Tammy Martin reported that her sister, Sharen Martin-Copeland, who was born September 23,1963 died on January 12, 2019.
Sharen (Martin) Copeland – Class of 1982
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Category Archives: In Memory
Coach Paul Monroe Branum
February 16, 1936 – January 5, 2019
Obituary of Coach Paul Monroe Branum
Paul Monroe Branum of Fort Smith, Arkansas passed away peacefully January 4, 2019 at age 82. Born February 16, 1936 in Vinita, Oklahoma, Paul was the sixth of seven children of James Madison Branum and Gladys Mae Toler Branum.
He excelled in sports at Holdenville High School (OK) and he chose to take his talents to Murray State College (OK) and Austin College (TX). Paul graduated from Austin College and earned his Masters from East Texas State. In 1959, he married the love of his life, and wife of 59 years, Nicolette Brown of London, England.
Paul’s passion was coaching football. He coached the first integrated high school football team in east Texas, and spent over 20 years (1971-1991) coaching on the only sand football field in America at Trona, CA. His coaching career spanned 6 decades and influenced many lives. From his dust bowl roots, he was able to instill strength and resilience into generations of young athletes. He retired to Emory, Texas, in 2003, and eventually moved to Fort Smith to be closer to grand-kids.
He is survived by his wife Nicolette Cecile Branum; son Paul Branum and wife Joanna of Greely, Colorado and their children Aliyah, Caedmon and Jackson; son Russell Branum and wife Marilin of Greenwood, and their children Elissa Lucero and husband Michael, Matthew Branum and wife Haley, and Emily, Olivia and Ivalynn Branum; son David Branum and wife Jennette of Overton, Texas, and their children, Devin Branum and wife Devon, Karmen Lantz and husband Dillon and their children Emily and Lucas, and Katrina Hughes and husband Jonathan; daughter Suzanne Crable and husband Tom of Cincinnati, Ohio and their children Matthew and Jonathan; his sister Beverly Vannoy and husband Donald of Oklahoma, as well as his brother James Branum of Texas.
A Celebration of Life will be held Friday 3 pm at Methodist Village in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Flowers will be shared profusely amongst patients and staff. Arrangements are under the direction of Edwards Funeral home. Memorial donations may be sent to the Alzheimer’s Association. Alz.org To leave an online memory, visit www.edwardsfuneralhome.com.
Joe Brangwin
Trona Icon Joe Brangwin passed away at his daughters’ home on Oct 28, 2018. He was 92.
Joe owned the Chevron Station in Trona over 50 years and was a staple of the community. Trona Citizens honored Joe with a community dinner and plaque in August 2017 commemorating his many years of service and dedication to Trona and surrounding communities.
Joe Brangwin was born on 12-31-1925 and raised in Le Mars Iowa. He was an identical twin and the baby of the family. After graduation from High School he entered the Army and served in Europe with the 101st Airborne Division. After the war he attended Westmar College where he earned his private pilots license. He went to work for the Westend Chemical Co in Trona in 1950. He and a partner opened up the Trona Chevron Station in 1954 which he owned and operated for 50 years. He was a life member and Past Exalted Ruler of the Trona Elks Lodge, and an active member of Grace Lutheran Church. He was preceded in death by his wife of 52 years, Laveda Merle, both sons Stephen of Trona and Michael of San Jose, and his daughter Linda Panter of Boron. He is survived by daughter Lori Acton of Ridgecrest, granddaughters Tami Mitchell of Boron and Amanda Parcher of WA, grandson Cody Parcher of Ridgecrest, and Great Great Grandson Rayden Swigart of WA.
His siblings Velva Ford of AZ, brothers Donald of Seattle, Earl of Anaheim and his twin John of Le Mars all preceded him in death, as well as many nieces and nephews.
A viewing will be held from 5-8 pm at Holland Lyons Mortuary Thursday, Nov. 1 and the Funeral service will be on Friday, Nov. 2 at Grace Lutheran Church @10 am. Graveside service with Interment will follow at Searles Valley Cemetery in Trona. Afterwards, a reception to share memories and stories of joe along with a potluck will be held at Grace Lutheran church.
