Miscellaneous Madera County, California Obituaries

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Juanita Bannon 
• ‘Driller’s helper’ 
OAKHURST – Juanita Pearl Bannon passed away at her home with the presence of her family on March 14. 
At Mrs. Bannon’s request, no services were held. Inurn-ment is at Oakhill Cemetery. 
Dearly beloved wife of 50 years to her husband, Walt, Mrs. Bannon was the loving and devoted mother of Sunny Duncanson, Oakhurst; Tracey Bannon Cullen, Sacramento; and Dwight Bannon, Ashland, Oregon. She was the mother-in-law of Russell Duncanson and Joy Bannon. 
Mrs. Bannon was the proud grandmother of Sallie, Brian, Kelsey, Christopher, Kristen, Tim, Kai, Trevor, Amanda and Michelle. She was the great-grandmother of three. 
The only child of William and Sallie Creech, Juanita was born February 1, 1922, in Lindsey, Oklahoma. That same year the Creeches traveled with their infant daughter, first by covered wagon, then by Model T, to California. They settled in Pixley. 
As Juanita’s parents worked in farming, she grew up a happy and social child. She attended Delano High School, where her world revolved around friends, sports, skating and dance. Juanita loved to dance the jitterbug. She won many local contests, and after graduation she supplemented her income by winning prize money. 
Juanita worked in various jobs until she met and married her lifetime partner, Walt Bannon, in 1947. 
The Bannons moved to the Mountain Area in the early 1950s, where their water well drilling business began to flourish. Juanita was not only the homemaker, bookkeeper and main referee of three young children, but also for many years was the "driller’s helper," the person who followed the rig from job to job to give the driller, Walt, a ride home. 
As her children grew into high school age, there were countless hours spent on the road from Catheys Valley to Mariposa for sports, drama and cheerleading practice. Mrs. Bannon was active in the Soroptimist Club, Parent-Teacher Association and she served as a member of the Mariposa County Grand Jury. 
In the early 1970s, Juanita and Walt moved to Oakhurst, which was a more central area for their business. Juanita worked full time in the office along Highway 41. She was also devoted to her mother, Sallie, and took loving care of her during Sallie’s last years. 
In 1982, Juanita and Walt retired from the business they built. It is now owned and operated by their daughter Sunny and her husband Russell. 
The Bannons didn’t slow down in retirement. They had their motorhome and they traveled. Together, with friends and family, they had many fond and happy memories. 
Juanita was known for her cheerfulness, humor, charm and wit. Even in her darkest hours, the twinkle of her blue eyes never dimmed. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends. 
As Walt said recently, "She was one-in-a-million, that girl!"   3-26-98

Kenneth Hoskins
• YHS custodian 
COARSEGOLD – Kenneth Herman Hoskins, 44, a custodian at Yosemite High School, died in Fresno on March 20. 
A memorial service will be held Friday [March 27], 5 p.m., at Yosemite Lakes Community Church. 
Mr. Hoskins was born in Fresno on March 4, 1954. 
He had been a custodian at Yosemite High School. 
He enjoyed horseback riding, gold panning, and leather work. Mr. Hoskins also played guitar and sang country-western music. 
He was the husband of Tammy Hoskins and the father of Justin David Hoskins and Ashley Learee Hoskins. 
He was the son of Bert Hoskins and Beverly Hoskins of Fresno. 
Mr. Hoskins was the brother of Robert Hoskins and John Hoskins, Fresno; Bonnie Costales and Suzanne Hutchins, Madera; and of Phyllis Odenwelder, Fresno. 
Also surviving are aunts Barbara Jones and Doris Davis, North Fork; Gloria Garland, Woodlake; and Kay Vanderlans, Lodi. 
Arrangements are under the direction of the Neptune Society of Central California.  3-26-98

