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Amelia Imogene Swaggerty
77, passed Sept. 19, 2003, in Big Bear Lake, California. Born Sept. 1, 1926, in Bicknell, Indiana, Amelia loved her 2 dogs and 2 cats, her garden and the neighbor kids. The rest of the time she kept to herself.
Amelia is survived by her husband, Charles James, and son, Charles Terry, both of Nevada; daughter Debbie "Deborah" Marie Burton of Big Bear City; five grandchildren, Jacqualine, Jeannie, Julia, Kimm and Stacy; six great grandchildren, Tia, Kyle, Andy, Joey, Delaney and Daphne.
Visitation will be held Friday, Sept. 26, 2003, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Big Bear Mortuary Chapel. Services will be on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2003, at 3 p.m. at the First Baptist Church, Big Bear Lake. Interment will be on Monday, Sept. 29, at the Riverside National Cemetery, Riverside, California. Big Bear Mortuary, directors.
Robert L. Brown
82, passed September 16, 2003, at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, Calif. Born December 11, 1920, in Kansas City, Missouri, Robert was a 21-year resident of Big Bear Valley and active with the Elks, Moose and American Legion organizations plus the Citizen's Patrol.
Robert is survived by his wife, Genevieve of Big Bear City; daughters Tamsyn Griffin of Orange, Jerrine and son-in-law David Whiteman, also of Orange; brother Marshall of Kansas City, Mo.; granddaughter, Saundra Sargent, and two great grandsons of Phoenix, Arizona.
Interment will be at the Riverside National Cemetery.
Barry Overton
67, a long time Big Bear resident, passed at his home on September 26.
He is lovingly remembered by his wife, Heloisa; sons, Mark, Marcelo and Bruno; daughter Leigh; grandchildren Chris and Matt and his sisters Doreen and Barbara and first wife, Christine.
John "Jake" Thomas Sandling, Sr.
Born March 29, 1912, in Gooden Lake, Mississippi, he kept his appointment to meet his maker on Wednesday, November 12, 2003 in Fawnskin, Calif. He and his wife of 63 years, Edna, first moved to Fawnskin in 1962. He was a home builder and master carpenter who loved to teach his trade. He led a rich and full life; teacher, outdoors man, gardner, music lover, fisherman, veteran, reader, storyteller. We love you and will forever miss you, our Papa. We know you're now busy crafting our heavenly home in eternity. Your loving wife, Edna; your children, Michael and Paula Sandling of Woodland Hills, John and Kathy Sandling of Manhattan Beach, Tom and Crystal Bennett of Fawnskin; your grandchildren, Lisa, Michelle, Aaron, Rusty, Sandy; your 9 great grandchildren and your many friends.
Michael John Bush
56, passed November 15, 2003, at Big Bear Lake, Calif. Born April 16, 1947, in New York City, New York, Michael is survived by his mother Katherine Gaines of New York, wife Susie of Erwin Lake, Calif.; three daughters, Angela Bradley, Heidi Lara, both of Banning, Calif. and Misty Dahang of Anaheim, Calif.; two sons, James Bush, Jr. and Robert Bush, both of New York; nephew Jimmy Bush and niece Denise Bush plus 8 grandchildren; David and Steven Chiever, Teddy Garcia, Monique Clark, Marissa Lara, Kiiana Dahang, Gabriel and Gabriella Rivera. Services are pending. Big Bear Mortuary, directors.
William James Murphy Creighton
70, passed January 13, 2004, at the Hoag Memorial Hospital in Newport Beach, Calif. The only child of W.J.M. and Hattie Paloma Creighton, William was born June 21, 1933, in Los Angeles, Calif., where he attended Los Angeles public schools, the California Institute of Technology receiving his Bachelor of Science in 1955 and his Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1956. William was employed in engineering management for Aeronutronics/Loral from 1959 until his retirement in 1995. The Creightons were 10 year residents of Big Bear Valley.
A 47-year member of South Gate Masonic Lodge No. 320, Los Angeles (now Bellflower No. 320), Worshipful Master 1966 and a member of Big Bear Masonic Lodge No. 617. Shrine - El Bekal and El Malaikah Royal Arch Masons - Keyston Chapter #56, Cryptic Mason - Valley Council #27, National Sojourners - El Toro; Scottish Rite - Valley of Long Beach; Sword of Bunker Hill, Columbine Order #118, Salida, Colo.; Big Bear High Twelve Club No. 638, President 1999; Big Bear Shrine Club, President 2002; High Twelve International, President 2003-2004; Kiwanis Club of Big Bear Valley; Cal Tech Alumni Association.
William is survived by his beloved wife Pamela Schroeder whom he married in October 1961, daughter D. LaVae Peysar and 3 grandchildren, Shaylin, Brandon and Wyatt; daughter and son-in-law Bill and Maureen Creighton Ball.
Graveside and interment services were conducted by Big Bear Masonic Lodge No. 617 and Reverend Richard George, Mesa Verde Methodist Church, Costa Mesa, January 16, 2004, Pacific View Memorial Park, Corona del Mar.
