Stella Mae Wold Guest
Stella Mae Wold Guest, 87, of Ojai, died Saturday, Jan. 13, 2001. Her grandparents had emigrated from Norway. She was born Feb. 18, 1913 in South Dakota and moved with her family to Southern California in 1926.
After graduating from the University of California at Los Angeles, she taught elementary school, married, and raised three children. She served in many offices of the PTA and church groups to which she belonged, taught Sunday School for 18 years, and worked with the La Puente Historical Society. She was the sweepstakes amateur flower arrangement winner at the Los Angeles County Fair, then chairman and judge for two years.
Mrs. Guest moved to Ojai in 1976 after her husband's retirement as a school principal in La Puente-Hacience Heights. For seven years she was a docent at the Ventura Historical Museum. She and her husband traveled extensively.
She is survived by her daughter Barbara Suppe of Princeton, N.J.; daughter Marilyn Izzi of Ojai; son Ken Guest of Carlsbad, N.M.; three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, Jan. 27, at 11:30 a.m. at the Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer, 1290 E. Grand Ave. in Ojai. A reception will follow.
Donations may be made in her name to Lutheran Braille Workers, P.O. Box 5000, Yucaipa, CA 92399, or to Little House Senior Center, 111 W. Santa Ana St., Ojai, CA 93023.
Arrangements are under the direction of McDermott-Crockett Mortuary in Santa Barbara.
Mary Tribble
Mary Tribble, 46, of Ojai, died Friday, Jan. 19, 2001, at Ojai Valley Community Hospital following a brief illness. She was born Aug. 20, 1954, in Long Beach, Calif., and lived in Ojai for 24 years, coming from Lancaster, Calif.
Mrs. Tribble was a homemaker and a member of the Ojai Valley Wesleyan Church.
She is survived by her husband of 23 years, Richard B. Tribble of Ojai; daughters Sarah K. Tribble and Kelsey B. Tribble; sons Chase R. Tribble and Sloane H. Tribble; and sisters and brothers-in-law Diana and Tom Mulkern of Portland, Maine, and Kathy and Dave Lindsey of Crescent City, Calif.
She was preceded in death by her sister Jeannie Cooper in 1975.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. today at Ojai Valley Wesleyan Church, with Pastor Lyn Thomas officiating. Interment
will immediately follow at Ivy Lawn Cemetery in Ventura. Memorial contributions may be made to Teen Challenge. Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Dorothy 'Toot' Mueller
Dorothy "Toot" Mueller, 77, of Ojai, died Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2001 at Ojai Valley Community Hospital after a short illness. She was born May 30, 1923 in Cove Springs, Ark., and had lived in Ojai for 51 years.
"Toot," as she was known to her friends, worked at Bill Baker's Bakery for 30 years. She was a sports fan and coached and organized girls' softball in Ojai. Her hobbies included fishing, bowling and bingo.
She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law Larry and Zandy of Bakersfield, Gary and Bernadett of Tigard, Ore., and Bill and Rhonda of Spirit Lake, Idaho; daughter and son-in-law Vonna "Sharon" and Red Marsh of Oak View; brother Pete and wife Luci Vaughn of Ojai; sisters-in-law Erma Vaughn of Arkansas, Marie Vaughn of Louisiana, and Helen Vaughn of Ojai; 14 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband Albert J. Mueller and brothers Harman, John and Elmo Vaughn.
Services were held at Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai Jan. 19 at noon, with Curt Sharon officiating. Interment
was at Santa Paula Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Ojai Valley Community Hospital Foundation, 1306 Maricopa Highway, Ojai, CA 93023.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Arthur 'Art' W. Sargent
Arthur "Art" W. Sargent, 80, of Ojai died Friday, Jan. 19, 2001, at Ojai Valley Community Hospital following a brief illness. He was born Sept. 2, 1920, in Shafter, Calif., and lived in Ojai for 18 years, coming from Bakersfield, Calif. Mr. Sargent was an administrative manager for Calcot, Ltd., and was affiliated with the Ojai Valley Retired Professional and Businessmen's Club.
