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Charles Millard Rauch
A memorial service for Charles Millard Rauch, 89, of Fairfield will be 1 p.m. Monday at McCune Garden Chapel in Vacaville.
Burial will be private. The Rev. Stephen Leonetti will preside.
Born Oct. 11, 1907, in Milton, Pa., Mr. Rauch died July 3, 1997, in Fairfield.
He worked for McDonnell Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach for 25 years, where he retired. He had lived in Vacaville for eight years.
He graduated from Milton High School in Pennsylvania, and served in the Pennsylvania National Guard, Rifle Company "L," 109th Infantry. His unit was called to active duty in 1941, and he served in three World War II campaigns: Rhineland, Ardennes and Central Europe. He was honorably discharged in 1945 at the rank of sergeant.
Mr. Rauch is survived by his sisters, Meriam Deaner of Pennsylvania and Helen Mae Grittner of Vacaville; niece, Nancy Froh of Tuscon, Ariz.; and nephews, Gary of Philadelphia, Wayne Deaner of Lewisburg, Pa., and Robert Grittner of El Dorado Hills.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Gilbert William and Jennie Rae Wagoner.
Robert L. Strobach
A memorial service for Robert L. Strobach, 66, will be 7 p.m. today at Bethany Lutheran Church. Burial will be private.
Born Oct. 10, 1930, in Weehawken, N.J., Mr. Strobach died July 2, 1997, after a long illness.
He was a longtime resident of Staten Island, and the Ramsey and Mahwah areas of New Jersey.
He had been a systems analyst and project manager on various military defense systems as a contractor for the Air Force and Navy.
A graduate of Wagner College, Mr. Strobach was a fighter pilot for the Air Force in Korea and later for the New Jersey Air National Guard.
A former elder in the Lutheran Church, he was a member of Bethany Lutheran Church. He moved to Vacaville in 1975, and was disabled in 1976. He enjoyed gardening, following politics and current events, and was a sports fan.
He is survived by his daughter, Rebecca Taylor of Rock Hill, S.C.; sons, Eric and Mark of Vacaville; granddaughters, Jessica and Pamela Taylor; mother, Frances; brother, William of Raymore, Mo.; sister, Anne Whitfleet of Prescott, Ariz.; and 10 nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 33 years, Alice.
Zachary A. Bancroft
Funeral services for Zachary A. Bancroft, 9, will be noon Monday at Vaca Hills Chapel.
Chaplain Stanley Sanderson of The Church of Christ in Fairfield will officiate. Burial will be in the Vacaville-Elmira Cemetery.
Born March 9, 1988, in Yreka, the boy died July 9, 1997, after a long illness. He lived in Vacaville all his life.
He loved playing Nintendo games and he also enjoyed camping.
He is survived by his parents, Michael of Vacaville and Christine Ferraris of Vacaville; sister, Torrie Ferraris of Vacaville; grandparents, Ron and Carol of Fairfield and Dorothy Johnson of Hayward. He is also survived by numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. He was preceded in death by his grandfather, Albert Bettencourt.
Visitation will be 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday in Vacaville Hills Chapel.
Memorial contributions may be made to The American Heart Association, P.O. Box Santa Rosa 95402.
Helen Madere
Shock and sadness flooded Rio Vista on Friday as word spread through the Sacramento River city about the sudden death of Vice Mayor Helen Madere.
Described as a person who touched the lives of every Rio Vistan since she arrived in 1959, Madere, 70, had served on the Rio Vista City Council since 1988.
Stunned city officials said she died of an apparent heart attack Thursday night at NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield.
"I'm in a state of shock right now," said City Manager Larry Profitt on Friday. "There is not anyone who has dedicated her heart and soul to the community like Helen."
Shirley Silva, Madere's best friend, said Madere always expressed pride in serving the townspeople.
She sat in the mayor's chair last Thursday because Mayor Fred Harris was on vacation, and she was "was very proud she got it done within a half-hour," said Silva.
"We met 37 years ago -- she was in the next bed at Lodi Memorial Hospital where we had baby girls a day apart," Silva said. "To me she was a sister and we were sisters up to the end.
"I used to tell her she could seem rough like a grizzly bear on the outside, but if anybody gets close, they'd find you'd have a heart of pure gold. She took time to listen to problems."
Silva served as secretary of the safety-conscious Highway 12 Association only because Madere chaired it, Silva said.
