Category Archives: Obituary

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.

James John Pinnell — Class of 1974

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The Reverend James John Pinnell, 63, (West Tennessee Presbytery), pastor of the Gleason Cumberland Presbyterian Church, died on May 25, 2020, after a battle with cancer. He was born January 4, 1957, to the Reverend Samuel Johnnie Pinnell and Dorothy Ann “Dottie” Brown Pinnell, a family with deep roots in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Jim’s uncle was the Reverend LaRoyce Brown and two of Jim’s first cousins are also Cumberland Presbyterian ministers.

While in the United Sates Marine Corps, and while the family were members of Saint Mark’s Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Oklahoma City, Sam was called to ministry and received as a candidate by Northeast Oklahoma Presbytery. However, military life, including a posting to Japan, caused the family to move frequently during Jim’s childhood.

Jim’s father, Sam, served a number of Cumberland Presbyterian Churches in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and California and moved often during Jim’s youth which is common for clergy families. After returning from Japan, the Pinnells joined the Hector Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Arkansas and Sam came under the care of Ewing Presbytery shortly before it merged with Little Rock-Burrow Presbytery to form Ewing-Burrow Presbytery. Ewing-Burrow Presbytery ordained his father in 1968 when Jim was eleven.

After Sam was called to the pastorate of the Trona, California, Cumberland Presbyterian Church, then in Pacific Presbytery, Jim attended Trona High School and graduated in 1974. He worked for the Muskogee and Wagoner, Oklahoma, police departments and was active for several years as youth counselor for the Liberty Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Muskogee.

Jim came under the care of Northeast Oklahoma Presbytery on April 29, 1979. He attended Northeast Oklahoma University, Tahlequah, Oklahoma, before transferring to Bethel College, McKenzie, Tennessee, from which he graduated in 1984. While at Bethel College he preached at Mt. Zion Cumberland Presbyterian Church near Gleason, Tennessee. During his senior year, Jim was a residence hall director. After his graduation, Northeast Oklahoma Presbytery licensed Jim on December 30, 1984. Jim’s father was installed as pastor of the Trona, California, Cumberland Presbyterian Church, on June 15, 1986. At the same meeting, Pacific Presbytery received Jim under their care. In 1989, when Pacific Presbytery became part of Presbytery del Cristo, Jim was a licentiate under the new presbytery.

Tragically, Jim’s parents died within a few days of each other. His mother, Dorothy, died on March 29, 1994, and his father Sam died on April 4, 1994. The Trona Cumberland Presbyterian Church, of which Sam was still pastor at the time of his death, held a double funeral. At the time, Jim, as a licentiate of Pacific Presbytery, was serving Trona as associate pastor under his father.

Jim attended Memphis Theological Seminary for a year nd then completed his ministerial education through the Program of Alternate Studies. Through the rest of his ministry, Jim was an enthusiastic supporter of the program. Presbytery del Cristo ordained Jim Pinnell on August 14, 1998. He then served briefly as pastor of the Trona Cumberland Presbyterian Church before accepting a call to the Gleason Cumberland Presbyterian Church in West Tennessee Presbytery.

Obviously beloved by his Gleason church family, “Brother Jim” had been pastor since 2000, giving generously of his time and talents. His wife, Carol Ann Higgs Pinnell, survives him.

Rev. James John “Jim” Pinnell

Bobby Gene Tyler — Class of 1959

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I am sorry to bring you the news that. Bobby Tyler, class of 1959 passed away on October 5, 2020 after falling and injuring his head the day before. He was living in Wenatchee, Washington.  When Bobby was in High school he worked as a butcher after school and weekends at Paul’s Market in Argus.

Bobby married Jo Lynn Barter, class of 1958 in 1959 shorty after graduating. They divorced in 1976 while living in Washington.

