Barbara (Jessup) Hansen, died January 21, 2014. She was in the class of 1960. This news came my way in an email from Curtis Hansen. No services are planed. I will post further details if I become aware of them.
Richard Wilkinson passed away in November of 2013 at the age of 88. Mr. Wilkinson was a beloved teacher and coach at Trona High School from the 51-52 school year until the 54-55 school year. Although he left before I started high school I can tell by how well he was remembered that he left an impression on his students duding the four years he was in Trona.
She’s gone. Lynn Walters, my best friend of over 60 years passed away about an hour ago. She taught me how to Live, she taught me to be Love, she taught me how to die, and this world has a great big hole in it right now.
Posted on Facebook this morning (Jan 14, 2014) by Andrea L. Leonardi
Gerald Birdwell (class of ’60) died Jan 13, 2014 after an illness of several months. No details are available at this point as to services. Bob Birdwell (THS ’64) called to notify friends.
[edited 16 Jan 2024]
Jerry was born on 10 Feb 1942 in Long Beach, CA to Dayton and Dorothy Birdwell.
Jerry spent some years in the full-time ministry and attended a special school for Jehovah’s Witnesses for those in full-time service. He was a Jehovah’s Witness for 51 years.
His hobbies were country music and computers. He loved to travel. I his later years, he took up barbecuing.
He was preceded in death by his parents Dayton and Dorothy Birdwell.
Jerry is survived by his wife Penny Birdwell of Ridgecrest, CA, stepson Jeff Teal of Grand Rapids, MI, sister Aleta Brown of Trona, CA, brothers Robert Birdwell of Ridgecrest and Michael Birdwell of Trona, brother-in-law Harold Brown of Trona, sister-in-law Melody Birdwelll of Ridgecrest and a host of nieces and nephews to the third generation.
Published The News Review, Ridgecrest, CA 22 Jan 2014
Shirley (Thurston) Griffin class of 1959 passed away on Jan 5, 2014. Shirley was called to Heaven after a long battle with lymphoma. She was born in Trona on Oct 23 1940 and attended school until she was in high school when her parents, Vernon (Ming or Salty) and Mickey sent her to a Christian boarding school. After she was married her family resided in Trona or Ridgecrest on and off through the years.
Shirley Irene Thurston was born on October 23, 1940 in Trona, California to Vernon Samuel and Mickey (Mescal) Eunice Thurston.
Shirley showed her leadership and faith in God at an early age. She was the first Christian in her family and began attending the Foursquare Church in Trona, by herself at age 12. Through her example, her parents and sister came to know Christ.
She attended elementary school in Trona, the Seventh Day Adventist Jr. High in Ridgecrest, then Trona High School through her sophomore high school year. Shirley then attended a Christian boarding school in Clovis, California; West Coast Bible School, where she graduated High School in 1958.
Shirley was active in the community and in her school. She enjoyed Swimming, Basketball, Choir, Track/field and was an accomplished pianist.
She met Jerry Leroy Griffin at their church and then married this man who was to be the love of her life on January 1, 1962 at age 20 in the Church of God in Ridgecrest.
Shirley and Jerry pastored several small Church of God congregations in Victorville, California; Oroville, California; Yreka, California, Metlakatla, Alaska; Mount Pleasant, Texas; Phoenix, Arizona; Westwood, California; Yuma, Arizona; ending their pastorate positions at Woodburn, Oregon. In Westwood, she was only a few hours from receiving her solo pilot’s license to fly an airplane. What a shame she wasn’t able to finish that great adventure. During a visit to Alaska in 2010, one of the members of the small Metlakatla, Alaska church remembered her. They spent over an hour reminiscing over old times and the fact that Jerry and Shirley facilitated the purchase of the land where the current church still worships.
Shirley had an independent spirit all throughout her life. Starting as a child, she hiked all over the desert surrounding Trona. She made many trips with friends, family and on her own. She hiked the Sierra Mountains for two weeks by herself and traveled to China alone with a tour group and managed to ditch them along the way to see the sites she was interested in. She took thousands of pictures from all over the world, documenting her life of amazing adventures.
