USA > California > Kern County > Lake Isabella > Obituaries from the Kern Valley Sun newspaper, Volume XII, 1995 > Part 71
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funeral services were held on Jan. 4, 2002 at 1 p.m. at the Kern River Valley Cem- etery in Wofford Heights with pastor Mike Splawn officiating.
Beth Morrison is survived by her husband, Lawrence "Larry" Morrison of Weldon; children Ben and Nina of Weldon and Doug and Judy of Medford, Ore .; grandchil- dren Bobby, Larry, Victor, Lisa, Michelle, Marabeth, Doug Jr. and Dustin; and 19 great-grandchildren. We love you and we are going to miss you.
Services arranged by Valley Mortuary of Lake Isabella.
Richard Lee Etheridge
Richard Lee Etheridge was born Oct. 8, 1930 to Thomas and Cecil Etheridge in Omaha, Neb. and passed away Dec. 30, 2001. He was 71.
A Marine Corps veteran who served in the Korean Conflict, Richard was a dedicated employee in the aircraft industry for 35 years and very much enjoyed his family, his yard work, paint- ing, puttering and playing dominoes. He will be missed by family, friends and all who knew him.
Richard is survived by his wife, Judy of Wofford Heights; four daughters, Kelly Segler of Lake Arrow- head, Shannon Alonzo of Bullhead City, Ariz., Timmy Segler of Bullhead City, Ariz., and Loren Reinert of Palm Bay, Fla .; 16 grand- children; and two great- grandchildren.
Arrangements were handled by the Lake Isabella Funeral Home and the Bonewell Family.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2002
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Sanford Elmer Silsby
Sanford Elmer Silsby passed away at home in Bodfish Dec. 27, 2001.
Sanford was born in Webberville, Mich. on June 17, 1918. He received an M.S.in education from the University of Michigan and was a guidance specialist employed by the Escondido Union School District. He lived in the Kern Valley for eight years and belonged to the Christian Assembly in Mountain Mesa.
Sanford is survived by his wife of 54 years, Marjorie V. Silsby; son Charles Silsby of Bodfish; son Ford Silsby of Bodfish; daughter Celeste Cersuey of Valley Center, Calif .; and five grandchildren.
His brother, sister and parents all predeceased him.
A memorial service will be held at a later date, officiated by Pastor Dan Hellyer with the Christian Assembly in Mountain Mesa. He will be buried in Darwin, Calif.
Gwendolyn Smith
"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven ... " (Ecclesiastes 3:1.)
A time to be born-
Gwendolyn Smith was born March 6, 1904 in San Jose, Calif.
A time to be born again- Gwen gave her life to Christ. When the Lord opened his heart, she, in response, opened hers. She was an active member of the Weldon Methodist Church her whole adult life, serving in many capacities.
A time to plant- Gwen was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great grand- mother, rancher and
teacher.
A time to love- Gwen was married to the late Stanley L. Smith for 46 years.
A time to live- Gwen lived a full and wonderful life. She enjoyed garden- ing, cooking and being an active member of the. Weldon Methodist Church and the South Fork Woman's Club. She en- joyed many summers in the mountains running cattle and cooking for the many ranch hands. She had a great sense of humor; she could dish out the practical
jokes as well as take the many practical jokes from friends and family.
A time to die- Gwen went to be with the Lord on Dec. 30, 2001. She passed away peacefully at home.
A time to weep- Gwen leaves to cherish her memory her children; daughters Lorane Bailey and Joyce Shaw; her grand- sons and their spouses, Stanley and Sharon Carver, Aaron and Leslie Branson; her great-grandchildren Kenny and Kristy Carver, Ariana and Kelsi Branson; and special friends Beth Gagnon, Starr Murphy and Cindy Alexander.
She was preceded in death by· her husband Stanley L. Smith and grand- son Bryce Carver.
A time to rejoice- it can be said of Gwen, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:7)
A memorial service was held at the Weldon Meth- odist Church on Jan. 4, 2002.
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2002
Gail Rochelle "Shelly" Freeman
Gail Rochelle "Shelly" Freeman was born in Grand Forks, N.D. to George and Marge Crossen on March 19, 1940. She came to Califor- nia in 1989 and lived in North Hollywood before moving to the lake area in 1994.
