James A. Brannan
James A. Brannan, 74, of Exeter, Calif., died Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2002, in a Visalia hospital. He was born Dec. 3, 1927, in Crete, Neb., to Mel and Gladys Brannan.
He graduated from Doane College in Crete, and then served in the Army occupational forces in Japan. In 1950, he married Lois Pohl in Nebraska.
Mr. Brannan attended California College of Mortuary Science in Los Angeles, and worked as a funeral director for 25 years, having operated the Ojai Valley Mortuary for several years and the Brannan-Wise Funeral Service in Exeter until 1973.
He moved back to Ojai, became a teacher and taught in Santa Paula from 1973 until 1992. In 2000, he returned to Exeter to be with his family.
Mr. Brannan was a golfer and member of the Ojai Lions Club, Exeter Lions Club, Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce, Exeter Masonic Lodge, Exeter Chamber of Commerce and the Soule Park Men's Golf Club in Ojai.
He is survived by his wife, Lois Brannan, of Exeter; daughters and sons-in-law Barbara and Larry Johnson, and Cheryl and Ron Turner, all of Exeter; brother Tom Brannan of Bakersfield; and three grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his sons, Michael and Steven, in 1973.
Services were held Saturday, Sept. 7, at Smith Family Chapel, with private burial in the Exeter Cemetery. Remembrances may be sent to Sequoia Senior Services, Alzheimer Resource Center, P.O. Box 1861, Visalia, CA 93278.
Eileen G. Byers
Eileen G. Byers, 90, of Ojai, died Friday, Sept. 6, 2002 at Acacias Care Center of natural causes. She was born Jan. 15, 1912 in Los Angeles, Calif., and lived in Ojai for 72 years, coming from Fillmore, Calif.
Mrs. Byers was an accountant for Sunkist Citrus Processing for 25 years.
She is survived by her son, Grant Byers, of Ventura, three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Lyndon F. Byers, and her brother, Willard Getchell.
Inurnment will be at Ivy Lawn Cemetery. At her request no formal services were held.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home, Ojai.
Catarino C. Visencio
Catarino C. Visencio, 95, of Ojai died Saturday, Sept. 7, 2002 in Ojai. He was born May 7, 1907 in Mexico, and had lived in Ojai since 1926.
Mr. Viscencio worked as a gardener for 45 years, and many people admired his work. He served in the Army infantry during World War II.
He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Trinidad "Trine" Visencio; and son Louis Henry Visencio of Camarillo.
Visitation was held from noon to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at Clausen Funeral Home. Rosary was recited at 7 p.m.
Mass of Christian Burial is being held today at 9 a.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Ojai, with Father Michael McFadden, O.S.A., officiating. Interment
will follow at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park in Ventura.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home, Ojai.
Mary Clemente Costa
Mary Clemente Costa, 88, of Ojai, died Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2002, following a long illness. She was born Jan. 19, 1914 in Azores, Portugal, and lived in Ojai for 15 years, coming from the Bay Area.
Mrs. Costa was a homemaker and child care giver for many years and a member of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Ojai.
She is survived by her daughter, Roberta Davis, and three granddaughters and their families: Lori Wyatt and Bill Monnot, Lauren Wyatt, Garrett Wyatt, Megan Monnot; Lynn Jones and Chris Gardner, Dylan Jones, Alex Jones, Leslie Davis, and Kenley Neufeld and Jasper Neufeld.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Louis Costa, in 1992. Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Thursday, Sept. 12, at 11 a.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, with Father Patrick Keane, O.S.A., officiating. Interment
followed at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park in Ventura.
Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or Help of Ojai.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home, Ojai.
William W. 'Fitz' Fitzgerald
William W. "Fitz" Fitzgerald, 65, of Ojai, died Monday, Sept. 9, 2002 at his home after a fight with cancer. He was born Feb. 26, 1937 in Green Bay, Wisc.
He graduated from Santa Clara High School in Oxnard in 1955, where he was an accomplished athlete. He attended the University of Santa Clara and graduated from the University of Arizona.
Mr. Fitzgerald was a Marine pilot and after his service career he was a painting contractor.
He is survived by his ex-wife and good friend, Gloria, of Ojai; daughters Maureen Fitzgerald of Tucson, Ariz., and Carleen Vinum of Vacaville, Calif.; grandson Cameron; and sister Merle Nieuwlandt of Placentia, Calif.
At his request, no services are planned.
The family wishes to thank Hospice and Livingston Nurses, particularly Carol McCormick, and Dr. Carl Gross for their kindness and care.
Arrangements are under the direction of Joseph P. Reardon Funeral Home, Ventura.