Viola Florence (Marshall) Fair — Class of 1948
Viola Florence (Marshall) Fair passed away on August 22, 2018 after an extended illness. She was born October 14, 1930 in Lone Pine, CA to John W. and Rosella (Merrick) Marshall, grew up in Cartago, and graduated from Trona High School in 1948.
After receiving a business degree at San Bernardino Valley College in 1950, she was employed as a Service Representative at Southern Telephone (later General Telephone) until 1954. She met her future husband, Edward Fair, while she was in high school, and they married in 1952 when he was on leave from the Navy during the Korean War. She and Edward had two daughters and settled in Rialto.
The family moved to Citrus Heights in 1965. Viola created a loving home, supporting her family’s well-being in every way. She was a caring and devoted wife, mother, and friend, and adored her 4 grandchildren. She sewed beautiful clothes, and was talented in arts and crafts. She served as room mother, Sunday school teacher, and Girl Scout leader in support of her daughters. Viola is remembered for her delicious cooking, abundant canning, beautiful garden, and lovely oil paintings. She always had the right See’s candy for the occasion, and we are reminded of fun times with her when we taste butterscotch squares, strawberry-rhubarb pie, apricot-pineapple jam and her other favorites.
She loved animals, adopting many dogs and cats over the years and offering a friendly yard for wild animals and birds. Viola was a very giving person and volunteered throughout her life. She was an active member of Celtic Cross Presbyterian Church for decades, volunteered for over 20 years at the Casa Restaurant supporting the Sacramento Children’s Home, and supported the Thursday Club and Garden Club among others. She and Edward led projects to plant and maintain the Rusch House’s former Rose Garden for more than a decade.
Viola is survived by Edward, her beloved husband of over 65 years; brother, John W. Marshall Jr. (Beverly); daughters, Cheryl Zakskorn (Peter) and Pam Fair (Glen Sullivan); granddaughters, Stefanie Zakskorn Lynch (Brice), Stacie Zakskorn and Shelley Zakskorn Herzfeldt (Alex); grandson, Ted Sullivan; sisters-in-law, Dorothy Comber and Lillian Todd; many nieces and nephews; and her favorite cat, Ming. Viola was preceded in death by her parents as well as sisters, Jeanne Olson and Dorothy Park. Viola was kind, encouraging, and warm. Her smile, bright eyes, sense of humor and unconditional love will be forever missed. She will be laid to rest at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery; respecting her wishes, the service will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in Viola’s memory may be made to the Mono Lake Committee (www.monolake.org) or the Sacramento SPCA (www.sspca.org).
https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sacbee/obituary.aspx?n=viola-florence-fair-marshall&pid=190107015
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/192752197/viola-florence-fair
ANTONIO BATISTA – CLASS OF 1973
Tony died July 1, 2018 in Trona just before his birthday. He will be missed by his classmates and friends.
Mary (Hurtado) Perez (1929-2018) — Class of 1948
Our mother was born August 5, 1929 in the town of Aguascalientes, Mexico. She was raised in a small town in Trona, CA and moved with her family to Pittsburg, CA where she met the love of her life Joaquin.
A loving soul, Mary was the epitome of the perfect mother and wife. She dedicated her life to making sure her children were happy and taught us to pray and instilled the love of Jesus in our daily life. Everyone loved her fresh homemade tortillas, and her specialty Mexican dishes. Mom loved to read, crochet blankets for all the family, do word puzzles and she especially loved our visits to Thunder Valley Casino.
We are heartbroken that she is no longer with us, but have the assurance that she is with our Lord. A devoted wife and mother, Mary raised 7 children, Rebecca, (Mel), Richard, Christina, (Juan), Susan (Raymond), Vivian, (Barry) David, (Jennifer) and Steven.
Mom has 13 Grandchildren, Marissa, Maurice, Sarah, Katie, Jason, Damone, Angie, Natalie, Steven, Christofer, James, Zachary and Landon. Five great grandchildren, Malachi, Leilani, Lyla, Giselle, Noemi, Carter and Beau.
She is also survived by her brothers, Jess, Mike, Al, Frank, Joe and sisters, Lydia, Lupe, and Ellen. She is preceded in death by her parents, Jesus and Matilde Hurtado, her husband Joaquin Perez, sisters, Rachel Martin and Alice Tiscareno.
