Search for celebrities on Ancestry.com!June 5, 2004
David Sverko
If David Sverko wasn't the last real cowboy in Mendocino, he was close. He was still answering neighbors' questions about horses, running his tractor and splitting firewood until a stroke last fall took him down a few notches.
Sverko died from complications of that stroke Thursday at the small ranch in Mendocino that he worked since 1954. He was 87.
A child of the Depression, Sverko learned while growing up in Fort Bragg how to do for himself. When he went to work on a ranch at 13 he would have quit school, but he'd promised his mother he wouldn't.
He graduated from Fort Bragg High in 1934 and five years later marriage Marguerite White. He basically lived to work, and over the course of his life was a ranch caretaker, the operator of a Mendocino saddle shop, a horse trainer, a lumber-company woodsman and bulldozer operator, a welder and rebuilder of horse trailers, a Mendocino volunteer firefighter and a member of Mendocino County's Search and Rescue Team.
Neighbors in Mendocino knew Sverko as a no-frills, no-nonsense guy who would do anything for someone in need and never expect anything in return.
"He never rode in an airplane because he was never in that much of a hurry," said his son, Rodney Sverko of Santa Rosa.
"He never had a credit card because if he couldn't afford it, he didn't need it."
Dave Sverko served on the Mendocino County grand jury in the 1970s. He also co-founded the Northern California Trails Council and spent much time helping build equestrian trails in the county.
He lost his first wife to cancer in 1963. Four years later he marriage Eleanor Gomes. She died in 2000.
A stroke in September cost Sverko much of his independence. Neighbors grateful for all he'd done for them pitched in to help, allowing him to remain in his home.
In addition to his son, he is survived by stepson Larry Gomes of Oakland; two grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and two stepgrandchildren.
Services are at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Fort Bragg's Chapel of the Sea. Interment is at Rose Memorial Park.
Paul Tendick
Paul Tendick, a 25-year probation officer with the Sonoma County Probation Department in Santa Rosa, died May 29 in Tucson, Ariz., where he lived for the last four years.
His death at age 60 came 13 months after being diagnosed with leukemia.
"He was a great adventurer," said his wife, Anita Goren Tendick of Tucson. "His life was full of dreams, many of which came true. He wanted to retire young so we could travel, and we did make a lot of trips after he retired in 2000."
Born Jan. 14, 1944, in Long Beach, Tendick graduated from Oxnard High School in 1961 and marriage his high school sweetheart in 1968.
In the meantime, he received the National Defense Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal and the Presidential Unit Citation Award for his service as a hospital corpsman with the Marines in Vietnam.
Upon graduation from Sonoma State University, he received his bachelor's degree in sociology with an emphasis on criminal justice.
"We lived in Sebastopol for about 22 years," said his wife. "He loved cutting firewood. We had a few acres with an orchard, and he spent a lot of his time on the property. He loved the earth and liked to plant. He grew lots of vegetables and had about 100 fruit trees."
Tendick also was well-known for his enjoyment of culinary delights.
"He loved wine and good food," his wife said. "After he was diagnosed with leukemia, we spent six months in Seattle, where he underwent treatments. He was always asking hospital staff to recommend good restaurants."
Tendick also sought recommendations for good restaurants during travels to Hong Kong, the Panama Canal, Australia, Portugal, Spain and Mexico.
"He really loved hiking," his wife said. "We went to the coast quite a bit, and he liked the trails between Howarth Park and Spring Lake."
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughter, Berkeley Tendick Vogelsang of Denver, and one grandchild. He also leaves his parents, Cullen and Sylvia Tendick, of Tucson; his sister, Jean Lincoln of Ukiah; and his brothers, Jim Tendick of Moab, Utah and Mark Tendick of Santa Rosa.
A private memorial service is planned in Tucson for later this month, and another memorial service will take place in August in Santa Rosa.
Memorial donations may be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 1311 Mamaroneck Ave., White Plains, N.Y. 10605; the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, P.O. Box 19024, Seattle, WA 98109; or Peppi's House, the Tucson Medical Center Hospice, 5301 E. Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716.
Victor Reuther, labor leader
Victor Reuther, the last of three brothers who helped unionize Detroit amid the labor strife of the 1930s and remained central to the growth of industrial unionism for the next third of the century, died on Thursday in Washington, D.C. He was 92.
His death was announced by his family and Ron Gettelfinger, president of what is now the United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America in Detroit.
Victor, along with his older brothers Roy and, especially, Walter, was at the center of a momentous struggle for union contracts to improve wages and working conditions. Victor Reuther, the more intellectually oriented, left-leaning sibling, came to represent the union's educational aspirations for its members.
The Reuther brothers helped to build the union, originally known as the United Automobile Workers and still known as the UAW, as an agent representing assembly-line workers. While their work initially focused on automobile workers in the United States, it had a national and international impact both within and beyond the labor movement.
