Author Archives: David Stevens

True Seaborn

Herschell True Seaborn — Class of 1951

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True Seaborn passed away on January 2021. He was a member of the class of 1951.  True was born December 16, 1934 in Oklahoma. True was the son of Herschell A and Faye Seaborn. The Seaborn family came to Trona in the late 1930’s where his father worked for AP&CC and then Kerr McGee as a welder, pip-fitter until his retirement in 1978.

After graduating from Trona High School, True was an honor student at Chaffey College in Ontario, California and then the University of California in Riverside. He then attended Claremont Graduate School on a fellowship from the Ford Foundation.

Our best wishes go to his friends and family at this time of their loss.

Reva (Fuller) Williams — Class of 1972

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Reva (Fuller) Williams entered Heaven on December 22, 2020, after battling a  wound infection.

Reva was born April 26, 1954 in Trona, CA to Robert and Betty Fuller. She was blessed with a brother, Kelly, and 2 sisters, Lyvonia & Priscilla. She lived in Trona for all of her 66 years.

She graduated from Trona High in 1972. During her high school years she was dedicated to music, playing flute in the marching band and singing in chorus. She excelled at home economics and volunteered in the cafeteria (a Fuller girls tradition!).

Reva married the love of her life (James) Ray Williams on November 16, 1973. They began their family right away and Reva was a stay-at-home mom for many years, often babysitting neighborhood kids just for fun.

As her kids grew up, she began working outside the home. She worked for the Trona School district as a day care and classroom aide, held a position at the Trona Branch Library, and she assisted Dr Gary Hess at the local dental office for many years.

Reva grew up attending the Trona Foursquare Church. Her greatest desire was for everyone to know Jesus the same way she did. She loved the Lord with all her heart! She served him by singing in the choir, teaching all ages in Sunday School & Good News Bears, leading Women’s Ministry, volunteering at VBS, helping coordinate Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Ministry and playing piano for Sunday services.

For the last few years, Reva attended Trona Valley Christian Assembly, where she filled in at the piano as needed and, again, coordinated the Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Ministry.

Reva was also very active in the community. She volunteered her musical talents for many school programs & classes, played piano & sang for community services, taught Friday Interest Centers at the elementary school, helped out at the high school and County libraries. She was proud of her community & gave back as much and as often as she could.

Reva enjoyed spending time with family! She loved to play games, sing hymns and reminisce. Camping was a favorite past time as well. She joked about collecting grandkids (she had a BUNCH!)

She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother.

Reva is survived by her husband of 47 years, Ray; her 3 children – Becca (Roy) MacLean, Tony (Vicki) Williams and Jeana (Bill) Fraser – 19 grandchildren, 14 great-grand children and 3 great-great grandchildren; her sisters, Vonni (Clay) Austill and Priscilla (Dennis) Benadom, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Reva is greatly loved and will be terribly missed, but we rejoice that her body is now whole and free!

— Becca MacLean

Peggy (Pearlie) May Mills

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Peggy (Pearlie) May Mills, passed away from CV-19 complications on 17 Dec 2020. Peggy was born 1 Jul 1924 in Englewood, KS to Henry and Ina Ford. She graduated from High School in 1942. She spent 2 years in Colorado Springs, CO during WWII then moved on to Glendale, CA and then Lancaster CA.

While working in a bank, she met J.D. Mills who she was married to for 53 years. They lived in Westend, a small company town (no longer in existence) in Searles Valley where she worked for the Trona Joint Unified School District for 21 years until her retirement in 1983.

They raised two sons in Westend, John who lives in Colorado Springs, CO with his wife Jeanne and Mike, who lives in Bakersfield, CA with his wife Trish. She grew to love the desert. The family explored every dirt road or track for miles around in a 4-wheel drive vehicle.

She and J.D. moved to Ridgecrest, CA, where she was a longtime volunteer at the Maturango Museum. Then to Lancaster, CA where J.D. passed in 2002. Peggy moved to Magnolia Place Assisted Living in Bakersfield to be near family in 2018.

Peggy enjoyed the retired life, traveling to Italy to visit John in the US Air Force, numerous times to Hawaii with her sister-in-law, Mildred and husband Charlie Rader as well as many areas of the United States pursuing her genealogy hobby.

Peggy was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, J.D., sisters Bonnie, Bertha, and Ina, and brother Henry Alonzo, Jr.  She is survived by her two sons, their wives, step-grandchildren Mark Palmer and Carrie McBryant, and step great- grandchildren Josh McBryant and Audrina Arrowood and a step-great-great grandson, Matty Navarro.

Services are pending.

Douglas W Stewart — Class of 1957

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Douglas William Stewart, 75, passed away peacefully on April 12, 2015 with his family beside him.

He was born August 24, 1939 in Los Angeles, CA and grew up in a small Mojave Desert town called Trona. Doug played baseball with his friends despite the 100+ degree heat and ate salt tablets like candy. After graduating from THS in 1957, he went to San Francisco State University to study English.

From 1963-1965 he served in the Army, mostly at Fort Monroe, Virginia, where he was a clerk. He was also a crack shot and was on the target shooting team.

After moving to Nevada he worked at various jobs, including as a Keno writer and a craps dealer at Harrah’s Club, while also attending the University of Nevada, Reno. There he met and, in 1969, married Caroline Bowdish. He received his B.A. in English in 1974, and moved to Pasco with Caroline. Doug earned a teaching credential from Walla Walla College, but only taught part-time. He became a Letter Carrier in 1977 and remained with the Postal Service until his retirement in 2002. Doug and Caroline had two sons, Colin, born in 1978, and Cameron, in 1982. Although they divorced in 1986, both of them remained involved in bringing up their sons.

From an early age Doug loved the out-of-doors, motorcycle riding, and fishing. He was a lifetime member of both the Sierra Club and the NRA. He collected books and read so widely that he seemed to know about everything.

Doug is survived by his sons, Colin Stewart of Kirkland, WA and Cameron Stewart of Pasco, and his former wife, Caroline Bowdish (Stewart) of Pasco.

A celebration of Doug’s life will be held on June 6 at 3:00 p.m. at the Richland Community Center. Contributions in his honor can be made to the Sierra Club Foundation (SierraClubFoundation.org) or to the Nature Conservancy (WashingtonNature.org).

Published in Tri-City Herald on May 22, 2015