USA > California > Kern County > Lake Isabella > Obituaries from the Kern Valley Sun newspaper, Volume XII, 1995 > Part 63
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The family would prefer a memorial to the Shriners Hos- pital for Children in lieu of flow- ers. He was loved by all and will be missed.
Arrangements by Valley Mortuary of Lake Isabella.
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2001
Keith T. Rowe
Keith T. Rowe, beloved hus- band and father, passed away on March 1, 2001, at his home after a long fight with cancer.
Keith served with the U.S. Army in Korea during the Ko- rean conflict, and worked as a mechanic after his Army ser- vice.
Keith is survived by his wife of 42 years, Sue; son William D. Anderson of Bakersfield; daughter JoAnn Trauthoff and her husband Lance of Lake Isabella; daughter Patricia Carrico and husband Scott of Gooding, Idaho; mother Marie Rowe of Allegan, Mich .; brother William Rowe and his wife Yoshii Watai of Anchorage; sis- ter Mary Elizabeth Vandenberg of Allegan, Mich .; sister Margie Lee French and her husband Richard of Washougal, Wash .; seven grandchildren; four step- granchildren, a niece and two nephews.
Keith was preceded in death by his father, William Rowe.
Cremation took place; there were no services at his request.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Kem Valley Hos- pital Auxiliary.
John Thomas Marsh
John Thomas Marsh was born in Armstrong, B.C., Canada, on Aug. 16, 1916. He passed away on March 5, 2001 at Beverly Convalescent Home in Shafter, Calif. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Joyce Rachel Marsh; daughter Barbara Spann; brother Malcolm; sister Jeanette Philhower; and grandchildren and great- grandchildren. John was pre- ceded in death by a brother, Donald Leroy Marsh.
John's family moved from Canada to Ellsworth, Wisc., when he was two years old and later moved to Minnesota, where he finished high school at Waterville High School. John married Joyce in 1937, moved to California in 1941. He served in the United States Army in WWII, and then went into the building business. He retired in 1978 and moved to Wofford Heights, where he lived for 23 years. John was a memberof the Kem River Val- ley Historical Society and the Death Valley 49'ers. He en- joyed fishing and hunting and being on the lake with his boat. John was stricken with Alzheimer's disease in 1997.
In lieu of flowers, donations: may be made to the Kem River Valley Historical Society or the National Alzheimer's Disease Foundation, P.O. Box 64421, Saint Paul, MN 55164-9355.
Arrangements by Valley Mortuary of Lake Isabella.
Beliva Smith
Bom Feb. 21, 1906 in Mis- souri, Beliva Smith passed away on Feb. 21, 2001 to be with the Lord.
Her husband, William F. Smith, passed away at age 93 in July 1995.
Surviving her are one brother, Ted Donelson of Ha- waii; a sister, Betty Lollis of Oklahoma; two sons, William F. Smith, Jr. of Weldon and Billy Ray Smith of Cortez, Colo .; four daughters, Vivian Short of Weldon, Joyce Oliver of Cottonwood, Ariz., Norma Hitchcock of Upland, Calif. and Roxie Collins of Spring- field, Ore .; and numerous grandchildren, great-grand- children and one great-great- grandchild.
She was loved by all and will be missed. God bless them both.
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2001
Keith T. Rowe
Keith T. Rowe, beloved hus- band and father, passed away on March 1, 2001, at his home after a long fight with cancer.
Keith served with the U.S. Army in Korea during the Ko- rean conflict, and worked as a mechanic after his Army ser- vice.
Keith is survived by his wife of 42 years, Sue; son William D. Anderson of Bakersfield; daugh- ter JoAnn Trauthoff and her husband Lance of Lake Isabella; daughter Patricia Carrico and husband Scott of Gooding, Idaho; mother Marie Rowe of Allegan, Mich .; brother William Rowe and his wife Yoshii Watai of Anchorage; sister Mary Eliza- beth Vandenberg of Allegan, Mich .; sister Margie Lee French and her husband Richard of Washougal, Wash .; seven grandchildren; six great-grand- children; four step-great-grand- children, a niece and two neph- ews.
