Category Archives: In Memory

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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Allen Dean Jedlicka — Class of 1960

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Allen D. Jedlicka, 78, of Hudson, died Saturday, September 11, 2021, at UnityPoint Health – Allen Hospital. He was born October 6, 1942, in Fredricksburg, TX to Waldemar J. and Ethel E. (Schlaudt) Jedlicka. He graduated from high school in Trona, CA and received his BS degree from San Diego State University. Allen served in the Peace Corps in Bolivia for two years. Continuing his education, he earned a Doctoral Degree in Anthropology. He was a Professor at the University of Northern Iowa and an author of several books.

Allen and Wendy have been together for 26 years. Allen was always passionate for his work with developing countries and was an original with re-use/recycle.

Allen is survived by his family: Wendy Brudevold, Hudson, Charlotte Duin, Sheldon, Andy (Melanie) Brudevold, Prior Lake, MN, and Nick Brudevold and Carmen Miller, both of Waterloo. He is preceded in death by his daughter, Sierra.

Memorial Services: 10:30 AM Thursday, September 16, at Central Christian Church, Waterloo.

The family will greet friends one hour before services. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to donor’s favorite charity. For more info, visit www.LockeFuneralHome.com.

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/wcfcourier/name/allen-jedlicka-obituary?pid=200119444

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Nancy V. (Dunn) Bailey — Class of 1958

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Nancy (Dunn) Baily

Saturday, September 18, 2021, Nancy V. (Dunn) Bailey passed away peacefully to be with her Lord in Heaven.

Nancy Bailey, daughter of Clinton and Princess Dunn, was born in Victorville, California on August 28,1940. She lived in Westend, California since birth until graduating from Trona High School in 1958 and then married Dan Bailey who passed away in 2018.

Nancy is survived by her son Mark Bailey of Newport, California; daughter Michelle Skeen of San Francisco, California; four grandchildren and her brother, Roy Dunn of Redlands, California a member of the Trona High School class of 1960.

Nancy had been residing, for several years,in an assisted living facility, in Anaheim Calif before passing.

She will be missed by her family, friends and former classmates.

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