Shelly, as most knew her, was very active at the Moose Lodge in Lake Isabella. It was at the Moose Lodge in 1997 that she met Jerry and they were mar- ried in 1998.
She loved to cook and was very good at it. She made cookies, cakes and banana bread for the Southlake Fire Department at least once a month.
Services were conducted by C. Preston North, Pastor of the Mountain View Baptist Church on Erskine Creek Road in Lake Isabella.
Shelly is survived by her husband, Jerry Freeman of Weldon; sons Mike Bennett of Sand Springs, Okla., Mark Bennett of Tulsa, Okla., Brian Bennett of Jacksonville, Fla. and Jerry Freeman of River- side, Calif .; daughters Brook Bennett of Studio City, Terri Berry of Norwalk and Sharon Lopez of Cathedral City; three grandchildren; and a sister, Georgia Czechan of Southlake.
She had a great love for her family, and she will be greatly missed by her family and friends.
Services were held on Dec. 20, 2001 at the Moose Lodge in Lake Isabella. Ser- vices were entrusted to the care of the Bonewell Family of the Lake Isabella Funeral Home.
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Foley Robert Hamlett
Foley Robert Hamlett died after a long bout with cancer the evening of Dec. 22, 2001 at the Kem Village Board and Care.
His birthplace was Fort Worth, Texason Feb. 19, 1921, bom to Ruby and H.D. Hamlett.
At age 8 through 15 years of age, Foley lived with his Aunt Edna and Uncle Frank Harkrider in Ada, Okla. Then he moved to California to live with his mother and three brothers.
Foley enlisted in the Army during his teen years and served almost five years. He served three conflicts in World War II- Normany, Germany and Belgium, from the sec- ond day of the Normandy In- vasion to VE Day, and then came home on the Queen Mary. He was in the Tank Battalion.
Upon retuming to Califor- nia, he met and married Eunice Pennese in 1947. They were married 51 happy years.
He leaves two children and five grandchildren -- a daugh- ter, Micaela and husband Mark of Viola, Calif., grand- children Heidi, Kira and lan; a son, Frank and wife Karen, and two grandchildren, Casey and Connor, of Edmonds, Wash. He is also survived by
a brother, Bill, of Lakewood, Calif.
Foley's interests were fish- ing, camping and sports- especially baseball. He al- ways had his eye out for a baseball game on TV.
His last place of employ- ment was at Goodwin Pontiac in Burbank, as service man- ager.
Eunice, his wife, died in May 1999. They had for years hoped to move to the Kern Valley. Foley missed Eunice so much that he made the decision to move to Wofford Heights. His one year and 10 months here brought peace to his life. He enjoyed his new friends, and there were many. He also loved gazing at our beautiful scenery.
Two brothers predeceased him, Jack of Yorba Linda and Lefty (H.D.) of Weldon.
Foley attended his first Sunday morning church ser- vice after moving to Wofford Heights. And that Sunday he accepted the Lord as his Sav- ior, at 79 years of age.
Memorial services were held Jan. 12, 2002 at the First Bap- tist Church in Lake Isabella. The service was conducted by Pastor Eric Malamma.
Memorial gifts may be sent to Hoffman Hospice of Bakersfield or First Baptist Church of Lake Isabella.
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Haskell "Hack" Howard
Hack Howard of Lake Isabella passed away at his home on Jan. 7, 2002, at the age of 79.
He was born on Sept. 15, 1922 in Fall Branch, Tenn.
He is survived by a loving family and numerous friends- two brothers, Paul Howard and Don Howard; daughter and son-in-law Kathy and Harry Smith; step- children Joyce Sullivan, Ray Hamm, Gail Kramer and Donna Morning; numerous grandchildren, great-grand- children and nieces and neph- ews; and his good friend Esther Taylor.
He was a member of the Bodfish Beamers, the Kern Valley Moose Lodge and the Fraternal Order of Eagles.
There will be a memorial service at the Moose Lodge in Lake Isabella on Jan. 26, 2002 at 1 p.m.
