Louis E. Bourdet
Louis E. Bourdet, a lifelong rancher and member of the San Benito County Saddlehorse Association, died Sept. 28 at his Hollister home. He was 85.
Mr. Bourdet also was a member of the county Cattlemen’s Association, the Farm Bureau, and was a former member of the Elk’s Lodge in Pomona and Santa Maria. He served on the Los Alamos School Board and the Santa Barbara County School Board. He moved to San Benito County 25 years ago.
Mr. Bourdet was married to his wife, Carmen, for 58 years. She survives him. Also surviving him are his children, Lorraine MacKenzie of Sebastapol, John Bourdet, DeeCee Donati and Jeff Bourdet of Hollister, sister Denise Banks of Santa Barbara, six grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Arrangements for cremation with private inurnment are through Grunnagle Ament Nelson Crematory. A memorial was Monday at the chapel. Contributions are preferred to the Saddlehorse Association Museum or your favorite charity.
Tillie Gonzales
Tillie Gonzales, who moved to San Benito County from the Mojave Desert 70 years ago, died Sept. 27 after a short illness. She was 75.
Mrs. Gonzales was a member of Sacred Heart Church, Y.L.I. and the Golden Years Club. She was an avid gardener and enjoyed arts and crafts. She worked during the war for Pacific Telephone & Telegraph as an operator and later worked for Tri-Valley Growers and San Benito Foods as a weighmaster.
Mrs. Gonzales is survived by her husband of 53 years, Nick Gonzales of Hollister, her son Bill Gonzales of Hollister, brothers Jack Manzano of Stockton and Joe Manzano of Pioneer, sister Sue Smyers of San Jose, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by brother Gilbert Manzano.
Cremation will be through Grunnagle Ament Nelson Funeral home. Mass was Friday. Contributions are preferred to the American Lung Association or the American Cancer Society.
Lois E. Dunning
Lois E. Dunning, a native of San Benito County, a member of the Kinship Auxiliary of San Benito County and an avid gardener, died Sept. 20 at Sunbridge Care Center after a five-month illness. She was 78.
Mrs. Dunning and her husband, Bruce H. Dunning, recently celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary. She is a former member of Ridgemark Golf and Country Club.
In addition to her husband, Mrs. Dunning, a homemaker, is survived by her daughter Karen Humphry of Clovis and Bruce Dunning of Hollister. She also is survived by four grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and sisters Louise Rosati of Hollister, Caroll Paullus Wik of Chico. Her brother, Loren "Sonny" Paullus preceded her in death.
Mrs. Dunning will have a private cremation through Grunnagle Ament Nelson Crematory with private interment. Donations may be made to Hospice c/o the mortuary.
Norman E. Murphy
Norman E. Murphy, a long-time resident of San Benito County, grape rancher and former employee of Bank of America, died Sept. 21. He was 83.
Mr. Murphy was born in Volta and married his wife Jewel in 1939 in Hollister. He was a past member of the Masonic Lodge and SIRS. He and Jewel formed the Wild Ass Mining Co., which held social events over the years. In 1935 Mr. Volta set the California state track record for high hurdles while a student at San Benito High School.
In addition to his wife, Mr. Murphy is survived by his daughters and their spouses, Carol and Doug Menzel of Hollister and Nancy and Tom Dean of Paicines, grandsons Monte Menzel of Hollister and Matthew Menzel of Modesto, five great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
The memorial was Wednesday at Hollister United Methodist Church, where he was a member. Private inurnment will be at the IOOF Cemetery.
Donations are preferred to Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, The American Cancer Society or a favorite charity c/o Black Cooper Sander Funeral Home.
Lois E. Dunning
Lois E. Dunning, a native of San Benito County, a member of the Kinship Auxiliary of San Benito County and an avid gardener, died Sept. 20 at Sunbridge Care Center after a five-month illness. She was 78.
Mrs. Dunning and her husband, Bruce H. Dunning, recently celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary. She is a former member of Ridgemark Golf and Country Club.
In addition to her husband, Mrs. Dunning, a homemaker, is survived by her daughter Karen Humphry of Clovis and Bruce Dunning of Hollister. She also is survived by four grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and sisters Louise Rosati of Hollister, Caroll Paullus Wik of Chico. Her brother, Loren "Sonny" Paullus preceded her in death.
Mrs. Dunning will have a private cremation through Grunnagle Ament Nelson Crematory with private interment. Donations may be made to Hospice c/o the mortuary.
Frances F. Jones
Frances F. Jones, a homemaker and native of San Benito County, died last Wednesday in Santa Cruz. She was 77.
Mrs. Jones was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church and Sacred Heart Mother’s Club.
