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.
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.
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 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 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.
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.
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.
Marilyn Ann (White) Shermoen of Ridgecrest, CA, passed away peacefully on July 3, 2024, at the age of 81. Born on June 15, 1943, Marilyn grew up in Trona, and lived a life dedicated to her family and close friends, leaving behind a legacy of love and cherished memories.
Marilyn is survived by her loving daughter, Cheryl Shermoen, (Thomas Storm). She was a devoted grandmother to Tiffany Elliot (Shane) and great granddaughters Annie, Jessie, Christina, Elizabeth and Catherine. Marilyn also leaves behind her sisters, Carolyn Bertrand and Roberta Jackson, numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom she adored and cherished deeply.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Bob and Ona White, and her brothers-in-law, George Bertrand and Louie Jackson.
Marilyn worked on the base for a number of years, where she was known for her dedication and hard work. Despite her commitment to her job, her true focus was always on her family. She enjoyed the simple pleasures in life, particularly her daily morning coffee at Beansters with her
sisters and friends, a ritual that brought joy and camaraderie into her days. Marilyn will be remembered for her quiet strength, her unwavering love for her family, and her warm presence. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
Graveside services will be August 3, 2024 at 9am at the Desert Memorial Park, 801 San Bernardino Blvd., Ridgecrest, Ca.
https://www.hollandlyons.com/obituary/marilyn-white-shermoen?fh_id=10738
Patricia passed away unexpectedly after a fall sometime before her 88th birthday which would have been May1 6. Patricia was born in Saint Louis County, MN in 1936. Her parents moved to California in 1940. After graduating Patricia moved back to the Midwest and lived most of her life in Wisconsin where she raised four children.
May 16, 1936 – March 18, 2024
Patricia “Pat” Larson Kummings Rascoe (nee Finnelly), 87, a former Kenosha County resident, passed away surrounded by the beauty of the mountains and the love of her four children and husband on March 18, 2024 in Genoa, NV.
Born in Duluth, MN on May 16, 1936 to Leonard (Pat) and Emeline Finnelly (nee Becker), her family later moved to San Diego, California and then to Trona, California near Death Valley. Both her parents worked at Kerr-McGee.
Pat graduated from Trona High School as Valedictorian and then attended Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles where she earned an Associate of Arts degree in June of 1956. She then moved to Chippewa, WI and stayed with family while attending UW-Eau Claire. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a Minor in French in July of 1958.
It was in Eau Claire where she met her future husband Bruce Thomas Larson from York, WI. They married on February 7,1959 in Chippewa Falls, WI. They moved to Kenosha County in 1961 where Bruce worked at American Motors. Pat and Bruce went on to have four children: Laura, Wanda, Eric and Diana. They divorced in 1980.
For over 30 years, Pat taught English at Westosha Central High School. She taught freshmen and seniors, with most of the classes for seniors being Advanced Placement classes. She served as head of the English department for several years and also acted as an advisor for the high school newspaper, yearbook, cheerleading, and many other student activities.
As a lifelong learner, Pat went on to earn a Master of Arts degree in Education, Classroom Guidance and Counseling from Carthage College in 1983.
On March 21,1987, Pat married Dr. Donald D. Kummings, an English Professor at UW-Parkside in Kenosha. Throughout their 30 years of marriage, they traveled extensively, including trips to Africa, Eastern and Western Europe, Russia, Asia, South America, Central America and the Middle East. Pat loved to go on these adventures and visited Africa twice, enchanted by the people and the wildlife.
Don lost a very courageous battle with cancer on November 10, 2017. He died at their home in Kenosha with Pat by his side.
Pat spent many retirement years volunteering her time and talents helping young people. She was a mentor, tutor, counselor, and advocate for troubled youth. She was involved with Kenosha Area Family and Aging Services, Inc. (KAFASI) for 8 years and was an AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP Volunteer.
Pat also wrote articles for the Kenosha News. In 2001, she wrote an article that highlighted her love for animals, in particular dogs, titled “Bring Home a Puppy and Prepare to be Humiliated.” The article concluded with the idea that owning and caring for an animal can make you a better person. Throughout her adult life, she always had a dog at her side.
Pat often said some of her happiest times were when she was teaching high school while her children attended. She was a very involved and active mother and teacher. Many of her past students made it a point to visit or write after attending college to thank her for being tough, but fair, so that they were prepared for the challenges they faced after high school. She also enjoyed many lifelong friendships with her fellow teachers.
Pat loved and adored her grandchildren and was always interested in what they were doing at school or what their jobs entailed as they got older. She liked to learn about them as individuals through meaningful conversations and visits. She was also lucky enough to meet her great-grandchildren.
In 2018, while making plans to attend a high school reunion, she reconnected with her high school boyfriend, Bob Rascoe, [class of 1955]. They moved to Colorado Springs, CO and married on November 1, 2020. In the fall of 2023, they moved to Genoa, Nevada with its incredible views of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The original Pony Express trail ran through their backyard, as did the local herd of deer that kept her entertained.
Pat is survived by her husband, Bob Rascoe; her sister, Marjorie (Alan) Cohen of Sherman Oaks, California; her children, Laura (Keith) Stummer, Wanda (Todd) Stingley, Eric Larson (Debbie Zaionc) and Diana (Saunders) Kohn; her stepson, Jeremy Kummings (Jill Murray) of Minneapolis; six grandchildren, Erin, Megan, Zhenya, Elyse, Adam, and Blair; three step-grandsons, William, Eamon, Lincoln; two step-great grandsons; Kaiden and Cas, and one great granddaughter, Clara. Also surviving are her sister-in-law and her husband, Dianne and Arvid Faldet, of Eau Claire and their three children, Stephanie, Dan and Allison.
The family recently held a private service in Racine.
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/kenoshanews/name/patricia-kummings-obituary?id=56512904
Jim Hunter’s Graveside service is Saturday, June 22, 2024 at 10 am at the Searles Valley Cemetery. Following the service is a potluck at Trona Elks. Family and friends are welcome. In lieu of flowers, the family would like donations made to Tunnels to Towers Foundation at T2T.org or a organization of your choice.
Jim’s family moved from Oklahoma to Trona in 1952. Jim married Ellinor Crossley from the class of 1958. In 1998 Jim marred Sharon Sessions from the class of 1959. She passed away in 2019.