Lindsay Aitken 
• Business owner 
OAKHURST – Lindsay Brown Aitken, 67, owner of Joint Ventures Industrial for 20 years and a resident here for the past seven years, died April 2. 
No services are scheduled. 
Mr. Aitken was born in Glasgow, Scotland. 
He loved fly fishing, gardening and computers and was a member of the Mountain Area radio amateurs group. Mr. Aitken was a director for the Scottish council. 
He will be greatly missed by his family and friends. 
Mr. Aitken leaves his wife of 15 years, Cheryl Aitken of Oakhurst. 
He was the father of Simon Aitken, Laguna Beach; and Robert Aitken, Leslie Aitken and Cameron Aitken, all of Edinburgh, Scotland. 
He was the grandfather of Samantha, Emily, Guy, Niel-son, Debbie and Barry. 
Arrangements were handled by Sierra Funeral Chapel.   4-9-98

Walt Bannon 
• Retired well driller 
OAKHURST – Walt Bannon, 82, founder of Walt Bannon Well Drilling, died on Friday. 
He operated the company from 1936 until his retirement. 
There will be an informal memorial for Walt and Juanita at the Bannon family residence on Friday [April 9] from 1-4 p.m. Friends are invited to attend. 
He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Juanita, who died March 14. 
Mr. Bannon was the beloved father of Sunny Duncanson, Oakhurst; Tracey Bannon Cullen, w and Dwight Bannon, Ashland, Oregon. He was the father-in-law of Russell Duncanson and Joy Bannon. 
He was grandpa to Kristen, Tim, Kelsey, Chris, Kai, Trevor, Brian, Sallie, Michelle and Amanda. He was the great-grandfather of three. 
Mr. Bannon was known for his quiet ways, his strong character and his devotion to his wife, Juanita.   4-9-98

George Beards 
• Retired entomoligist 
RAYMOND – George Wind-wood Beards died at his sister’s ranch near Raymond on February 22. He was 68. 
Private memorial services will be held in June on the ranch for the immediate family. 
Mr. Beards was born November 24, 1930, in Ely, Nevada. 
He attended Brown Military Academy and Occidental Co-llege in Southern California. After graduation, he attended officers candidate school in the East and joined the Navy as a second lieutenant during the Korean War. He was assigned to the USS Hollister and served as chief gunnery officer during China and Korean service. 
After his discharge from the Navy, he attended University of California at Los Angeles for a year and then transferred to UC Davis, where he received his doctor of philosophy degree in entomology. He practiced for more than 30 years in Califor-nia, Idaho and New Jersey. He resided in Pleasanton for more than 30 years. 
He enjoyed stream and ocean fishing and 4-wheeling on the ranch. 
Surviving are his daughter, Carol Conrad of Davis, and his won, Warren Beards of Ellensburg, Washington. He remained friends with his divorced wife, Robin Beards, who resides in Davis. His sister, Lee Brooke Combs, resides on a ranch near Raymond.   4-9-98

Jewell Calabrese 
• Homemaker 
AHWAHNEE – Jewell L. Calabrese, 75, died on March 18. 
No services were held. 
Mrs. Calabrese was the wife of Mike Calabrese of Ahwahnee and the mother of Judy Harris of Ahwahnee and Janet Rodriguez. 
Also surviving are four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.   4-9-98

Charles Girard Jr. 
• Retired 
AHWAHNEE – Charles E. Girard Jr., 83, died April 1. 
Memorial services were held at Our Lady of the Sierra in Oakhurst on Monday. 
Mr. Girard was the husband of Dorothy Girard, Ahwahnee. He was the father of Lisa McKee, Oakhurst; Denise Bausch, Coarsegold; and Kathleen Girard, San Diego. He was the stepfather of Judy Girard, San Diego. 
Also surviving are his three sisters, his brother and three grandchildren. 
Remembrances: Hospice of Madera County, 115 North P Street, Madera 93637.   4-9-98