Keith was preceded in death by his father, William Rowe. Cremation took place; there were no services at his request. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Kem Valley Hospital Aux- iliary.
Beliva Smith
Bom Feb. 21, 1906 in Mis- souri, Beliva Smith passed
away on Feb. 21, 2001 to be with the Lord.
Her husband, William F. Smith, passed away at age 93 in July 1995.
Surviving her are one brother, Ted Donelson of Ha- waii; a sister, Betty Lollis of Oklahoma; two sons, William F. Smith, Jr. of Weldon and Billy Ray Smith of Cortez, Colo .; four daughters, Vivian Short of Weldon, Joyce Oliver of Cottonwood, Ariz., Norma Hitchcock of Upland, Calif. and Roxie Collins of Springfield, Ore .; and numerous grandchil- dren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
She was loved by all and will be missed. God bless them both.
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2001
Victor George Gibbard
A memorial service was held March 23, 2001 at the Kemville Masonic Lodge No. 827 for Vic- tor George Gibbard. Officiating was Bo Williams.
Mr. Gibbard was bom May 2, 1920, in London, England and passed away March 17, 2001 in Mountain Mesa. He served dur- ing WWII in the RAF as a fighter pilot and received the Victoria Cross given to him by the Queen. He retired in 1980 from Qualtron Aircraft after 20 years with them, and he and his wife moved to the Kem River Valley in 1985.
He enjoyed building model railroad trains, airplanes and doll houses. He also enjoyed flying and taking his family on trips in his Cessna. He and Marge en- joyed traveling the world with frequenttrips to England, China and Egypt.
He was a volunteer at the Senior Center and the hospital. Victor was a Mason, a Shriner and a member of the Scottish Rite. He is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Marge; daugh- ter and son-in-law Leslie and Charles Laatz of Nesbit, Miss .; son and daughter-in-law Michael and Ginger Gibbard of Taft; grandchildren Robert Laatz, David and wife Debbi Laatz, Jennifer and husband Bryan Coch, David and wife Khristi Gibbard, and Darlene Gibbard; and great-grand- daughter Sara Lauren Laatz.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Masonic Scholarship Fund at the Kem- ville Lodge. Victor will be greatly missed.
Arrangements were made with Valley Mortuary of Lake Isabella.
John R. Rogers
John R. Rogers, a.k.a. "Ani- mal John," lost his battle with cancer on March 20, 2001. John was a wonderful father, hus- band, son and grandfather. He is survived by two sons and three daughters, his mother and father, and 21 grandchildren.
John graduated from Kem Valley High School. He served in the U.S. Army in Korea during the Pueblo crisis and in'Viet- nam.
After his retum to the Kem Valley he worked as a chef and was a strong figure in the com- munity.
All friends are welcome to join the family at memorial ser- vices at Valley Mortuary in Lake Isabella on March 30, 2001 at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the VFW Post No. 7665.
Arrangements by Valley Mor- tuary of Lake Isabella.
Alva Blaine Bearden
Alva Blaine Bearden entered life on Sept. 21, 1912, in Meddleton, Ark. Born to his par- ents William and Nancy, he was raised with traditional southem family values, values he passed on to his loving family through- out the years.
Blaine was a wonderful, lov- ing family man. He was called Grandpa by many people who knew and loved him. During WWII, Blaine served our coun- try in the private sector, working as a welder, building ships for the war effort. After the war, Blaine worked for U.S. Steel, and for most of his mamage to his beloved wife Jessie, he lived in Norwalk, Calif. Eventually, Blaine and Jessie retired, later moving to the Kem River Valley in 1993, settling down in Moun- tain Mesa. Blaine enjoyed read- ing the Bible and was an active member of the Mountain View Southem Baptist Churchin Lake Isabella. But as these things do, Blaine fell ill and passed away at home with his loving family and friends close by. Funeral ser- vices were held on March 24, 2001, at Mountain View South- em Baptist Church, with inter- ment at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier. Blaine will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.