Robert Carl Gehrke
Robert Carl Gehrke, 74, of Ojai, died Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2002 at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura, after a brief illness. He was born July 5, 1928 in Santa Barbara, Calif., to George and Judith Gehrke.
He served in the 82nd Airborne in the Korean War, and his interests included fishing and the ocean. He was employed by Kevin Shields Plastering Company.
He is survived by his wife and best friend, Helen Gehrke, of Ojai; daughter and son-in-law Jan and Steve Wilson of Ojai; stepdaughters Debby Ferguson of Ojai, and Pam Howard of Ridgecrest; stepsons Larry Ferguson of Grover Beach, Dennis Ferguson of Las Vegas, and Joe Ferguson of Santa Paula; sisters Georgette Donahue of Sacramento, Kathy Cravedi of Las Vegas, and Claudette Hall of Santa Barbara; brother George Gehrke of Atascadero; 13 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
Mr. Gehrke was preceded in death by his son, Michael, and his second wife, Ila Faye.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 11 a.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Ojai, with Father Gary Sanders officiating. Private inurnment will be at Santa Barbara Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be sent to Coronary Care Unit, Community Memorial Hospital, 147 N. Brent St., Ventura, CA 93003, or to the Bereavement Committee of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 185 St. Thomas Drive, Ojai, CA 93023.
Arrangements are under the direction of Payton Mortuary, Oxnard.
John David Snyder
John David Snyder, 56, of Ventura, died unexpectedly in Ventura the week of Sept. 15, 2002. He was born June 6, 1946, in Spokane, Wash., and lived in Oak View for two years before moving to Ventura.
Mr. Snyder was a graduate of the University of Idaho, and attended and taught at San Francisco City College. His hobby was working on the computer.
He is survived by his son, David Joseph Snyder, of Pacifica, Calif.; parents Joe and Bernadine Snyder of Ojai; and brothers and sisters Stephen J. Snyder, M.D., of Encino, Calif., James M. Snyder of Portland, Ore., Mark F. Snyder of Los Angeles, Calif., Mary K. Frankum of Ridgefield, Conn., Philip C. Snyder of Glendale, Calif., Anne Perri of Portland, Ore., Joan Snyder of Oregon City, Ore., Alan G. Snyder of Portland, Ore., and Suzenne Seradwyn of Burlington, Vt.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, Sept. 21, at 1 p.m. at Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai, with Father Michael McFadden, O.S.A., officiating.
Memorial contributions may be made to Help of Ojai, or to St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Joan Van Beusekom
Joan Van Beusekom, 79, of Ojai, died Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2002. She was born June 24, 1923 in New Jersey.
She was a lifelong member of the Theosophical Society community and the Liberal Catholic Church to which she dedicated much of her time and energy.
She moved with her family to the Netherlands during the Depression and was present in Holland during the Nazi occupation where she actively helped her father who was a leader in the Dutch resistance. Together with her family she saved many Jewish people from deportation to concentration camps in Germany.
She lived in Seattle for many years where she raised her children, graduated from the University of Washington, and taught high school French and German.
She met Hein Van Beusekom in the late 1940s at the Liberal Catholic Church and then introduced him to the Theosophical Society and the Round Table. This meeting was to change their lives. After each raising separate families and spending years apart, they became reacquainted and were married in 1977 and lived on Orcas Island, Wash.
In 1990 they moved to Ojai when Hein was appointed resident head of the Krotona Institute.
She is survived by her husband, Hein Van Beusekom, of Ojai; children Mark and Pearl Ray, both of Seattle, Wash.; and her siblings.
A memorial service will be held Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at the Liberal Catholic Church of Our Lady and All Angels, 1502 E. Ojai Ave., with Bishop William Downey officiating.
Arrangements are under the direction of McDermott-Crockett Mortuary, Santa Barbara.
Elsie R. Chambers
Elsie R. Chambers, 77, of Oxnard, died Sunday, Sept. 15, 2002 in Ojai of a long illness. She was born Sept. 15, 1925 in Minnesota.
Mrs. Chambers worked at Point Mugu Naval Base for 40 years.
She is survived by her daughter, Patricia Foster, and grandsons Bobby and Eric Foster, all of Oxnard; sister Elaine Brake of Ojai; brother Bob Cookson of Fontana, Calif.; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Donald Chambers.
A memorial service will be held Friday, Sept. 20, at 2 p.m. at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park Chapel, with interment
immediately following.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home, Ojai.
Margie Leon Werber
Margie Leon Werber, 91, died Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2002 in Fresno, Calif. She was a former resident of Ojai for 42 years.
A memorial service was held Sunday, Sept. 22, 2002 at 2 p.m. at the Clovis First Baptist Church.
