Benson Franklin Alstot
Benson Franklin Alstot, 82, of Ojai, died Friday, Sept. 15, 2000, at his home. He was born May 15, 1918, in Oxnard, and was a 50-year Ojai resident.
Mr. Alstot was a supervisor with Bell Telephone Company for 36 years. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge #322 of Alhambra.
He is survived by his wife Mary Catherine Alstot; sons and daughters-in-law Gary and Marsha Alstot, and Creighton and Kathy Alstot, all of Ojai; sister-in-law Dorothy Jean Warren of San Luis Obispo; four grandchildren; and two great-grandsons.
Mr. Alstot was preceded in death by his parents Frank and Ina Alstot.
Private Masonic services will be held.
Memorial contributions may be made to Calaveras Big Trees Association, P.O. Box 120, Arnold, CA 95223.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Chester "Chet" Campbell
Chester "Chet" Campbell, 74, of Ojai, died Sunday, Sept. 24, 2000 at Ojai Valley Community Hospital after a lengthy illness.
He was born Oct. 5, 1925, in East St. Louis, Ill., and lived in Ojai for one year, coming from San Jose.
Mr. Campbell had been a machinist.
He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Kathryn "Kathy" Campbell of Ojai; son and daughter-in-law Jay and Martha Wade of Florida; son David Campbell of California; daughters and sons-in-law Cassandra and Don Yates of Illinois, and Myra Kay and Dan Rehmann of Washington; sister Juanita Brotzman of Washington; sister and brother-in-law Carole Jean and James Silvey of Washington; brothers and sisters-in-law Ron and Phyllis Campbell of San Diego, and Norm and Billie Campbell of Desert Hot Springs; brother Casey Campbell of Oxnard; nine grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
His ashes will be scattered at sea during a private family ceremony.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Linda Myers Gillies
Linda Myers Gillies, 49, formerly of Ojai, passed away peacefully Friday, Sept. 8, 2000 at her home in Hyrum, Utah after a lengthy illness.
Linda was born July 16, 1951 in Tiffin, Ohio to Bill and Donna Myers and moved to Ojai in 1963. She moved to Utah after marrying Robert (Jack) Gillies on Sept. 27, 1975. She graduated from Utah State University with a bachelor's degree in Landscape Architecture and an associate's degree in Ornamental Horticulture in 1995.
She is survived by her husband Robert Gillies; son, Robert Kambestad (wife Anita and their children Ashlee Starling, Aysha Azevedo Chae, Keirshia, Ian and T.J. Kambestad); daughter Kimberly Crist (husband Brian and their children Alex, Jacob and Abby Jane); daughter Cassie Floyd (husband Eric); daughter, Cori Gillies (son Joey); daughter, Callie Gillies; parents Bill and Donna Myers of Santa Maria, Calif.; sister and brother-in-law Karen and Terry Nelson of Ojai; brother and sister-in-law Bill and Catherine Myers of Garden Grove, Calif.; and brother and sister-in-law Bob and Carrie Myers of Ojai; and several nieces and nephews.
GOD'S GARDEN
Judith "Judi" Maxwell
Judith "Judi" Maxwell, 57, of Ojai, died at her home Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2000, after a battle with cancer. She was born April 6, 1943, in Ventura, and was a lifelong Ojai resident.
Mrs. Maxwell was a bookkeeper for Ojai Realty.
She is survived by her husband of 37 years, Jim Maxwell of Ojai; son and daughter-in-law Scott A. and Krystan Maxwell of Murrieta; daughter Mandi K. Maxwell of Thousand Oaks; and four grandchildren.
Friends may call at Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai today from noon to 8 p.m. Services will be held at the funeral home Saturday at 2 p.m. Inurnment will be at Ivy Lawn Cemetery in Ventura.
Memorial contributions may be made to HELP of Ojai or to the American Cancer Society.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Phyllis E. Spanks
Phyllis E. Spanks, 84, of Ojai, died at her home Monday, Sept. 25, 2000. She was born Oct. 22, 1915, in Atkinson, Neb., and lived in Ojai for two years, coming from Whittier.
Mrs. Spanks was a homemaker and was a member of the United Methodist Church in Ojai and in Whittier. She also was a member of the PTA, Friends of the Library, Meals on Wheels and participated in many other community activities in Whittier.
She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Judith L. and Edward Mercer of Ojai; daughter Janet L. Feiring of Bellingham, Wash.; sister and brother-in-law Lorraine and Fritz Kohler of British Columbia; five grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband Clarence in 1999.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Friends of the Library in Whittier.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Helene V. Rhoades
Helene V. Rhoades, 82, of Ojai, died Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2000, in Ojai. She was born April 18, 1918, in Winnebago, Neb., and had lived in Ojai for 38 years, coming from Pratt, Kan.
