Author Archives: David Stevens

Bill Oliver — Class of 1980

 Edward W. Oliver, “Bill,” 59, passed away suddenly, surrounded by his loving family, on Thursday, September 23, 2021. Born in Albany, he was the son of the late Edward A. and Katherine Oliver. Edward is survived by his wife of 14 years, Kathleen Tasso-Oliver. Bill lived for many years in Trona, Calif. before moving to Albany. While in California, he was very proud to work for China Naval Weapons Center.

After returning to Albany, Bill worked for Tru-Art Sign Company. A job he loved and was dedicated too. Bill was a jack of all trades and could fix anything you put in front of him. He was meticulous with everything he did. In addition to his wife, Bill is survived by his siblings, Barbara Oliver and Kim Richards both of Colonie. He will also be missed by his stepchildren, Robert Foley and Raegan Foley; and his stepgrandson whom he dearly loved, Demetri Lyman. The family would like to give a special thanks to the staff at Ellis Hospital for the love and care given to Bill and his family.

A calling hour will be held on Tuesday, September 28, from 9-10 a.m. in Christ Our Light Church, 1 Maria Dr., Albany. A Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 10 a.m. with interment following in St. Patrick’s Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Ellis Hospital. To leave a special message for the family online please visit NewComerAlbany.com


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Allen Dean Jedlicka — Class of 1960

Allen D. Jedlicka, 78, of Hudson, died Saturday, September 11, 2021, at UnityPoint Health – Allen Hospital. He was born October 6, 1942, in Fredricksburg, TX to Waldemar J. and Ethel E. (Schlaudt) Jedlicka. He graduated from high school in Trona, CA and received his BS degree from San Diego State University. Allen served in the Peace Corps in Bolivia for two years. Continuing his education, he earned a Doctoral Degree in Anthropology. He was a Professor at the University of Northern Iowa and an author of several books.

Allen and Wendy have been together for 26 years. Allen was always passionate for his work with developing countries and was an original with re-use/recycle.

Allen is survived by his family: Wendy Brudevold, Hudson, Charlotte Duin, Sheldon, Andy (Melanie) Brudevold, Prior Lake, MN, and Nick Brudevold and Carmen Miller, both of Waterloo. He is preceded in death by his daughter, Sierra.

Memorial Services: 10:30 AM Thursday, September 16, at Central Christian Church, Waterloo.

The family will greet friends one hour before services. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to donor’s favorite charity. For more info, visit www.LockeFuneralHome.com.

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/wcfcourier/name/allen-jedlicka-obituary?pid=200119444


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Nancy V. (Dunn) Bailey — Class of 1958

Nancy (Dunn) Baily

Saturday, September 18, 2021, Nancy V. (Dunn) Bailey passed away peacefully to be with her Lord in Heaven.

Nancy Bailey, daughter of Clinton and Princess Dunn, was born in Victorville, California on August 28,1940. She lived in Westend, California since birth until graduating from Trona High School in 1958 and then married Dan Bailey who passed away in 2018.

Nancy is survived by her son Mark Bailey of Newport, California; daughter Michelle Skeen of San Francisco, California; four grandchildren and her brother, Roy Dunn of Redlands, California a member of the Trona High School class of 1960.

Nancy had been residing, for several years,in an assisted living facility, in Anaheim Calif before passing.

She will be missed by her family, friends and former classmates.


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Paul Foster Haughton — Class of 1946

Paul Haughton

Paul Foster Haughton, Sr., 91, of Troutman, passed away, Sunday, April 12, 2020.

Mr. Haughton was born February 25, 1929 in Bakersfield, CA and was the son of the late Gayle and Charlcie Foster Haughton. He was a graduate of Trona, CA High School and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from THE University of Alabama. He served in the US Air Force and on December 13, 1969, he married the love of his life, Wanda Hayes Haughton. He was one of the founders of Romac Metals, Inc. in 1969 and American Stainless Tubing, Inc. in 1994.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by six children, Cory Haughton (Susan) of Chattanooga, TN, Beth Painter (Ray) of Chattanooga, TN, Paul F. Haughton, Jr. of King George, VA, Rex Haughton (Caroline) of Troutman, Julia Haughton-Baldridge (Keith) of Nashville, TN, Maria Roberson (Kevin) of Troutman; 19 grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren with another due in June.

Highly intelligent, Paul was successful in more than just business.  He played piano by ear and could sit down and play anything that he heard. Growing up in the Mojave Desert, he was fascinated by plants once he moved to NC.  In addition to his beautiful yard, he had a lovely garden.  He canned vegetables, made jams, awesome pickles and even his own wine. Paul was especially proud of his tomatoes and delighted in giving tomatoes and tomato plants to his friends. He loved to share his knowledge with anyone that had a listening ear.  Paul loved the dogs and cats that became part of his family and fondly reminisced about their adventures.