James Hobbs 
• Retired mill worker 
AHWAHNEE – "Beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather" are fitting descriptions for James Hobbs, who died March 28. 
Memorial services were held at Sierra Funeral Chapel on March 31. 
A resident of Ahwahnee for 31 years, Mr. Hobbs was a warm and friendly person who enjoyed the friendship of many. 
Mr. Hobbs served in the U.S. Army and later worked at the sawmill in Oakhurst, long before the days of the Old Mill Village shopping center. 
He enjoyed Go-Karting and fishing and had a real enthusiasm for motorcycles. 
Mr. Hobbs and his wife, Gloria, were married for 48 years. He was the father of Dwayne and Jeff. 
Mr. Hobbs was the grandfather of Shane, Sheri, Michelle, Lisa, Brandy and Brittany and was the great-grandfather of Skye and Felicia. 
Also surviving are 153 nieces and nephews.   4-9-98

Dorothy Vannoy 
• Homemaker 
MARIPOSA – Dorothy L. Vannoy, 68, died March 30. 
No services were scheduled. Arrangements are under the direction of Sierra Funeral Chapel of Oakhurst. 
Mrs. Vannoy was born in Nacogdoches, Texas. She loved gardening, cooking and she was an accomplished musician on piano and organ. She was always willing to lend a helping hand, no matter who you were. 
Mrs. Vannoy was the wife of Elwin J. Vannoy, Mariposa. She was the mother of Linda Thompson, Mariposa; and James Ely, Sacramento. 
Mrs. Vannoy was the sister of Ruth Hower, Mariposa. 
Also surviving are five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.   4-9-98

Joseph Wight 
• Retired dairyman 
OAKHURST – Joseph Elmer Wight died March 27 at a Fresno hospital. 
A private memorial service will be held by the family. Final arrangements are under the direction of the Neptune Society. 
Mr. Wight was a retired dairyman from Virginia who came to Oakhurst 22 years ago. 
He enjoyed bowling in both senior leagues at Sierra Lanes for the past nine years and researching the Wight family genealogy. 
He served as a radio operator-mechanic with the U.S. Army during World War II and was a disabled veteran. 
Mr. Wight is survived by his adopted children, David and Brenda, and by his partner of 28 years, Addie Mae Harper.  4-9-98

Brent Freed 
• Raley’s employee 
AHWAHNEE – Brent Darin Freed passed away on April 8 at the age of 21. 
Services were held on Wednesday at Sierra Vista Presbyterian Church. His final resting place is Oakhill Cemetery in Oakhurst. 
Brent was a loving son, awesome brother, and a true friend. 
Brent was born on October 25, 1976, in Fountain Valley. He grew up in the community of Ahwahnee and graduated from Yosemite High School in 1994. 
Brent attended California State University, Fresno, Fres-no City College and Kings River Community College. 
Brent was employed at Raley’s Supermarket in Oakhurst. 
Brent is survived by his parents, Bill and Stephanie; his brother Dean; and his sisters Leslie, Brooke and Stacie. 
Brent was a fun-loving young man. He always brought good cheer and laughter to his family. 
His charming personality and ever-present smile allowed him to make friends wherever he went. He was always on the go but never far from home. 
Brent will remain in our hearts forever and will be missed immensely by family and dear friends alike.   4-16-98

Carrie Glass 
• Homemaker 
SAN BERNARDINO – Carrie DePuy Glass, 93, died here on April 10 after a long illness. 
Mrs. Glass will be laid to rest alongside her husband Roy Glass at Oakhill Cemetery in Oakhurst on Thursday [April 16], at 2 p.m. 
Mrs. Glass was born in Mincy, Taney County, Missouri, on April 26, 1904. 
She was the mother of Henry LeRoy Glass of Oakhurst and Mary Alice Reeder of San Bernardino. Also surviving are her nine grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. 
Roy and Carrie came to Oakhurst in 1959 after Roy’s retirement from Southern California Edison Company. Carrie had been a member of the Coarsegold Grandmother’s Club.   4-16-98

