Fresno every day on the dangerous two-lane Highway 41, he came upon many accidents. After one particularly deadly day, he decided to train as an EMT in order to feel like he might help in the future. He joined the Madera County Volunteer Fire Department at Oakhurst Station 12, where he ultimately served as the Captain for 16 years.

Under his knowledgeable leadership, the volunteer company grew in numbers to provide excellent service to the community of Oakhurst and County of Madera, with many firefighters choosing to continue the profession with CalFire.

Roger was awarded the Madera County Firefighter of the Year in 1980 for his role in leading the fundraising and purchase of the first automatic external defibrillator A.E.D. in the county fire department for the engine at Station 12. A life-saving piece of equipment now seen literally everywhere groups of people gather, it was a game changer back in 1980.

Exploring was part of Roger’s nature from an early age, and he began to share his experiences in the 1970s by writing for off-road magazines, encouraging his readers to follow his lead in exploring their surroundings. He wrote booklets that guided off-roaders to follow jeep roads in the forests of the Sierra Nevada and the deserts of Death Valley and Joshua Tree.

Upon reaching retirement, he was able to once again focus on his passions for exploration and writing, traveling far-flung trails with Loris to new destinations in California and Nevada. Together they created Track and Trail Publications and published eleven 4×4 trail guides. Through these guidebooks Roger will continue to lead his readers down roads to exciting new adventures, teaching them about the history, natural wonders and respect for the environment.

Roger is survived by Loris Mitchell, his wife of 44 years; daughter Susan Scammon and her husband Mike; sons Lawrence Ott, his wife Jennifer, Jeran Ott, his wife Elizabeth, and Andrew Mitchell; sister Betty Kuehn; granddaughter Colette Ott; and many friends who remember him fondly. He was preceded in death by his grandson Dallas Dituri.

A service will be held at Oakhill Cemetery on Friday, July 29, 2022, at 1 p.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=17Iz0D1EbxE7E53SPZ_iPo0cVJRLA1e8&ehbc=2E312F

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Fresno Flats – Sierra Historic Sites Association (fresnoflatsmuseum.org).

Dear Alumni:
It’s time to put the past 2 years behind us and all come together to celebrate Trona High School, Homecoming and all our classmates on October 14-15. For those of you that are not aware, our beloved THS was badly damaged in the earthquakes of 2019. High school students have been attending class at the Round School and will be getting a new school in the future. Listed below is the preliminary schedule, event information, and the reservation/souvenir form..

The festivities will begin Friday night, October 14, with the coronation ceremony and bonfire, followed by a street dance on Frontage Road from 8:00 to midnight. DJ Eric Shoaf of Good Vibrations is donating his time to provide the music. Saturday activities include the pancake breakfast, Homecoming parade, with our very own Anna Sue and Benny Eldridge as Alumni Grand Marshalls. Lunch will be served from 11:00-1:00 at the Round School and proceeds will benefit the Searles Valley Scholarship Foundation. The Varsity football game against Mojave will start around 2:00, preceded by the introduction of the Homecoming Court. Saturday evening includes dancing and entertainment from 9:00-1:00 at the Elks, provided by Uptown, led by our very own Trona alumni John Young. The evening meal will be heavy Hors d’oeuvres. Souvenir tee shirts, zip up hoodie sweatshirts, and caps are available for purchase on the enclosed order form.

Here’s the schedule of events.

Friday, October 14th
• 7:00 pm Coronation on the football field
• 8:00 pm Bonfire and “T” lighting
• 8-12 pm Street Dance – Frontage Rd. (where the liquor store/pizza parlor was)

Saturday, October 15th
• 7:00 am Pancake Breakfast at the Senior Citizens Center
• 10:00 am Homecoming Parade
• 11:00 am Catered Lunch at the Round school (11:00-1:00)
• 2:00 pm Introduction of Homecoming Court followed by Varsity Game
• 6:00 pm Social hour at the Elks
• 7:00 pm Heavy Hors d’oeuvres meal served from 7:00-9:00
• 9:00 pm Dancing at the Elks

◊ Reunion souvenirs: Souvenir tee shirts, hoodie sweatshirts, and hats can be ordered on the attached form. These souvenirs will NOT be available for sale during the reunion weekend, so buy them now! Souvenir packets will be available for pickup at the street dance on Friday night and after the parade on Saturday at the Rose Garden. A group picture will be taken in front of the high school prior to the lunch. Be sure to wear your reunion shirt!!! You may order souvenirs whether or not you attend the reunion, on the attached order form.

◊ Floats: Some alumni may be having floats in the parade. Please check with your class rep for more information.

◊ Hotels: See attached list for hotel information. Camping will be available at the Trona
Pinnacles. The Pinnacle Inn Motel in Trona is hoping to be open by then. Dry camping, at no charge, will be available at the Trailer Park in Argus. Homewood Canyon Cabins are also available to rent. . Check their website at www.homewoodcabin.com.

◊ Cell phones: Only Verizon or Sprint cell phones will work in Trona. If you plan to purchase a prepaid Verizon or Sprint phone for the event, please make sure to ask if that phone will work in Trona. Apparently some do, and some don’t.

In addition, contact your class representative (see below) if you have any questions, want more information, or if you know the whereabouts or address of a lost classmate. Up-to-date information about this reunion will be available on Facebook in the Trona Alumni Group and at David Stevens website Trona On The Web: https://www.trona-ca.com (follow the links)

Hope to see you all in October!!!!