Anna E. Butler
Anna Elizabeth Butler, 76, of Hillsdale, Mich., passed away Dec. 30, 2001 at her home. She was born Jan. 15, 1925, in Dayton, Tenn. to Charles and Pearl Goodson.
After working many years in retail in Toledo, Ohio, she retired in 1983 and moved to Wofford Heights. In 1988, Ann moved to Hillsdale to be close to her family.
She was married June 29, 1946 to Howard Butler, who survives her. Also surviving are two sons, Larry Butler and David Butler of Toledo; three grandchildren, all of Toledo; a brother, William Hicks of Cali- fornia; and a sister, Jean McGarity of Alabama.
There will be graveside services at Ottawa Hills Me- morial Park in Toledo. Memo- rial contributions may be made to Hospice of Hillsdale, Mich. Arrangements were entrusted tothe VanHorn-Eagle Funeral Home in Hillsdale.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2002
B. Dale McNeil
B. Dale McNeil passed away in the University of Loma Linda Hospital on Dec. 7, 2001. He had moved to Hemet in Dec. 2000 and went into the hospital on Oct. 7, 2001.
Dale was born Nov. 12, 1932 in Lordsburg, N. Mex., coming to California in 1952. He was retired from Flying Tiger Air Cargo and Federal Express Corp. based at Los Angeles International Airport as a mechanic-welder.
He and his wife Jackie came to Lake Isabella in May 1982 for a weekend of camp- ing and enjoyed the area so much that they purchased a weekend retreat which turned into much more than just a weekend place for family and friends. Dale enjoyed golfing, fishing, hunting and archery. He felt the Valley offered ev- erything for retirees.
Dale is survived by his lov- ing wife, Jackie; three sons, Benton, Steven and Robert; one daughter, Deborah; eight grandchildren, Amber, Dawnna, Ryan, Jessica, Nick, Eric and Yanira; one brother, Jim; and three sisters, Laquetta Sabin, Nelda Hoffman and Lillie Deaton.
Services were held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Lat- ter-Day Saints, Hemet 4th Ward, and interment was at Riverside National Cemetery on Dec. 14, 2001. .
Onnie Adolf "Lucky" Kyt
Lucky was born to Sylvester and Hanna Kyt on Oct. 6, 1923 in New Leipzig, N.D. He en- tered into rest at his home in Bodfish on Jan. 6, 2002. Lucky served in the Army as a TEC 5. He was awarded the Asi- atic Pacific Campaign Medal, the Philippine Liberation Rib- bon with one Bronze Star, the Good Conduct Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.
He came to the Isabella Lake area in 1969 after work- ing at Lockheed and others in the aircraft industry. He worked in Bodfish for Colvin Sheet Metal Company.
Lucky loved the area since he enjoyed hunting and fish- ing so much. He also loved to bowl and was a great dancer.
Lucky is survived by his wife, Noreen, of Bodfish; son Kevin Kyt of Wofford Heights; daughters Karen James of Missouri and Cheryl Brock of Bakersfield; nine grandchil- dren and five great-grandchil- dren.
A void is left by his passing and a great loss to his family and friends.
Services were held at the Highland Chapel in Lake Isabella on Jan. 9, 2002, with Pastor Ardis Sandell officiat- ing. He also received a full military service by the VFW Post 7665. Burial will be in the Kem River Valley Cemetery in Wofford Heights.
Services were entrusted to the care of the Bonewell Fam- ily of the Lake Isabella Fu- neral Home.
006
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2002
Kayaker's death continues to puzzle family
By Pam Stewart Kem Valley Sun Staff Writer
Following the tragic death of a loved one, time tends to bring closure.
But for the family of 41- year-old expert kayaker Barry Tessman, who disap- . peared one year ago today during his morning workout on Lake Isabella, there's nothing.
"We don't know anything" more a year later than we did last Jan. 16," said Tessman's mother, Gerry Byrum.
He was last seen early on that Tuesday morning at Dean's North Fork Marina.
In addition to being an avid kayaker, Tessman was well-known as a profes- sional photographer for Na- tional Geographic Adven- ture and other outdoor magazines.
Friends and family joined the Sheriff's Department in the search in the days follow- ing his disappearance, using their own boats, kayaks and all-terrain vehicles.
