From Santa Cruz, California:
May 31, 2003
Isabel R. Araldo
Services will be Tuesday for Isabel R. Araldo, who died Thursday at Driftwood Health Care in Santa Cruz. She was 86.
Ms. Araldo was born in Santa Cruz and lived in Watsonville most of her life. She graduated from Watsonville High School.
Ms. Araldo was a member of the Pajaro Village Sewing Guild.
She enjoyed spending time with family and friends, bird watching and reading, especially cookbooks and political nonfiction.
Ms. Araldo is survived by daughters Janelle Secondo of Watsonville and Lenette Sawisch of Lansing, Mich.; three grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and special friend Chester Misukewicz of Watsonville.
Her husband of 62 years, John Frank Araldo, died in 1998.
Services will be 10 a.m. Tuesday at Davis Memorial Chapel, 609 Main St., Watsonville.
Ms. Araldo will be buried at Watsonville Catholic Cemetery.
Eudonna G. S. Lemus
Services will be Tuesday for Eudonna Gayle Smith Lemus, who died Wednesday at O’Connor Hospital in San Jose. She was 69.
Mrs. Lemus was born and raised in Watsonville. She lived in Salinas for many years before moving to San Jose in 1986.
Mrs. Lemus graduated from Watsonville High School in 1951 and from Hartnell College in Salinas. She also attended San Jose State University.
She worked as a secretary and retired in 1986 as regional administrator for Northern California Savings and Loan in Salinas.
Mrs. Lemus was president of the Salinas Chapter of the state Certified Professional Secretaries. She was also a 25-year member of the Miss California Rodeo Association and was a member of the Salinas Jr. Women’s Club.
She volunteered for many years as a "cherry lady" at Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital and with the Camp Fire Girls in Watsonville.
Mrs. Lemus enjoyed volunteering, reading, cooking, decorating, making rubber stamp cards and admiring and encouraging her husband’s artwork.
She is survived by her husband of 27 years, Larry J. Lemus of San Jose; half-brother David Cook of Oregon; stepmother Nita Smith of Salinas; stepsister Nancy Dicks of Oregon; and one nephew.
Friends may call from 6-9 p.m. Monday at Davis Memorial Chapel, 609 Main St., Watsonville.Services will be 2 p.m. Tuesday at Pajaro Valley Memorial Park.
Lauren Gold
Services will be Wednesday for Lauren Gold, who died May 21 at Stanford Hospital of complications from diabetes.
A native of Newton, Mass., she had lived in Santa Cruz County since 1987. She worked as a chef for more than 15 years.
She was passionate about nature, wildlife and philosophy, joining Defenders of Wildlife, Ocean Conservancy, PETA, National Resources Defense Council, Earth Justice and Nature Conservancy.
She is survived by her father, Sydney Gold of Newton, Mass., brother Jeffrey Gold of Newton, Mass., a sister Patricia Gottlieb of Westborough, Mass., two nieces and one nephew, and her life partner of 12 years, Scott Taylor of Santa Cruz.
Her mother, Evelyn Gold, died before her.
A memorial service will be at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Mount Hermon Conference Center, 37 Conference Drive, Mount Hermon. Services will be at the amphitheater across from the parking lot adjacent to the recreation field.
Arrangements are by Santa Cruz Memorial Park and Funeral Home.
Contributions are preferred to the National Resources Defense Council or Defenders of Wildlife.
Charlotte Howard
Services will be June 7 for Charlotte May Howard, who died May 16 in Soquel. She was 96.
A Seattle native, Mrs. Howard had lived in Santa Cruz County for more than 55 years.
She enjoyed music and gave her first piano recital at age 9. She majored in music and fine arts while attending Washington State University and the University of Washington.
She worked in advertising at the Seattle Times for 12 years.
She enjoyed sports and liked watching professional baseball and football. She was an avid golfer and she and her late husband were members of the Pasatiempo Golf Club.
She was a member of the Daughters of the Pioneers of Washington, having hailed from a well-known pioneering family in Seattle. Thomas Mercer, her great-great-grandfather was the first Superior Court Judge for the Washington territory and the namesake of Mercer Island. Asa Mercer, her great-great uncle, was the first president of the University of Washington when it opened in 1863.
Mrs. Howard was active with the Daughters of the American Revolution, the American Association of University Women and the Republican Club for Women.
While vacationing in Capitola in 1948, she and her family decided to make the Santa Cruz area their home.