It is always a sad day to hear of the passing of a classmate. I ask that his family and friends accept our condolences and know that our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Thomas G. Dunne — Class of 1948

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October 10, 1930 – April 5, 2020

Thomas G. Dunne, Ph.D., 89, of Tualitin, OR, died peacefully on Sunday, April 5. Born in 1930 in Los Angeles, he was the son of the late Thomas J. and Mary A. Dunne, and grew up in the small chemical company town of Westend, CA, on Searles Lake in the Mojave Desert. He graduated from nearby Trona High School in 1948, and received a B.S. in Chemistry from UCLA in 1952 and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from The University of Washington in 1957. Dr. Dunne then worked as a chemist at Central Research labs at IBM and as a post-doctoral fellow at MIT.

In 1963 Dr. Dunne joined the faculty of Reed College in the Chemistry Department. For over four decades, he taught a variety of Chemistry and Environmental Science courses to Reed undergraduates, advised dozens of Reed thesis research students, and chaired the Chemistry Department for several years. In his honor, one of his Chemistry advisees endowed an annual lecture named after him.

Dr. Dunne was a very active, 64-year member of the American Chemical Society (ACS), Portland Section. He was the former chair of the Portland Section, where he served on the committee to select the Linus Pauling Medal Award. He was an active member of the ACS Northeast Regional Board of Directors. Dr. Dunne was a longtime member of the Sierra Club and active in environmental issues. He was a longtime participant in the Reed Emeritus Book Club, and also active in the City Club of Portland, and the Searles Valley Historical Society of Trona, California.

Dr. Dunne leaves his brother, C. Patrick Dunne, Ph.D., and wife Maureen of Framingham, MA, his nieces and their spouses, Kerry Dunne and Adam Steiner of Framingham, MA, Eileen Dunne and Jack Daniels of Boise, ID, Erin Dunne and Ryan Ellis of Waltham, MA. He leaves three grand nieces, Nora Steiner, Margaret Steiner and Veronica Ellis, and a grand nephew, Indigo Ellis. He is also survived by Beatriz and Stokely Beckford of Chicago, IL, his cousin, Joan Murphy of Palo Cedro, CA, and close friend Ron Sato, of Portland, OR.

There will be no services. Remembrances may be sent to Reed College, the Portland Section of the American Chemical Society, or the Alzheimers Association.

https://davies.mem.com/Obituary/9115489/173039300/173039307?title=Obituary

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Kenneth “Leroy” Bradburn — Class of 1952

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Kenneth “Leroy” Bradburn, age 81, life long resident of Elwood, passed away on Sunday, September 6, 2015, at his residence surrounded by his loving family following an extended illness.  Leroy was born on January 31, 1934, in Elwood to Kenneth Greenstreet and Doris (Hicks) Bradburn.  Leroy was retired from Continental Can of Elwood after 22 years and later retired from Chrysler Corp. after 19 years.  Leroy was a veteran of the US Army, member of the Daleville American Legion, and the Elwood Elks.  He enjoyed wood working, golfing, and fishing.
Leroy is survived by his loving Wife, Shirley (Browning) Bradburn of Elwood, Son, Gene Bradburn of Elwood, four Daughters, Bobbi Fanning, Tracy (Fred) Albers, Kimberly Boes, and Robin (Bill) Copeland all of Elwood, eleven Grandchildren, Leslie, Brian, and Ryan Fanning, Holly (Ryan) Abbott, Michelle Albers, Lacey Copeland, Cole Bradburn, Jack Bradburn, Tori Clough, Misty Bradfield, and Jessica Hendrix, 11 Great Grandchildren, Sister,  Joyce Call of Elwood, Several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Leroy was preceded in death by his Parents, Brother, Gene Greenstreet (Class of 1951), Sister, Linda, Brother in law, Ralph Call, and a  Daughter in law, Michelle Bradburn.

A Celebration of Life Funeral service will be at 3:00 pm Thursday, September 10, 2015 at Dunnichay Funeral Home, Elwood, Indiana.  Burial will be at a later date.
Visitation will be Thursday, September 10, 2015, from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, at Dunnichay Funeral Home, 1113 S. Anderson Street, Elwood, Indiana.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the Elwood Animal Shelter.

Sharing memories and online condolences can be given at www.dunnichayfuneralhome.com

Note: Leroy’s family left Trona in 1950 so Leroy and Gene did not graduate from Trona High School.

