Marguerite Jenks
Marguerite Jenks, 82, of Ojai, died Wednesday, May 20, 1998, at her home after a lengthy illness.
She was born March 13, 1916, in Los Angeles and had lived in Ojai 38 years, coming from Beverly Hills.
Mrs. Jenks was a homemaker, a member of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church and the Ojai Valley Republican Women's Group and was an avid bridge player.
She is survived by her daughter Kathy Jenks of Ojai; sons and daughters-in-law Dennis and Beverly Jenks of Carlsbad, Calif., and John and Pam Jenks of Ojai; brother and sister-in-law John and Fay McLaughlin of Redondo Beach; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Mrs. Jenks was preceded in death by her husband, Garland L. Jenks, in 1978.
A memorial mass was held Monday, May 25, 1998, at St. Joseph's Chapel in Ojai with Rev. Carroll Laubacher officiating.
Inurnment will be at Santa Barbara Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to St. Catherine By The Sea, Sisters of the Holy Cross, 1931 Poli St., Ventura, CA 93001.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Hazel Miller
Hazel Miller, 79, of Ojai, died Monday, May 18, 1998, at her home.
She was born Oct. 13, 1918, in Helena, Mont., and had lived in Ojai 15 years, coming from Los Angeles.
Mrs. Miller was a member of the Ojai Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses and is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Peggy and John Wigg; brothers Lawrence Milliron, Bob Milliron and Lynn Milliron; sister Dorothy Carter; three grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
Mrs. Miller was preceded in death by her husband, Benjamin Miller, and son, Robert Miller.
Memorial services were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 30, 1998, at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Ojai.
Memorials may be made to Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York, Inc.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Luverne "Nick" Herman Johnson
Luverne "Nick" Herman Johnson, 81, of Ojai, died Wednesday, May 27, 1998, at Ojai Valley Community Hospital following a battle with cancer.
He was born July 28, 1916, in Faust, N.D., and had lived in Ojai 13 years, coming from La Caņada/Flintridge, Calif.
Mr. Johnson was retired, having worked in import-export enterprises.
He is survived by his wife Audrey E. Johnson of Ojai; son William S. Johnson of San Rafael, Calif.; brother Floyd Johnson and sister Eleanor Taylor, both of Napa Valley, Calif.; and a nephew.
Services will be held Sunday, May 31, 1998 at 11 a.m. at Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Salvation Army.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home.
Lucy Bailey
Lucy Bailey, 71, of Ojai, died Wednesday, May 27, 1998, at Ojai Valley Community Hospital after a short illness.
She was born Dec. 13, 1926, in New York City, and lived in Ojai for 40 years, coming from the Bronx, N.Y.
Mrs. Bailey was a nurse's aide, retiring for medical reasons in 1966. She had worked at both Ojai Valley Community Hospital and Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura.
She loved to play bingo at Little House and enjoyed playing the slots in Las Vegas.
She is survived by her daughters Pat Gulliksen of Ojai and Jo Carver of Alto Loma, Calif.; sister Maryann Benson of Caņon City, Colo.; and three grandsons.
Mrs. Bailey was preceded in death by her son Richard in 1980.
Memorial services will be held Saturday, May 30, at 11 a.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Ojai.
Inurnment will be in Ojai.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or a favorite charity.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Fred Stymetz Lamb II
Supporter of the Ojai Music Festival, tournament director of the Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament, and longtime history teacher at The Thacher School, Fred Stymetz Lamb II died Sunday, June 7, 1998. He was 75.
Mr. Lamb was born Dec. 29, 1922, in Berkeley, California, and spent his first five years in the Piedmont area. The Lambs traveled and lived throughout the western world, including Switzerland and Italy, which fostered the family's love of opera, music and the arts.
His father, Harold Lamb, was an historical novelist and biographer whose 28 works included "Ghengis Khan," "Tamerlaine," "The March of the Barbarians" and "The Crusades."
After reading "The Crusades," world-famous film producer Cecil B. DeMille urged Harold to try writing screenplays, which brought the family to Hollywood.