Please feel free to contact any one of the following coordinators: Barbara Sorges (760-608-9338, bsorges@yahoo.com), or Lana McCullar (760-372-5087, mygkids64@icloud.com). They will be able to help you get in contact with your class representative.

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

1. Fill out the 2022 Reservation/Souvenir Order Sheet and make out a check for the total amount payable to “Trona Alumni Association.”
   If you are married to an alumni, please fill out a separate reservation sheet for each person with your class year indicated. Your tickets, and any souvenirs you order will be available for pick-up with your class.
2. Mail the 2022 Reservation/Souvenir Order Sheet and check to the following address:

Barbara Sorges
TAA Treasurer
416 Dewalt Ave.
Ridgecrest, CA 93555-4987

AND DO THIS BEFORE SEPTEMBER 15, 2022

This cutoff date is firm….registrations/orders will not be accepted after this date.

HOTEL INFORMATION

All rooms are plus tax (13.195%)
All rooms reserved under TRONA ALL CLASS REUNION

Make reservations like normal, but mention that it is for the TRONA ALL CLASS REUNION to get the prices listed below.

Springhill Suites – 760-446-1630
king bed or double queen – $149.00

Hampton Inn & Suites 760-446-1968
king bed or double queen – $139.00

Heritage Inn and Suites – 760-446-6543
king bed or double queen – $119.00

Each of the above hotels have 5 king and 5 double queens reserved
Includes breakfast Reserved until 30 Sep

Holiday Inn Express (not open yet, but taking reservations for October)
800-439-4745
King – $159 – double queens – $169, plus tax
Includes breakfast
No rooms reserved

Clarion Inn – 760-446-7910
15 kings reserved – $103 plus tax
10 double queens reserved – $107
Includes breakfast
Reserved until 10 October

Best Western – 760-371-2300
5 kings reserved – $98.99
5 double queens reserved – $108.99
Includes breakfast
Reserved until 1 Oct

Quality Inn – 760-375-9731
5 kings reserved – $109.00
5 double queens reserved – $109.00
Includes breakfast
Reserved until 1 Oct

I don’t know much about Torry or his death. I couldn’t find an obituary except for a short mention in the Searles Valley Slate dated April-June 2022. It reads as follows:

Torry was a Lifetime member of SVHS, and an Old Guest House Museum docent for many years. He loved his time at the museum and shared that he loved to walk around “just studying the photos” whenever the museum was without visitors. Torry also was dedicated to taking care of repairs that were needed around the museum.

The MacLean family came to Trona in 1944 where they lived in Federal Housing until 1953 when they moved to a house on Sage Street The MacLean’s left for Texas in 1955 when AP&CC landed a contract for the production of lithium hydroxide. They started a new company called, American Lithium Chemicals, where Torry’s father went to work.

At some point Torry purchased land in Homewood Canyon and moved back to Searles Valley. Torry’s mother, Hazel, is buried in the Searles Valley Cemetery.

Torry’s brother Paul MacLean (class of 1958) wrote an autobiography,Trona to Austin: How Life Snuck Up on Me, that is available on Amazon.

We send our deepest sympathy to Torry’s family.

Joy S. Jones, 87, of Washington, Utah, passed away peacefully on June 22, 2022, surrounded by her loving family. Joy was born on June 19, 1935, to LeRoy Jay and Dorothy Sherwood Bailey in Riverside, CA. She eventually ended up in Southern Utah where she attended Hurricane High School. After school she worked for Milo Jones in his acrobatic act, “The Three Milos”. It was while she was working for Milo that she met his brother, DeWitt. Joy and DeWitt fell in love and were married in the St. George Temple on October 5, 1955, in St. George, Utah.

Joy loved music, musicals, and dance. She sang to her children every night. She sang on long car trips. She sang around the campfire. She sang while doing chores. One of her favorite songs was the Primary song “My Heavenly Father Loves Me.” Towards the end of her life, her daughter Susan would sing this song to her, and she would try to mouth the words.

Joy and Dee were married for 50 years and successfully raised a family of seven children who have all gone on to live happy and productive lives. Joy’s world revolved around her family. She was a dedicated and loving mother, always willing to sacrifice and serve. Family was everything to her and she was immensely proud of each of her children.

Joy was usually found serving and helping in the activities that her husband was involved in. Together they spent many years working in Cub Scouting. They gardened together throughout their lives. Joy bottled much of the produce that came out of their garden. She loved to create and sewed quite a bit. She also taught her daughters crocheting and embroidery. She loved to go camping and spend time outdoors with her family and loved ones. She also served many years in the temple on the cleaning crew
and was especially proud of being able to clean the many beautiful chandeliers.

Joy was proceeded in death by her parents and her eternal companion, DeWitt. She is survived by her children Austin (Kathy) Jones of Preston, Idaho; Danetta (Warren) Harding of Orem, Utah; Mavin (Joan) Jones of Monroe, Utah; Evan Jones of Central, Utah, JoDee (Weston) Harding of Lehi, Utah; Susan (Wayne) Harding of Washington, Utah; Reuben Jones of Washington, Utah; 28 grandchildren, and 49 great grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister Dorothy Ann (John) Graham of Rialto, California.

Viewing: Sunday, June 26 th 6:00-7:30 at Hughes Mortuary Extended Graveside Services: Monday, June 27 th 10:00 at the Washington City Cemetery

Arrangements are made under the direction of Hughes Mortuary, 1037 East 700 South, St George, Utah.

https://www.hughesmortuary.com/obituaries/joy-jones

Joy went to school in Trona from about 1944 until about 1950 and then her family moved to Utah where she attended Hurricane High School.