Leonard Roland Ingram
Leonard "Lynn" Roland Ingram, 75, of Boise, Idaho, died Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2001, at home after an extended illness. He was born Nov. 25, 1925 in Gillette, Wyo., to Carl and Edith Ingram. The family moved to Ojai in 1937.
Mr. Ingram served in the Merchant Marines in World War II. He had several occupations during his lifetime, including his own welding shop in Ojai, working as a farmer and butcher in Jerome, Idaho, and operating his own backhoe service in California. He spent his final years as a backhoe operator, supervisor and a truck driver for a telecommunications company, from which he had to retire in 1995 due to his illness.
Mr. Ingram's interests included waterskiing, welding and woodworking.
He is survived by his wife, Betty Ingram, of Boise; children Lauren, Shane, Tammy, Tracey, Mark, Ott, Barbara, Mary and John; brothers Duane Ingram of Ventura, and Joe Ingram of Lewiston, Idaho; and many grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his mother, father and two brothers.
A memorial service was held Sept. 8 at the Collister Community Church in Boise.
Memorial donations may be made to Horizon Hospice, Inc., 870 N. Linder, Suite A, Meridan, ID 83642, or to the Collister Community Church Ministry, 4709 W. State St., Boise, ID 83703.
Arrangements were under the direction of Alden-Waggoner Funeral Chapel in Boise.
William C. Glass
William C. Glass, 85, of Ojai, died Friday, Sept. 7, 2001, at his home. He was born July 20, 1916 in Chicago, Ill., and lived in Ojai for 17 years, coming from the San Fernando Valley.
Mr. Glass was retired, having been a salesman for Allied Signal for 31 years. He was a past member of the Soule Park Senior Men's Golf Club.
He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Ruth Glass, of Ojai; son and daughter-in-law Wiliam "Larry" and Josephine Glass of Eureka; daughter and son-in-law Laura Lynn and Paul Calaba of Northridge; and four grandchildren.
At the request of Mr. Glass, no services will be held.
Memorial contributions may be made to Livingston Hospice or to Help of Ojai.
Arrangements were under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Dick Norton
Dick Norton, 81, of Ojai, died Friday, Sept. 7, 2001, in Ventura after a lengthy illness. He was born Oct. 24, 1919 in Lincoln, Idaho. He lived in Ojai for three years and in Oak View for 42 years.
Mr. Norton had been a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service. During World War II, he served in the Army Air Corps as a member of the 350th Fighter Squadron. He was overseas in England for 2-1/2 years.
His interests included fishing, playing the harmonica, woodworking, good jokes and dancing.
Mr. Norton is survived by his wife, Elaine Norton, of Ojai; son Richard Norton of New Mexico; daughters Robin Orr of Santa Clarita, and Janice Sandoval of Ventura; sisters Renee Lauffer of Torrance, and Joyce Johnson of Redondo Beach; and seven grandchildren.
Visitation was held Sept. 10 from noon to 8 p.m. at Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai. There was also a visitation Sept. 11 at noon at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ojai, with services following at 1 p.m. Burial was at Ivy Lawn Cemetery in Ventura. Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Arrangements were under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home.
Sylvia Jeanne Loftus
Sylvia Jeanne Loftus, 46, of Ojai, died Saturday, Sept. 8, 2001 after a brief illness. She was born July 26, 1955 in Los Angeles, Calif.
She graduated from Ventura High School in 1973 and has been a lifelong county resident. Mrs. Loftus was a food server in the Ojai Valley for many years, most recently for Casa de Lagos in Ojai.
She spent time vacationing at Bass Lake and Yosemite National Park. Her interests included nature and spending time with her two grandchildren, who called her "Bat."
Mrs. Loftus is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Holly and Billy Santino, and grandchildren Austin and Taylor Santino, all of Ojai; mother Audrey Berry of Santa Barbara; sisters Carol Hale of Ojai, Lisa Berry of Santa Barbara, and Teri Byrne of San Diego; aunt Nancy Trevor of Ojai; and nephew Nick Hale of Ojai.
She was preceded in death by her father, Douglas Dent of Ventura, and niece Maren Hale of Ojai.
Per her request, no services are planned. A memorial gathering will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made on her behalf to the Santa Barbara Zoo, Attn: Memorial Sylvia Loftus, 500 Niņos Drive, Santa Barbara, CA 93103.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Joseph P. Reardon Funeral Home in Ventura.
LaVerne Davis
LaVerne Davis, 85, of Ojai, died Saturday, Sept. 15, 2001 at a local hospital after a sudden illness. She was born Sept. 15, 1916 in Chicago, Ill., and lived in Ojai for 26 years, coming from Chicago.