In September 1936, Fred Lamb enrolled at The Thacher School in Ojai where he excelled at language (French, German and English), history and tennis.
As written in the school's yearbook, "Fred Lamb is an example of the type of boy who impresses a stranger as being a friendly, good-natured chap, willing to oblige at all times. His generous spirit and unselfishness characterize his actions continuously."
Lamb's first interaction with the Ojai Tennis Tournament was in 1938 when he played against Jack Tidball who was then the No. 4-ranked player in the nation. Lamb was defeated, and went on to become Thacher's No. 1 player. He competed several more times in The Ojai.
After graduating from Thacher in 1940, Lamb studied at Yale for two years before spending three-and-a-half years in the Army, working for the Signal Corps Intelligence stationed in Papua, New Guinea, during World War II. He translated intercepted messages and interrogated prisoners, relying on his knowledge of medieval Latin, Russian, Italian, French, German and Japanese.
Following the war, Lamb completed his bachelor's at Yale and then completed a master's in medieval history at the University of California at Los Angeles.
Lamb's teaching career of more than 40 years at Thacher began in 1954. He brought history to life by recounting stories and details of various eras, rather than focusing on dates and facts.
He embellished his teaching with props, including more than 15,000 long-playing records, which served as background music for his tales about various eras. He also had an extensive library, including an original copy of The Nurnburg Chronicle from 1493, the first printed reference to the discovery of America.
After classes ended, Lamb coached tennis, became known as "The Winningest Coach," and was inducted into Ventura County's Hall of Fame in 1989. His teams won 22 consecutive league championships, won seven CIF championships and were runners-up four times. He could hold his own on the courts with any of his players, and did so until 10 years ago.
As well, for 40 years he served as tournament director of the Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament and was easy to spot at the tournament because he sported a pointed red chapeau.
Lamb's main cultural interests were music, opera and film. For many years, he served on the board of directors for both the Ojai Festivals, Ltd. and the Ojai Film Society.
Lamb retired from full-time teaching in 1991, and continued teaching his film history course until a few years ago when Parkinson's Disease started taking its toll. He also continued traveling throughout Europe and attending music festivals and operas until two years ago. His last few months were spent in a convalescent hospital in Ojai where many of his Thacher friends enjoyed visiting with him and hearing stories of his life.
Lamb is survived by his aunt Catherine Maxson and his cousin Tay Howell, both of Lexington, Ky.; numerous extended family members; and hundreds of Thacher students for whom he has offered academic and cultural guidance.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 19, 1998, at 11 a.m. at The Thacher School Memorial Outdoor Chapel in Ojai. Donations may be made to the Ojai Festivals, Ltd. or The Thacher School, both in Ojai, California 93023.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Clausen Funeral Home of Ojai.
Pauline DeRosa
Pauline DeRosa, 82, died Wednesday, June 3, 1998, at her home in Ojai after a long illness.
She was born March 4, 1916, in Plato, Mo., and was one of 12 children.
She lived in Ojai for 60 years, coming from Houston, Mo.
Mrs. DeRosa was retired and had worked at the local Edison Company office in Ojai. She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Ojai.
She is survived by her son Roger Ward of Springfield, Ore.; grandchildren Kerry Ward of Oxnard, Cindy Lee Ward of Fillmore and Steven Ward of Mesa, Ariz.; sisters Nancy Boesl of Houston, Mo. and Carol Pipkin of Mission Hills, Calif.; and brothers Carlos Elmore of Houston, Mo., Duane Elmore of Sacramento and Don Elmore of Peoria, Ariz.
Services were held Tuesday, June 9 at the First Baptist Church of Ojai with Dr. Wilbur Skeels officiating.
Interment
will be at Pine Lawn Cemetery in Houston, Mo.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Jon H. Gwen
Jon H. Gwen, 43, of Ojai, died Friday, June 5, 1998, at Ojai Valley Community Hospital after a long illness.
He was born Oct. 26, 1954, in Paris, France, and lived in Ojai for three years, coming from Hollywood, Calif.
