Services will be held Sunday November 7th at 2pm at the Trona High School Gymnasium, 83600 Trona Road, Trona, California 93562.
The complete obituary can be found at:
Mary Sue Crandall 1943-2021
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Category Archives: Trona News
Pete Teel’s Interment Ceremony
Searles Valley Cemetery, Trona, California
Clayton Howard “Pete” Teel — Class of 1958
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 — Class of 1958
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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For 56 Years, Battling Evils of Hollywood With Prayer
Aug. 28, 2006
HOLLYWOOD — Sister Mary Pia, wearing a threadbare habit, spoke from behind the bars of her gated parlor about the boundless power of prayer.
“Hollywood is the Babylon of the U.S.A.,” she said. “For people who need prayers, we have to be here.”
Just two long blocks from her monastery, you are in the thick of the electric lights of Hollywood Boulevard: among the dopers, the runaways, the surgically augmented, the homeless, the sex salesmen.
Sister Mary Pia, as pale and innocent as an uncooked loaf, prays for all of them, while knowing virtually nothing about them. There is nothing ironic about this, she believes: “One doesn’t need to be of it to know of it.”
Indeed, in her 56 years at the Monastery of the Angels, she has ventured out no more than a few dozen times to attend religious retreats or make preparations for dying loved ones. Rarely has she set a shoe onto the stained sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard.
Yet the signs of iniquity are everywhere. Police helicopters routinely hover over the cloister. There is the dull roar of the Hollywood Freeway. The head of the monastery’s statue of St. Martin de Porres has been stolen twice. Neighbors recently complained so loudly about the belfry’s morning chimes to prayer that the authorities forced the peals silent.
“I think we pricked their conscience,” she said of the neighbors. “Is 7 o’clock too early to get up?”
Sister Mary Pia is one of 21 Dominican nuns cloistered in this walled complex of stucco and steel. From a distance, the place looks more like a loading dock than a religious retreat.
They do no missionary work here, canvass no alleys, cook in no soup kitchen. Prayer is the occupation. Until recently there were 23 nuns, but Sister Mary the Pure Heart and Sister Mary Rose were sent to a convalescent home because there were not enough youthful and vigorous nuns to care for them.
The sisterhood is a dying way of life in America. Forty years ago, the United States had about 180,000 nuns. Today there are perhaps 70,000. Fewer than 6,000 are younger than 50. There are estimated to be about 5,000 cloistered, contemplative nuns, a piece of women’s history that may be on the way out.
Reasons for the collapse can be traced to the mid-1960’s: the flowering of the women’s movement, which broadened opportunities beyond secretary, housewife, nurse, teacher and nun. But the Roman Catholic Church unintentionally inflicted damage on itself when it ratified the Second Vatican Council.
“Basically it said that religious women were no more holy than lay women,” said Sister Patricia Wittberg, an associate professor of sociology at Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis. “It was devastating.”
Still, the sisters of the Angels, frail and birdlike, go on with a vocation to which they sacrificed their youth: perhaps never to have known a man, never to have rowed the banks of the Seine, never to have taken a moonlight drive. High heels and self-adornment were given up after high school graduation.
As a young woman, Sister Mary Pia might have become an opera singer. Sister Mary St. Peter, 78, the daughter of a Protestant, thought of becoming a nurse. Sister Mary St. Pius was good at photography. They gave away these things, without regret, for something they say is incalculable.
The average age at the Monastery of the Angels is about 70. From this generation also came feminists like Betty Friedan and Bella Abzug. Hugh Hefner, too, is of their era, as was the centerfold pinup Bettie Page. This generation helped create the cultural chasm that divides America today.
Click on link to watch video:
https://www.nytimes.com/video/players/offsite/index.html?videoId=1194817111625
“It’s a materialistic age,” said Sister Mary Pia, gray now, her eyes milky with years. “For young women, religion is far down on the list.”