Mrs. Davis was a homemaker and a volunteer for Help of Ojai.
She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Dr. Scott and Patricia Davis of Ojai; daughter and son-in-law Nancy and John O'Donnell of Westport, Conn.; grandchildren Laura, Scott and Maryl of Ojai, and Tracey os Barcelona, Spain; and six great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 46 years, Willis Davis.
Private family services will be held.
Memorial contributions may be made to Ojai Valley Community Hospital.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Marcel Mueller
Marcel Muller, 88, of Ojai, died Monday, Sept. 10, 2001 at Ojai Valley Community Hospital after a long illness. He was born Dec. 29, 1912 into an Orthodox Jewish family in the Austrian-Hungarian city of Kessa (now Kosice in Slovakia).
After escaping from Germany during World War II, he served in a Czech regiment under the French, and later, the British army. He lost his parents and many family members at Auschwitz.
At the end of the war, he worked with the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Association with responsibility for refugees and displaced persons in Europe. While stationed in Germany, he established the Hessich Listenau D.P. camp near Witzenhausen, which catered to Jews on the run from communist countries. He went on to work in close contact with the German Ministry of Economy and Finance before emigrating to Rhodesia in 1953. He traveled extensively in Africa, building economic ties between Eastern European countries and present-day Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. He was an economics consultant to the Chinese government from 1967 to 1975.
A British citizen, Mr. Muller maintained his residence in Lugano, Switzerland, before making his home on a remote jungle island in Thailand for many years. In 1974, he contributed to the founding of SEVA, the organization started to relieve blindness in Nepal and India. It was on a visit to his tree farm in Oregon that he came across the writings of J. Krishnamurti and began a study of his teachings, which led to his eventual settling in Ojai in 1986. Mr. Muller lost his sight during the last year of his life.
He is survived by his daughter, Karis Sanderson, of Canberra, Australia; son-in-law Brian; adopted daughter, Joi Muller, of Ojai; sister Esther Slone of New York, two grandchildren; nieces and nephews in Israel and New York; and many friends.
A memorial service will be held Sunday, Sept. 23, at 2 p.m. at the Oak Grove, Besant Road, and later at the Ojai Retreat. For more details, call 640-9403.
Arrangements were under the direction of McDermott-Crockett Mortuary in Santa Barbara.
Betti Jean Ridenour
Betti Jean Ridenour, 69, of Ojai, died Thursday, Sept. 13, 2001, at her home of ovarian cancer. She was born Aug. 7, 1932 in San Diego, Calif., into a military family. She traveled much of her young life, spending her middle school years in Japan.
An accomplished actress, she performed in the First Theater in Monterey, Calif., and spent two years with the acclaimed Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Ore., before moving to Santa Barbara, Calif., in 1965, to continue her drama at the University of California at Santa Barbara.
A credentialed elementary teacher, she became an active supporter of alternative education, working with the developmentally disabled at Devereux School, the Santa Barbara Free School, and the Community School, and then opened her own neighborhood school, which remained until the Sycamore Canyon fire destroyed the property in 1977. During this period, she also authored a book about her philosphies titled "Schoolin' Homestyle, the Best Crop on the Farm."
Moving to Ojai in 1979, she continued to home school her seven children, and developed her favorite project of the annual school play into Illusions Theatre, an outdoor children's theater which involved countless families in three to five annual productions at numerous locations for 22 years. She sponsored outreach programs into the area's public schools with Chumash and multicultural folk tales and taught drama at many of the area's private schools.
Mrs. Ridenour was the recipient of Ventura County's Woman of the Year award, a Lifetime Achievement in the Arts award, and was also voted an Ojai Living Treasure for two consecutive years. She will be missed by the community.
She is survived by her brother, Jeff Jennings of San Diego; children Kim Stroud, Kelly Lamar, Seth Peacock, Kourtney Morgan, Quanah Ridenour and Jesse Ridenour, all of Ojai, and Kari Linn Chapman of Santa Barbara; sons-in-law David Stroud and David Allen of Ojai; and six grandchildren, Jennifer and Nick Stroud, John and Jamie Allen, Kimberly Smith and Stella Moore, all of Ojai.
Per her wishes, no services are planned. However, a celebration of her life will be held Oct. 13 at 3 p.m. at a location to be announced at a later date. All those who knew Mrs. Ridenour are invited to attend and are asked to bring a potluck dish and beverages to share.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association, 1996 Eastman Ave., Ventura, CA 93003, Aesclepion Healing Center, 1314 Lincoln Ave., San Raphel, CA 94901, or Clinicas Del Camino Real, Inc. in Ojai.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Brian Gross
Brian Gross, 27, of Camarillo, died Saturday, Sept. 22, 2001, following an auto accident near Bakersfield.
