Category Archives: In Memory

Eugene Maulden

Eugene Henry Mauldin — Class of 1951

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Eugene Henry Mauldin 1932-2021

Eugene Henry Mauldin was born in Kilgore, Texas on April 4, 1932, to Jack Mauldin and Jewell Calloway. His parents divorced some years later and he lived with his dad in New Orleans, LA, until his father died. He lived with his mother, and they moved to Trona, California. He met his future wife Connie at her 12th birthday party, and they were friends throughout the school years. While he was in high school, his National Guard Unit was activated, and he was sent to Korea. He served as a tank gunner and after his tour of duty, he returned to Trona, Ca.

When he was 21 and Connie was 18, they were married in 1953. Eugene worked as an apprentice machinist at the chemical plant in Trona, until he succeeded in getting his machinist rating.

The family moved to Freeport, Texas and lived there for a couple of years. Due to health issues for Glenn, they moved to Denver, Colorado in 1968 and Eugene went to work for Coors Brewery as a machinist for almost 30 years. The family has lived in Denver ever since.

Eugene loved the outdoors and hiking and camping and hunting. He tried his hand at many hobbies (travel, square dancing, and had his own metal shop and while he lived in Trona he got his pilot’s license and flew a plane that he was part owner) and enjoyed being with and sharing life with his family. He was married to Connie for 67 years until she passed in 2021.

Eugene passed away June 29, 2021.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/229045641/eugene-henry-mauldin

Charlotte Davis

Charlotte (Davis) Moore — Class of 1957

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Charlotte Ann (Davis) Moore 1938 -2021

Charlotte was born to William Clarence and Novella Davis on February 12, 1940 in San Bernardino County, California. She married Gene Moore on February 12, 1961, in Sacramento, California. Charlotte passed away on December 6, 2021.

Charlotte has a sister, Betty Jean (Davis) Cruse , who was in the class of 1963.

There will be no services in keeping with Charlotte’s wishes.

Our condolences to Charlotte’s family.

Carl A. Bledsoe Jr. — Class of 1968

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Carl A. Bledsoe 1950-2021

Carl Afton Bledsoe Jr., age 71, of Palmdale, California passed away on Wednesday, December 15, 2021. Carl was born March 2, 1950.

Carl Jr. came to Trona in 1957 with his parents Carl Bledsoe Sr. (1917-1988) and Lilly Aleene [Long] Bledsoe (1921-2015). Carl Sr. came to Trona in 1957 as a P. E. teacher, football coach and basketball coach. Carl Sr. would eventually become Trona Joint Unified School District superintendent.

While in high school Carl Jr. was involved with an impressive number of activities: four years of football, basketball and Varsity Club; two years of track; three years of band; Spanish Club; Science Club; Telescope staff and class officer. After attending college Carl Jr. became a teacher at Antelope Valley Union High School in Palmdale, CA.

Carl Jr. was married to Janis Baker, THS class of 1969. Carl has a younger brother and sister who attended Trona High School: Thomas, THS class of 1973 and Patricia (Bledsoe) Browne, THS class of 1976.

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/palmdale-ca/carl-bledsoe-10491016

Benny McCullar

Benny McCullar — Class of 1959

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Benjamin Keith McCullar (1941-2021) was born to Thurman P. and Beatrice McCullar on December 4, 1941 in Oklahoma. He died July 2, 2021 at his home in Grass Valley, California.

Benny played varsity baseball and basketball in high school. The 1959 varsity basketball team won all of their leauge games to become the DIL champions. They played three CIF games before they were defeated by Santa Clara in the fourth game of the playoffs.

The McCullar family moved to Trona from Snyder, Oklahoma in 1955. Thurman worked for Stauffer Chemical in Westend. Thurman died in 1979 and was buried in the Searles Valley Cemetery. Beatrice died in 2008 in Bakersfield. Benny’s older sister, Beth, was a member of the class of 1957. She went to school in Trona for one year before getting married in 1956. Beth died in 2015 in Bakersfield.

Frances Jones

Frankie J (Jones) Young — Class of 1954

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Frances Jeanette Jones was born to Rupert and Edith Jones Nov 17, 1936 in Oregon and passed away Nov 23, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. Her father, Rupert, died in 1974 and her mother, Edith, died in 2008. Frankie has a brother, Bruce who was a member of the class of 1958.

When in high school Frankie was a member of the Girls Athletic Association, Telescope staff and Komerce Klub.

We would like to express our sincere condolences to her family.

William “Bill” Wright — Class of 1972

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William “Bill” Wright Class of 1972 passed away November 13, 2021 with his wife Debra Seagle Wright by his side. Please join us on November 21, 2021 at 1pm at the Trona Elementary School Cafeteria for a celebration of life, with a burial following at the Searles Valley Cemetery. Reception following for family and friends at Trona Elementary School Cafeteria.

Qwen Knowles

Gwen (Holland/Knowles) Russell — Class of 1953

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We just learned of the of Qwen Russell’s passing. She died in December of 2020. 

Gwen was the daughter of Ruth Knolwes and step daughter of Howard Knowles. 

Gwen went by her step father’s name, Knowles when she was growing up but her birth name was Holland. Gwen was the widow of Ira Russell who was in the class of 1951. 
I believe Gwen was living in Ridgecrest at the time of her death. Her brother, Bruce Knowles, was in the class of 1964 and her brother, Kenneth Knowles, was in the class of 1967.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/227241748/gwendolyn-may-russell

Pete Teel

Clayton Howard “Pete” Teel — Class of 1958

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Pete Teel (1940-2021) passed away Kern General Hospital in Bakersfield on October 10, 2021. He had a couple of episodes of Sepsis from a kidney infection. Pete was living in Trona at the time of his death. He was the father of six daughters, grandfather of seventeen grandchildren and great-grandfather of seven greatgrandchildren. His wife, Clora, and daughter, Celeste, are still living in Trona.

Pete was the son of Clayton and Lydia “Sue” Teel. Sue Teel drove the school bus from Argus to the school each day. The Teel family lived in Argus near the foot the mountains in a house that Clayton Sr. built. I used to visit Pete’s brother, Mike, quite a bit when I was in elementary school. The Teel family moved right after Pete graduated. Michael Teel passed away in April of 2021.

Pete Teel’s Interment Ceremony

My condolences to Pete and Mike’s families.

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Richard Gonzalez

Richard Gonzalez — Class of 1958

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Richard Gonzalez (1939-2021) died on about October 14, 2021. He was the son of Al and Maria Gonzalaz and brother of Al Jr. (1936-1991) (class of 1955), Gilbert (class of 1956), Albert (class of 1960), Michael (class of 1963), Charles (class of 1964), Mavi (class of 1966) and perhaps other siblings that I never knew.

I remember Richard from algebra class, my envy of his photography skills and his marriage to one of the cutest girls in the class of 1961. Richard was the yearbook photographer when he was in high school and continued to perform that function as a paid professional photographer after he graduated. Hid father Al, was a photographer for AP&CC. Both Richard’s parents passed away in 2009.

I would like to express my deepest sympathies to his family.

As I learn more I will update this post.

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