Paul was a very special man that touched many lives.  He will be truly missed by all that knew him.

Graveside funeral services will be 2:00pm Wednesday, April 15, 2020 in the New Perth ARP Church Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the J. Hoyt Hayes Memorial Troutman Branch Library, 215 W Church St, Troutman, NC 2816. Online condolences may be made to the family at https://www.troutmanfuneralhome.com/obituary/Paul-HaughtonSr

Lewis Arnold Obituary (2021) – Palmdale, CA

Lewis Leroy ARNOLD, age  87, peacefully entered into Jesus’ open arms September 3, 2021. Lew was born in Palmdale and was a lifelong resident of the Antelope Valley. His first job, at age 12, was at the old Palmdale Hotel as a dishwasher. Later he would work as a “Soda Jerk” at Don Hertel’s Pharmacy. In 1964 he and his family moved to the Moffett Ranch in Leona Valley, where he continued to teach at Palmdale High School and raise cattle. It was during this time he created many years of wonderful memories of long vacations, being involved in 4H, hunting and growing Alfalfa hay.


He loved sports as a young boy and used to recall his mother saying, “You will never amount to anything, all you want to do is chase a ball” and chase it he did, through his entire life. He played football, basketball and baseball at Antelope Valley High School and Antelope Valley Community College. Lew was a part of the first basketball team at AVCC to make it to the Final Four in 1953. He went on to attend college at Fresno State University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Education and a Masters Degree in Administration from Pasadena City College.


Lew’s first teaching job, in 1958 [1958/1959 school year], was in Trona, California as an Assistant Football Coach. In 1959 he returned to his hometown to teach at Palmdale High School where he coached football, baseball and also taught Geography. He was ROTC Commander at both Trona and Palmdale High. As varsity baseball coach at Palmdale High School, Lew never had a losing season. In 1970 he transferred to Quartz Hill High School to coach football and teach math. In 1973 he transferred to Antelope Valley High School. In 1989, he taught at Highland High School and retired in 1990. In 2014 Lew was inducted into the Antelope Valley College Hall of Fame for his coaching and athletic career. In 2015, he was inducted to the Antelope Valley High School Hall of Fame for his accomplishments in athletics.


In 1990 he married Pat, and they would spend 31 inseparable years. A career in country western dancing amassed hundreds of trophies and championships and they taught thousands of students to dance in the Antelope Valley during the 1990’s and 2000’s. A successful DJ business followed for 12 years. They traveled all over the US to both dance and see the country and had many adventures. They taught celebrities to dance and performed in many events including TV commercials. A bucket list dream was fulfilled when they volunteered for the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. In 2018, Lew and Pat went to visit The Ark Encounter, a trip they cherished together.


Lew was an extraordinary man of achievements. He never gave up on anything he wanted to do in life. He began playing trumpet in 4th grade and continued through high school marching in the Rose Parade twice. He was a college campus fireman, a lifeguard and later Pool Manager at Courson Park Pool, participating in the Aquacades as a form and clown diver. He also taught swimming classes there. Later he operated Ritter Park Sportsman’s Ranch in Leona Valley, was a private pilot who owned his own plane, a state auctioneer, and a dog trainer, whose dogs worked in the movie and commercial industry for over 10 years. Lew was a scuba diving instructor holding LA County #15 instructor card. He took his students on many trips to the outer islands to scuba dive and had many stories of those days.


Lew owned Del Sur Gardens Restaurant and Bar many years. He was an avid tennis player from 1975-2019. He played weekly at the AVCC with his friends and won many trophies in competitions including with his grandsons. In 2014 he went to the world Senior Games and became a bronze medal winner in his favorite sport. Always striving to win, he vowed to go back and get gold.


Lew’s greatest devotion was to his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His family will always remember him as a loving and teaching husband, father, grandpa and great grandpa who always reflected Christ’s love. Left behind to cherish his memory, are his loving & devoted wife Pat, his sister Joy and our combined family of children: Kim, Jill(Brian), Mike (MaryAnn), Ann(Dan), Deana (Steve), Lys (Lou), John (Mariah); 12 Grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews, his first wife Dorothy and best friends Grady and Sandra and Marv and Carol, all of whom he adored.


A private family burial will be held at this time. A Celebration of Life will be held later this year for this extraordinary man. We are hopeful that Lew’s friends, students, dancers, and athletes will come and share their stories. Date and location of the Celebration will be announced at a later time. Cards may be mailed to the family at 42220 10th Street W., Suite 101, Lancaster, CA 93534

In lieu of flowers, donations in Lew’s name can be made to the “West Valley Historical Society”, P.O. Box 1972, Lancaster, CA 93939 to help restore the “1915 Leona Valley Schoolhouse”. Lew was passionate about the restoration of the old schoolhouse that was a big part of his early family life.