Alva Blaine Bearden is sur- vived by his wife of 65 years, Jessie Bearden; his son Wayman Bearden and his wife Teri; his daughter Nancy Norton and her husband Fred; his grandchildren Steve Bearden, Cindy Healy, Bobby Norton, Jim Norton and his wife Debbie, Gary Norton and Ron Norton; great-grandchildren Becky and Jennifer Norton; and a new grandchild to be bom this year. Also surviving him is his 95- year-old sister, Dorothy Walker, lots of nieces and nephews who loved their favorite uncle, family on mom's side that loved him as a brother, and especially his friends of 52 years, John and Louise Krueger. We will all miss you.
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2001
Robert A. Stewart
Robert A. Stewart was born in Scotia, N.Y. in 1937 to Will- iam Clark Stewart and Ann Stewart, and passed away March 10, 2001.
Robert's mother left when he was young and his father re- married. Robert enlisted in the Marine Corps when he was 18, and was stationed at Quantico. Robert married in June of 1958 in Washington, D. C. He was discharged from the Marines in 1960 and resided in Washing- ton, D. C. until 1961. When he moved back to his hometown of Scotia in 1962 he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He was divorced and remarried and divorced again.
As his firstborn son, I always stayed in touch with my father over the years and visited as often as I could. I believe that the proudest moment in my father's life was being able to pin my anchors when I made Chief. It was for me. My father retired as a first class petty officer, but he will always be the Captain to me. As a token of my love for you, dad, I promote you to Chief.
I would like to thank my family, friends of my father, the pastor, the funeral director, the VFWpost, the towns of Kernville and Wofford Heights, and all the efforts and planning my wife, Deb, has done to make the service possible for my father.
Services entrusted to the Lake Isabella Funeral Home, the Bonewell Family.
Melvin J. Pierce, Jr.
Melvin was bom June 24, 1936 and passed away from cancer March 17, 2001. He leaves behind his brother Ray Pierce; son David; daughter Donna Bock; stepson Charley Stevens; five grandchildren; four cousins; and an aunt and an uncle. Mel's wife, Helen, pre- ceded him in death Feb. 9, 1999.
Mel came to Lake Isabella about 12 years ago and really enjoyed it up here so much. He was a member in good standing of the Kem River Valley Sev- enth Day Adventist Church.
He served three years in the Navy and became an avid ham radio operator. Mel was a ma- chinist and camera repair tech- nician all his life and was also a member of the Bakersfield Muzzle Loaders.
A memorial service was held March 24, 2001 at 2 p.m. with Pastor Yves Monnier officiating. In lieu of flowers, it was re- quested by Mel that donations be made to the Kern River Val- ley Seventh Day Adventist Church Building Fund, P.O. Box XX, Lake Isabella, CA 93240.
Mel's favorite Scripture was Matt. 7:23: "Missmebutletmego."
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2001
Alice Gertrude Burkhart
Alice Gertrude Burkhart was born in New Jersey on Jan. 13, 1918 to Albert and Sara Lewis. The family relocated to the Pasadena-Monrovia areain California whenshe was three weeks old. There she lived with her parents and one younger brother, Emie, until shemarried Irwin Burkhart in June, 1937.
The Burkharts made their home in Antelope Valleywhere they raised threechildren. Sheand Irwin worked together in his Building Contractor's business. She also worked for Bob Hope as a foreperson on a tract of homes being built in Palmdale, owned and operated a candy and gift shop, and ran a Western Union telegraph office.
In 1957 they sold all their busi- nesses and moved to Indepen- dence where they boughttwo pack stations the Sequoia Kings Pack Trains out of Onion Valley, and the Kennedy Meadows Pack Trains and Jordan Hot Springs on the Kem Plateau. There they spend their summers with their children and grandchildren until they sold the pack trains in 1983.
In 1963 they moved to the Kem River Valley. In 1975 they leased the old Onyx Store and ran it as a family business until 1986. At this time, Irwin continued his contract- ing business and they moved to Sacramento and lived there until he died in 1991. Alice returned to Kemville where she lived close to her family until she died on March 22.2001.
