I just got word that my brother, Joel, passed away. I will provide more details when I get I have more information I will update this.
Joel Stevens — Class of 1956
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Category Archives: Death Notice
Janet “Jan” (Long) Reichert — Class of 1970
Janet’s husband, Rick, left a message on Facebook telling us Janet has passed away. Jant is the daughter of Onace Long who played so many rolls in the Trona Unified School District.
Elizabeth (Reed) Rolof — Class of 1966
Elizabeth “Jimmie” (Reed) Rolof passed away on October 4, 2024. It is never easy to hear about the passing of a former THS student but sometimes, like now, it is really difficult.
Nancy (Smith) Morris — Class of 1955
Nancy (Smith) Morris (1936-2024) was born in Pennsylvania but came to Trona as a child and attended school in Trona from kindergartens until graduation in 1955. See married Eugene Morris in 1958. They were married 61 years until his death in 2019. They had two children, Paula (Morris) Lee and Pete Morris both of them attended Trona High School.
Ronald B. Long — Class of 1964
Ron Long (1945-2024) passed away in Arizona. The family is working on having a celebration some place in Northern California sometime in the future. He had many medical complications, and fought very hard in the end. Our condolences to his family.
Ron is the son of Coach Doyle Long and Anna (Shuler) Long.
Bruce “Butch” Knowles — Class of 1964
I recently learned that Bruce Knowles passed away. I don’t remember him well but I do remember his family. His parents were Howard and Ruth Knowles. He had a cousin named Larry in the class of 1953 and a half sister named Gwen (Knowles) Russell who was also in the class of 1953. Gwen marred Ira Russell who was in the class of 1951. Bruce also had a younger brother, Kenny.
Our condolences to his family.
Margaret Irene (Wells) June — Class of 1965
Margaret Irene June passed away in Glendale on Jan. 6, 2023 at the age of 75. She struggled with complications of COPD, heart disease and eventually COVID.
Margaret was born in Trona, California, where she grew up and graduated from Trona High School, having kept many of her schoolmates as friends throughout her life.
She moved to Glendale and worked for several years as a server at the Toasted Bun on Glendale Avenue. This is also where she met the love of her life, Larry June, whom she married on Dec. 20, 1977.
Margaret eventually started working at the Glendale Unified School District. She was well loved and appreciated for the devotion to her work and for her kind and generous heart. She retired after 28 years having gained many lifelong friends.
She also became a woman warrior in caring and fighting for her beloved husband as they battled his Parkinson’s disease. Sadly, Larry died in 2016 after 38 years of a wonderful marriage.
Margaret is survived by her brother Michael (class of 1961); many cousins, nieces and nephews; and her cat Pumpkin. She was preceded in death by her husband Larry, older sister Maureen (class of 1960) and her mother Adeta Wells.
Margaret and Larry are buried together at a gravesite next to her mother in Trona, the city where she started her life’s journey.
We all miss Margaret profoundly. Her kindness and generosity touched everyone who was privileged to be a part of her life. She will forever live in the hearts of all who knew and loved her.
Charlotte (Duffel) Hicks — Class of 1955
Charlotte was born 14 JUL 1937 and passed away August 7, 2024. The Duffel family came to Trona in 1955 so Charlotte was not a student at Trona High School for very long. She wasn’t there long enough to have a graduating picture in the yearbook.
Her services will be 10 am September 21, 2024 at the Searles Valley Cemetery.
Charlotte will be buried in the Searles Valley Cemetery along with her parents, her sister, Regina, class of 1961 and her brothers, James, class of 1958 and Rex, class of 1959.
Charlotte was also known as Charlotte Van Sickle.
Regina (Duffel) Blevins — Class of 1961
Graveside services were held for Regina at the Searles Valley Cemetery on Saturday, May 25, 2024. where her parents, sister Melva and brothers Sunny and Rex are buried.
The Duffel family came to Trona in 1955 from Arkansas. I can’t tell you much about Regina. Perhaps the classmates and friends who new her best will leave comments.
Robert “Bob” Jones — Class of 1956
Bob was born in 1938 in Oklahoma. Shortly after his birth his parents moved to Trona. The 1940 census lists his father’s occupation as a switchman for AP&CC. In the 1950 census his occupation is listed as a switch engine operator. At some point Bob’s father, Cliff became the manager of the Searles Valley Credit Union and then everyone who saved or borrowed money knew the Cliff Jones family. In high school Bob was known as Bobby, which made it confusing when in 1959 he married Bobbie (Halstead) Jones from the class of 1961. He passed away June 30, 2024.
Bob was on the varsity basketball team in high school but from what I’ve heard he spent a lot of time at the Trona Golf Club.
1966 11th hole at old trona golf course.
I wish I could tell you more about Bob but I really never new him. I do know he had children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren that loved him.