Sister Mary Pia grew up in the Wilshire District of Los Angeles and joined the monastery at 17, despite the tears of her parents. Prayer, she said, had delivered her brother home from the South Pacific battlefields, and so, seeing the power in it, she dedicated her life to God. She became a novitiate in 1950, years before the birth of rock ’n’ roll.
“I’ve heard of Alex Presley,” she offered. “But I wouldn’t know his music.”
Sister Mary St. Peter gave over her life in 1947, six years before the founding of Playboy magazine. “I never heard of Hugh Hefner,” she said with a shrug in the cloister’s front garden.
Sister Mary St. Pius, who arrived in 1953 from a small town in the Mojave Desert [Trona], does not know the work of the political satirist Jon Stewart. But after a brief moment, she squealed: “Martha Stewart? Oh, yes!”
Asked about Father John Geoghan, the Boston priest and serial molester who was the catalyst of the sex scandal that rocked the Catholic Church, the sisters went blank-eyed.
When told about him, Sister Mary Pia’s eyes became flinty, flashing defiance. She said she believed that one of the last respectable prejudices in America was that against the Catholics, and that the news coverage of abusive priests had been excessive, almost joyful.
“You get a little tired of all the bad news,” she said. “The media,” she wrinkled her nose, as if catching a whiff of a bad onion. “They never write about the good things.”
The important thing, then, is that there are still old women in America with the charity to care about something more than themselves, about strangers, even if they do not know those strangers’ manias and motivations. But take a walk down the boulevard any evening, and one wonders whether their prayers are reaching the intended destination.
“That’s the meaning of faith,” Sister Mary Pia said.
This article is from the archives of The New York Times. I can imagine most readers wondering why I reprinted here? The answer is simple. Sister Mary St. Pius mentioned in this article was born Barbara May. She graduated from Trona High School in 1950 and was the yearbook photographer. I’m trying to figure out how I can find out if she is still alive. She is on linkedin.com and lis listed as the monastery acrivest. That is a good sign.
Bill Oliver — Class of 1980
Edward W. Oliver, “Bill,” 59, passed away suddenly, surrounded by his loving family, on Thursday, September 23, 2021. Born in Albany, he was the son of the late Edward A. and Katherine Oliver. Edward is survived by his wife of 14 years, Kathleen Tasso-Oliver. Bill lived for many years in Trona, Calif. before moving to Albany. While in California, he was very proud to work for China Naval Weapons Center.
After returning to Albany, Bill worked for Tru-Art Sign Company. A job he loved and was dedicated too. Bill was a jack of all trades and could fix anything you put in front of him. He was meticulous with everything he did. In addition to his wife, Bill is survived by his siblings, Barbara Oliver and Kim Richards both of Colonie. He will also be missed by his stepchildren, Robert Foley and Raegan Foley; and his stepgrandson whom he dearly loved, Demetri Lyman. The family would like to give a special thanks to the staff at Ellis Hospital for the love and care given to Bill and his family.
A calling hour will be held on Tuesday, September 28, from 9-10 a.m. in Christ Our Light Church, 1 Maria Dr., Albany. A Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 10 a.m. with interment following in St. Patrick’s Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Ellis Hospital. To leave a special message for the family online please visit NewComerAlbany.com
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Paul Foster Haughton — Class of 1946
Paul Foster Haughton, Sr., 91, of Troutman, passed away, Sunday, April 12, 2020.
Mr. Haughton was born February 25, 1929 in Bakersfield, CA and was the son of the late Gayle and Charlcie Foster Haughton. He was a graduate of Trona, CA High School and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from THE University of Alabama. He served in the US Air Force and on December 13, 1969, he married the love of his life, Wanda Hayes Haughton. He was one of the founders of Romac Metals, Inc. in 1969 and American Stainless Tubing, Inc. in 1994.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by six children, Cory Haughton (Susan) of Chattanooga, TN, Beth Painter (Ray) of Chattanooga, TN, Paul F. Haughton, Jr. of King George, VA, Rex Haughton (Caroline) of Troutman, Julia Haughton-Baldridge (Keith) of Nashville, TN, Maria Roberson (Kevin) of Troutman; 19 grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren with another due in June.