Mr. Gwen is survived by his wife Randi Scharfstein of Ojai; parents Madeleine and Robert Chaumier of Ermont, France; brother Francis Guenin and sister Dominique Honore, both of France; brother-in-law Martin Scharfstein of New York City; and parents-in-law Doris Scharfstein and Sami Koffler of Israel, and Aaron and Rose Scharfstein of Florida.
Private memorial services will be held at sea.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Jewish National Fund, 6310 W. San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90046, or to the American Brain Tumor Association, 2720 River Road, Suite 146, Des Plaines, IL 60018-4110.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Dr. I. John Ecker
Dr. I. John Ecker, 77, of Ojai, died Friday, June 5, 1998, at Glenwood Care Center in Oxnard after a long illness.
He was born Nov. 22, 1920, in St. Louis, Mo., and lived in Ojai for two-and-a-half years.
He was a Ventura County resident for nine years, coming from Manhattan Beach, Calif.
Dr. Ecker was a pediatrician and a general surgeon, retired for 15 years. He did volunteer work with needy autistic children.
He is survived by his wife Simone M. Ecker; son and daughter-in-law Mr. and Mrs. Alan H. Ecker, and grandchildren Matthew and Brian, all of Ojai.
A memorial mass will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, June 12, at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Ojai. Cremation and inurnment will be in Ojai.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Laura Davis Hatch
Laura Davis Hatch, 89, of Ojai, died in her sleep Sunday, June 7, 1998.
She was born Aug. 13, 1908, in Conneaut, Ohio, and was an Ojai resident for one year.
She was a 10-year Ventura County resident and had lived in both Santa Paula and Carpinteria.
Mrs. Hatch was a retired pediatric nurse and entrepreneur. She and her husband Larry started Hatch Imports, Inc., 37 years ago in Van Nuys and now of Ventura.
Mrs. Hatch was an active volunteer at local hospitals and traveled worldwide with her husband.
She is survived by her sons Larry Hatch of Moorpark, Robert Hatch of Carpinteria and William Hatch of Ojai; 15 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
A private family gathering will be held with inurnment at Eternal Valley Memorial Park in Newhall.
Memorial contributions may be made to pediatric research.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Ann Reisner
Ann Reisner, 81, of Ojai, died Monday, June 8, 1998, at her home after a short illness.
She was born Anna Mildred Stromer on Jan. 18, 1917, in Highland Park, Mich., and was a resident of Ojai for 22 years, coming from Burbank, Calif.
She grew up without a mother, her family consisting of her father, brother and three sisters.
Mrs. Reisner attended and graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a bachelor of science degree. She entered the U.S. Army in 1942 and became a captain in the Nursing Corps as a physical therapist.
She was stationed in England for a number of months treating U.S. airmen who were flying bombing missions over Europe.
After the Allies invaded Europe, she served in France. It was in France that the romance with Sgt. Hank Reisner began and it would last for 52 years.
They were married in April 1947 in California and settled in Burbank to raise a family.
In 1976, the Reisners retired and moved to Ojai. Mrs. Reisner was active in town organizations and events.
With HELP of Ojai, she contributed time to Retired Seniors Volunteer Program and Hospice Caring Neighbors. She initiated a group called "Let's Talk It Over" and was a member of the Bridge Club and the Art Center.
Mrs. Reisner also volunteered in the public schools, in memoirs classes and bereavement support groups.
She is survived by her son Henry David Reisner of Concord, Mass.; daughter Judy Ann Reisner of Inglewood, Calif.; sister Josephine Andre of St. Petersburg, Fla.; and seven grandchildren.
Mrs. Reisner was preceded in death by her husband, Hank Reisner, in January 1996.
A celebration of life will be held Saturday, June 13, 1998 at 2 p.m. at Clausen Funeral Home.
Memorials may be made to Project Understanding, 43 E. Vince St., Ventura, CA 93001, or the local Ojai Library.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home in Ojai.