A memorial mass will be held on Friday, August 3, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. at Christ The King Catholic Church, 199 Brandon Rd., Pleasant Hill, CA with a reception immediately following at the Church Hall.
Mary HurtadoPerez
August 5, 1929 – July 1, 2018
Resident of Martinez
Concord Funeral Chapel
(925) 682-4242 • FD1006
www.ouimetbrothers.com
TIFFANEY NICOLE FRODIN: CLASS OF 1985
Tiffaney Nicole Frodin: Sept. 2, 1967 -March 29, 2018 Tiffaney Frodin, beloved mother, daughter, sister, niece, cousin and friend passed away at home on Thursday, March 29. She was born in Trona, California RIDGECRESTCA.COM
LOIS PRATT-ROBERTS ASHUCKIAN, CLASS OF 1955
Lois’s brother, Bill Pratt, has informed George Sherman that Lois Pratt, class of 1955, passed away this morning (4/13/2018). He said that she has suffered with Parkinson’s for the past few years which undoubtedly contributed to her problems. George says he is going to miss her a lot.
CAROLINE EDIEMAE (KEITH) BARRICK: CLASS OF 1959
Edie, as she was known to all her family, friends, and co-workers, was born in Mojave, California, to Clyde Emerson and Dorothy Elva Keith of Trona, San Bernardino County, California.
She did all of her elementary and secondary schooling in the Trona Joint Unified School District. The day after her 1959 high school graduation she drove herself the 125 miles to San Bernardino to start Skadron Business College and find employment. Within a very short time and several months before she turned 18, she accepted employment with a small but well-respected law firm in Rialto, California, where she would be trained on the job to be a legal secretary.
On July 2, 1960, she married her high school sweetheart, John Thomas (“Tommy”) Barrick, in service presided over by the pastor who had headed her Trona church when she and Tommy had first met. The ceremony took place in a small church in Rialto. Tommy had just returned from military duty in Munich, Germany, and mustered out of his Army enlistment. When he was unable to find employment in the vicinity of Rialto, he resumed his employment at the chemical plant in Trona. That meant that Edie drove back out to the desert on her weekends off and he drove down to Rialto on his “long changes”. The long-distance arrangement continued for almost 2 years.
They rented modest living quarters in Rialto for the first 4 years of their married life. Then they bought a house in San Bernardino. Their home was always welcoming to friends and family and the gathering place for every holiday and many other celebrations. However, they never had children.
Edie worked diligently at her career. She was critical support for five separate members of the local legal profession who successively terminated her employment as they received appointments to assume judicial office in San Bernardino. Only one lawyer-employer chose not to follow that path during her 1959 to 2001 career; she retired from his practice.
Edie attended and helped develop formal legal assistant/paralegal courses at the University of Southern California to augment the many years of on the job training she gained in legal practices concentrating on litigation, personal injury, family law, probate, and estate planning. Over the course of a 43 year career, she saw law office technology transition from manual typewriters through personal computers and computer networks.
She was active as a member and as an officer in the local, state and national professional associations for legal secretaries, paralegals, and legal assistants. In 1985 she was recognized as “Legal Secretary of the Year” by her peers and the legal community in San Bernardino.
In retirement she provided caregiver services to her husband who had been forced into early retirement by a vehicular accident in 1996. Due to health issues for both spouses, they became homebodies after 2006, and ultimately engaged professional caregivers in their home. Prior to 2006, they had traveled within 28 of the states, including Hawaii, and portions of Canada. Their 54-year marriage ended with her husband’s passing in 2014. She was a resident of San Bernardino County for her entire 76 years of life.
She is survived by her only sibling, Cheryl E. Keith, of Rancho Cordova, California; her cousin Terry Jane (Garrison) Fasana of Baldwin Park, California; her cousin Colleen Baker of St. George, Utah; her cousin Judith Hamblin of Henderson, Nevada; and many other cousins in Kansas, Nevada, Idaho, Ohio, and West Virginia.
Her internment was at Crestlawn Memorial Park in Riverside, California, on March 13, 2018.