Tessman
More than 225 friends and family members gathered on the lake's shoreline to share their memories of him on Jan. 21 last year.
Thirty-two days after Tessman's Necky Phantom racing kayak was found- paddle jutting from the cock- pit, empty, and drifting in the cold, glass-smooth wa- ter- the lake finally released his body. Left behind were his parents; his wife, Joy;
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2002
their 3-year-old daughter and an unborn child.
After an initial autopsy by the Kern County Coroner's Office, the family commis- sioned a second autopsy, which confirmed the find- ings of the first.
Tessman had suffered a "blunt force trauma" to the head. The cause of death, however, was listed as drowning. No other injuries were found.
"As it stands now, it was an accidental drowning death," said coroner divi- sion chief Jim Malouf. "Even with professionals, things can happen. Accidents hap- pen.
"I haven't heard anything in almost a year," he added, "but if something is brought to the coroner's attention, the coroner can amend a death certificate at any time. We don't have a statute of limitations."
The second autopsy re- port states, "The blunt force trauma to the head and the discovery of Tessman's body in Lake Isabella, coupled with the water temperature and Tessman's kayaking skills, leaves many. unan- swered questions."
The ultimate cause of his drowning was noted as "un- determined."
The family agrees that there are too many questions remaining unanswered.
"It doesn't make sense to a lot of people,"·Byrum said. "(The Sheriff's office) didn't give it a lot of time or atten- tion. They said, 'He drowned. Well, there's the cause. That's it.' They never followed up on any- thing." "There were no fresh scratches or bruises on his hands, knees or el-
bows as would occur in a fall on rocks, said Barry's father, Norm Tessman of Prescott, Ariz. "Short of swan diving headfirst into an empty swimming pool, it is difficult to mold these facts into a sce- nario that does not suggest foul play."
Added Tessman's mother, "The trail is pretty cold now and if this was some random act of violence, that person is still out there."
Officials see other pos- sible scenarios as probable.
Said Malouf, "The blow to the head which we saw was probably caused by the boat. (Tessman) could have hit his head falling out, or hit it try- ing to get back in."
"This is physically impos- sible," said Barry's father. "There was no way he could have hit himself with any force. This might happen in a rapid in whitewater,- that's why we wear helmets - but this was a flat lake. And Barry's Kevlar racing boat may be 19 feet long, but it weighs almost nothing -
"(The coroner's office) would look at anything that came in, but it would have to be substantial," Malouf said. "As it stands now, it was an accidental drowning death. less than 30 pounds-it's al -. And I don't know that any- most like a balloon. And if he fell out of it, how did the paddle get in the upright boat, and why wasn't it full of water?
"This sort of damage re- quires a massive blow with something of the weight of a baseball bat."
After 34 days in the wa- ter, Tessman's body was in a state of decomposition which made determining when he received the blow to his head difficult.
He went on to cite that, "The paddle's presence in- side the tippy Phan-
tom sug-
gests Barry probably came ashore and climbed out. He would have helped anyone who claimed to be in dis- tress. It would have been tough to have tipped over, wet-exited, righted the boat, and placed the paddle inside without filling the Phantom with water."
At the time of his death, Tessman was training for a 1,500-kilometer kayak expe- dition down the coast of Viet- nam, sponsored by the Na- tional Geographic Explora- tion Council. Tessman was extremely fit, fellow kayakers report, and an expert and highly skilled kayaker. He led a team in the Aleutian Islands that paddled against high winds and massive waves. Training for that expedition had included self-rescues in the cold winter waters of Isabella Lake.
one would know (what hap- pened) without witnessing (it). It becomes more difficult, the longer you have."
"There are so many unan- swered questions on it, it's hard to know," said Tessman's friend Tom Moore. "His dad feels very strongly that there's some foul play involved. My biggest feeling is I'm just sad."
[Tessman's family has offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of person or persons involved in the death of Barry Tessman. Information should be sent to: P.O. Box 4407, Prescott, AZ 86302.]
Joy Tessman places a wreath in Isabella Lake in her husband's memory on Jan. 21, 2001.