He is survived by his wife Gwen Sargent of Ojai; sons William Sargent and Robert Sargent, both of Brea, Calif.; daughter Linda Goldin of Encinitas, Calif.; and six grandchildren.Private family services were held.Memorial contributions may be made to Help of Ojai or the Ojai Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Dorothy Lea Blackburn
Dorothy Lea Blackburn, 80, of Ojai, died Monday, Jan. 22, 2001, in Ventura following a short illness. She was born July 20, 1920, in Springfield, Mo., and lived in Oak View for 51 years and in Ventura County for 54 years, coming from Rolla, Mo.
Mrs. Blackburn was a homemaker and an active member of the Ojai congregation of the Jehovah's Witnesses since 1950.
She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Rebecca and Ted Baer of Ojai; sons and daughters-in-law Thomas and Bobbi Blackburn of Ventura, and Bruce and Ruth Blackburn of Ojai; sister Alline Starr of Grand Prairie, Texas; nine grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband Thomas R. Blackburn.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, Jan. 27, at 2 p.m. at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, 1015 S. Tico Road in Ojai, with Richard Perry officiating.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Nicholas E. Miller
Nicholas E. Miller, 85, of Ojai, died Thursday, Jan. 18, 2001 at Ojai Valley Community Hospital after an extended illness. He was born April 28, 1915 in Brawley, Calif.
After graduating from the "school of hard knocks," he began a career of 45 years as a carpenter. He served in World War II in the U.S. Navy C.B.s.
Mr. Miller was a member of the Carpenters' Local #150, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church.
He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Alice Miller of Ojai; daughter and son-in-law Christine and Gary Sutton of Central Point, Ore.; brother Omar Miller of Olympia, Wash.; sister June Harper of Cottonwood, Calif.; two grandsons; two great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Memorial services were held Jan. 22 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Ojai. Private burial was at Nordhoff Cemetery.
Arrangements were under the direction of Joseph P. Reardon Funeral Home in Ventura.
Ritchie D. Mikesell
Ritchie D. Mikesell, 68, of Ojai, died Saturday, Jan. 20, 2001, at Ojai Valley Community Hospital following a brief illness. He was born Oct. 6, 1932, in Culver, Ind., and lived in Ojai for more than 20 years.
Mr. Mikesell was a chemical engineer working with water purification and had a doctorate from the University of Illinois. He was involved in many environmental projects and recycling and various activities at his Whispering Oaks residence.
No formal services are planned at this time.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Jimmy Carter Foundation.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Clarence "Ed" Hiser
Clarence "Ed" Hiser, 74, of Sams Valley, Ore., died Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2001, at his home. He was born Dec. 21, 1926, in Watts, Calif. to William and Lillian Hiser.
In 1929, he moved with his family to Ventura. He lived in Meiners Oaks for several years and also lived in Piru where he worked for the Forest Service. He also worked as ranch foreman for Rory Calhoun and at Rancho Grande. In 1976, he moved to Williams, Ore., and lived there until 1981, when he moved to Sams Valley.
Mr. Hiser served in the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific during World War II, and served in the U.S. Army, 40th Division, during the Korean War. He also served with the U.S. Navy CBs for a total of 17 years of service in the military. He received three Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star. He then worked for the Veterans Administration as a federal police officer at the Veterans Affairs Domiciliary, retiring after 10 years.
He was a member of the American Legion, Post #482 in Ojai, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and spent time customizing cars and fishing.
He is survived by his sons Randy Hiser of Applegate, Ore., Rory Hiser of Grants Pass, Ore., Eric Hiser of Central Point, Ore., and William Hiser of Williams, Ore.; daughters Kimberly Hiser of Grants Pass, Ore., and Georgina Freeborn of Burns, Ore.; brothers William Hiser of Anaheim, Calif., and Richard Hiser of Meiners Oaks; sister Nancy Lafferty of Ventura; 12 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his father William in 1969 and his mother Lillian in 1991.