Alice is preceded in death by her husband, Irwin; her daughter, Lois Jean; and great-grandsons Steven Rico Yanez and Devon John Tavernier. Alice is survived by her son, Robert Burkhart, daughter Carol Logsdon, grand- daughters Wanda Avis and Lynnette Woolwine of Kemville, grandson Leigh Burkhart of .
Barstow, granddaughters Charlene Tavernier of Washing- ton, Sheila Burkhart of Florida, and Roxanna Burkhart of Texas, and several great-grandchildren.
Funeral'arrangements will take place at Kemville Scuthem Bap- tist Church on March 30, 2001 at 10a.m. Alice was a very lovingand giving person in her church and to her family and will be greatly missed.
Arrangements by Valley Mor- tuary of Lake Isabella.
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 2001
Valley mourns loss of area leader Bo Williams
By Marsha Smith Kern Valley Sun
Prominent Valley resident, community leader and business owner "Bo" Williams, passed away suddenly March 27. He was 76. Bo, along with his wife of 51 years, Margaret, ran the popular Paradise Cove Lodge and Restaurant on Highway 178 between Lake Isabella and Mountain Mesa.
Bo was extremely active in the community and had a heart- felt insight as to the potential growth this valley could achieve. The word "help" was a huge part of what Bo was all about, and when Bo attached himself to any endeavor he was there to make sure it could and would be done.
He cared deeply for the youth of our valley and was greatly motivated to see to it that our young people accomplished their goals and dreams.
Bo served as a board mem- ber for the Kernville Unified School District for 13 years and was a key player in the incep- tion of the Kern Valley High School Bronc Boosters. Their annual steak dinner was his brainchild and in the beginning was held on the tennis courts at Paradise Cove Lodge. At that time the Bronc Boosters gave
out a special award and Bo and Margaret were named "Mom and Pop Boosters of the Year." He was also sincerely con- cerned about the welfare of our senior citizens and was instru- mental in establishing the Ex- change Club's Senior Outreach
program.
Bo was a charter member of the Kern Valley Exchange Club, which benefits youth. There wasn't a fund-raiser or function benefiting our valley's young people that Bo wasn't either in- volved in or contributed to in some form. Bo was honored in 1986 with the Exchange Club's "Book of Golden Deeds" for his unselfish and self-sacrificing community service with little
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 2001
thought or care for personal rec- ognition.
He was a member of the Ma- sonic Family and he held all his Masonic brothers close to his heart. Bo served as Master for Lodge No. 827 in 1973. Bo was also an active member of the Lake Isabella/Kern River Valley Chamber of Commerce (and. was their Man of the Year one year) and the Kern County Board of Trade.
Born Robert Wesley Will- iams in Goliad, Texas in 1925, Bo was the fourth of seven chil- dren. At his memorial service, it was stated that "Bo was born feet first and used those feet to
keep moving for the next 76 years." His father tagged him with the nickname "Bo," short for Hobo, which described Bo's choice of dress- bare feet and the shirt tail that was never tucked in. That shirttail didn't change much over the years.
Bo's family came to Califor- nia in 1942 and he joined the Navy in 1944, serving as an armed guard in the North Pa- cific and later Shore Patrol in Japan. It seems he never quite got over the ship's rolling up and down and could usually be found at the ship's railing feed- ing the fish- so shore duty was the ticket. Once back on land the slight green tinge to his skin disappeared. After his discharge from the service he enrolled in
Pepperdine College as a fresh- man in 1946, majoring in His- tory and Physical Education and graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in 1950. He played foot- ball with the championship Pepperdine Waves, a team formed from mostly returning veterans. His coach once said that Bo wore barbed wire sus- penders, he was so tough. Bo was inducted into Pepperdine's Hall of Fame in 1986.
While at Pepperdine he was introduced to Margaret Parker by a teammate. He gave her the once over and pretended not to be interested. Two weeks later he asked her to go dancing at the Palladium, and they danced for the next 51 years. They were married in January 1950.