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2002
Roberta M. Cook
Roberta M. Cook passed away Jan. 13, 2002 in Moun- tain Mesa at the age of 91. She was born in Quitman, Mo., on Aug. 9, 1910, the daughter of William and Nell Carmean. She also had a brother, William.
She had two daughters, Bonnie Myers and Maxine Giron and son-in-law Gerald Giron; six grandchildren, Darla Burrows, Joe Weaver, Judy Shenale, Robert Bailey, Amber Giron and Mern Lei Giron; and great-grandchil- dren Greg Hopkins, Tammie Hopkins, Michael Keeling and Kristen Bailey.
She learned to work very hard when she was young. After her marriage to Earl Cook, they settled in Charlo, Mont. where she ran a cream station. She had cows to milk, raised food to can and butch- ered chickens while Earl worked out of town during the week. Long hours of hard work led her to tell a friend one day, "for two cents I'd sell everything and leave here." He gave her an offer and she sold. They then moved to Grand Coulee,
Wash. where she worked as a cook and a waitress and later as a checker in a local store. In 1948 another move brought them to Bell, Calif. where she found work at Swift's meat-packing plant. Later she was a meat wrap- per for 25 years. Upon retire- ment she and Earl enjoyed their home and loved to bowl and go to Las Vegas.
She was married for 56 wonderful years. After Earl's death she moved to Unionville, Mo. with her daughter Bonnie and son- in-law Bill, where she en- joyed a small town rural lifestyle. After her son-in-law Bill passed away, she and Bonnie returned to Lake Isabella to make their home for ten years. The valley was a safe and comfortable place to spend her last years and also brought her closer to her daughter Maxine and family and Bonnie's daugh- ter and grandson Michael.
Although her last years were difficult due to health problems, she will always be remembered and respected and loved by her family and friends for her internal strength and determination.
Modene Martha Bosserman
Modene was born in Ar- kansas on Oct. 17, 1923 to William and Gertrude Jordan. She entered into rest at the Memorial Hospital in Bakers- field on Jan. 13, 2002. Two things she enjoyed the most were fishing and gardening. She was excellent at both. Modene is survived by her husband, Dick Bosserman of Bodfish; a son, Michael Bosserman of Anaheim Hills, Calif .; a sister, Anita West of Lake Isabella; and a grand- daughter in Anaheim Hills. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends.
Services were held at the Rose Chapel of the Lake Isabella Funeral Home in Lake Isabella, with Jack Dilley officiating, on Jan. 21, 2002.
Arrangements were en- trusted to the Bonewell Fam- ily of the Lake Isabella Fu- neral Home.
DEATH
Robert Lee Eubanks, 76, Jan. 17, 2002 in Bakers- field. Mr. Eubanks was a resident of Lake Isabella. Arrangements by Bakersfield Family Funeral Direc- tors.
David Allen Benevides. A memorial service will be held at Valley Mortuary on Jan. 24, 2002 at 2 p.m. Friends are invited to attend.
[This space provided as a service to mortuaries and funeral homes.]
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2002
Peggy Hatchell
Pethel
Peggy Pethel Hatchell, 68, passed away on Jan. 10, 2002. She was a recent resi- dent of Cary, N.C.and a long- time resident of Lake Isabella. She was born July 5, 1933 in Charlotte, N.C. to the late Harry G. Pethel and Helen Howard Pethel and was the widow of David L. Hatchell.
Mrs. Hatchell attended school in Chester, S.C. graduating from Chester High School in 1951. She was the recipient of an hon- orary scholarship to Lander College in Greenwood, S.C. and the Lions Club Good Citizenship Medal. Mrs. Hatchell was employed by Chester Telephone Com- pany from 1951 to 1976. She was a member of the Inde -. pendent Telephone Pio- neers Association and the Business and Professional Women's Club. She was also a member of the Triangle Church in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Mrs. Hatchell is survived by her daughters, Cathy Thatcher of Winchester, Va., and Vicki Rohde and hus- band Jim of Cary, N.C. She is also survived by seven stepsons, Tom Hatchell of Green Valley, Ariz., David Hatchell of Citrus Heights, Calif., Lonnie Hatchell of New Braunfels, Texas, Guy Hatchell of Buellton, Calif., Kelly Hatchell of Goleta, Ca- lif., Marion Hatchell of Prescott, Ariz. and Melvin Hatchell of Chester, S.C .; two stepdaughters, Becky Winham of Paonia, Colo. and Patsy Young of Chester,
S.C .; six grandchildren and 15 step-grandchildren. She is survived by a sister, Betty P. Chappell of Chester, S.C.
