Category Archives: Death Notice

Gail (Murchison) Beck

Gail (Murchison) Beck — Class of 1961

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It is with great sadness that I share the news of Gail’s passing. She died peacefully in her sleep on April 1, 2021, after battling Stage IV lung cancer for over 18 months. Gail was the daughter of Jeff and Myrt Murchison and granddaughter of George and Ann Pipkin, long-time Trona residents. She was the big sister to Warren, who died in 1976.

Gail was a 1961 graduate of Trona High School where she served as the 1960 homecoming queen.  She was active in student council and many other school activities.

Gail will be remembered by her lovely smile and warm, gracious personality.  She is survived by her loving children and their spouses:  Kelly and Han, and Eric and Shaun.  She was adored by her grandchildren: Zack, Aidan, Eli, Riley, Isabel, and Chelsea.  Being a grandmother was one of the biggest joys in her life. Gail is survived also by her aunts, Lit Brush and Val Hurlocker, and her uncle, Pat Hurlocker.

She will be missed forever.

Charlotte (Reeves) Biggs

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

Sheila (Baker) Haughton — Class of 1967

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I was just informed that Sheila (Baker) Haughton, class of 1967 has passed away. I think this happened about the first of September 2020.

Sheila was born to Odell and Dorothy Baker on March 2, 1949. Sheila was a Trona Elementary School teacher in the 70’s. I don’t know how long she taught.

Shelia was married to  James Tyler Haughton, ( THS teacher from 1973-2010) and also from the class of 1967.  Her father-in-law James Haughton Sr. , left Trona High School in 1944, his senior  to join the navy after Pearl Harbor was bombed. He returned to and graduated in 1947. Sheila’s mother-in-law Marydith (Tyler) Haughton was also a member of the class of 1947.

I will post more information when it becomes available.

Terri (Burrell) Schmidgall and wife Betty

Terri (Burrell) Schmidgall — Class of 1970

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Known best by her nickname, Terri, Teresa Jane Burrell Schmidgall passed away on September 5th, 2020 at the age of 68. She was surrounded by family, watching her favorite tv shows. Terri dedicated her life to nursing and was a talented woodworker. She started her nursing career in her early 20’s as a CNA and continued working her way up the ladder; later gaining experience as an Administrator and Director of Nursing for retirement communities in the Seattle, Washington area.

Terri was born in Trona, California on February 2, 1952 to Tom and Toni Burrell. She loved sports and competition. After graduating from Trona High School, Terri moved to Pocatello, Idaho where she studied nursing at Idaho State University. Those were raucous years for Terri as she left an ex-husband behind and battled alcoholism all the way into a sanitarium. Terri made friends easily and considered herself lucky many of them picked her up when she fell.

In the 1990’s Terri excelled in her sobriety and nursing career while raising two daughters. She soon fell in love with her future wife, Betty Glandon, and moved the family to Seattle. Terri and Betty were married in Woodinville, Washington on August 24, 2013 in a fun-loving estate ceremony. Terri was a spunky, gregarious woman who battled many demons but kept a strong, confident appearance. She was loved by many but understood by few.

She is survived by her wife, Betty Glandon, daughter Mackenzie Daniek, daughter Shirstie Gaylord, Stepson Matt Glandon, Grandsons Alex and Elisha Daniek, Sons-in-law Nathaniel Daniek and Eric Gaylord and siblings Tom Burrell, Tim Burrell and Sister Donna Preston. A celebration of life ceremony is pending. In lieu of flowers please make donations to EvergreenHealth Hospice Care, 12822 124th Lane NE, Kirkland, WA 98034

Louis Edgar Sims — Class of 1961

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Some of Louis’ ancestors were Vikings, both Danes and Celts, and we always saw him that way! He loved the outdoors, loved water with kayaking on the rivers and boating on the lakes, sailed around the west coast in his private plane and loved skiing, mountain biking, bow and gun hunting and exploring.  He was a volunteer fireman 1970-77 and reached the three-gallon level in blood donations. That all has come to an end. Louis died August 5, in Yellow Springs Ohio, from heart failure and pancreatic cancer — the same illness that took his father at the same age.

Louis was born August 23, 1943, in Trona, in the California desert. He graduated with honors from Trona High School in 1961, after being very active in the marching band, football, basketball and track – Louis set a school record for the 880 yard sprint. When asked what had been a memorable event in his life, he answered it was when his high school basketball team “won the State championship!”

Louis went on to receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from California State Polytechnic University in 1966. At one time during that period, all three Sims brothers were attending Cal Poly. After graduation, Louis married Carol Ford in Trona and they moved to Seattle where Louis worked on Minuteman missiles with Boeing Aircraft; he was excused from the Vietnam draft because he was a rocket scientist. He received a Master’s in Electronic Engineering from the University of Washington.

When the missile contract ended, Louis found new work with Keytronic, a startup computer company in Spokane. He designed and patented a capacitive switch for computer keyboards for them, which led to $100 million per year in sales. In 1977, Louis became vice-president of engineering for ISC Systems and directed development of on-line cluster terminal systems for banks. In 1986, Louis moved to Output Technology Corporation, which produced high speed-impact printers, where he launched three new products and won a government contract worth $50 million. He was president and CEO 1993-2000 and increased sales from $4 million to over $30 million per year and sold the printers in several countries around the world.

Louis is survived by his children Jenniffer, Jilliann, Evan, Hayley, and nieces Tiffany and Serrina Sims and his wife Mary Sims and her daughters Valerie, Alisa and Demi Kosheleff. He is also survived by his brother Richard and his wife Cindy. Louis’s ashes will be scattered in Yellow Springs and on a mountain near Spokane.

Bonnie (Mock) Schroeder — Class of 1962

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We have received word from Clark Curtin who spoke to her daughter that Bonnie (Mock) Schroeder passed away on  July 15, 2020.

Although I lost track of her once I left Trona she was a good and close friend and neighbor  while I was growing up. This is sad news for me. I offer my prayers and well wishes to her family and friends.

Bonnie was born to Eugene and Juanita Mock on Aug 10, 1944. She had two brothers, Paul and David, and two sisters, Kay and Jan. David died in 2013.