Walter Reuther, who was also a power in the AFL-CIO, was president of the UAW from 1946 until his death in a plane crash in 1970. Roy Reuther was the union's political representative and legislative director; he died in 1968.
Victor Reuther honed his activism as an orator and an organizer of sit-down strikers. He shaped the union's educational programs throughout the country, establishing labor institutes, radio and film production units and the union's own drama schools and summer camps.
In his book "The Brothers Reuther and the Story of the UAW: A Memoir" (Houghton Mifflin, 1976), he recalled the often bloody confrontations of earlier times.
"During his years as a trade union activist," Gettelfinger, the union's president, said Friday, "Victor displayed great personal courage and endured great personal risk for the right of workers to organize."
June 4, 2004
G.K. Hardt
G.K. Hardt, a colorful fixture in Sonoma County's automobile sales industry for half a century, died of heart failure Monday in his Santa Rosa home. He was 86.
The longtime entrepreneur and philanthropist began his career in 1937 at age 19.
He was selling gasoline from a Signal Oil service station across from Santa Rosa High School when Depression-era economics forced him to sell his own car, a Ford, for which he took two other autos in trade.
From that point forward, he was an automobile dealer selling used Fords -- including Model A's for $15 apiece -- as well as Lincolns, Mercurys, Hudsons, Ramblers, Jaguars and DKWs. His G.K. Hardt agency eventually was located on Santa Rosa Avenue on the city's original Auto Row.
"He had a wonderful sense of humor," said his daughter, Lisa Hill of Incline Village, Nev. "He often played little jokes on family friends. The grandchildren remember drinking Shirley Temples with him. He'd distract them by pointing out the window and by the time they turned back, there'd be just the stem left of what had been a whole cherry. He had a very playful nature."
Born Gunther K. Hardt on March 29, 1918, in Konigsberg, East Prussia, he and his family came to the United States in 1927. He was drafted into the Army in 1942 but was disqualified because of a heart murmur. So he volunteered, serving in the Army until 1946.
In the meantime, the owner of the Signal Oil service station held the business for Hardt's return from military service and then gave it to him. Hardt paid for the property two years later.
"He was a very good businessman," said Gladys Bates, his associate of some 45 years. "He never forgot anything connected to business. He was detail-oriented but also kind and considerate of everyone."
In December 1955, Hardt sold his 10,000th car, awarding a $50 savings bond to the buyer. He retired from the car sales business in 1973 but continued as a real estate investor until his death.
"G.K. had a lot of loyal customers who came back repeatedly over the years," Bates said. "I think he was much respected in the business community. His word was his bond. If he promised something, he did it."
Hardt is remembered for his entertaining sales promotions. He sponsored the last two flagpole sitters in Santa Rosa, hiring them in the 1950s to boost his auto sales.
Hardt loved horses and was a member of the Trailblazers and Wednesday Riders in Sonoma County as well as the Reno Sierra Riders and the Palm Springs Desert Riders.
"He always had a dog," his daughter said. "Usually, it was a Dalmatian. He loved sturdy, loyal animals."
As a philanthropist, Hardt in 1999 donated $500,000 to the Sonoma County Museum expansion, and he was a supporter of the Salvation Army. His volunteer service included serving on the board of the American Cancer Society in Sonoma County.
"Grandpa was a man who helped many of us feel grounded and kept us moving in the right direction," his grandson, Matthew Paille of Santa Rosa, said in a poem written for Hardt. "He'll always he remembered as the one who helped so many of us reach our potential. We will miss his mischievous Walter Matthau smile."
In addition to his daughter, Hardt is survived by a son, Eric Hardt of Warboys, England; a daughter, Julie Paille of Santa Rosa; five grandchildren; and a sister, Marlise Moses, of Saratoga.
At his request, there will be no services. The family suggests donations the Children's Cabinet of Incline Village, P.O. Box 3562, Incline Village, Nev. 89405.
Ilse Wolf
Ilse Dora Wolf never planned to work at a hospital. But after fleeing the devastation of World War II, and immigrating to the United States, the German native dedicated her life to helping others.
Wolf, a medical secretary and auxiliary volunteer, died May 27 at Sutter Medical Center of Santa Rosa. She was 75.
Wolf was born in 1928 in Osterode, Germany. One year after the German Army surrendered, she and her mother fled their war-torn city for West Germany. There, they were reunited with Wolf's father, a German military officer.
"She lost some of her best friends during the war," said her son, Rudiger Wolf of Danville. "It was very difficult for her to talk about."
Wolf met her husband, Gerhard Wolf, in West Germany. In 1962, the couple and their two young children immigrated to San Bruno. One year later, the family moved to Santa Rosa.
