Toni was a long time resident of Trona she born on Jan 5, 1949 and passed away on December 29, 2020. She had several sisters and a brother that also attended Trona High School.
Toni (Zeiss) Haleman — Class of 1967
Leave a reply
Category Archives: In Memory
Peggy (Pearlie) May Mills
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
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.
Daniel Armando “Danny” Lopez — Class of 1966
We have been informed that Danny Lopez, class of 1966 passed away in August of 2020. There will be graveside services for him in Trona Nov. 14th at 12:00 p.m.
Bobby Gene Tyler — Class of 1959
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.
Sheila (Baker) Haughton — Class of 1967
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 — Class of 1970
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
Leona D Estes — Class of 1972
Leona Estes, also known as Leona Ritter from the class of 1972, passed away August 25, 2020. She had been battling liver cancer the last couple of months. Leona grew up in Trona and was raised by he grandmother, Juanita Ritter and uncle and aunt, Dale and Patsy (Ritter) Storm.
Nancy (Bezansky) Seeman — Class of 1971,
I just received notice that Nancy (Bezansky) Seeman, class of 1971, passed away recently. If additional information becomes available I will post it here.
Louis Edgar Sims — Class of 1961
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.