In December of 1951 Marga- ret presented Bo with a baby daughter, Patricia. Twenty-one months later Pamela was born. and then in 1961 Wesley came along.
Bo didn't like working for other people. He was just too in- dependent, so he went to work operating Parker Roofing Co., founded by Margaret's dad, in Los Angeles from 1951 until 1965. He and Margaret moved to the Kern River Valley in 1957 where he first built a cafe at Paradise Cove. Margaret ran the cafe while Bo commuted to run the roofing company. This got old all too soon for Margaret, though, and the day after Christmas 1965, Bo put a pick in the ground at Paradise Cove
and the Lodge was underway. By Memorial Day 1966, Bo put on an apron and cooked the very first steak at Paradise Cove Lodge, a Valley landmark.
Bo's dedication and contri- butions to our valley were a rare asset. His very last contribution was the donation of his eyes for research.
Bo is survived by Margaret; three children, Pat, Pam and Wesley; six grandchildren; and four siblings.
His memorial service was held Saturday at the Mt. View Southern Baptist Church in Lake Isabella. The family has requested that memorial dona- tions be made to the Masonic or Exchange Club Scholarship Funds in lieu of flowers.
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 2001
Robert "Bo" Wesley Williams
Robert "Bo" Wesley Will- iams, of Lake Isabella, died suddenly the morning of March 27, 2001, while working in his yard. He is survived by Marga- ret, his wife of 51 years, their three children, six grandchil- dren, four siblings, and a large extended family and countless friends.
Born in Goliad, Texas, in 1925, the third of seven chil- dren, he moved to Vacaville, Calif., in 1942. He joined the Navy in 1944, serving as an armed guard in the North Pa- cific and an SP in Japan. He attended Pepperdine College in 1946-50, where he played football with the championship Waves. He was inducted into the Pepperdine Hall of Fame in 1986.
At Pepperdine Bo met Mar- garet Parker, and they were married on a rainy January morning in 1950. From 1951- 65, he operated Parker Roof- ing Company in Los Angeles. He moved to the Kern Valley in 1965 where he built Paradise Cove Lodge and cooked many a steak.
Bo was an active member of the community and deeply believed in the potential of the Kern Valley. He served for 13 years as a board member for the Kernville Unified School District, and was a member of the Lake Isabella Chamber of Commerce, a charter member of the Kern Valley Exchange Club, a Bronc Booster and a member of the Board of Trade.
He was a member of the Ma- sonic family and served as Master of the Kern Valley Lodge 827 in 1973. His final contribution of organ donation will benefit children's cancer treatment and the Inland Eye Bank.
There was public visitation at Valley Mortuary on March 28 and 29, 2001. A public me- morial service was held at the Mountain View Southern Bap- tist Church on March 31, 2001, at 2 p.m. The family has re- quested that memorials be made to the Masonic or Ex- change Club scholarship funds in lieu of flowers.
Arrangements by Valley Mortuary of Lake Isabeila.
Carole Lynn Huston Williams
Carole Lynn Huston Will- iams passed away on March 24, 2001 at Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield. She was 62.
Carole was born on March 12, 1939 in Red Lodge, Mont. She lived in the Kern Valley for 35 years. She was a wife and mother and held several as- sorted jobs here in the Valley.
Carole is survived by her husband of three years, Rob- ert; her children Vince and Bodil Huston of Maaloey, Nor- way and Rocky and Vicky Huston of Lake Isabella; grandchildren Tiffany Roxanne, Victoria Lynn and Thomas Saetren; brother Bob Ranta and family of Red Lodge, Mont .; sisters Arlene Tibbets of Lake Isabella and Virginia "Bebe" Easley of Lin- coln City, Ore.
Services were held April 3, 2001 in the Rose Chapel at the Lake Isabella Funeral Home. Officiating was Pas- tor Jack Dilley. Interment took place at the Kern River Val- ley Cemetery in Wofford Heights.
You gave your children two lasting things ... one is roots, the other wings ... We will love and miss you ...