He was born Aug. 25, 1974 in Oxnard, and had been a lifelong county resident. He worked as a route sales representative for Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water. He lived in Ojai from 1996 through 2000.
Growing up, he was in Boy Scouts, Hueneme Little League and was on the Hueneme High School cross country team. He graduated from Hueneme High School in 1992.
Mr. Gross rode from San Francisco to Los Angeles in AIDS Ride 1998.
He is survived by his mother and stepfather, Patricia and Greg Carman of Springville, Calif.; father Richard Gross of Gulfport, Miss.; brother Tim Gross of Ventura; sister Chrislyn Gross of Santa Barbara; grandparents Neil and Andrea Jaentsch of Springville, Calif., Fred and Marian Goers of Hudson, Fla., and Jeannette Gross of Sheboygan, Wis.; uncle Butch Jaentsch of Dos Palos, Calif.; aunts Gretchen Kruziki and Jane Meyer of Wisconsin; and cousins Christopher and Kandace Jaentsch of Redmond, Ore.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Millie Jaentsch and Ernst Gross.
A memorial service will be held today at 6:30 p.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 260 E. Elm St., Oxnard. A celebration of his life will be held Saturday, Sept. 29, at 10 a.m., meeting to carpool at Nordhoff High School in Ojai, in the parking lot near the flagpole.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to SCICON Student Endowment Fund at Friends of SCICON, P.O. Box 426, Springville, CA 93265-0426.
Rev. Norman C. Clarke
The Rev. Norman "Norm" C. Clarke, 92, of Ojai, died after a short illness on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2001, at Ojai Valley Community Hospital. He was born Dec. 30, 1908. He lived as a youth with his parents at Krotona Institute at its original location in Hollywood and joined The Theosophical Society in 1920. Fr. Norman was a veteran of World War II. He worked as a photoengraver for the Chicago Tribune and Star Printing in Los Angeles before retiring to his Ojai orchard in 1974. Later he moved to Krotona Institute of Theosophy in Ojai.
Fr. Norman was an active volunteer, supporting many organizations in the Ojai Valley and beyond. He was a trustee of Krotona Institute, president of the Rodgers-Cooper Memorial Foundation, an active volunteer in Help of Ojai's Security Patrol and reading programs, past master of the Ojai Masonic Lodge #663 F & A.M. and a priest of The Liberal Catholic Church of Ojai.
The Rev. Clarke is survived by his former wife, Vivian Clarke, of Ojai. His remains will be cremated and scattered at sea. The public is invited to attend a Solemn Requiem Eucharist honoring him which will be celebrated at Our Lady and All Angels Liberal Catholic Church in Ojai on Saturday, Oct. 6, at 9:30 a.m.
Arrangements are under the direction of McDermott-Crockett Mortuary in Santa Barbara.
Fremont W. Merewether
Fremont W. "Monty" Merewether, 91 ,died Saturday, Sept. 29, 2001 at his home in Ojai. He moved to Ojai from Beaverton, Ore., in 1994 to be close to his California family.
Mr. Merewether was born in Portland, Ore., in 1910 and graduated from Oregon State in Corvallas, with a degree in forestry. He worked for the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management, as a Lands and Minerals officer in Colorado, and offices in Portland, Ore., and Spokane, Wash.
He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law Michael Lee and Loretta Merewether of Ventura; daughter Kathleen Marie Merewether of Kirkland, Wash.; daughter and son-in-law Jean Louise and Jim Triner of Cleveland, Ohio; six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 53 years, Mildred Louise (nee Ransdell), in 1991.
A memorial service will be held in Ojai the end of October; details will be announced later. Donations, in lieu of flowers, could be made to any charity that supports children, music or promotes peace.
John Granville Martin
John Granville Martin, 70, of Ojai, died Monday, Oct. 1, 2001 after a short battle with cancer. He was born April 10, 1931 in Los Angeles, moved to Ventura during World War II and attended the local public schools. He graduated from Ventura High School in 1949, and went on to play basketball for Ventura Junior College where the Pirates took the 1951 State Basketball Championship and were national runners-up.
Mr. Martin enlisted in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War Conflict and was stationed in Pearl Harbor and Japan. He was honorably discharged in 1959. He went on to earn a degree in recreation at San Jose State University, where he met his wife, Carol.