Highly intelligent, Paul was successful in more than just business. He played piano by ear and could sit down and play anything that he heard. Growing up in the Mojave Desert, he was fascinated by plants once he moved to NC. In addition to his beautiful yard, he had a lovely garden. He canned vegetables, made jams, awesome pickles and even his own wine. Paul was especially proud of his tomatoes and delighted in giving tomatoes and tomato plants to his friends. He loved to share his knowledge with anyone that had a listening ear. Paul loved the dogs and cats that became part of his family and fondly reminisced about their adventures.
Paul was a very special man that touched many lives. He will be truly missed by all that knew him.
Graveside funeral services will be 2:00pm Wednesday, April 15, 2020 in the New Perth ARP Church Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the J. Hoyt Hayes Memorial Troutman Branch Library, 215 W Church St, Troutman, NC 2816. Online condolences may be made to the family at https://www.troutmanfuneralhome.com/obituary/Paul-HaughtonSr
Lewis Arnold Obituary (2021) – Palmdale, CA
Lewis Leroy ARNOLD, age 87, peacefully entered into Jesus’ open arms September 3, 2021. Lew was born in Palmdale and was a lifelong resident of the Antelope Valley. His first job, at age 12, was at the old Palmdale Hotel as a dishwasher. Later he would work as a “Soda Jerk” at Don Hertel’s Pharmacy. In 1964 he and his family moved to the Moffett Ranch in Leona Valley, where he continued to teach at Palmdale High School and raise cattle. It was during this time he created many years of wonderful memories of long vacations, being involved in 4H, hunting and growing Alfalfa hay.
He loved sports as a young boy and used to recall his mother saying, “You will never amount to anything, all you want to do is chase a ball” and chase it he did, through his entire life. He played football, basketball and baseball at Antelope Valley High School and Antelope Valley Community College. Lew was a part of the first basketball team at AVCC to make it to the Final Four in 1953. He went on to attend college at Fresno State University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Education and a Masters Degree in Administration from Pasadena City College.
Lew’s first teaching job, in 1958 [1958/1959 school year], was in Trona, California as an Assistant Football Coach. In 1959 he returned to his hometown to teach at Palmdale High School where he coached football, baseball and also taught Geography. He was ROTC Commander at both Trona and Palmdale High. As varsity baseball coach at Palmdale High School, Lew never had a losing season. In 1970 he transferred to Quartz Hill High School to coach football and teach math. In 1973 he transferred to Antelope Valley High School. In 1989, he taught at Highland High School and retired in 1990. In 2014 Lew was inducted into the Antelope Valley College Hall of Fame for his coaching and athletic career. In 2015, he was inducted to the Antelope Valley High School Hall of Fame for his accomplishments in athletics.
In 1990 he married Pat, and they would spend 31 inseparable years. A career in country western dancing amassed hundreds of trophies and championships and they taught thousands of students to dance in the Antelope Valley during the 1990’s and 2000’s. A successful DJ business followed for 12 years. They traveled all over the US to both dance and see the country and had many adventures. They taught celebrities to dance and performed in many events including TV commercials. A bucket list dream was fulfilled when they volunteered for the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. In 2018, Lew and Pat went to visit The Ark Encounter, a trip they cherished together.
Lew was an extraordinary man of achievements. He never gave up on anything he wanted to do in life. He began playing trumpet in 4th grade and continued through high school marching in the Rose Parade twice. He was a college campus fireman, a lifeguard and later Pool Manager at Courson Park Pool, participating in the Aquacades as a form and clown diver. He also taught swimming classes there. Later he operated Ritter Park Sportsman’s Ranch in Leona Valley, was a private pilot who owned his own plane, a state auctioneer, and a dog trainer, whose dogs worked in the movie and commercial industry for over 10 years. Lew was a scuba diving instructor holding LA County #15 instructor card. He took his students on many trips to the outer islands to scuba dive and had many stories of those days.