Remembrances may be made to the Clovis First Baptist Church, 2080 E. Tollhouse Road, Clovis, CA 93611 or to the First Baptist Church of Ojai, 930 Grand Ave., Ojai, CA 93023.
Arrangements were under the direction of the Neptune Society of Central California, Fresno.
Svea Poulson
Svea Poulson, 79, of Ojai, died Friday, Sept. 20, 2002 in Ventura of natural causes. She was born Sept. 1, 1923 in New York, and lived in Ojai for 21 years.
She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Philip and Mary Poulson.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, Philip Poulson, and her son, Peter Poulson.
Graveside services will be held at a later date, with interment
at Nordhoff Cemetery.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home, Ojai
Ardases "Onnig" Bardizbanian
Ardases "Onnig" Bardizbanian, 55, of Ojai, died suddenly Friday, Sept. 20, 2002, of heart failure. He had been a 30-year resident of Ojai. He was born June 22, 1947 in Romania, raised in Argentina until he was 16, lived for a few years in Brazil, and came to the United States in 1971.
Mr. Bardizbanian was an artist, architect, building contractor and landscape designer and was well-known for his architectural and landscaping designs throughout the Ojai Valley. He was interested in philosophy and during the 1970s he gave philosophical talks on the local television channel.
He is survived by his brother, Edward Bardizbanian, of Los Angeles; and many friends.
A memorial service to celebrate his life will be held Saturday, Sept. 28, at 3 p.m. at 187 Oak Glen Ave., Ojai. For all information, call Michael at 646-0804.
Delores Patterson
Delores Patterson, 80, of Westlake Village, died Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2002. She was born May 31, 1922 in Blackwell, Okla. She married Ralph "Pat" Patterson on June 10, 1939.
Mrs. Patterson owned and operated Delores's Beauty Salon in Ojai until her retirement in 1987, when she relocated to Oroville, Calif.
She is survived by her two sons and daughters-in-law, John and Linda Patterson of Abderdeenshire, Scotland, and Bob and Mary Patterson of Agoura, Calif; and four grandchildren, Jennifer, John, Justin and Jason.
A celebration of her life was held Saturday, Sept. 14, at 1 p.m. at Newton-Bracewell Chico Funeral Home.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association Hospice, 1996 Eastman Ave., Ventura, CA 93003.
Bessie "Taminie" Forney
Bessie "Taminie" Forney, 75, of Oak View, died Sunday, Sept. 22, 2002 at her home following a lengthy illness. She was born Jan. 14, 1927 in Pittsburgh, Pa., and lived in the Ojai Valley since 1992, coming from Santa Barbara.
Mrs. Forney was a homemaker and also worked as a retail clerk for local grocery stores. She was a member of the Oak View Women's Club and volunteered at Second Helpings.
She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Cheryl and Bill Sweetland, of Oak View; son William Forney and his partner David L. Seymour of Studio City; brother and sister-in-law Eugene K. and Deanie Sallie of Sebring, Fla.; and four grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, Sept. 28, at 3 p.m. at Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai, with Pastor Lyn Thomas officiating.
Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home, Ojai.
James L. Hames
James L. Hames, 80, of Ojai, died Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2002 at Ojai Valley Community Hospital of heart failure. He was born Jan. 7, 1922 in Ratcliff, Ark. He was a resident of Ojai for one year, coming from Oxnard, and had been a 50-year Ventura County resident.
Mr. Hames was a member of the Oxnard Baptist Church for more than 30 years.
He is survived by his son, David Hames, of Ojai; stepson Jim Burns and wife Jody of Tulsa, Okla.; stepdaughter Ann Smith and husband Kenneth of Broken Arrow, Okla.; seven grandchildren; and his great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Opal Hames.
The family thanks Dr. Gross, Dr. Halverson and Dr. Nelson and the nurses in intensive care at OVCH for their kindness, concern and gentle care.
Visitation will be held Sunday, Sept. 29, from noon to 6 p.m. at Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Graveside services will be held Monday, Sept. 30, at 11 a.m. at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park in Ventura.
Memorial contributions may be made to Help of Ojai.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home, Ojai.
Memorial Service
Bonnie Williams died Aug. 14, 2002 at her home in South Newfane, Vt., after a battle with cancer. Co-founder of Oak Meadow School and a healer, counselor and friend, she touched the lives of many people throughout the world.
A memorial service to celebrate her life and spirit will be held in Ojai, Oct. 6 at 2 p.m. at an outdoor location. Participants will be given an opportunity to share an anecdote, poem, reading or song and are invited to bring a small item to place on a remembrance table in the gathering circle at the service. The service will be followed by refreshments and a slide show of Williams' life at a private home. For information and directions, contact Becky Lowe at 646-5163.