Alma Henricksen 
• Homemaker 
BASS LAKE – Alma K. Henricksen, 84, died April 9. 
Services were held Wednesday at Little Church in the Pines. A private family burial will be on Monday [April 20] at Green Hills Memorial Park. 
Arrangements are under the direction of Sierra Funeral Chapel of Oakhurst. 
Mrs. Henrickson was born in Iowa on September 8, 1913. 
She was an extremely good painter and won special honors for her art. She loved crafts, knitting and crocheting, was an excellent seamstress, wonderful cook and she especially loved gardening. 
Mrs. Henrickson will be greatly missed by her family and friends. She was a wonderful, loving mother and a kind and gentle person. 
She is survived by her daughter, Sally McDonald and Bob, Bass Lake; and by her son, Robert Henricksen, Issaquah, Washington. 
Also surviving are her brother, Kenneth Anderson, Oregon; and her loving grandchildren – Kristie Blea, Oak-hurst; Brad McDonald, Bass Lake; and Erik, Danny and Melissa Henricksen, Issaquah; and by five great-grandchildren.   4-16-98

Georgia McPherson 
• Retired school clerk 
COARSEGOLD – Georgia McPherson, 79, born in Rog-ers, Arkansas, on April 1, 1919, died on the same date in 1998. 
She graduated from the Chetopa, Kansas, High School, where she was class treasurer. She attended Pittsburg Teachers College in Pitts-burg, Kansas, and Northeast Oklahoma Business College in Miami. 
She was past president of Kappa Theta chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha Sorority of Fresno. She was past guardian secretary of Jobs Daughters Bethel No. 49. 
She belonged to Daughters of the Nile, Fresno; and was a member of Daughters of the American Revolution Lake of the Cherokee chapter in Miami, Oklahoma. 
She was a member of the Presbyterian Church in Bakersfield. 
Mrs. McPherson was an attendance and records clerk for Fresno City Schools for 16 years. 
She is survived by her loving husband of 56 years, Fred, and by her daughters and sons-in-law, Margie and Dean Ricken, Marilyn and Tom Avakian, and Nancy McPherson. 
She has nine beloved grandchildren, Lori Paris; Brooks Ricken; Melissa Brown; Tommy, Todd and Billy Avakian; Blake Ricken; Sarah Buckenberger; and Samantha Avakian. She has four great-grandchildren whom she adored. 
She was the sister of Grace Beauchamp, Miami, Oklahoma. 
Mrs. McPherson was a kind, compassionate lady who always found the goodness in others and nurtured that in her family and friends. She always had a kind word and a smile, never a complaint. She was sometimes shy and reserved, but always alert to others who needed a friend to stand beside them.   4-16-98

Lois Williamson 
• Homemaker 
BASS LAKE – Lois William-son, 81, died on April 11. 
A private family service will be held at Oakhill Cemetery. 
The family invites friends to an open house in honor of Mrs. Williamson at their Bass Lake residence on Friday [April 17], starting at 1 p.m. 
Arrangements are under the direction of Sierra Funeral Chapel of Oakhurst.  4-16-98

Lucille Malcolm 
• Homemaker 
FRESNO – Former Coarse-gold resident Lucille Dorene Malcolm, 62, died here on April 14. 
Services were held  Monday in Fresno. Graveside services followed at Oakhill Cemetery in Oakhurst. Ar-rangements are under the direction of Buchheim Family Palm-Colonial Chapel of Fresno. 
Mrs. Malcolm was born in Padadena on January 30, 1936. 
She was the mother of William Richard Malcolm Jr., Oakhurst; David Boyce Malcolm, Coarsegold; Daniel Joseph Malcolm, Clovis; Linda Lucille Malcolm, Firebaugh; and Nancy Ellen Koretoff, Fresno. 
She was the daughter of Lucille Kellett, Fresno; and was the sister of Verlane Blake, Parker Dam, Arizona. 
Mrs. Malcolm was preceded in death by her husband, William Richard Malcolm. 
She was the grandmother of Tommy, Monica, Corina, Adam, Danny, Matthew, Natalia, William, Hyrum and Simin. 
Remembrances: L.D.S. Missonary Fund, attention Bishop Terry Stout, 685 West Vartikian, Clovis 93612.  4-23-98