Mrs. Rhoades had been a homemaker for 62 years. She was also a scout leader and a care-giver.
She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law Bill V. and Sheron Rhoades of Ojai; sons Danny R. Rhoades of Galt, Calif., Roger R. Rhoades of Ojai, Ron D. Rhoades of Ventura, and Richard L. Rhoades of Ojai; daughter and friend Lyndall A. Alexander and Darrel Davidge of Ventura; daughter and son-in-law Laurel H. and Daniel Fielder; 11 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband John S. Rhoades Jr. in 1985 and son John Dallas Rhoades in 1988.
Friends may call at Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai today from noon to 8 p.m.
Graveside services will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at Ivy Lawn Cemetery in Ventura, with Pastor David Burgeson officiating.
Memorial contributions may be made to a favorite charity.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home.
Louise L. Hunot
Louise L. Hunot, 77, of Ojai, died Friday, Oct. 6, 2000, at Los Robles Regional Medical Center after an extended illness.
She was born June 28, 1923, in Snohomish, Wash., and lived in Ojai for 28 years, coming from Paso Robles, Calif.
Mrs. Hunot had been a bookkeeper/accountant for Mira Monte Market in Ojai for 24 years and for Chauncy West C.P.A. of Paso Robles for 15 years.
She is survived by her husband of 57 years, Fred Hunot of Ojai; sons Pete Hunot of Tualatin, Ore., and Art Hunot of Santa Barbara, Calif.; and four grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her daughter Karen Louise Chambers in 1975.
Memorial services were held Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai, with Dr. Wilbur Skeels officiating.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Mrs. Hunot may be made to: LRRMC Volunteers, Inc., Los Robles Regional Medical Center, 215 West Janss Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home.
Jo Ann Fay Waller
Jo Ann Fay Waller, 70, of Carnelian Bay, Calif., died Thursday, Oct. 5, 2000, at her home of natural causes. She was born Oct. 4, 1930, in Oklahoma to David and Maxine Whitaker.
She was raised and educated in Santa Barbara, where she raised her family before moving to Ojai, where she lived for 12 years prior to moving to Carnelian Bay, where she had lived for the past 10 years.
Mrs. Waller worked for Safeway in Ojai as a butcher for the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local #1036. She was a member of the Santa Barbara Elks Lodge.
She is survived by her daughter Pamela Kircher of Carnelian Bay; sons Bo Douglas of Newport, Ore., Bruce Douglas and Gary Douglas, both of Ojai, Todd Douglas of Carson City, Neg., and Fred Douglas of Williston, N.D.; sisters Margaret McCormick of Simi Valley, and Jeanne Hogan of Klamath Falls, Ore.; brothers Lynn Whitaker of Ofweizer, Idaho, Hubert Whitaker of Sanibel Island, Fla., and Harold Whitaker of Sun City, Ariz.; eight grandchildren.
Memorial services to celebrate her life will be held Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at the Chapel in Squaw Valley, Calif. Donations in her memory may be made to the Alzheimer's Association.
Arrangements are under the direction of Truckee-Tahoe Mortuary in Truckee, Calif.
Mona Ruth Breckner
Former Ojai resident Mona Ruth Breckner, 104, died Oct. 9 at her home in Bloomington, Minn.
Born Mona Callister on Nov. 25, 1895, Mrs. Breckner came to Ojai in 1947 and made her home here until she moved to the Masonic Home in Bloomington in 1989.
Mrs. Breckner was best known in Ventura County for her work with the American Cancer Society from 1954 to 1958, where she worked as executive secretary.
In 1958 she married Elmer Breckner, a first marriage for her at age 63 and his second at 71.
They had known each other since the 1940s when they worked on committees together and had corresponded for years prior to becoming romantically involved. Elmer preceded her in death, as did 14 brothers and sisters, however she is survived by her stepson Norman Breckner and his wife Evelyn, of Ojai.
Mrs. Breckner is also survived by a sister-in-law, Margaret Callister and 17 nieces and nephews.
While in Ojai she became involved with many local groups including Ojai Valley Woman's Club, Ojai Valley Garden Club, the American Association of Retired Persons, the Association for Retarded Citizens and served as a member of the Ojai Planning Commission for eight years.
"I was so impressed with the natural beauty of this area that my interest was in preserving that beauty and not allowing interference of developers to destroy or squander this beautiful scenic area described by authorities to be the third most beautiful natural area in the world," she wrote in her autobiography "Mona," completed July 1, 1997 when she was 101 years old and published the following year.
In the late 1980s, Mrs. Breckner was grand marshal of the Ojai Fourth of July Parade.
While in Ojai, Mrs. Breckner initially lived at Siete Robles and later at the Grey Gables before returning to Minnesota.
Her book is available at Ojai Library.
A memorial service was held in the Chapel at the Minnesota Masonic Home in Bloomington Saturday.