A memorial service was conducted at the Triangle Church in Chapel Hill, N.C. on Jan. 13, 2002. A graveside service was held at the Royal Pines Cemetery in Winnsboro, S.C. on Jan. 14.
Memorials can be made to the Hospice of Wake County, 1300 St. Mary's St., Raleigh, N.C., 27605, or to the American Cancer Soci- ety.
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Arrangements were handled through the Brown- Wynne Funeral Home in Cary, N.C.
Don Martin, Sun fishing columnist, succumbs
Don Martin, the Kern Valley Sun's fishing colum- nist for the past several years, passed away on Thursday after a long ill- ness. The staff at the Sun, and the Kern Valley com- munity, will miss Don's fish stories and jokes. We'd like to extend our sympa- thies to Mrs. Martin, along with our wishes that Don is now fishing happily on that big river in the sky.
Gladys Charlotte Campbell
Gladys Charlotte Campbell passed away Jan. 10, 2002. Gladys was bom to William and Gene Worthington on Jan. 5, 1907. Gladys' father passed away when Gladys was five, so Gladys and her mother moved to Pontiac, III., where they lived until Gladys gradu- ated from the 8th grade.
Gladys and her mother moved to Pomona, Calif. where Gladys graduated from Pomona High in 1924. In 1926, Gladys married Orion Campbell. One child, Helen, was born of this union. They lived in East Whittier, Calif. until 1945, when they moved to Old Kernville. Gladys remained in the Kern River Valley all the rest of her life.
Gladys was a pianist, and played for several churches and for many weddings and funerals of local citizens. She was very social and belonged to many organizations in the valley, including Eastern Star, as well as a P.E.O. chapter in Bakersfield.
Gladys was preceded in death by her husband, Orion Campbell. She leaves be- hind her daughter, Helen Witt; two grandsons, Stephen Witt of Bakersfield | and Stuart Witt of Ridgecrest; 1, four great-grandsons; one great-granddaughter, and one great-great-grand- daughter.
Private buria! will be held | at the Kem River Valley Cem- etery in Wofford Heights. A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Arrangements were by Holland and Lyons Mortuary of Ridgecrest.
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2002
Lonnie Millis Watts
Lonnie Millis Watts died Jan. 12, 2002 at the San Joaquin Community Hos- pital in Bakersfield due to a stroke. He was born Sept. 27, 1912 in Olustee, Okla. He lived in Bodfish for the past 10 years. He and his now deceased wife, Hazel Bernice Gibbins Watts, were married on Sept. 29, 1933 in Oklahoma City. They had 66 years together before her death March 21, 1999.
The couple moved to the Kern Valley in 1992, where they had spent many times camping and fishing at Miracle Hot Springs and Tillie Creek Campground since the late 1940s. They enjoyed many trip around the lake, stopping to fish or just enjoying the views, be- fore her death.
Lonnie was the son of Robert Burton Watts and Caldonia Whitney. He was the youngest child of ten brothers and sisters.
Lonnie's mother passed away when he was about five years old. His father remarried to Emma Dickey O'Neal Whitney. She had several children of her own. The two families became one. Lonnie and Buster, as the youngest, became very close and had many ad- ventures while they were growing up together on the farm. They were all hard workers and loved music, which Lonnie had been taught by his parents. Some of the older siblings learned by ear alone. He and his dad played for Sat- urday night dances. He was a good dancer and taught not only his daughter but some of his nieces to Jitter Bug and Lindy.
He came to California on a freight train in the '30s, then back to Oklahoma where his daughter was born. A son was born soon after his move to Califor- nia. The rest of his family also came or was already here, settling mostly in Tulare, Santa Maria and the Los Angeles area. He and his family lived in Tulare and Bakersfield before set- tling in the Glendale/ Burbank area.
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