A private family service was held Jan. 18. Arrangements were under the direction of Central Valley Cremation and Funeral Care in Central Point, Ore.
Pilar F. Nye
Pilar F. Nye, 72, died Sunday, Jan. 28, 2001, in Ventura. She was born May 29, 1928, in Santa Barbara, and was raised in the Santa Ynez Valley near Solvang.
She was the daughter of Earl Theodore Jensen, whose father built the first home in Solvang, and Dulce de la Cuesta Jensen. Her parents were from families who were among the earliest settlers in the Danish community.
She attended local schools in the Santa Ynez Valley and the Dominican convent in San Rafael where she graduated from high school. She then attended the University of California at Berkeley and became a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma.
In 1948, she married Charles Adams and lived in Berkeley, Lafayette and Sacramento where she was a member of the Sacramento Junior League and the Sacramento Association for Retarded Children (she was president of SARC in 1969).
Following divorce, she moved to Santa Barbara in 1973 and worked in the Ventura office of the State Compensation Insurance Fund. In 1974, she met and married Robert R. Nye and moved to Ventur. She was a member of the Rotary Anns, Ojai Valley Garden Club, Assistance League of Ventura County, P.E.O. Sisterhood, Santa Barbara Historic Society, Santa Barbara Art Museum, Ventura Historical Society, Ventura County Museum of History and Art, Ojai Valley Club and the Alumni Club of Kappa Kappa Gamma.
Mrs. Nye is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Pilar and William Logan of Ventura; sister and brother-in-law Francesca and Leland Crawford of Santa Barbara; a niece and a nephew.
She was preceded in death by her son John C. Adams in 1962, and her husband Robert R. Nye in 1994.
Services will be held Saturday, Feb. 3, at 10 a.m. at the Ted Mayr Funeral Home in Ventura, with the Rev. George Reynolds of Our Lady of the Assumption Church officiating. Burial will follow at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park in Ventura.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Ventura County Museum of History and Art or the Santa Barbara Historical Museum.
Arrangements are under the direction of Ted Mayr Funeral Home in Ventura.
Herbert F. Williams
Herbert F. Williams, 78, of Ojai, died Friday, Feb. 2, 2001. He was born Sept. 27, 1922 in Long Beach, Calif., to H. Howard and Mary F. (Crotinger) Williams.
He went to Santa Ana School, which was located under what is now Lake Casitas. He and his brother Gerald contracted polio in 1939, spending nearly a year in Ventura County General Hospital in casts. That illness left him dependent on leg braces and canes, but never dependent in spirit. He graduated from Ventura High School in 1941.
Mr. Williams was interested in all things automotive. He went to Delco Remey Auto Electrical School in Indianapolis. He and his brothers formed the Williams Brothers Racing Team, where he served as crew chief. He was the "brains of the outfit" that broke the world land speed record for Class "B" roadsters at Bonneville Salt Flats in 1954.
Mr. Williams worked for Anderson Auto Electric and Dean Mercer's Tune-Up Shop in Ventura for 39 years. He spent time during his retirement years rebuilding magnetos and tinkering in Herb's Radio Shop.
He is survived by his brothers and sisters-in-law Ron and Kate Williams of Ventura, and Monte and Cora Williams of Bishop, Calif.; sister-in-law Gerda Williams of Ventura; nine nieces and nephews; and 16 great nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father, mother, stepmother and brother Gerald.
A graveside celebration of his life will take place today at noon at Ivy Lawn Cemetery in Ventura. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Little House Senior Center or the American Cancer Society.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Mary Louise Shields
Mary Louise Shields, 85, of Ojai, died Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2001 in Ojai. She was born Aug. 5, 1915 in Pensacola, Fla., and had been a Ventura County resident for the past 51 years, 50 in Ojai.
Mrs. Shields was a homemaker and a parishioner at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church. Her hobbies included gardening.