Memorial services will be conducted by Big Bear Masonic Lodge No. 617, Friday, January 30, 1 p.m., Big Bear Masonic Hall, 385 Summit Blvd., Big Bear Lake.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Wolcott Foundation Scholarship Fund, High Twelve International, 2029 Washington Avenue #105, Evansville, IN 47714-2257.
John Paul Valencia
Born October 20, 1944, passed December 21, 2003. Big Bear Mortuary, directors.
Eloise Florence Paulson
71, passed January 17, 2004, in Vista, Calif. Born August 19, 1932, in Los Angeles, she loved nature and fishing and found her little bit of heaven in Big Bear with her beloved husband, Wayne, who preceded her in death December 6, 2003. Only a five-year resident, Eloise is survived by her daughter, Karen Denise Paulson of New Mexico; son, Jeffery Wayne Paulson of Oceanside; grandchildren Amber Lenore Paulson and David Michael Paulson Cahall. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Moonridge Animal Park. Private family services were held with Big Bear Mortuary, directors.
Nina Wells
93, passed away on Thursday, March 25, 2004 at the skilled nursing facility in Big Bear Lake. She is survived by her daughter, Janine Miller, a resident of Big Bear Lake; three grandchildren, David Miller of Anaheim, Craig Miller of Huntington Beach, Leslie Burghardt of Alta Loma and six great grandchildren. She was one of seven children and is also survived by her sister Marie Elliot of Dublin, Calif.
Nina was born on December 10, 1910 in Wichita, Kansas. She came to California in 1933 where she met and married her husband Jack Wells. They owned and operated Wells Coffee Shop in Huntington Park for more than 30 years. She was a member and past president of the Soroptimist Club in Huntington Park. From 1964 until Jack's death in 1970, they owned and operated the Airport Restaurant in Fullerton.
In 1976 Nina moved to Garden Grove where she became very active in community service and the Senior Citizen's Center. She was a volunteer at the Garden Grove Hospital for many years and in 1992 was crowned Strawberry Ball Queen in honor of her outstanding contributions to the community. She moved to Big Bear Lake in 2000 where she lived at the skilled nursing facility.
Lt. Comdr. Ernest Zon
77, passed March 18, 2004 in LaJolla, Calif. Born in Acton Township, North Dakota on April 28, 1927, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a seaman in October 1944 and was ordered to Newport, Rhode Island Officer Candidate School where he graduated as an Ensign in 1953. He was assigned a tour of duty in the South Pacific Special Expeditionary Force, serving in Matsu and Quemoy Islands in the Taiwan Strait Crisis, Korea, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Taiwan. His medals reflect those activities.
He retired from the Navy in San Diego in 1972 and then served as a maintenance worker with San Diego City Schools until he moved to Big Bear Lake in 1981 to live in the summer home that he built with the aid of his family on Cove Drive. He enjoyed fishing and worked as a maintenance foreman for Big Bear Unified School District until his retirement in 1995.
He is survived by his wife Shirley and daughter Deborah Stork of San Diego; two sisters, Loretta Miller and Leona Wysocki of Grand Forks, North Dakota; two brothers, Alfred of Medford, Oregon and Richard of North Dakota; and a granddaughter, Stephanie Stork of San Diego. Interment will be in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. He will surely be missed by all who knew and loved him.
In lieu for flowers, donations to Jenny at Bear Valley Humane Society, P.O. Box 1724, Big Bear Lake, CA 92315, will be appreciated.
Frank Podvoiskis
79, passed May 13, 2004, at his home in Santa Monica, CA. Beloved father of David Podvoiskis, a Big Bear City resident, Frank was an avid fisherman and spent many hours with David on the lake. Born in Lithuania on May 1, 1925, Frank is survived by his adoring wife of 54 years, Ona, whom he married in Canada after both escaped Eastern Europe during WW11. The family's roots span across the globe with sons born in Canada and Australia. The family lived for many years in New Zealand and finally settled in the United States. Beloved father and father-in-law of Chester (Santa Monica), Algis and Linda (New Zealand), David and Lisa (Big Bear City). Loved brother to sister Aldona (Santa Monica) and adoring grandfather to Gabriella and Rose (New Zealand). Frank wished his ashes to be symbolically spread over Big Bear Lake.
Joel Paulson Draper
of Sugarloaf, born January 20, 1984, left this world Tuesday, May 18, 2004, in Lucerne Valley. He was not wearing a seat belt.
Joel leaves behind his mother, Tracy Solis, and brothers Wil and Loren and sister Dana Draper.
To his very close friends, Joel was nicknamed "slow," but contrary to the name, Joel was always living and moving fast.
Since the fourth grade, when his family moved to Big Bear, Joel attended every school in the Valley. Never graduating, he always still hoped to some day join the Marines.
In leaving us all too soon and unexpectedly, our Joel is now tremendously missed and we love him.
Please join us today, Wednesday, June 2, at 4:30 p.m. at Meadow Park, by the lake to celebrate the life and mourn the passing of Joel. Pot luck and barbecue following.
Please direct all donations and contributions to First Mountain Bank, "Friends of Joel Draper."
Art Rathje
husband, father, and longtime local business owner passed away on Wednesday May 26, 2004.
Art was 71 years old and is survived by one daughter and one son.
Services were held Wednesday June 2, 2004, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church.