Wanda Jeanne (Adams) Cagle

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Wanda Jeanne Cagle, 84, of Riverton, KS, passed from this life on Monday, January 13, 2020, at Westgate at Wildwood Ranch, Joplin, MO. Wanda was born November 28, 1935, in Chetopa, KS, to the union of John Adams Jr. and Hazel Eileen (Gail) Adams.
After high school Wanda was united in marriage to Paul G. Cagle on July 16, 1953, in Trona, CA.
Wanda worked for the United States Postal services as a mail carrier and later as a clerk for 30 years. Wanda volunteered at the Freeman Hospital gift shop for many years after the passing of her husband in 2009. Wanda was a member of the Spring River Assembly of God Church, Riverton. She loved spending time with her family, especially the grandchildren.
Wanda is preceded in death by her parents; husband; half- brother, Gail Everett.
Wanda is survived by one son, Neil Cagle and wife, Annette, of Moss Beach, CA; one brother, Gary Adams and wife, Connie, of Carthage, MO; four sisters, Shirley McDonald, of Kansas City, KS, Barbara Flynn, of Joplin, Kay Pugh and husband, Cleo, of Diamond, MO, and Joy Tash and husband, Darrell, of Galena, KS; two grandchildren, Marissa and Jason Cagle.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., Friday, January 17, at Derfelt’s Baxter Chapel. Pastor Ken Robinson will officiate. Burial will follow in the Lowell Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to a charity of your choice in Wanda’s memory.
Online condolences may be xpressed at derfeltfuneralhomes.com.

https://obituaries.joplinglobe.com/obituary/wanda-cagle-1078259248

Ray Hagan Banks

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Ray Hagan Banks, 91, passed away Tuesday, January 21, 2020, at home. Ray was born September 11, 1928, in Spanish Fork, Utah to John Delbert and Mary Sophia Jex Banks. He married Patricia Stevens in the Manti LDS temple on June 2, 1955.

Ray attended school in Spanish Fork, Utah. He was active in the Future Farmers of America, including being president of the organization in 1948. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and a teaching credential from BYU-Provo. He later earned a Masters Degree in General Administration. He worked for the Fontana Unified School District from 1955 to 1992.

Ray served many callings throughout the years including a Netherlands mission, teaching seminary for 10 years, Scoutmaster, Stake Executive Secretary, Bishop, counselor in Fontana Stake Presidency and couples’ missions with his wife in St. Petersburg, Russia, Thailand, and they managed the Springville Home Storage Center for 18 months.

Ray enjoyed traveling and spending time camping outdoors. Five times he took scouts on a week-long 50-mile hike in King’s Canyon National Park. Over the years he visited 48 of the United States, and several countries.

He is survived by his wife Pat, of Spanish Fork, Utah; children Jay (Jean) Banks, Orange, California; Ken (Tina) Banks, Moreno Valley, California; Bryce (Clare) Banks, St George, Utah; Kathryn (Larry) Wolod, Houston, Texas; Brynna (Scott) Cadman, Etiwanda, California; Duane (Kirsten) Banks, Kaysville, Utah; Karen (Shane) Gillett, Houston, Texas; Glenn (Debby) Banks, Jersey Village, Texas; Mike (JoLynn) Banks, Gold Bar, Washington; 23 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren, and sister Annie (Arlin) Ewell, Garland, Utah. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Lois (Ernest) Roach, brother Bill (Mable) Banks, brother John (Maxine) Banks, brother Richard (Marge) Banks, and one grandson.

Funeral services will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 25th at 585 N. Main Street, Spanish Fork. The viewing will be from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning at the same location.

Interment will follow at the Spanish Fork Cemetery.

Ray Banks was married to Patricia (Stevens) Banks who was born in Trona and graduated from Trona High School in 1953. She now lives in Spanish Fork, Utah.

John Cameron Davis

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John Cameron Davis, former Trona High School principal and superintendent of the Trona Joint Unified School District, died Dec. 23 at Bakersfield Adventist Health Hospital. The eight-year resident of Tehachapi had retired just five months before from a varied and distinguished career in education, but his health was failing. He was 70.