Published by The Antelope Valley Press on Sep. 19, 2021.

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/avpress/name/lewis-arnold-obituary?pid=200141732

Kenneth Lyle Corbridge — Class of 1968

Ken Corbridge

June 8, 1949 ~ September 13, 2021

Kenneth Lyle Corbridge returned home to his loving Heavenly Father on Monday, September 13, 2021. He was born on June 8, 1949, in Ridgecrest, CA, to Horace Lyle and Elizabeth Delores Corbridge. He graduated from Trona High School.

He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Kenneth worked at Thiokol for many years in Research and Development. He later worked at Autoliv the remainder of his career.

He married the love of his life, Paige Ann Corbridge, on June 11, 1971. They were married for 50 wonderful years.

He enjoyed classic cars, hunting, the Utah Jazz, and dirt bike riding. He loved model cars and has a huge collection of diecast cars. He was an avid fan of the Utah Jazz and watched every game. He liked dirt bike riding with his friends. He loved surfing the internet on KSL and Facebook. There was no greater joy than being a grandpa to his grandchildren.

Kenneth was preceded in death by his parents.

He is survived by his wife: Paige Ann Lawson Corbridge; children: Christian (Becky) Corbridge, Wynter (Jared) Read, Kenna (JD) Lowe, and Jordon Corbridge; sister: Barbara Warren; brother: Allan Corbridge; and 9 grandchildren.

Funeral Services will be held on Friday, September 17, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. at Myers Mortuary Chapel, 205 S 100 E, Brigham City, UT. A Viewing will be held prior from 10:00 – 10:45 a.m.

https://www.myers-mortuary.com/obituary/Kenneth-Corbridge

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/232135095/kenneth_lyle_corbridge


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Searles Valley Slate

My copy of the Slate just arrived in the mail today. It had a great article in it written by George Sherman. The name of the article is, “The birth of Rock and Roll in Trona.” It is a great article and is well worth reading. If you are not familiar with the Searles Valley Slate, it is because that you are not a member of the Searles Valley Historical Society. The Searles Valley Slate is the society’s quarterly newsletter to members.

Since George is about five years older than me it is obvious that George would know more about Rock ‘n Roll than I would. I thought it began when people started listening to and dancing to Elvis records on the patio by the high school snack shack and continued after sunset when everyone was tuning in The Mighty 690 – XEAK on their car radios.

If you are from Trona or just interested in the history of Trona I recommend you become a member of the Searles Valley Historical Society and support their activities. A lifetime membership is $250 or, if you prefer, $20 a year. You can get more information about membership and their activities from their website.

Rex Jay Worman — Class of 1961

Rex Worman passed away in Tennessee on August 19, 2019. He was taking a walk alone near his home in Hollow Rock, Tennessee when he died.

Rex had two older sisters who also went to Trona High School Ila (Worman) Powers, class of 1950 and Rena (Worman) Condren, class of 1951. He also had two nieces and one nephew that Graduated from Trona High School.

Rex was born to Esau and Lois Worman on August 10, 1943 in Wisconsin.

When the Wormans moved to Trona in 1945 they lived in the Panament Federal Housing Project. This was rows of small apartments that the Federal Government built because of the housing shortage in Trona during the 1940’s. When a house became vacant on California Street they moved there.

All of the houses on California street were torn down or moved around 1955 and the Worman’s moved to a house on the corner of Mountain View Street and Alameda Street. They stayed in that house until 1988 when both his parents had passed away.

After high school Rex was accepted into an apprenticeship program at Southern California Edison. After completing training at Redondo Beach Generating Station he went to work at the SCE Etiwanda Power Plant.

Rex married in 1967 and he had at least two daughters. Someone else will have fill in the rest of his life story from here.


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Bobby Gene Tyler — Class of 1959

Bobby Tyler, a resident of Wenatchee, WA, aged 80, passed away peacefully on Monday, October 5, 2020, at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, WA. Tyler was born June 24, 1940, to Bertha Tyler and Freeman Tyler of Daring, MO. He was a 1959 graduate of Trona High School. He then went on to work as a meat cutter and long-haul truck driver. While in high school, he met his former wife, JoLynn, whom he had two children with.

Bobby is survived by his sister, Ruth; daughters: Heather, Susan, Amy, and Lori; and his grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son, Rick; his parents; and brothers: Harold and Billy.

Some of the many things Bobby enjoyed were spending time outdoors, attending Sturgis every year, and watching westerns. One of the biggest highlights in his life that brought him the most joy, was spending time with his grandchildren.

A memorial Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, October 15, 2020, at 2:00 p.m., at Eastmont Community Church, 783 4th St. NE, East Wenatchee, WA. Arrangements are by Chapel of the Valley, East Wenatchee, WA.


https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/18642301/Bobby-Tyler


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