The Earthquakes surrounding July 4 2019 rendered our Granddad and Grandmother’s home of 30+ years structurally unsound and deemed uninhabitable. Many treasured belongings were destroyed.
Our family is now in the process of moving them out to find a new home. Thankfully everyone remained safe during these events. This page is here for friends to provide support to the Eldridge family if you so desire.
Victoria Flame
https://www.gofundme.com/f/relocate-grandparents-who-lost-home-in-earthquake
We are raising money for Church repairs and rebuilding that are needed due to the two Earthquakes(6.4 and 7.1) we had on the 4th and 5th of July of this year. We area small church in the Argus area of Trona, which is the more poverty stricken area of the community. This area was hit hard and we need help to help others as well.
In Sept of this year, we were to celebrate our 80th anniversary. After the earthquakes hit there was a lot of damage internally and externally to all our church property. Our large main building used for children’s church and worship was condemned. The family center is a separate building and needs repaired to be used for worship. Currently we are using it for supply distribution to the community. If enough funds are raised, we could also use an additional room added to it if we are to hold children’s church as we did in our main building before.
We are sure to need help with the utility bill as well that result from using our Family Center right now as a cooling station for Trona residents who need relief from the 100 degree plus heat and for being open as a Distribution Center for the community residents to get what they need.
Any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to us.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/helping-the-trona-foursquare-church
Donations can also be made without losing a percentage by contacting Pastor Jon or Pastor Sarah at jcgoebel1948@gmail.com OR sarahagoebel@gmail.com. Notice the “a” between first and last name in Pastor Sarah’s email.
May you pray and give as the Lord leads.
2 Cor 9:7 – “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.Every amount helps.”
May the Lord bless you richly!
The 1st. Baptist church of Searles Valley. Trona was at the epicenter of the quake. Please help if you can.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/earthquake-damage-of-1st-baptist-searles-valley
If you would like to help reopen the Esparza Family Restaurant that is located in the old theater go to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/esparza-family-restaurant
The Old Guest House Museum is closed to the public until further notice. They have an appeal to raise funds for repair.
So far, $3000 has been spent on electrical repair/upgrades. The gas lines require repair or upgrade and the porch surrounding the museum must be rebuilt or repaired.
This is in addition to the efforts to raise funds through the Community Chest and various Go Fund Me efforts. If people would like to help with the museum costs, please send donations to:
Searles Valley Historical Society
PO Box 630
Trona CA 93592
Attention: Sharon Hartley, Treasurer
It has come to my attention, as the result of his sister’s recent death, that Jerry Wallace of the class of 1950 passed away July 21, 2005 in Vincennes, Knox, Indiana. He was the sister of Janice (Wallace) Draper who was also in the class of 1950. Please see Janice’s obituary for further details about his family.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/269420833/jerry_morgan_wallace
Janice Irene Draper (lovingly called Mema by her family) was born on August 25, 1932 in Van Nuys, California. She died peacefully at her home in Rancho Cordova California surrounded by her family on August 20, 2019. She was five days away from turning 87 years old.
Her mother whom she loved dearly, Clifford “Cliffy” Richard Morgan, and father, Charles Roy Wallace and two brothers and Chuck and Jerry preceded her in death.
Her husband, Jimmie Elwood Draper, Sr. and her four boys, Jimmie Elwood Draper, Jr., Jeffrey Earl Draper, Darrell Wallace Draper, Sr., and Randy Craig Draper survive her in addition to her 17 grandchildren, 3 of which she helped raise, and 32 great grandchildren.
Janice grew up in California and graduated from Trona High School in 1950. Her brother gave her the nickname of Lalie, and it stuck with her school friends. She made lasting friendships during her school years and through her association with Job’s Daughters, an international youth organization for young women that fosters leadership, charity and character building. She was the elected as her Bethel’s Honored Queen and led the organization for her 6-month term.
After high school, and a few other moves she landed in Sacramento California and worked as a switchboard operator. During that time she met her future husband, Jimmie Draper down at Stan’s Drive in on 16th and K Street, the place where all the young folks used to hang out in the evenings. Jim was in his early 20s and was enlisted in the air force working at Mather as an aircraft electrician. According to Jim, they dated for about a week before he proposed marriage, they were married on June 21, 1953 at Mather Air force Base
Her mother told Jim before they got married, “She can rebuild a carburetor but she doesn’t know how to cook!” Janice taught herself how to cook and her sons how to rebuild carburetors, how to drag race and most importantly she taught them to love and serve the Lord.
Janice joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after marrying Jim and was baptized on June 6, 1959. They were later sealed in the Oakland Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as an eternal family with their four sons on February 22, 1967.
Jim, Janice and their four boys moved to their current home in Rancho Cordova on May 1st 1968. They have been active and faithful members in their local ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (attending the same building) for over 51 years.
Janice brought life and vitality to any gathering. She was a dear and loyal friend to many, and had wonderful long-lasting relationships. Starting with her friends from High School in Trona whom she kept in touch with until the end. She also had many friends from her church community. They raised their families together, served in the Church together, sent their sons on missions and watched as they got married and raised their own families making her and Jim grandparents, and great grandparents.
Janice lived life with gusto. Among many things she will be remembered for:
• Loving animals, her family had dogs growing up and when she had her own family they raised crows, squirrels a cat and several dogs
• Playing all types of sports. Tennis, volleyball and softball. She was the ace pitcher for the church women’s softball team – she did all this well into her 50s
• Learning to play golf in her 50s with a used set of clubs from Deseret Industries. She even got TWO holes in one in her lifetime!
• Going about her church assignments riding her motorcycle, with her visiting teaching companion on the back
• Playing Shanghai rummy – and playing to win!
• Riding in off-road vehicles well into her 80s, telling her son to “go faster”
• Perfecting her fluffy dinner roll recipe – and many other amazing dishes.
• Loving to read and share paperback books amongst her friends.
Most importantly she will always be remembered for her love of family and her strong and abiding testimony of the Savior. She is a great example of enduring to the end with a sense of humor.
https://www.eastlawn.com/obituaries/Janice-Irene-Draper?obId=6523049#/celebrationWall
Trona Community Chest has set up a disaster relief account for anyone wanting to donate to Trona. Please make checks out to Trona Community Chest In the memo please state it is for disaster relief.
Checks can be mailed to:
Trona Community Chest
PO Box 413
Trona CA 93592
Or directly to:
Desert Valley Federal Credit Union
100 E Ward St.
Ridgecrest, CA 93555
Anyone wanting to donate to the Trona Community Chest by ACH Or Bill Pay from their financial institution. The account is #53955 at Desert Valley Federal Credit Union.
Tiffany (Elwell) Guerrero’s memorial in Colorado will be Saturday, August 31, 2019 at 1 PM.
Viegut Funeral Home
1616 N Lincoln Ave
Loveland, CO 80538
There will be separate celebration of Tiffany’s life in Ridgecrest Saturday September 28, 2019 from 1 PM to 4 PM at:
USO Building
230 W Ridgecrest, Bivd
Ridgecrest, CA 93555
We recently learned of the death of Donnie John December 15, 2015. Donnie was 75 when he died. He was living in Oklahoma at the time of his death just a few months after attending the 2015 all class reunion and visiting with his classmates.
Donald’s brother Richard “Dickie” John, class of 1956 passed away in 1997.