Janet’s husband, Rick, left a message on Facebook telling us Janet has passed away. Jant is the daughter of Onace Long who played so many rolls in the Trona Unified School District.
Janet “Jan” (Long) Reichert — Class of 1970
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Category Archives: Alumni
Elizabeth (Reed) Rolof — Class of 1966
Elizabeth “Jimmie” (Reed) Rolof passed away on October 4, 2024. It is never easy to hear about the passing of a former THS student but sometimes, like now, it is really difficult.
The Class of 1942
Margie (Allen) Nicholas Taylor -(1924-1998)
Blanche (Cameron) Wright (1925-2017)
Beverly (Chamberlin) Lutes (1924-1963)
Bernard Contreras (1924-1976)
Bill Griffith (1924-1979)
Kathryn (Inscore) Krubsack (1923-2024)
Eugene Lawrence (1924-1972)
Marie McNabola (1925-1996)
Myrtle (Pipkin) Murchison (1922-2015)
Jesus Quezada (1919-2006)
Eugene Wells (1924-1989)
Laurence Wells (1924-2008)
The first Trona High School graduating class was the class of 1942. That was 82 years ago. The class of 1942 didn’t publish a yearbook but their group graduation picture was published in the 1943 Telescope which was THS first yearbook. Unfortunately the listed names are not in the order of the graduates in the picture.
Most of the class of 1942 was born 100 or more years ago. Three of them may still be living. I don’t have current information on them. My classmates from the class of 1961 were born mostly in 1943. We are all in our 80s and only a year younger than our alma mater.
Nancy (Smith) Morris — Class of 1955
Nancy (Smith) Morris (1936-2024) was born in Pennsylvania but came to Trona as a child and attended school in Trona from kindergartens until graduation in 1955. See married Eugene Morris in 1958. They were married 61 years until his death in 2019. They had two children, Paula (Morris) Lee and Pete Morris both of them attended Trona High School.
Ronald B. Long — Class of 1964
Ron Long (1945-2024) passed away in Arizona. The family is working on having a celebration some place in Northern California sometime in the future. He had many medical complications, and fought very hard in the end. Our condolences to his family.
Ron is the son of Coach Doyle Long and Anna (Shuler) Long.
Bruce “Butch” Knowles — Class of 1964
I recently learned that Bruce Knowles passed away. I don’t remember him well but I do remember his family. His parents were Howard and Ruth Knowles. He had a cousin named Larry in the class of 1953 and a half sister named Gwen (Knowles) Russell who was also in the class of 1953. Gwen marred Ira Russell who was in the class of 1951. Bruce also had a younger brother, Kenny.
Our condolences to his family.
Margaret Irene (Wells) June — Class of 1965
Margaret Irene June passed away in Glendale on Jan. 6, 2023 at the age of 75. She struggled with complications of COPD, heart disease and eventually COVID.
Margaret was born in Trona, California, where she grew up and graduated from Trona High School, having kept many of her schoolmates as friends throughout her life.
She moved to Glendale and worked for several years as a server at the Toasted Bun on Glendale Avenue. This is also where she met the love of her life, Larry June, whom she married on Dec. 20, 1977.
Margaret eventually started working at the Glendale Unified School District. She was well loved and appreciated for the devotion to her work and for her kind and generous heart. She retired after 28 years having gained many lifelong friends.
She also became a woman warrior in caring and fighting for her beloved husband as they battled his Parkinson’s disease. Sadly, Larry died in 2016 after 38 years of a wonderful marriage.
Margaret is survived by her brother Michael (class of 1961); many cousins, nieces and nephews; and her cat Pumpkin. She was preceded in death by her husband Larry, older sister Maureen (class of 1960) and her mother Adeta Wells.
Margaret and Larry are buried together at a gravesite next to her mother in Trona, the city where she started her life’s journey.
We all miss Margaret profoundly. Her kindness and generosity touched everyone who was privileged to be a part of her life. She will forever live in the hearts of all who knew and loved her.
Anita Aasgard — Class of 1980
It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Anita Aasgard on September 10, 2023, our dear sister, sister- in-law, and aunt.
Anita had several careers and loved hiking, camping and fishing. She enjoyed gardening and everything outdoors. She was an avid writer who wrote inspirational thoughts and kept many journals of her hopes and expectations for herself. She was a good poet and loved to draw. She loved God, her family and friends and her loyal animals. Anita will be missed by all who knew her.
Anita was predeceased by her grandfather and grandmother Al Aasgard Sr. and Rose Aasgard, father Al Aasgard Jr.(Class of 1943), mother Patricia and Harry Pounds all from Trona. She was also predeceased by her brother, Lew Aasgard (Class of 1973) and niece Kayla.
She is survived by her older sister Phyllis, brother-in-law Frank, sisters-in-law Gretchen and Sandy, nieces Hope and Aspen and many loving cousins.
The family will have a service in honor of Anita on April 20th on a beautiful spring day at the Searles Valley Cemetery in Trona.
Patricia Mona (Hall) McGregor — Class of 1949
Patricia Mona (Hall) McGregor went home to Jesus and her Jimmy on Saturday July 20, 2024. Patricia was born in Los Angeles, California June 7, 1931. She was 93 years young. She was the daughter of Harry and Beryl Hall, and they were waiting for her in heaven. Patricia wanted to become a nurse but dropped out of nursing school to marry her high school sweetheart and the love of her life James Richard McGregor who passed April 10, 2008. Patricia met Jimmy at Trona High School in Trona, California. Jimmy joined the US Navy and away they went off on a lifetime of adventure. Patricia worked in the medical profession at the different duty stations as they traveled the country. They had 3 children and when her mother had died suddenly, they raised her younger brother as their own. When Jimmy retired from the Navy Patricia went back to nursing school at Ventura College where at the age of 50, she graduated at the top of her class and became the Registered Nurse that she had put on hold for so many years earlier. Patrica went to work at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura. In later years when Pat retired, they relocated to Bend, Oregon where she went back to nursing. They were both active in the Bend Elks, and she enjoyed working with the Elks on several Charity functions. When Jimmy went to heaven Pat moved back to Ventura County and settled in Leisure Village in Camarillo near family. She was an accomplished artist, and her work is coveted by her family. Patricia’s last residence was at Camarillo Senior Living in Camarillo. Patricia is survived by her 3 children Christine, Bonnie, Kelly, and brother Bob. Patricia is also survived by 6 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren. Patricia lived long enough to recently pin her granddaughter Meghann from Ventura College’s Nursing program. Patricia loved God, her Jimmy, her large family and her country fiercely. She will be missed by many.
The Telescope — 1947 Trona High School
Patricia’s family moved to Idaho in 1948 so she was wasn’t able to graduate with her class and her future husband.
Charlotte (Duffel) Hicks — Class of 1955
Charlotte was born 14 JUL 1937 and passed away August 7, 2024. The Duffel family came to Trona in 1955 so Charlotte was not a student at Trona High School for very long. She wasn’t there long enough to have a graduating picture in the yearbook.
Her services will be 10 am September 21, 2024 at the Searles Valley Cemetery.
Charlotte will be buried in the Searles Valley Cemetery along with her parents, her sister, Regina, class of 1961 and her brothers, James, class of 1958 and Rex, class of 1959.
Charlotte was also known as Charlotte Van Sickle.