Search for celebrities on Ancestry.com!Vera Grace ‘Doll’ Connor
Services will be Friday for Vera Grace "Doll" Connor, who died Saturday in Soquel. She was 82.
Mrs. Connor was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and marriage her childhood sweetheart, Maurice, there. The couple had lived in Aptos for the past 20 years.
The couple lived in Texas, California, England and Morocco during the first 25 years of their marriage, while Mr. Connor served in the Air Force.
She cared for her family alone when her husband spent extended periods in Okinawa during the Korean War and in North Africa during the 1960s.
Mrs. Connor had a beautiful voice and a deep love of music, a gift she passed along to her family. She made a record in the early years of the recording industry, and met another aspiring singer, Frank Sinatra.
In Santa Cruz, Mrs. Connor and her husband were active in the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post and enjoyed time at the beach near their home.
She is survived by sons Tim Connor of Saipan, Terry Connor of San Diego and Tod Connor of Felton; daughter Mary Lynn Connor of Aptos; and 12 grandchildren.
Family members said one of Mrs. Connor’s last comments before she died was about seeing her husband and father waiting for her.
Her husband, Maurice E. Connor, died in 2001.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be 11 a.m. Friday at Resurrection Catholic Church, 7600 Soquel Drive, Aptos.
Mrs. Connor will be buried at San Joaquin National Cemetery in Santa Nella.
Contributions are preferred to Hospice Caring Project, PO Box 670, Aptos, CA 95003.
Arrangements are by Benito and Azzaro Pacific Gardens Chapel.
November 20, 2002
Kerry Elise Hansen
Services will be Sunday for Kerry Elise Hansen, who died Nov. 11 in Watsonville after a long illness. She was 46.
Ms. Hansen was born in San Jose and lived in Santa Cruz County for more than 15 years.
She graduated from Lynbook High School and attended Cabrillo College.
Ms. Hansen was an exceptional craftsman and a gifted writer, family members say. She enjoyed music, stories, the mountains, the sea and dancing.
She is survived by mother Mary Lee Morris of Santa Cruz; brothers Steve Hansen of Fairfax, Scott Hansen of Vienna and Timothy Hansen of Santa Cruz; and sister Kim Hansen of Reno, Nev.
Her father, Hans W. Hansen Jr., died in July.
Services will be 1 p.m. Sunday at Oakwood Memorial Park Crystal Chapel, 3301 Paul Sweet Road, Santa Cruz.
Contributions are preferred in her memory to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 121 Second St., Second Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105.
November 20, 2002
June Atwood
Services will be Saturday for June Atwood, who died Nov. 10 in Santa Cruz. She was 79.
Mrs. Atwood was born in San Francisco and was part of the pioneering Turner family, who settled in the Placerville area in 1848. She moved to Santa Cruz in 1945.
Mrs. Atwood served as secretary for the 12th Naval District in San Francisco during World War II.
In Santa Cruz, she was active in several school and athletics organizations while raising four sons. She also worked in the county Elections Office and was active in the Presbyterian Church.
Mrs. Atwood was an artist skilled in various media, family members say.
She was a member of the Rug-Hooking Guild, the Isabella Rebekah Lodge and was a past president of the Tri League of Santa Cruz.
Before her illness, she enjoyed frequent walks along the coast.
She is survived by her husband of 61 years, Alec George Atwood Jr. of Santa Cruz; sons Terry Atwood of Pasco, Wash., Rick Atwood of Molalla, Ore., Bob Atwood of Auburn and Mike Atwood of Livingston, Mont.; 10 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Services will be 2 p.m. Saturday at Oakwood Memorial Park Crystal Chapel, 3301 Paul Sweet Road, Santa Cruz.
Mrs. Atwood will be buried in the Turner family’s historic plot in Oroville.
Contributions are preferred in her name to the Alzheimer’s Association of Santa Cruz County, 1777 Capitola Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95062.
November 20, 2002
Ella Ruth Davis
Services will be private for Ella Ruth Davis, who died at home Tuesday. She was 77.
Mrs. Davis was born and raised in Euchlid, Ohio, and moved to Bonny Doon six years ago to be close to her family.
She loved painting, sketching and gardening.
She is survived by son Jerry Davis of Bonny Doon; and daughters Jeanne Stensland of Edmonds, Wash., and Pat Davis of Castroville.
Arrangements are by Santa Cruz Memorial Park.
November 21, 2002
Charlotte M. Kraemer
Services will be today and Friday for Charlotte Marie Kraemer, who died Saturday after a car accident on Larkin Valley Road. She was 54.
Mrs. Kraemer was born in San Jose and lived in Santa Cruz County for more than 35 years. She worked as a real estate agent for more than 30 years.
She is survived by sons Justin Kraemer of Aromas and Braden Kraemer of Santa Cruz; mother Phyllis Jean Jung of San Jose; and two grandchildren.
Friends may call from 2-8 p.m. today at Benito and Azzaro Pacific Gardens Chapel, 1050 Cayuga St., Santa Cruz.
A remembrance service will be 6 p.m. today at the chapel.
Graveside services will be 2 p.m. Friday at Oak Hill Memorial Park in San Jose.
Contributions are preferred to a charity of choice.
November 21, 2002
Donna R. DesJarlais
Services will be Saturday for Donna Rooney DesJarlais, who died Tuesday in Nashville. She was 75.
Mrs. DesJarlais was born in Buffalo, N.Y., and lived in Capitola for many years.
After becoming ill last year she lived in Nashville and Capitola.
Mrs. DesJarlais owned and operated the Country Court Tearoom on Capitola Avenue for 28 years. She was a member of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Santa Cruz.
Mrs. DesJarlais graduated from Hillsboro High School, Vanderbilt University and the Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond, Va.
She served as director of Christian education for Presbyterian churches in Huntington, W.Va., Kingsport, Tenn., and Decatur, Ga.
She is survived by sisters Helen Rooney Tanner of Nashville and Martha Rooney Waldrum of Birmingham, Ala.; stepdaughter Suzanne N. Wimp of Kansas; one stepgrandson; seven nieces; and one nephew.
Her husband J. G. "Bob" DesJarlais died in the late 1990s.
Services will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Second Presbyterian Church, 3511 Belmont Blvd., Nashville.
Contributions are preferred to Habitat for Humanity, PO Box 1538, Aptos, CA 95001.
Arrangements are by Roesch Patton Brentwood Funeral Home in Nashville.
November 21, 2002
Byron E. Danzer
Services will be Monday for Byron E. Danzer, who died Tuesday at his Aptos home. He was 61.
Mr. Danzer was born in Shelby, Mont., and lived in Santa Cruz County since 1977.
He worked as an electrical engineer for more than 36 years and at the time of his death owned Danzer Engineering in Santa Cruz. He was a member of the Institute of Electrical Engineers.
Mr. Danzer was an avid golfer and member of Seascape Golf Course. He also enjoyed baseball and football and was a fan of the San Francisco Giants.
He is survived by his wife, Patti Danzer of Aptos; daughter Michelle Danzer of Napa; mother Janet Danzer of Oregon; stepdaughters Holly Feurtado and Cyndi Ritenour, both of Santa Cruz; stepson Tony Rodriguez of San Francisco; brother Richard Danzer of Oregon; sister Kathy Danzer of New York City; and four grandchildren.
Services will be 11 a.m. Monday at Holy Cross Church, 126 High St., Santa Cruz.
Contributions are preferred in his name to Santa Cruz High baseball and Dodge Field, 415 Walnut Ave., Santa Cruz, CA 95060.
Arrangements are by Benito and Azzaro Pacific Gardens Chapel.
November 22, 2002