Mrs. Howard later received a bachelor’s in education from San Jose State University.
She taught elementary school for 15 years in Soquel and later at the two-room Vine Hill School in Scotts Valley, which she and another teacher opened in 1962. She retired in 1965.
She attended St. John’s Episcopal Church in Capitola until her family moved to Pasatiempo. She then became active with St. Cecilia’s Guild at Calvary Episcopal Church in Santa Cruz.
She later attended St. Philips Episcopal Church in Scotts Valley after the family moved there.
She is survived by three sons, Daniel McLaughlin Sr. and Richard McLaughlin, both of Scotts Valley, and Timothy McLaughlin of Reno, Nev.; eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Her husband, William Howard, died in 1993.
Services are June 7 at 3 p.m. at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Scotts Valley.
Contributions are preferred to St. Philip’s, 5271 Scotts Valley Drive, Scotts Valley, 95066, or to the Hospice Caring Project, 6851 Soquel Drive, Aptos, CA 95003.
Evelyn Wilkens
No services will be held for Evelyn Wilkens, who died Thursday at Valley Convalescent Hospital in Watsonville. She was 92.
Mrs. Wilkens was born in King’s Norton, England, and was raised in Watsonville. She attended Watsonville High School and UC Berkeley. She graduated from San Jose State University in 1953.
She was a primary school teacher in the Alum Rock School District in San Jose, and in Rio Del Mar and Aptos schools. She was a member of the United Presbyterian Church and the California Retired Teachers Association.
She is survived by daughter Norma Linneman of Watsonville; son Gary Eaton of Watsonville; sisters Nora Holt of San Luis Obispo and Jeanne Zaches of Monterey; six grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and four nieces and nephews.
Husband Frank Wilkens died in 1972.
No services will be held at her request.
Contributions are preferred to Hospice Caring Project of Santa Cruz County, 6851 Soquel Drive, Aptos, CA 95003, or Valley Convalescent Hospital Employees’ Fund, 925 Freedom Blvd., Watsonville, CA 95076.
June 2, 2003
Donna E. Ramirez
Services will be held at a later date for Donna E. Ramirez, who died Saturday in a Watsonville care facility. She was 52.
Mrs. Ramirez was a 45-year resident of Santa Cruz. She spent 10 years of that as an inspector/assembler for Hotline.
Mrs. Ramirez enjoyed cooking, bird watching, gardening, farm animals and art.
She is survived by her husband, Ray, of Santa Cruz; daughters Elisa and Helena, both of Santa Cruz; and four grandchildren.
Private family services will be held at a later date. Arrangements are by Santa Cruz Watsonville Cremation Services.
June 3, 2003
Ricardo Zepeda
Services will be Thursday for Ricardo Zepeda, who died June 1 from injuries suffered in a car accident in North Monterey County. He was 18.
Mr. Zepeda was born and raised in Watsonville.
He graduated from Watsonville High School in 2002, and was studying engineering at Cabrillo College.
He is survived by his parents, Antonio and Maria Zepeda of Watsonville; his brothers, Genero, Antonio Jr. and Angel Zepeda, all of Watsonville; his sisters, Veronica and Maribel Zepeda, both of Watsonville; his grandparents, Leopoldo and Genoveva Moreno of Watsonville, and Maria Owalle and Santiago Zepeda of Mexico; and aunts, uncles and cousins.
Friends may call from 1-5 p.m. Wednesday at Mehl’s Colonial Chapel, 222 E. Lake Ave., Watsonville. A vigil will be 7 p.m. Wednesday at St. Patrick’s Church, 721 Main St., Watsonville. Mass will be celebrated at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at St. Patrick’s, followed by burial at Valley Public Cemetery.
Arrangements are by Mehl’s Colonial Chapel.
Eva LaVaun Bechtel
Services will be private for Eva LaVaun Bechtel, who died May 23. She was 91.
Mrs. Bechtel had lived in Santa Cruz since 1986.
Before moving to Santa Cruz, she owned and operated a beauty shop for more than 50 years.
She was a member of the Grey Bears of Santa Cruz and attended St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church.
She is survived by her husband, Edwin F. Bechtel of Santa Cruz; son James V. Bechtel of Capitola; and two grandchildren.
Contributions are preferred to the Hospice Caring Project of Santa Cruz County, 6851 Soquel Drive, Aptos.
Arrangements are by Benito and Azzaro Pacific Gardens Chapel, Santa Cruz.