Anyone wishing to donate to her memory may do so by contributing to the American Red Cross.
Mary Kristen Clifford Potts
Mary Kristen Clifford Potts, 47, of Ojai, died Saturday, Oct. 14, 2000, following an unexpected illness. She was born Jan. 24, 1953, in Durango, Colo. and was a graduate of Buena High School in Ventura.
Mrs. Potts was a homemaker, a painter and a model for many of Ojai's artists, a supporter of Illusions Theatre and involved with many women's groups.
She is survived by her husband Sam Potts; daughter Tiffany; brother James "Trey" Clifford; two sisters-in-law; two nieces; and a nephew.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, Oct. 21, at 11 a.m. at Clausen Funeral Home, 316 E. Matilija St. in Ojai.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home.
Fernando Martinez Guzman
Fernando Martinez Guzman, 18, of Ojai, died Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2000, in Lancaster, Calif. He was born Feb. 6, 1982 in Ojai where he was raised.
He graduated with the Class of 2000 at Nordhoff High School where he played football and helped his teachers.
He is survived by his parents Manuel and Susana Guzman of Victorville, formerly of Ojai; brothers Manuel Jr., Abel and Steven, all of Ojai; sister Esmeralda of Ojai; aunts Laurie, Theresa, Lily, Lupe and Tita; uncles Harold, Brian, Artemio, Luis, Roberto and Sam; and grandparents Eutiquia Pantoja and Carlos Guzman and Julia and Bob Castor.
He was preceded in death by his brother Marcello, uncle Steven Pilgrim and grandparents Fernando and Susan Rye.
Visitation was held yesterday at Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai, with a memorial service at 7 p.m. A graveside service will be held today at 10 a.m. at Ivy Lawn Cemetery in Ventura, with Dallas H. Stephens officiating at both services.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home.
David G. Kleine
David G. Kleine, 68, of Oak View, died Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2000, in Ventura of cancer. He was born Jan. 11, 1932, in Santa Barbara, and lived in Oak View for 25 years. He was a 36-year Ventura County resident, coming from King City, Calif.
Mr. Kleine was an agriculture teacher at the high school level for 10 years and at Ventura College for 26 years. He served as chair of the agriculture department at Ventura College for several years. He was also a rancher in Ojai, and a graduate of California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo.
Mr. Kleine was a member of several organizations and boards supporting agriculture, including state and local cattlemen's associations, the University of California at Riverside School of Agriculture Advisory Board, Future Farmers of America and the Ventura County Farm Bureau. He served as superintendent of livestock at the Ventura County Fair for several years.
He is survived by his wife Susan Kleine of Oak View; sons Neil Kleine of Palm Desert, and Vance Kleine of Templeton; stepchildren Chris Michalopoulos of Scotts Valley, Mike Michalopoulos and wife Anjie of Glendale, and Stephanie Morton and husband Jerry of Ventura; sister Pat Wells of Nipomo; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
A memorial celebration will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a favorite charity or the Santa Barbara Civic Light Opera.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Millard "Cod" Calvin Coddington
Millard "Cod" Calvin Coddington, 88, of Ojai, died Wednedsay, Oct. 18, 2000. He was born Aug. 8, 1912, in Mendota, Ill., and was formerly a resident of Cambria.
Mr. Coddington was general manager and chief executive officer of Los Osos Valley Memorial Park for 25 years, and had been general manager of the Desert Inn Motel in Lancaster during the 1950s. He had been a member of Los Osos Chamber of Commerce, the Lions Club, Elks and Rotary, and was a member of the Allied Arts of Cambria and co-founder of the Boys Club of North Las Vegas.
He is survived by his wife Lillian "April" Coddington of Ojai; son and daughter-in-law Terry and Zeo Coddington of Berkeley; daughter and son-in-law Deanna and Harold Esmon of Atascadero; stepson Rogert Horn and his wife Betty of Rancho Dominguez; seven grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held Thursday, Oct. 26, at 1 p.m. at Los Osos Valley Mortuary and Memorial Park Chapel, with the Rev. Walter Robbie officiating. Entombment will be private.
Arrangements are under the direction of Los Osos Valley Mortuary and Memorial Park in Los Osos.
Joseph "Joe" Denny
Joseph "Joe" Denny, 62, of Ojai, died Sunday, Oct. 22, 2000, at Ojai Valley Community Hospital following a brief illness.
He was born Jan. 4, 1938, in Watertown, N.Y., and had lived in Ojai since 1953, coming from Florida.
Mr. Denny was a telephone repairman.
He is survived by his wife Jeri L. Denny of Ojai; sister Mary Sirignano of Providence, R.I.; brother Arthur Denny of E. Providence, R.I.; sister Cecille Brown of Ojai; and nephew Curt Keeler of Ojai.
Private family services will be held at Riverside National Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of choice.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