She is survived by her husband of 63 years, Edward Shields of Ojai; daughters and sons-in-law Yvonne and Tom Odle, and Yvette and Melvin Krogh; son Clinton Shields; son and daughter-in-law Robert and Trudy Shields; sister Joyce Leon; 14 grandchildren; and many great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Monday at St. Thomas Aquinas, with Father Pat Keane officiating. Interment
followed at Nordhoff Cemetery in Ojai. Recitation of the Rosary and visitation were held Sunday at the church.
Arrangements were under the direction of Joseph P. Reardon Funeral Home in Ventura.
Christopher M. Petropulos
Christopher M. Petropulos, 16, of Ojai, died Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2001 at home of leukemia. He was born Dec. 29, 1984 in Ojai, where he lived for 16 years.
He was a student, having graduated from Ojai Valley Christian School, and a member of Ojai Valley Community Church. His hobbies included cars and motorcycles, BMX racing, gold mining, fishing and target shooting.
He is survived by his father Robert Petropulos of Ojai; mother Penny Meade of Ventura; grandparents Tom and Dorothy Petropulos of Ojai, and Bill and Joyce Meade of Oak View; and the Petropulos and Meade families.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, Feb. 10, at 11 a.m. at Ojai Valley Community Church in Ojai.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Chris Petropulos Scholarship Fund, Ojai Christian School, Ojai Valley Community Church, 907 El Centro St., Ojai, CA 93023.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Ernest L. "Bud" Kreutz
Ernest L. "Bud" Kreutz, 73, died Sunday, Jan. 28, 2001, in a Bakersfield hospital after a brief illness. He was born Sept. 13, 1927 in Des Moines, Iowa, and was an Ojai resident for 35 years, moving to Bakersfield about six years ago.
Mr. Kreutz served his country in the military during World War II. After his discharge from the Navy, he located in Ventura County. He owned and operated Kreutz Heating and Air Conditioning Company in Ojai for 35 years until he retired in 1995.
Before and during his retirement, he spent time at the family's Bass Lake cabin.
He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Helen Kreutz of Bakersfield; son and daughter-in-law Joe and Kyle Kreutz of Ventura; daughter and son-in-law Rhonda and Jim Shank of Dublin, Calif.; and four grandchildren.
A private memorial service will be held at a later date at Bass Lake.
Arrangements are under the direction of Doughty, Calhoun & O'Meara Funeral Home in Bakersfield.
Jo Ella Henks
Jo Ella Henks, 82, died Friday, Feb. 2, 2001 at the Mayfair Nursing Home in Tulsa, Okla. She was born Dec. 24, 1918 at Bentonville, Ark., to Lee and Francis (Mahala) Allen.
In 1936, she graduated from high school in Ojai and then attended junior college. She was married to Charles L. Henks Feb. 19, 1944 at Ojai.
Henks worked as a secretary and music teacher, and played the organ and piano and traveled. She attended the First Baptist Church of Ojai, where she was the church organist for many years.
Henks is survived by her sister June Kilbourne of Lone Tree, Colo.; six nieces; and three nephews.
She was preceded in death by three brothers and two sisters.
A graveside funeral service will be held Thursday, Feb. 8, at 10 a.m. at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park in Ventura, with the Rev. Wilbur Skeels officiating.
Arrangements are under the direction of Hayhurst Funeral Home in Broken Arrow, Okla., and Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Kathleen Conley
Kathleen Conley, 48, of Ojai, died Saturday, Feb. 3, 2001 at Ojai Valley Community Hospital following a sudden illness. She was born June 2, 1952 in Buffalo, N.Y., and lived in the Ojai Valley for 29 years, coming from Pittsburgh, Pa.
Conley was an insurance underwriter and a member of the Insurance Women of Ventura County.
She is survived by her son Thomas Conley of Oak View; daughter Kaitlan Conley of Oak View; and sister Barbara Richert of Texas.
A memorial service will be held today at 4 p.m. at Lake Casitas, meeting at the front gate.