Lew owned Del Sur Gardens Restaurant and Bar many years. He was an avid tennis player from 1975-2019. He played weekly at the AVCC with his friends and won many trophies in competitions including with his grandsons. In 2014 he went to the world Senior Games and became a bronze medal winner in his favorite sport. Always striving to win, he vowed to go back and get gold.
Lew’s greatest devotion was to his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His family will always remember him as a loving and teaching husband, father, grandpa and great grandpa who always reflected Christ’s love. Left behind to cherish his memory, are his loving & devoted wife Pat, his sister Joy and our combined family of children: Kim, Jill(Brian), Mike (MaryAnn), Ann(Dan), Deana (Steve), Lys (Lou), John (Mariah); 12 Grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews, his first wife Dorothy and best friends Grady and Sandra and Marv and Carol, all of whom he adored.
A private family burial will be held at this time. A Celebration of Life will be held later this year for this extraordinary man. We are hopeful that Lew’s friends, students, dancers, and athletes will come and share their stories. Date and location of the Celebration will be announced at a later time. Cards may be mailed to the family at 42220 10th Street W., Suite 101, Lancaster, CA 93534
In lieu of flowers, donations in Lew’s name can be made to the “West Valley Historical Society”, P.O. Box 1972, Lancaster, CA 93939 to help restore the “1915 Leona Valley Schoolhouse”. Lew was passionate about the restoration of the old schoolhouse that was a big part of his early family life.
Published by The Antelope Valley Press on Sep. 19, 2021.
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/avpress/name/lewis-arnold-obituary?pid=200141732
Kenneth Lyle Corbridge — Class of 1968
June 8, 1949 ~ September 13, 2021
Kenneth Lyle Corbridge returned home to his loving Heavenly Father on Monday, September 13, 2021. He was born on June 8, 1949, in Ridgecrest, CA, to Horace Lyle and Elizabeth Delores Corbridge. He graduated from Trona High School.
He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Kenneth worked at Thiokol for many years in Research and Development. He later worked at Autoliv the remainder of his career.
He married the love of his life, Paige Ann Corbridge, on June 11, 1971. They were married for 50 wonderful years.
He enjoyed classic cars, hunting, the Utah Jazz, and dirt bike riding. He loved model cars and has a huge collection of diecast cars. He was an avid fan of the Utah Jazz and watched every game. He liked dirt bike riding with his friends. He loved surfing the internet on KSL and Facebook. There was no greater joy than being a grandpa to his grandchildren.
Kenneth was preceded in death by his parents.
He is survived by his wife: Paige Ann Lawson Corbridge; children: Christian (Becky) Corbridge, Wynter (Jared) Read, Kenna (JD) Lowe, and Jordon Corbridge; sister: Barbara Warren; brother: Allan Corbridge; and 9 grandchildren.
Funeral Services will be held on Friday, September 17, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. at Myers Mortuary Chapel, 205 S 100 E, Brigham City, UT. A Viewing will be held prior from 10:00 – 10:45 a.m.
https://www.myers-mortuary.com/obituary/Kenneth-Corbridge
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/232135095/kenneth_lyle_corbridge
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Searles Valley Slate
My copy of the Slate just arrived in the mail today. It had a great article in it written by George Sherman. The name of the article is, “The birth of Rock and Roll in Trona.” It is a great article and is well worth reading. If you are not familiar with the Searles Valley Slate, it is because that you are not a member of the Searles Valley Historical Society. The Searles Valley Slate is the society’s quarterly newsletter to members.
Since George is about five years older than me it is obvious that George would know more about Rock ‘n Roll than I would. I thought it began when people started listening to and dancing to Elvis records on the patio by the high school snack shack and continued after sunset when everyone was tuning in The Mighty 690 – XEAK on their car radios.
If you are from Trona or just interested in the history of Trona I recommend you become a member of the Searles Valley Historical Society and support their activities. A lifetime membership is $250 or, if you prefer, $20 a year. You can get more information about membership and their activities from their website.