In 1961 Mr. Martin accepted the position of recreation director for the city of Ojai. He retired in October of 1992, after 31 years of service.
He was involved in the Stephens Ministry at Ojai Valley Community Church, taught Sunday school to teens, and organized numerous fund-raising events for various charities throughout the community. Mr. Martin was best remembered for having the gymnasium built at the Jack Boyd Community Center at Sarzotti Park in Ojai and for his positive influence on teens.
He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Carol Martin of Ojai; daughter and son-in-law Nancy and Gary Gallion of Ojai; son Steven Martin of Agoura Hills; son and daughter-in-law Bob and Carol Martin of Goleta; sister and brother-in-law Patricia and Paul Willyard of Stockton; four grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, Oct. 6, at 3 p.m. at the Ojai Valley Community Church, 907 El Centro St., Ojai.
Memorial donations may be made to Teen Challenge of the Tri-Counties and the American Cancer Society.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Margaret Elizabeth Davis
Margaret Elizabeth Davis, 89, of Oak View, died Monday, Oct. 1, 2001 at Casablanca Alzheimer's Care of natural causes. She was born July 27, 1912 in Merino, Colo., and lived in Ojai eight years, coming from Jamestown, Calif.
Miss Davis served in the U.S. Navy as a nurse, and then worked as a nurse at Children's Hospital in Oakland, Calif., until her retirement in 1977. She also worked as an elementary teacher in Colorado. Her interests included gardening and her dogs.
Her family thanks the entire staff of Casablanca in Oak View for their care and devotion to all of their residents.
Miss Davis is survived by her nieces, Lois Rice of Oak View, Donna Del Bondio of Napa, Calif., and Bobbie Jo Hooker of Orangeville, Calif.; nephew Robert McCurdy of San Diego, Calif.; and all of their children.
She was preceded in death by her sister, Lt. Cmdr. Bethel N. Green, in 1990.
Private services will be held. Memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association of Ventura County.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Karl Dorsey Welty
Karl Dorsey Welty, 92, died Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2001 in Sandy, Utah. He was born July 18,1909 on a farm in Bucyrus, Ohio, the youngest of seven children, to John and Rosa Welty. He grew up and went to school in Bucyrus.
As a young boy he helped his family tend the farm and eventually took his first job as a Hoover Vacuum salesman. He married Evelyn Hope Krumbach of Bucyrus, Aug. 26, 1934.
He then took a job as a manager of the Ohio Farmer's Dairy. With that experience he started and managed the Quality Dairy in downtown Bucyrus. During the Depression his work took him to Ashtabula Ohio, where he managed the Sealtest-Telling-Belle Vernon Dairy.
Mr. Welty was a business partner with Murray's Soda Bar and eventually opened his own soda bar. After many successful years, he sold the business and then took a job as a secuity guard for Rockwell Standard.
After 10 years, he decided to retire, and he and his wife moved to Ojai in 1974. While living in Ojai, Mr. Welty worked part-time as a gardener at the Ojai Valley School and at the local hardware store. He also participated in the Ojai Valley Security Patrol and helped his son John's business, the Ojai Bakery.
In 1993 Mr. Welty moved to Carpinteria until recently residing in Sandy.
He is survived by his children, John Welty of Carpinteria, James Welty of Ohio, Johanna S. Welty of Germany, Jeffrey Welty of Mississippi, Jay Welty of Ohio, and Jaynee Ghaeini of Utah; 19 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 59 years, Evelyn Hope Welty, in 1993.
Memorial donations may be made to the Montecito Friendship Adult Day Care Center or the Alzheimer's Association of Santa Barbara.
A celebration of his life will take place Saturday, Oct. 13, 2001 at 11 a.m. at Faith Lutheran Church in Carpinteria.
Dan Johnson, a.k.a. Norville Mook
Dan Johnson, 47, of Ojai, died Thursday, Sept. 20, 2001 after a long illness. He was born Jan. 27, 1954 in Chattanooga, Tenn., and had been an Ojai resident for most of the past 17 years. He was raised in Orange County, Calif.
Mr. Johnson is survived by his daughters, Asai, 16, and Noriah, 13.
A memorial service will be held Sunday, Oct. 14, at 10 a.m. at Camp Comfort. Parking at Camp Comfort is $3. Additional parking is available outside the park.
For more information, contact Tom Erickson at 525-8987 or visit www.mattsewell.com/dan.
Donations to the Dan Johnson Memorial Fund are welcome, c/o Chris Morrow, 1168 Woodland, Ojai, CA 93023.
Arrangements are under the direction of Payton Mortuary in Oxnard.