During his life, Mr. Davis was known among family and friends as a go-getter who could meet any challenge. He became proficient in woodworking in a short time while still in college and then was a quick study as he pursued excellence in progressive levels in the education field.

Mr. Davis was born Jan. 10, 1949, in Sleepy Eye, Minn. The family soon moved to Southern California. Living in various communities including Sherman Oaks to Rosemead before settling in Valinda. Mr. Davis played on the varsity football team and was on the wrestling team at Nogales High School, graduating in 1967.

Mr. Davis continued in football at Humboldt State University his freshman year. A leg injury ended his playing days but not his love for the game. He transferred to San Francisco State University where he majored in Political Science with a minor in Industrial Arts. He proved so adept that he ended up teaching the school’s shop class that he was taking his senior year. He graduated in 1971 as a married man. The year before he married his childhood sweetheart, Phyllis Link, also an S.F. State student.

To support himself during college he drove a cab in San Francisco and honed his woodworking craft working for Mayta and Jensen cabinet makers, an experience he treasured. While waiting for a job opening of his choice Mr. Davis worked at Ralphs grocery chain in the freezer warehouse.

His first teaching job was at Trona High School in 1973 as wood shop teacher. He was the assistant football coach for five years and assistant principal for three years. He rebuilt the woodshop and redesigned the wood-working curriculum into a quality program.

In 1981, the Davises moved to Lake Arrowhead. Mr. Davis became principal of the Mary Putnam Henck Intermediate School in the Rim of the World Unified School District. His reputation was growing as an omnipresent principal who was visible in the school corridors, meeting rooms, on the playground and visiting classes.

“He was a very active hands-on principal,” said Mrs. Davis, who was commuting to teaching jobs “down the mountain” in the San Bernardino and Fontana areas. “He had that reputation.”

Mr. Davis became principal of the Rim of the World High School in 1986 for three years, honing administrative skills he would pass along to his daughter, currently an elementary school principal in Ridgecrest. He coached football and also coached the wrestling team as a volunteer,

But the real estate business had long intrigued Mr. Davis in Lake Arrowhead, and he tried a new venture for four years.

“But he really missed education,” Mrs. Davis said.

In the mid ’90s the Davises returned to Trona when Mr. Davis became the high school principal and assistant football coach. In an unusual development — for the school archives — Mr. Davis’ athletic daughter became the football team’s placekicker her sophomore year. During his tenure Mr. Davis also became district superintendent, hence holding two jobs. Still he found time to get a captain’s license for sailing and joined a sailing association. He periodically would take out a boat to sail to Catalina Island. It was typical of Mr. Davis to set his mind to do something, get it done quickly and efficiently, then enjoy it.

In 2004, Mr. Davis accepted the job of principal of Hanford West High School and the family moved to the Central Valley. Mrs.Davis said her husband wanted the challenge and experience of “a more diverse population” and that he was “out there with the kids” in the school of 1,800.

He retired in 2008 and Mr. Davis started his own high-end company, The Turning Point. He created alabaster art objects and marketed them locally while his wife continued teaching elementary school in Lemoore until retiring in 2010.

But in 2012, Mr. Davis was recommended for a job with CalStateTEACH to advise people seeking their teaching credentials. He accepted the position. “John loved it,” Mrs. Davis said. “It was more of the hands-on.”

The next year the program hired Mrs. Davis and they worked as a team. They drove thousands of miles to school districts in many counties.

But, in August 2019, Mr. Davis’ health had begun to decline and the Davis team retired. The timing coincided with their daughter, Sarah Davis Tate, becoming principal of Las Flores Elementary School in Ridgecrest. She says her father’s advice to her was to always be highly visible on campus and keep all lines of communication open with students and faculty and parents alike.

Mr. Davis is survived by his wife of 49 years, Phyllis Davis; their daughter, Sarah Tate and her husband, Robbie; a brother, Scott Davis of Southern California, and grandchildren Dominique “Nique” Edler, 28; Brandyn Tate, 21; Ezra Tate, 14, and Ty Schmid, 20.

A memorial for Mr. Davis will be held Feb. 15 at the Inyokern Airport at 11:00 AM