Memorial donations may be made to the Lake Casitas Improvement Fund.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Jon Alan Klamser
Jon Alan Klamser, 40, of Ojai, died suddenly Saturday, Feb. 3, 2001 in Ventura. He was born Oct. 2, 1960 in Ojai, and was a lifelong Ventura County resident. He graduated from Nordhoff High School.
He planned to follow other family members in a law enforcement career, and served on the Santa Paula Police Department as a reserve officer for four years after graduating from the Oxnard Reserve Police Academy. He later graduated from the Central Coast Police Academy, but injuries sustained in a traffic accident prevented him from pursuing this career.
Mr. Klamser then served as an emergency medical technician with a local ambulance company and later began what would be his career, serving as a manager of special in-house programs for developmentally disabled adults. At the time of his death, he was administrator of the Lighthouse Group support living program in Port Hueneme. He had received numerous awards and commendations for his expertise in the management and administration of these programs.
He is survived by his wife Gloria; parents Bill and Ruth Klamser of Ventura; stepsons Craig Imhoff of Idaho, and Jason, Chris and Joe Duke of Ojai; brother and sister-in-law Bob and Lynne of Ventura; brother Andy of Alaska; and numerous nieces, nephews and stepgrandchildren.
Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 11, at Joseph P. Reardon Funeral Home, 757 E. Main St. in Ventura. Arrangements are under the direction of Joseph P. Reardon Funeral Home.
Edwin J. Tippett
Edwin J. Tippett, 95, died Saturday, Jan. 27, 2001, at his home in Carpinteria. He was born Sept. 24, 1905 in Plymouth, Calif.
In 1927, he received his dental degree from the University of California at San Francisco School of Dentistry. He came to Ojai in 1928 and opened his practice at 318 E. Ojai Ave., later relocating to 311 N. Ventura St.
He married Lillian M. Stevens at the Ojai Presbyterian Church in 1931. He practiced dentistry in Ojai for 25 years, during which time he was a charter member of the Ojai Rotary Club and president of the San Antonio School Board. In 1945, he served as president of the Santa Barbara-Ventura County Dental Society.
In 1952, Dr. Tippett and his family moved to San Francisco where he re-enrolled in the School of Dentistry of the University of California at San Francisco to specialize in orthodontics. He practiced orthodontics for 25 years and in 1967, served as president of the San Francisco Dental Society. He also founded the Mission Neighborhood Health Center in conjunction with the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity, to serve the low-income population of San Francisco. The center has grown and continues to serve those in need.
In 1975, after 50 years in his profession, he retired with his wife Lillian to their home in Carpinteria.
Ten years ago, he organized a weekly luncheon for Ojai old-timers, meeting each Wednesday at Carrows in Ojai.
He is survived by his three daughters, Cynthia Tippett and Susan Bruch, both of Montecito, and Priscilla Wise of Junction City, Ore. He was preceded in death by his wife Lillian in 1979, after 48 years of marriage.
There will be no services. The family requests that memorial donations be made to Hospice Services of Santa Barbara, 222 E. Canon Perdido, Santa Barbara, CA 93101.
Evelyn Charlesworth
Evelyn Charlesworth, 77, of Ojai, died suddenly of heart failure Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2001, at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura. She was born March 11, 1923 in Newark, Ohio, and had been an Ojai resident for more than 50 years.
During World War II she was in the Marine Corps where she met and married Bill Charlesworth, her husband of 56 years, who died last year. Mrs. Charlesworth was an active member of the American Legion, Post #482, and other veteran-related functions. Her hobbies included card games and camping on the beach.
She is survived by her mother Elma Fisher of Ohio; brothers Art and Charles Fisher of Ohio; daughters and sons-in-law Karen and Rod Nix of Ojai, and Denise and Bill Randolph of Ukiah; son and daughter-in-law Alan and Ann Charlesworth of Ojai; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Public visitation will be from noon to 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 12, at Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai. A graveside service will be held Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 11 a.m. at Ivy Lawn Cemetery in Ventura, presided over by Pastor Scott Harrell.
A gathering of family and friends to celebrate her life will be announced at a later date by her family. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Veterans World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home.
