Phyllis Oswald

Phyllis (Oswald) Bettencourt — Class of 1956

3 Replies

Phyllis (Oswald) Bettencourt 1938-2021

Phyllis was born in the Trona Hospital on June 28, 1938 to Leonard and Marjorie Oswald on June 28, 1938. Phyllis married her husband Bill Bettencourt in 1961. When going to Trona High School Phyllis was was the head majorette when she was a senior, the secretary of the California Scholarship Foundation and a member of the tennis team. In 1956, her senior year Phyllis was homecoming queen. Phyllis has a brother, Don Oswald, who was in the class of 1960.

Phyllis passed away December 19, 2021.

My deepest condolences to Don, Bill and the rest of her family.

A service will be held on January 4, 2022, 10:00am at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 608 N. Church St. in Visalia, CA

You can find a complete obituary for Phyllis at:

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/visalia-ca/phyllis-bettencourt-10496698

Eugene Maulden

Eugene Henry Mauldin — Class of 1951

2 Replies

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

Connie Schmitt

Connie (Schmitt) Mauldin — Class of 1953

1 Reply

Constance Anne “Connie” Schmitt Mauldin 1935-2021

Connie was born on Feb. 24, 1935 in Milwaukee, Wis. to Leo and Myra Schmitt. She graduated from Trona High School in 1953 and completed several college courses including Interior Decorating, Silver Screen, and Speech Writing and Delivery.

Connie married her husband on March 29, 1953 in St. Madeline Sophie in Trona, Calif.

She worked as a part-time home decorating adviser in the 1970s and as an administrative assistant at Coors Brewery from 1983 to 1997.

Connie was very active in the church throughout her life and was an extraordinary minister. She was a member of Toastmasters and won many trophies for her speeches. Connie was also a member of the Red Hat Ladies and the Applewood Homeowners Association. She was incredibly active in civic groups that worked to get people to vote.

Her first love was her family and caring for us. She was quite passionate about her beliefs, and enjoyed travelling to many countries around the world such as China, Japan, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Mexico. Connie also loved interior decorating, the silver screen and old cinema. She always tried to help others learn more about their country as well as the world around us. Connie enjoyed being in social groups and sharing with others. She loved her friends and being a part of their lives.

Connie passed away February 13, 2021.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/223146094/constance-anne-mauldin

Charlotte Davis

Charlotte (Davis) Moore — Class of 1957

Leave a reply

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

Leave a reply

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

Ted Murrin

Theodore K Murrin — Class of 1955

3 Replies

Theodore K Murrin – 1936-2021

Ted was born 22 July 1936 to Philip and Dorothy Murrin in Chicago, Illinois. He passed away in Polson, Montana on December 14, 2021.

After high school Ted married Orrene Slafter who graduated from Trona High School in 1954. in 1954. Ted was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Philip, a member of the class of 1953 who passed away in 1953. Ted is survived by his wife; his children; his sisters, Dorah Walls; Jeanne Murrin, class of 1962 and brother, Randy.

Winifred Mont-Eton 1911-2010

Leave a reply

In the fall of 1953 I started 5th grade at Trona Elementary School. The room we had was in the original part of the school near the auditorium. The auditorium was shared by the elementary school and the high school. It was boundary that separated the high school campus from the elementary.

This was Mrs. Mont-Eton’s third year as a teacher but her first year of teaching in Trona. It was also her children’s, first year at Trona High School. They had already become used desert life during the two years their mother taught school in Twentynine Palms and from spending time during the summer in the Panamint Range and Valley while their father was prospecting.

I’m sure we weren’t the easiest class to deal with but for the most part I think were pretty good. One student with the initials of H. S. seemed to be the center of attention but after a while she managed to get that under control.

There were many new teachers that came to Trona, stayed in houses the district subsidized for the first year or two and then they moved on. Winifred Mont-Eton was one of the teachers that grew roots.

Winifred retired from teaching in 1975 after 25 years of teaching. She spent 22 years of those years teaching 5th grade in Trona. After retiring she remained near Trona in Ridgecrest and Inyokern until her death in 2010.

There is much more to her story but I don’t want to tell it all. Winifred dictated her story into a tape recorder and her daughter, Lorry Wagner, transcribed it and published it as a book.

Winifred Mont-Eton’s autobiography on is available on Amazon.

To learn about Winifred becoming one of the first Ham radio operators click on the link below:

https://www.sdarabians.com/mom.html

Benny McCullar

Benny McCullar — Class of 1959

1 Reply

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

1 Reply

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.