The family of Patricia (Stevens) Banks, Trona High School class of 1953 , were on The Price is Right. To be exact her husband, Ray Banks and grandson Ray Banks were selected from the audience. They won the the big prize at the end. It was taped in September and aired January 2, 2014.
You can watch the video here:
Freda E. Walker, 97, passed December 27th peacefully at home just 3 days short of her 98th birthday.
Freda’s life began in Dillon, MT. She was raised in Glendale, CA, where she met Jack Walker, through her high school friend and future sister-in-law. Freda and Jack were married in 1936 and moved to Trona, CA.
In Trona, Freda was involved in Girl Scouts and raising 3 daughters. She also opened their home in the 40’s to 2 China Lake girls so they could attend high school before Ridgecrest had a high school. In 1954, she ventured out into the business world and established and owned The Gift Box, a gift store, for over 20 years. Many remember the jewelry, cards, yardage as well as many gift items. She provided a great gift oasis for Trona.
Freda and Jack passed on their ability to form life long friends to her children. Her girls were raised with integrity and an incredible work ethic, the willingness to help others, open our homes and hearts, and and the opportunity of independence through education. What wonderful gifts.
After 47+ years in Trona, Freda and Jack retired in Tehachapi, CA. There, they were involved in Lions Club and other community efforts, such as home nursing and hospice in Bear Valley. They traveled the country and world, many times visiting old friends.
After Jack’s death, Freda lived with her daughter, Elizabeth Bernau, in Thousand Oaks, CA, San Antonio, TX, and finally Phoenix, AZ. She has been surrounded by family constantly, three daughters, 12 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren–what a legacy.
Great Falls is one of many magical places in Searles Valley. I wish I had visited it more often but unlike Indian Joes it was too far to walk to and the road was so sandy getting stuck in the sand was almost certain. And being able to find drinkable water there was much more uncertain.
You can lean more about this wonderful location by clicking on this link: Summitpost.org
I recently aquired some vintage pictures of the falls area that you cab see here: GREAT FALLS
Lee Shimmin,Leroy Reece, Gilmore, and Richard (Larsen) Orr were involved in building a cave. It started on a sand dune on the lake side of the highway going from Trona to Valley Wells east of Pioneer Point. We had an iron pipe some 2×4’s stretched between the sides of sand and holly bushes holding up the pipe, then we placed cardboard on top with sand thrown on top to hold the cardboard down tight so it would not be blown away. Gilmore, Reece and Orr went in and I followed into the room we built inside. Richard Orr went out the tunnel entrance and I followed him. He got out but I did not and the pipe hit my head and I was covered with sand as the cave collapsed. Lucky for me my head was out enough to breathe. But, the steel pipe and sands weight pinned me so I could not move.
Richard went out to get help and contacted a graveyard [shift] foreman at the Point and my mother Mary Shimmin. She came ASAP with a shovel and tried to leverage the pipe off the shovel to no avail. The pipe was raised above my head and slipped, only to land on my shoulder and severed a nerve that paralyzed my arm. There were no bones broken, however my arm was limp. I could only move my fingers and could not write. I was in the hospital near Austin Square and my roommates included Walter Austin who taught me my multiplication tables and coached me to move my arm to no avail. My concerned parents took me to Los Angles near MacArthur Park where a neurologist examined me and put me into an “Airplane Splint”. The splint lasted into the summer of sixth grade when after swimming and doing physical therapy I recovered. They had to pump sand from my lungs and try all kinds of modern techniques during the recovery time. The splint was used in polio patients for their recoveries.
Well, needless to say I survived due to Richard Orr.
The story above is told by Lee Shimmins, class of 1957, in an email to my brother, Joel, who I had written to find out what he could tell me about this story. Lee says he was in the 6th grade at the time and was the school superintendent’s son. Counting backwards this incident must have happened about 1951.
A few days ago Ernie Kraut wrote a note asking about this incident that how this post came about . After being reminded that it was Lee, Ernie wrote: “We were in the 5th grade I think and in the temporary buildings at school. Lee had his arm on a support that held his forearm and bicep up in the air even with his shoulder and the elbow at a right angles.” LeRoy Reece told Joel that he also ran to the Point and brought back help. I’m not sure who Gilmore is but there was a Sue Gilmore who is now Sue Halstead. She was in Lee’s 1957 class.
Digging caves was a common thing for Trona kids to do at that time. It probably started with the the first kids in the valley and probably still goes on today.
Paul Mock, class of 1958, also dug a cave during this same time period in the lot behind our house. Perhaps he was inspired by Lee’s cave and the self confidence that he could build a safer cave that would not cave in. Mr. Mock took one look at it, and made Paul fill the hole in but promised to help build another one that was properly braced so it couldn’t collapse and he did follow through on his promise and the cave was built. It lasted several years. Someday I’ll write a post about the secret cave that went back deep into the mountain of the Point of Rocks (Ali Baba’s cave).
A recent visitor to Trona asked about the blue benches. Margaret Brush provided me with an answer:
Well, I seem to have lost her email but basically she says that the benches are all-weather benches that run along a bike path. They were provide by Trona Care to replace the previous wooden ones. The bike path was created by the Sidewinder Motorcycle Club as a public service project, probably around 1967.
Patricia Ann Radabaugh, 45, of Reedy, WV, died Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013.
She was born in Trona, Calif., the daughter of Kathleen Smith and the late James Smith.