Mark D. Porter
Mark D. Porter, 42, died Wednesday, May 20, 1998. He was born Oct. 11, 1955, in Ord, Neb.
He had lived in Ojai for the past seven years and was employed at Ventura College for the past 15 years. He loved the ocean and backpacking.
He is survived by his wife Johanna Porter of Ojai; father Warren Porter of Oxnard; mother Norma Bachman of Camarillo; sister and brother-in-law Ruth and Howard Miller of Meiners Oaks; brother Paul Porter of Ventura; and nieces and nephews.
A memorial service was held Saturday, May 23, at 1 p.m. at the Church of the Living Christ, 190 E. El Roblar Drive in Meiners Oaks.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Building Fund of Church of the Living Christ.
Arrangements are under the direction of Payton Mortuary in Oxnard.
Marion Welch
Marion Welch, 91, of Ojai, died Sunday, May 31, 1998, at the Ojai Valley Community Hospital.
She was born March 21, 1907, in New York City and has been a resident of Ojai since 1989.
She is survived by her son Jerry Welch of Phoenix, Ariz.; daughters Agnes Keck of San Francisco and Patricia Welch of Ojai; 18 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.
A memorial mass will be held at St. Joseph's Chapel, 2464 E. Ojai Ave., Friday, June 5, 1998 at 11:30 a.m. A gathering to honor her life will follow at 720 El Paseo Road in Ojai. All are welcome.
Arrangements were under the direction of Clausen Funeral Home.
Theodor Lilliefelt
Longtime Ojai resident, Theodor Lilliefelt, died on April 27 in a Ventura nursing home after a long illness. He was 92.
During his 33-year residence in Ojai, he served for a number of years as president and board member of the Ojai Music Festivals, was a member of the East Ojai Valley Association, the Committee to Preserve the Ojai, the Rotary Club and a board member of the Krishnamurti Foundation.
He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Erna. Before their retirement in Ojai in 1963, he worked for the United Nations in Ethiopa, Lebanon and Kuwait.
David Bailey Hart
David Bailey Hart, 87, of Ojai, died from lung disease April 25, 1998, at Ojai Valley Community Hospital.
He was born May 4, 1917, in Pipestone, Minn. where he graduated from high school and then attended the University of Minnesota. For 25 years, he and his brother Reed were owners and editors of the Pipestone County Star, which their grandfather had founded.
Mr. Hart then moved to Pacific Palisades, Calif. where he was a real estate broker for 20 years and a member of the Optimists Club.
In 1986, he retired and moved to Ojai.
He is survived by his wife Mary Hart of Ojai; daughter Marilyn Hart of Los Angeles; daughter and son-in-law Susan and Mike Dotson of Redlands; son Stephen Hart of Minneapolis; sister Faith of Los Angeles; brother Len Hart of Sioux Falls, S.D.; sister and brother-in-law Dorothy and Frank Harrington of Minneapolis; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his brothers Reed and Don Hart, and by his daughter, Diane Reitzel of Ojai, a year ago.
Memorials may be made to American Lung Association or American Cancer Society.
Armand Zefferi
Armand Zefferi, 79, died Monday, June 1, 1998.
He was born March 1, 1919 in Bristol, Pa. and was a 55-year resident of California.
Mr. Zefferi served in World War II in the 231st Field Artillery, European Theater, and during the Korean Conflict training troops in Germany and Iran. He retired with the rank of major.
Mr. Zefferi was part-owner of an appliance business in Oxnard.
He was a teacher for the Ojai Unified School District for approximately 18 years and taught special education in junior high and high school. He also taught gifted students in elementary school.
Mr. Zefferi is survived by his wife of 55 years, Edvish; sons James Zefferi of Gallup, N.M., William Zefferi and Gregory Zefferi, both of Lexington, Mo.; brother Albert Zefferi of Bristol, Pa.; sister Yolanda Morena of Bristol, Pa.; and seven grandchildren.
Services are under the direction of James A. Reardon Mortuary, 511 N. A St. in Oxnard. Call the mortuary at 483-2233 for service information.