She is survived by her husband James R. Jones of Winton, children Bob Jones of Modesto, Tom Jones of Bethel Island, Richard Jones of Iowa and Lorie Williams of Capitola, sister Barbara Galli of Hollister, three grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews and in-laws Gene Carbone, Josephine Felice and Jack Galli of Hollister.
Mass will be offered at noon Saturday at Sacred Heart Church. Arrangements for cremation are through Grunnagle Ament Nelson Funeral Home and Crematory. Contributions are preferred to V.N.A. of Capitola.
Brian A. Law
Brian A. Law, an electrician’s apprentice, died Sept. 16 in Hollister. He was 41.
Mr. Law was born in New Jersey, grew up in Los Altos and moved to Hollister two years ago from San Jose.
Mr. Law is survived by his mother, Jean Law of Hollister, sister Beverly Merrell of Seattle, and nephew and niece Scott and Kimberly Merrell of Seattle. The funeral and interment will be in Seattle.
Donations are preferred to San Benito Community Foundation c/o Black Cooper Sander Funeral Home.
Aubrey O. Pollock
Aubrey O. Pollock, a former Hollister chicken rancher, died Sept. 15 in Modesto, where he recently had moved to be closer to his son. He was 91.
Mr. Pollock was born in Eastland County, Tex., and is a former member of Calvary Baptist Church in Hollister.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Edna Pollock, and a daughter, Eunice Fowler. Mr. Pollock is survived by his son and daughter and their spouses, Ferrell and Patricia Pollock of Ripon, and Bonnie and Robert Weigand of San Jose, and brother William Pollock of Saugus. He also is survived by six grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
The funeral will be Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Black Cooper Sander Funeral Home with interment and graveside services following at the IOOF Cemetery. Donations are preferred to Calvary Baptist Church.
Darren Gong
Darren Gong, son of a local business family, died Monday at San Jose Medical Center after a solo motorcycle accident. He was 28.
Services are scheduled for Sept. 19 at 10 a.m. at Grunnagle Ament Nelson Funeral Home. Obituary details were incomplete at press time.
Pascual "Mike" Gutierrez
Pascual F. "Mike" Gutierrez, an avid golfer and member of Bolado Park Golf Club, died Sunday in Gilroy. He was 75.
Mr. Gutierrez, who moved to San Juan Bautista from Gilroy in 1967, was born in Mexico City.
Mr. Gutierrez is survived by his wife Elvira Gutierrez of San Juan Bautista, son Johnnie Gutierrez of San Juan Bautista, daughter Pat Chavez of Gilroy, sister Inocencia Gutierrez of Los Angeles, six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
The memorial was Wednesday at Black Cooper Sander Funeral Home. The service begins at 9:15 a.m. at the funeral home, proceeding to San Juan District Cemetery for interment and graveside services at 10 a.m.
Carl Barks
Illustrator behind Donald Duck dies at 99
GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) – Carl Barks, the Disney illustrator credited with giving Donald Duck his distinctive feisty and comical personality, died Friday at the age of 99.
He had been receiving chemotherapy for leukemia, but ``was funny up to the end,'' said his caregiver, Serene Hunicke.
Barks drew Donald Duck for Walt Disney Studios from 1935 until 1942, and continued afterward as the creative genius behind the Donald Duck universe.
Although other animators had a hand in the duck's activities, Barks polished up Donald, rounding him out and shortening his beak, and gave him a personality that was jollier, though still spiked with that trademark temper.
Barks' early writing credits included the 1937 Donald Duck short, ``Modern Inventions,'' in which Donald runs into trouble at an exhibit of labor-saving devices, including a robot butler.
In 1942, he turned from cartoons to illustrating comic strips and books. He gave Donald a hometown – Duckburg – populated by such characters as Uncle Scrooge McDuck, Gladstone Gander, the Beagle Boys and Gyro Gearloose, and he is credited with giving Huey, Dewey and Louie – Donald's nephews – their distinctive personalities.
Barks got his start drawing one-panel ``gag strips'' for magazines when he was in his 20s and 30s, but the job lost its allure.
``I was thinking then that I'd like to do comics with whole stories,'' Barks recalled in a 1994 interview. ``You know, like Prince Valiant; stuff with continuity, not single, one-shot gags all the time.''
In 1935, he saw an ad for cartoonists to work for Walt Disney Studios in Hollywood. Leaving a steady paycheck in Minnesota, he packed his bag and decided to take a stab at animation.
He quickly advanced from drawing the tiny details between the characters and the main background to primary character artist, and his handiwork could be seen in more than 60 short subjects, many featuring Donald Duck.
When Western Publishing gained the rights in 1942 to publish Walt Disney characters in comic books, Barks was asked to illustrate a 10-page Donald Duck story written by someone else.