Surviving in addition to her mother are two sons, Dustin Radabaugh and Patrick Radabaugh; one daughter, Andrea Hill; one brother, James E. Smith; two sisters, Tammy Gross and Karen Smith; and several nieces and nephews.
Services were held at Stump Funeral Home, Arnoldsburg, with Rev. Carroll McCauley officiating. Burial was in Cottrell Cemetery, Frozen Run.
Posted at: http://www.calhounchronicle.com/pages/current%20pages/Obituaries.htm
Patsy Lorraine Sizemore, 86, of Columbus, Kansas and formerly a long time resident of Trona died peacefully in her sleep on February 17, 2013. Having moved to Trona in 1947, Patsy was an active member of the Trona Business and Professional Women’s Club and the VFW Women’s Auxiliary.
She was a teller for Security Pacific National Bank, which had its office on Main Street in Trona. She later worked as a postal carrier when the Trona Post Office started home mail delivery service. She wrote poetry, song lyrics, and a column called A Woman’s Point of View for the Trona Argonaut and, later, for the Baxter Springs News.
She is preceded in death by her parents; one son, James H. Sizemore; and one grandson, Jeffery A. Sizemore.
She is survived by four sons Jerry H. Sizemore, Thomas A. Sizemore, Michael R. Sizemore, and A. Lee Sizemore; one daughter Cholla Sizemore; 13 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
Read more: http://www.ridgecrestca.com/article/20130410/NEWS/130419963#ixzz2lgQqgpXB
Reprinted here at the request of Cholla Sizemore.
Paul Bengtson
April 11, 1951 – April 13, 2012 Paul Arthur Bengtson, beloved father, brother, grandpa, uncle and friend, passed from this life on April 13, 2012, in Edmond, Oklahoma, at the age of 61. He was born in Trona, CA April 11, 1951, and was a graduate of Bakersfield HS in 1969. He came to OKC in 1970 and was a member of Ambucks, NRA, and Eagle Scouts. He was very dedicated to his life work and passion of auto mechanics, so much so that almost everyone who knew him took their car to him. He owned Sharpe Automotive for 40 years and was an instructor at Norman Technical College. He was commonly known around town as Tall Paul. He made each of his family and friends feel as though they were his favorite. He is survived by Donene Bengtson, his wife of 34 years; his daughter, Melinda Chada and her husband Evan; his son, Paul Ryan Bengtson; his granddaughters, Gracelyn Rylee and Markey Genice Bengtson; his grandson, Colton Coy Bengtson; his two brothers, Eric (Kathy) Bengtson and Allen (Susie) Bengtson; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Franklin Niles and Naomi Inez Bengtson. Memorial Services will be held 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 18, 2012, at Vondel Smith Mortuary North Colonial Chapel.
Published in The Oklahoman on Apr. 15, 2012
Anne Rasines, passed away peacefully in her sleep on the morning of November 1, 2013. Anne was the wife of Ricardo (Ric) Rasines who lived in Trona from the early 1950’s through the late 1980’s .
Ric was an 8th grade teacher at Trona High Schools for a number of years and then served for many years as the Boys Counselor at the school. Ric’s son, Doug, says that his father is doing well but that the news about his mother was more somber. He said, “Dad, Debbie and I were able to be at her side which was comforting to us all. As difficult as it is, mom is in a better place, We will honor mom’s long-held wishes to be cremated and have her ashes scattered at sea. We plan to have a ‘celebration of life’ memorial sometime after the holidays.”
The above is from George Sherman about an email Durwood Sigrest forwarded to him . The email was from Doug Rasines. Doug is the son of Anne and Ricardo (Ric) Rasines.
Jim Ewing, class of 1953, passed away in March of 2012. In looking for information about Jim’s death I learned that in 1940 Jim’s grandfather, James Ewing, was the fire chief in Trona and that Jim’s father, Arthur, died in Trona in 1951 at the age of 38.
My brother Joel told me that Arthur was and electrician for AP&CC and while he was working inside a product elevator someone turned it on. If I remember correctly it took several days work to recover the body. “Lock-out, Tag-out” seems so obvious now and I am sure it has saved a lot of lives. Still I remember a similar accident occurring at Kaiser Steel where the lock was cut and the tag removed. I was told by someone who worked there in the 70s that Kaiser Steel averaged an on the job death a week.
The following is an email from Jim’s daughter, Tami, to George Sherman:
“My dad had some health issues but was very diligent about seeing his doctor and taking his medications and was living happily in San Diego. My husband and I visited every other weekend as he was yearning to spend more and more time with family as he was getting along in years. I mention that as there was no outward indication of any serious health issues.
Sunday, March 4th, I received a call from my dad letting me know he had been admitted to Scripps hospital in San Diego. He took a bad fall in his condo, (evidently from ‘blacking out’) and broke 4 ribs. My dad fought to recover from his injuries, for awhile, but doctors informed me they were more concerned about his other ‘health issues’ than they were his ribs. He had liver disease and while admitted, hospital doctors learned he was having heart trouble (which explained why he had the black out). As each day passed, he got progressively worse and the rib injuries were extremely painful for him.
I spent day and night at his hospital bedside until he was finally to weak to fight, He passed away peacefully on March 21, 2012, I held his hand, prayed with him, and we watched the sun setting over the San Diego Bay as he took his last breath.
Sorry to ramble, I loved my dad very much and it gives me some comfort to share a little with his friends. My dad loved his friends very much, especially those he kept in contact with from Trona. I know because a) he told me so and b) he always talked about them. *smile*
Tami”