At the time of her death she was attending Capital Christian Center in Sacramento, CA. Shirley had an amazing capacity to love that was evident to all who met her. She immediately accepted and loved every inherited grandchild when her sons remarried. She was always careful to keep family close with her children’s respective spouses. Shirley’s pure demonstration of love touched the hearts of all who knew her. She finished the race of life with confidence and love for Jesus Christ, thankful for the saving grace of her Lord.
She is survived by her sister, Carol Dian (Dee) Burdine, daughter Janice, sons Vernon and Jerry, 11 grandchildren, 8 great grandchildren, 5 nieces, 1 nephew, 17 great nieces and nephews and 2 great great nephews along with infinite extended family and friends.
Anne Rasines, passed away peacefully in her sleep on the morning of November 1, 2013. Anne was the wife of Ricardo (Ric) Rasines who lived in Trona from the early 1950’s through the late 1980’s .
Ric was an 8th grade teacher at Trona High Schools for a number of years and then served for many years as the Boys Counselor at the school. Ric’s son, Doug, says that his father is doing well but that the news about his mother was more somber. He said, “Dad, Debbie and I were able to be at her side which was comforting to us all. As difficult as it is, mom is in a better place, We will honor mom’s long-held wishes to be cremated and have her ashes scattered at sea. We plan to have a ‘celebration of life’ memorial sometime after the holidays.”
The above is from George Sherman about an email Durwood Sigrest forwarded to him . The email was from Doug Rasines. Doug is the son of Anne and Ricardo (Ric) Rasines.
Jim Ewing, class of 1953, passed away in March of 2012. In looking for information about Jim’s death I learned that in 1940 Jim’s grandfather, James Ewing, was the fire chief in Trona and that Jim’s father, Arthur, died in Trona in 1951 at the age of 38.
My brother Joel told me that Arthur was and electrician for AP&CC and while he was working inside a product elevator someone turned it on. If I remember correctly it took several days work to recover the body. “Lock-out, Tag-out” seems so obvious now and I am sure it has saved a lot of lives. Still I remember a similar accident occurring at Kaiser Steel where the lock was cut and the tag removed. I was told by someone who worked there in the 70s that Kaiser Steel averaged an on the job death a week.
The following is an email from Jim’s daughter, Tami, to George Sherman:
“My dad had some health issues but was very diligent about seeing his doctor and taking his medications and was living happily in San Diego. My husband and I visited every other weekend as he was yearning to spend more and more time with family as he was getting along in years. I mention that as there was no outward indication of any serious health issues.
Sunday, March 4th, I received a call from my dad letting me know he had been admitted to Scripps hospital in San Diego. He took a bad fall in his condo, (evidently from ‘blacking out’) and broke 4 ribs. My dad fought to recover from his injuries, for awhile, but doctors informed me they were more concerned about his other ‘health issues’ than they were his ribs. He had liver disease and while admitted, hospital doctors learned he was having heart trouble (which explained why he had the black out). As each day passed, he got progressively worse and the rib injuries were extremely painful for him.
I spent day and night at his hospital bedside until he was finally to weak to fight, He passed away peacefully on March 21, 2012, I held his hand, prayed with him, and we watched the sun setting over the San Diego Bay as he took his last breath.
Sorry to ramble, I loved my dad very much and it gives me some comfort to share a little with his friends. My dad loved his friends very much, especially those he kept in contact with from Trona. I know because a) he told me so and b) he always talked about them. *smile*
Tami”
David (Harral) Fuller and his brother Richard went by the name of “Harral” when they were in high school but their real name was Fuller. After high school they went back to using their real name. David was born on September 7, 1942 and died on October 23, 2013. The last address I had for him was Los Molinos, CA but apparently he had moved to Louisiana. Linda Monroe said he had lung cancer but did not know if this was the cause of death or not. The arrangements were handled by Leitz-Eagan Funeral Home, 4747 Veterans Blvd, Metairie, LA 70006. David’s brother, Richard, died in 1995 and is buried in Trona.
Robert Moses 1943-2013
Robert Moses 1943-2013, Trona High School class of 1961 died in Tennessee. He had been in ill health for a long time. No obituary is available.
I just learned that Cathleen Brock from the class of 1982 died sometime in December of 2012. I was not able to find any information about her death. She was listed in the Alumni Registry as Cathleen (Brock) Sargent living in Cedar City, UT.