In the 1970s, Ilse Wolf worked as a medical secretary for several doctors and at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. After retiring in the late 1980s, she worked for a decade as an auxiliary volunteer at the Sutter Medical Center of Santa Rosa.
"She absolutely loved it, she just had a very deep regard for trying to help people," Rudiger Wolf said.
Sukie Gill, who worked with Wolf at Sutter, said her friend did every task with a smile on her face.
"She was a true treasure to us," Gill said. "She made this a better place."
In addition to her son, Wolf is survived by her daughter, Heike Wolf of Santa Rosa.
Memorial services are at 7:30 p.m. today at Eggen & Lance Mortuary. The family suggests contributions to Sutter Medical Center of Santa Rosa.
Frances Shand Kydd, Princess Diana's mother
LONDON -- Frances Shand Kydd, who had an often turbulent relationship with her late daughter, Princess Diana, died Thursday at her home in Scotland. She was 68.
Shand Kydd's health had been failing in recent months and the grandmother of Princes William and Harry had been taken from her home on Seil Island, where she led a reclusive life, to a hospital in nearby Oban a number of times.
A spokesman for her son, Earl Spencer, said Shand Kydd "Passed away peacefully this morning, after suffering from a long illness, and this is now a private time for the family to grieve."
She was born Frances Ruth Burke Roche, daughter of the Fourth Baron Fermoy. Her mother, Lady Ruth Fermoy, was a confidante and lady in waiting to the late Queen Mother, and was later said to have had a hand in promoting Diana's marriage to Charles.
Prince Charles said his former mother-in-law "will be sorely missed."
Loyd Sigmon, devised L.A.'s "SigAlert" system
Loyd C. Sigmon, whose "SigAlert" freeway warning system made him perhaps the most famously unknown figure in L.A. traffic jam history, has died. He was 95.
"People usually think it's short for 'signal alert,'" Los Angeles traffic reporter Jorge Jarrin said Thursday on hearing of Sigmon's death. "They're surprised to find out it's from a guy's name."
Sigmon died of natural causes Wednesday in Bartlesville, Okla., where he had lived since 2000.
Sigmon devised his traffic alert system in 1955, when he was a co-owner of Los Angeles radio station KMPC and looking for ways to boost its audience. When the system debuted, it covered all sorts of emergencies, not just traffic tie-ups.
June 3, 2004
George Leoni
Longtime Healdsburg resident George Leoni rarely left Sonoma County, traveling on short trips to Arizona a few times but usually opting to stay close to home.
"He loved Sonoma County," said his daughter, Lynne Gradek of Healdsburg. "He always thought it was the prettiest place."
Leoni died Friday of a massive coronary at the Sutter Medical Center of Santa Rosa. He was 81.
Leoni was born in Healdsburg in 1923, at his family's 700-acre Westside Road ranch. Upon graduating from Healdsburg High School in 1941, he helped raise dairy cows and sheep on his family's farm.
In the 1950s, Leoni was a board member of the Healdsburg Future Farmers Country Fair. His children raised sheep as members of 4-H, and Leoni helped other children trim and haul their lambs to fairs.
"He was a friendly person who liked to kid around," Lynne Gradek said. "He was kind of reserved about his emotions, but you knew that if you needed something he would be there."
In the 1960s, Leoni worked for Young & Engelke Company in Healdsburg, and eventually became a partner at Stroco Paving. After retiring in 1974, he cultivated a garden with Italian red onions, zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes and garlic.
Leoni would share his crop with residents at local senior centers, and visit often with "original Healdsburg people," said Lynne Gradek.
"Healdsburg was a part of him," she said. "He watched Sonoma County grow -- anytime there was a tractor clearing someone's property, he was there watching it. Even though he was an old-timer, he liked to see the changes because he thought they were positive."
In addition to his daughter, Leoni is survived by his companion, Edith Poor of Windsor, and his daughter Mary Ann Anderson of Ukiah. Preceded in death by sisters Mary Leoni of Burlingame and Rosie Leoni of Berkeley; and brother Fred Leoni of Yountville.
June 2, 2004
Dwight Jones
Dwight Jones, who settled in Sonoma County after World War II and became one of the first drivers for the Petaluma Transit System, died Friday in Petaluma of heart failure. He was 82.
"Gardening was his great passion," said his son, Dwight Jones of Petaluma. "He liked to work outside in his garden. He grew vegetables and flowers."
Born and reared in Tuskey, Okla., Jones served six years in the Army, joining in 1938 and remaining during World War II. His tour of duty took him to Panama.
He retired from the Petaluma Transit System, but helped at the Petaluma Boys and Girls Club and volunteered at COTS of Petaluma.
"His hobby was woodworking," said his son. "He built cabinets. He was a master carpenter. He could build anything."