Services were entrusted to the Lake Isabella Funeral Home, Bonewell Family.
Patricia Ann McCauley
Patricia Ann McCauley of Wofford Heights passed away on March 13, 2001 while traveling in Aswan, Egypt. She was born Sept. 14, 1931 in Houston. She worked at the Kern River Health Center from 1990 to 2000. A happy person witha positive approach to every- thing, she will be greatly missed by her family and friends. Her husband Charles preceded her in death. Sur- vivors include her sister, Karen Brustman and her hus- band Harry Brustman of Dal- las; stepson Donald C. McCauley and his wife Jody McCauley of San Carlos, Ca- lif .; and stepdaughter Cathleed McCauley of Cov- entry, Rhode Island.
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2001
Minnie B. Hamilton
Minnie B. Hamilton, 84, passed away March 27, 2001 at the Arbor Convalescent Home on Lodi, Calif.
Minnie is survived by her husband, Wally Hamilton of Lake Isabella; daughter Bar- bara Jean Timms of Lodi; adored grandsons Craig and Cory Timms and their wives Marriann and Sally; great- granddaughters Cassandra and Megan; great-grandsons Casey and Wyatt Timms of Alta Loma and Lodi; and many lifelong friends.
Minnie was born Sept. 24, 1916 in Mule Creek, Texas. She worked for 26 years for Sears as a manager-buyer in their West Coast division. She loved the water and the Kern River and Isabella Lake. She was an ardent fisherman and a water skier and a very tal- ented painter and crafts artist.
For many years, she was very active as a docent at the Maturango Museum in Ridgecrest, lecturing on Indian artifacts and petroglyphs at schools and in the field.
In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Alzheimer's Disease re- search.
Graveside memorial ser- vices will be held April 28, 2001 at 1 p.m. at Rose Hills Cem- etery in Whittier.
In Loving Memory Delores Martineau
Delores Martineau passed away March 29, 2001. She was born June 22, 1935.
Memorial services will be held April 22, 2001 at 2 p.m. at the Cascades Restaurant, 3905 Club Rancho Dr., Palmdale Country Club, Palmdale, Calif.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2001
Walter Clayton Busch
Walter Clayton Busch entered life on Oct. 4, 1922 in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. His parents, George and Elizabeth, raised him with traditional Midwest family values. Walt grew up and graduated high school in Ohio. At the onset of World War II, the day after Pearl Harbor was bombed, Walt joined the United States Navy and proudly served his country until 1946, where he was honorably discharged. Shortly after leaving the Navy, Walt felt the call of the sea once again and became a United States Merchant Marine. While in the Merchant Marine, Walt sailed into the Port of Long Beach, and met his future wife, Judy (Gertrude) Williams. The two fell in love and began house shop- ping, later deciding on one and fumishing it. And on June 21, 1951, Walt and Judy were mar- ried. They would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this year. Walt retired in 1982 the first time and then after being away from the sea for a bit, de- cided to attend officer's training school, and became a merchant fleet captain. Walt ran many ships, and as soon as he would get off a ship, he and Judy would jump into their RV and head for Lake Isabella. In 1986, he had been out to sea for a good length of time, and after just a few minutes of retuming home to Lake Isabella, the phone rang and they wanted Walt to return to Long Beach the same day and captain another ship. Judy said go ahead, but she wasn't going. He told her if she wouldn't go, then he wouldn't go either, and atthattime, Walt called them back and quit, formally retir- ing from Maritime service.
Walt really enjoyed the lake and water skiing, although he never really could master the single ski, always being a double skier. He and Judy attended the Highland Chapel in Lake Isabella. They enjoyed traveling to Laughlin, and spending time with their loving daughter, Laura, and their special friends around the Valley. One thing Walt was very
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proud of was becoming a mem- ber of the Masonic Lodge. But recently Walt fell ill, and on April 6, 2001, he passed away and went home to be with his maker. Fu- neral services were held on April 11, 2001 at the Masonic Lodge No. 827 in Kemville. Graveside services were held immediately following at the Kern River Valley Cemetery in Wofford Heights.
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