James C. Best 
• Contractor 
OAKHURST – James C. Best, a general contractor who resided here for 31 years, died Thursday at the age of 65. 
He will be missed by all who knew him. 
Graveside services were held Tuesday at Oakhill Cemetery. Arrangements were under the direction of Sierra Funeral Chapel. 
Mr. Best was the husband of Erna Best of Oakhurst. 
He was the father of Warren Best and wife Roni of Oakhurst and grandfather of Deja and Sabryna; and the father of Theresa Best of Mariposa and grandfather of Justin, Paul and Marena.   4-30-98

Verna Johnson 
 • Registered nurse 
COARSEGOLD – Verna Kathryn Johnson, beloved mother and grandmother and a registered nurse for many years, died on April 25. 
Family and friends will hold a "celebration of life" on Saturday [May 2], 11 a.m., at the family home in Coarsegold. 
Born June 20, 1916, in White Earth, North Dakota, Mrs. Johnson died unexpectedly after a brief illness. 
She graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1943 with a bachelor of science degree in nursing. She continued her education at the University of California at Berkeley, at San Diego, and at California State University of Fresno, San Jose and the College of Pacific. 
Throughout her career, Mrs. Johnson worked as a registered nurse, public health and school nurse. After retiring from Madera School District with 20 years service, Mrs. Johnson continued to work as a registered nurse for various local facilities. 
She was preceded in death by her husband, Clarence. 
She is survived by their children, Greg of Rescue, Gifford of Carmichael, Brent of Reno and Tina Hartley of Glen Ellen, Illinois. 
She was the grandmother of Karen, Allison, Laurin, Clarice, Victoria, Natalie and Dane.   4-30-98

Fay McAdams 
• Homemaker 
YOSEMITE LAKES PARK – Fay McAdams, a resident here for the past two years, died at home on April 21. She was 91. 
Services were held Monday at Yosemite Lakes Community Church, where she was a member, followed by burial at Oakhill Cemetery in Oakhurst. Arrangements were under the direction of Jay Chapel of Madera. 
Mrs. McAdams was born in Kane, Illinois. She had resided in Illinois all of her life until coming to Yosemite Lakes Park. 
She was the mother of Audrey Ashlock, YLP; Sharon Garbott, Fresno; Helen Welch, Sebring, Florida; Remthem E. McAdams and E. Leroy McAdams, both of Manito, Illinois. 
Mrs. McAdams was the sister of Harry Burch and May Freand, both of Jerseyville, Illinois. 
Also surviving are 22 grandchildren, 54 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren. 
Remembrances: Hospice of Madera, Inc., Post Office Box 1325, Madera 93639.   4-30-98

Juene R. Gallison Weilburg 
• Homemaker 
TURLOCK – Juene Rose Gallison Weilburg, who had maintained a home at Bass Lake for 35 years, died at her Turlock home on April 15. 
A memorial service will be held Saturday [May 2] at Monte Vista Chapel’s Warner Johnson Travertine Hall in Turlock. Allen Mortuary is in charge of arrangements. 
Mrs. Weilburg was a native of Turlock. She resided in Turlock for 40 years, but also had the Bass Lake home and resided at Bass Lake between 1963-78. 
She was a homemaker. She also once owned the Gustine-Newman Floral Shop. She was a member of the Turlock Antique Club. 
Mrs. Weilburg is survived by her husband, Robert C. Weilburg of Turlock. 
She was the mother of Sue Morrow, North Fork; Kath-leen Soernsen, Merced; Joanell Stewart, Pleasanton; and Daniel Wayne Gallison, Sonoma. 
She was the sister of Bill Henderson, Turlock; and Mae O’Neill, Santa Barbara. 
Also surviving are eight grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. 
She was preceded in death by her first husband, Wayne Gallison, and by her grandson, Steven Stewart.  4-30-98


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