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/bloomington-ca/caroline-barrick-7778626
BEVERLY (COMPTON) WALLACK – CLASS OF 1954
Beverly Jean Milbrath Wallack, 81, went to be with her savior on February 17, 2018, after a short bout with cancer.
Beverly was born on March 7, 1936 in Santa Paula, California, to Rita and Jasper Compton. With siblings Clova and Jim not far behind, they lived most of their school years in Trona, California. She was a cheerleader for Trona High, and well-liked by all her classmates. Up until 2017, she continued to attend the Trona High School reunions and kept in touch with classmates. After high school she married Adrian Milbrath and in 1957 had twin boys, and a year later, a girl. The family moved to Ridgecrest and lived in Wherry Housing, where she made more life long friends, and early on took in ironing to help with finances. They soon opened Balsam Coin Cleaners, a dry cleaning business on Balsam Street, a street which was the hub of the town in the day. Beverly had many talents, one being a seamstress, and she made many matching outfits for the kids (whom everyone then thought were triplets). During the time in Wherry, they bought property on Downs street, and spent many weekends planting and watering trees, and eventually building their dream home, which they were able to move into in 1971. Adrian had his pilot’s license, and together they would fly various friends to Mexico for vacations. They attended many evening functions, and she would always make something new to wear. Usually, it included some kind of feathered accessory. She was indeed the fashionista. She worked at Mesquite High School as the secretary for Pat Davis, who was the principal. She loved her job, the people she worked with, as well as the students, and made more lifelong friends. She then attended Lancaster Beauty School and came back to Ridgecrest to open The Face Place. It was a career that she had a passion for, she loved her clients and her clients loved her. After she and Adrian divorced, she gave up The Face Place, married Mike Wallack, and moved to San Bernardino. Mike and Beverly made many a trip flying to various air shows in his plane. After Mike retired from the San Bernardino Sherriff’s department, they moved to Silver Lakes and made it their forever home. They had a house built on one of the fingers, and a party barge. On 4th of July you could find them on the water watching the fireworks with friends and family. Every morning she would walk 3 miles around the lake, and in the summer you could find her at the pool doing laps, and water aerobics. She joined the Arts & Crafts Guild and was the expert for all the sewing, knitting, and crocheting needs. At the annual luncheon, everyone would anxiously wait to find out what Beverly had made to wear this year. After Mike passed, she bought a motor home and was a member of the Elk’s and Silver Lakes RV clubs. She traveled all over the country with her sister, friends, and the clubs enjoying life at its fullest. All anyone had to say was “Beverly we are…..” and her answer was “count me in”.
Everywhere Beverly went, she was involved in many activities, making new friends, and never letting the grass grow under her busy feet. She played racquetball and swam on her lunch hours while working at Mesquite, she learned to line dance, and would take every opportunity to participate wherever she was. She was a member of the Arts & Craft Guild in Silver Lakes, the American Sewing Guild, the Red Hat Scarlets, Knitting and Crocheting Club, The Republican Women’s Association, and she was a Shepherd’s Helper at Christ the Good Shepherd Catholic Church. Beverly was a vivacious woman who loved Jesus, her family and friends, and life. She was a great mom and grandmother, a good and giving friend to many, and in turn, loved by many and will be dearly missed.
Beverly is survived by her children, Robert Milbrath (Jeana) of Havasu City, AZ, Richard Milbrath, and April Castleberry (Tim), both of Ridgecrest, CA; Sister, Clova Dyer of San Bernardino; Stepchildren Linda Ferguson and David Wallack, both of San Bernardino, CA; grandchildren Bryan, Cody, Vanessa, Gregory, Lucas, Michael and Travis; and great-grandchildren Kaylee, Jacob, Madison, Jaxson, Cheyanne, Joseph, Jude, Gianna, and Daniel. Her parents, her brother Jim, and husband Mike preceded her in death.
A funeral mass will be held at Christ the Good Shepherd Catholic Church at 17900 Jonathan St. in Adelanto on March 8th at 11:00, with a reception to follow. A charitable contribution may be made to the American Cancer Society.http://www.taftmidwaydriller.com/news/20180303/beverly-jean-milbrath-wallack