Jones also was athletic, playing for the Petaluma Leghorns, his son said.
Jones was a longtime member of Petaluma Moose Lodge.
In addition to his son, he is survived by his daughter, Cecily Skinner, of Coto de Caza; another son, George Jones of San Rafael; a sister, Sue Hicks, of Tulsa, Okla.; and two grandchildren.
Services are at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Parent-Sorensen Mortuary and Crematory, Magnolia Avenue and Keokuk Street, Petaluma.
The family suggests memorial donations to the American Heart Association, North Bay Chapter, 1710 Gilbreath Road, Burlingame 94010.
June 1, 2004
William Robbins
Who knows how many people were touched by William Robbins?
They knew him as Bill or, more likely, Sarge or perhaps "Little Harry," on account of his resemblance to Harry Truman and diminutive, 5-foot-2 stature.
Some knew him well -- his family, close friends, fellow Shriners or Masons -- or just as a man in a Stetson hat who walked up one day and made their acquaintance.
A "people meeter," according to his wife of 53 years, Christa Robbins, the Santa Rosa man "never met a stranger."
"He would walk up to a complete stranger, stretch out his hand and say, 'Howdy, friend, how are you today?' " she said. "He loved to meet people."
If there is an afterlife, Robbins is making new friends now, after his death Wednesday of kidney failure.
He was 90, and his death was expected, but still, his wife said, "You are not ready."
The couple met through friends in Berlin in 1948, while Robbins was serving with the military police in the aftermath of World War II. Robbins, still a corporal, introduced himself as Bill.
A native of Hoxie, Ark., Robbins first enlisted in the Army in 1937, then came home to serve as a police officer in Poplar Bluff, Mo., and later as marshal in a little town called Leachville, Ark., his wife said.
He rejoined the Army in 1941 to fight in World War II -- helping to "liberate France and Germany," he loved to say -- and remained in the Army until 1966, working primarily as an MP and weapons instructor.
He and his German wife were marriage in Berlin, and later moved to Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., one of several stateside bases the couple passed through during his career.
When the Army sent Robbins back to Germany in 1962, his family moved in with friends in Novato, moving to Petaluma when Robbins rejoined them in 1966. By then he was a sergeant, known far and wide as Sarge.
He and his wife lived in Petaluma for 26 years, while Robbins worked in maintenance at Sonoma State University, retiring after 13 years.
They later moved to Santa Rosa, where they lived for 17 years.
Robbins spent his time in Sonoma County as an active member of the Petaluma Valley Baptist Church and the Masons' Santa Rosa Luther Burbank Lodge #57.
He also was a member of the Scottish Rite Bodies, the Aahmes Temple, the Aahmes Peace Officers Association, the Sonoma County Shrine Club and the Sonoma County Shrine Club Riffs.
In his younger days, Robbins also loved to sing, blending his tenor voice with a locally performing group called the Mellow Airs.
In addition to his wife, Robbins is survived by daughters Tosca Schauer and Germaine Schauer, both of Santa Rosa; a sister, Juanita Johnson of Walnut Ridge, Ark., and five grandchildren.
A Masonic Service will be held at 10 a.m. today at the Daniels Chapel of the Roses in Santa Rosa.
Robbins will be interred later -- in his Stetson -- at Pleasant Hills Memorial Park in Sebastopol.
Donations in Robbins' memory may be made to the Petaluma Valley Baptist Church Building Fund, 580 Sonoma Mountain Parkway, Petaluma, 94954, or to the Shriners Hospital for Children, 2425 Stockton Blvd., Sacramento, 95817.
Ely Zelnik, Russian history expert
Reginald Ely Zelnik, an American historian who focused on Russian labor and social studies, died on May 17 in an accident at UC Berkeley. He was 68.
A faculty member since 1964, he was a popular professor of history and a former department chairman.
He was killed when a delivery truck accidentally backed into him as he was walking on campus, the university said.
As a newcomer to the faculty in the 1960s he played a role in the Free Speech Movement that roiled Berkeley and the country by defending its leaders and advocating students' rights.
He went on to become a mentor to a generation of students of Russian history.
Zelnik was the author of several influential books.
He wrote "Labor and Society in Tsarist Russia: The Factory Workers of St. Petersburg, 1855-1870" (Stanford University, 1971).
His "Law and Disorder on the Narova River: The Kreenholm Strike of 1872" (University of California, 1995), which remains in print, used that incident to analyze Russian social history in general and the life stories of Russian workers in particular.
Also in print is "Workers and Intelligentsia in Late Imperial Russia: Realities, Representations, Reflections" (University of California, 1999).
Zelnik is survived by his wife of 48 years, Elaine; a daughter, Pamela Zelnik; a son, Michael; a brother, Martin; and a grandson.