``The story just didn't seem to hang together,'' Barks recalled. ``I made some changes. Western kind of liked it and asked me if I wanted to do my own stories. From there on, I was their fair-haired boy.''
Like every other artist in those days, Barks' name never appeared on a comic book.
But that anonymity ended after he retired. Comic book fans came out of the woodwork in the 1970s with the creation of specialty shops, trade publications and conventions.
``I was astonished by the number of people who'd read my work and liked it,'' Barks once said. ``These comic book fans seem to want to shake the hand of the guy who drew all that stuff. It's still mystifying to me.''
Barks stopped drawing in 1966, but continued writing duck tales until his retirement in 1973.
He painted Disney figures in oil at his home in Grants Pass until he contracted leukemia 13 months ago.
Barks is survived by a daughter, Dorothy Gibson of Bremerton, Wash., four grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and eight great-great grandchildren.
Hazel Indart
The funeral for Hazel I. Indart, a part of San Benito County’s ranching heritage, takes place Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Immaculate Conception Church in Tres Pinos. Mrs. Indart, who rode and roped in an era when few women did, died suddenly on August 4. She was 87. Her husband, James “Jim” Indart died in 1982. Interment will follow at the IOOF Cemetery with a reception at the Immaculate Conception Parish Hall. Donations may be made to the San Benito County Saddle Horse Association Museum or the church hall restoration fund.
Hazel Indart, who roped and rode competitively at the San Benito County Saddle Horse Show in an era when few other women dared, died suddenly August 4 after a period of failing health. She was 87.
"It was just so sudden, I can’t believe she’s gone,’’ said her sister, Babe Hubbell from her ranch in Tres Pinos. "She had a good life.’’
Mrs. Indart, who was born in Tres Pinos, spent the happiest years of her life working cattle with her late husband, James T. Indart, manager of the sprawling French Ranch off of Comstock Road, one of the county’s biggest. After he died in 1982, she moved to Hollister, where she had a valve replaced in her heart and eventually became confined to a wheelchair.
"She had great pride, and she didn’t want anyone to see her in that wheelchair,’’ Babe Hubbell said. "We almost had to tie her in it. Even when she had a cane, she hated that.’’
It’s no wonder. Mrs. Indart was probably one of the most active woman of her generation. With her friend, Hall of Fame Cowgirl Lola Galli, she helped to transform the way men looked at women on horseback in San Benito County and beyond. During competitions against men locally and in Monterey and King City, she won dozens of belt buckles, bits and trophies. Mrs. Indart and Mrs. Galli also raced horses in Salinas.
"There was nothing she couldn’t do,’’ Hubbell said. "They weren’t cocky and they weren’t brazen. They just went out and did their work and that was it. And she was still a lady. She liked to dress up.’’
In the early 1930s, Mrs. Indart married Jim and the couple moved to the French Ranch.
"They didn’t have any electricity, and the telephone didn’t work in a storm,’’ Hubbell said. "They had to ride out for everything. If they needed a lot of things, they had a little buckboard they rode out on.’’
Mrs. Indart was an avid gardener, and didn’t let the remote setting keep her from her passion.
"One time it was raining cats and dogs and they started out of town on horseback,’’ Hubbell said. "She had a big flat of petunias and she set it on the horn in front of her. There was a certain time she wanted to plant those flowers so they would bloom at a certain time, and she wouldn’t let anything get in her way.’’
After her husband’s death, Mrs. Indart continued to raise cattle at a ranch off of Union Road. She got rid of all of her horses but one, who lived on the Union Road ranch.
"She kept that one horse out there,’’ Hubbell said. "Sometimes she’d just go out there and look at him. Her and her dog.’’
Mrs. Indart attended Tres Pinos Grammar School and San Benito High School. She was a lifelong member of Immaculate Conception Church. She was a member of the San Benito County Cattlewomen’s Association, the San Benito County Cattlemen’s Association, the San Benito County Farm Bureau, the San Benito County Saddle Horse Association, the S.P.R.S.I and the I.D.E.S of San Benito County and was a former Cowbelle Woman of the Year.
Mrs. Indart did not have children, but was considered to be a surrogate mom by her nieces and nephews. In addition to her sister Babe Hubbell, Mrs. Indart is survived by her brother, Bill Caldera Sr. of Los Alamos and his wife Rose; nieces and nephews Bill Caldera Jr. and his wife Mary of Los Alamos, Sally Silva and her husband Shorty of Hollister, John Hubbell and his wife Marti of Tres Pinos, Mary Hubbell of Hollister, cousins Hugh French, Joan Irvin, Holly McMahon and June Sparks, and many great nieces and nephews.
The funeral was Tuesday at Immaculate Conception Church. Interment was at the IOOF Cemetery. Donations may be made to the San Benito County Saddle Horse Association Museum or the church hall restoration fund.