Former Mayor Jerry Rubier said Madere's death is "a terrible loss to the city."
He said it was remarkable how Madere "came back," appointed to the council by her mayoral opponent Harris to fill out the remaining two years of Harris's council term, after she was narrowly defeated for Rio Vista mayor in 1996.
"We served together during the (financial) debacle of the city," said Rubier, who often is credited with helping pull the city from financial disaster in the 1980s.
"She worked very hard in restoring the integrity of the city of Rio Vista," he said. " She was a diamond in the rough, a beautiful woman; a good friend."
City Manager Profitt added it is very unusual for one person like Madere to "touch so many lives. I love her and I'm going to miss her terribly. Her word was unquestioned. If she promised you something, it'd come to pass and if it took moving a mountain, she'd get physically involved."
Councilman George Alphin, who served two separate clusters of years as Rio Vista city manager, said he was assisted in the city's financial crisis recovery by Madere.
"Her expertise and extensive background in finances and accounting were sorely needed. She dove in and gave as much time as city staff in the recovery situation -- she was invaluable to the city," said Alphin Friday. "I sure will miss her."
According to Madere's family, services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday in St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Rio Vista.
Visitation will be 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday in Stewart Funeral Chapel.
Born Feb. 13, 1927, in Louisiana, she died July 10, 1997, in NorthBay Medical Center in Fairfield.
She owned and operated Helen Madere Tax Preparation in Rio Vista and had been a schoolteacher, court reporter, and executive secretary. She also was an Army veteran, including service during the Korean War.
"Her family was first before anything," said her husband, Michael, on Friday.
Mrs. Madere's other survivors include her daughters, Michelle of Sacramento and Melissa of New Orleans; a son, Mark of Tulsa, Okla.; brothers, Freddie and Donald Melancon of Louisiana; sister, Elise Songe of Louisiana; relative Virginia Guichet of Louisiana; and grandchildren, Lisa and Laura Baldwin of Sacramento and Amy and James of Tulsa, Okla.
A memorial contribution may be made to Community Action Council of Rio Vista or to the city's Portuguese Club.
Mary Cuellar
A funeral service for Mary Cuellar, 83, will be 10 a.m. Monday at McCune Garden Chapel in Vacaville.
The Rev. Lester Seto of Bethany Lutheran Church will preside. Burial will be in Vacaville-Elmira Cemetery.
Born March 7, 1914, in Hawaii, Mrs. Cuellar died July 10, 1997, after a long illness. She lived in the area for 70 years.
Mrs. Cuellar was an assembly line worker for Basic Vegetable for 25 years. She was a homemaker for 60 years.
She was a member of the Spanish American Club in Woodland and the Senior Citizen Center. She enjoyed bingo, and was an avid gardener and enjoyed trips to Reno.
She is survived by her sons, Frank Jr. of Napa and Fred of Colorado; daughters, Rose Marie Dugger of Fresno and Helen Pena of Vacaville; sister, Manuela Ruiz of Cupertino; 12 grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday in McCune Garden Chapel.
Memorial contributions may be made to Kaiser Hospice, 975 Sereno Drive, Vallejo 94589.
Betty Lois De La Rosa
Funeral services for Betty Lois De La Rosa, 63, of Fairfield, will be 2 p.m. Monday in Rockville Cemetery.
The Rev. Michael Downey of Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Fairfield will officiate. Burial will be in Rockville Cemetery.
Born March 9, 1934, Mrs. De La Rosa died July 7, 1997, after a short illness. She lived in Fairfield for the past six months. She was a homemaker for 46 years.
She is survived by her daughters, Karen Caperton, Joanna Gail Wolff, Julia Powell and Teresa Ann Lopez, all of Fairfield, Lorraine Aguglia of Suisun City and Lisa Figueroa of Vacaville; son, Cleofas Jr. of Vacaville; sisters, Jewell Bence of Santa Clara, Margie Rydell of Fresno and Dorothy Alves of Santa Maria; brother, Billy Elliott of Santa Maria; 20 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
Arrangements were handled by Bryan-Braker Funeral Home in Fairfield.
Charles H. Esters
There will be a private inurnment for Charles H. Esters, 78, of Fairfield.
Born Jan. 21, 1919, Mr. Esters died July 9, 1997, in David Grant Medical Center after a short illness.
He was born in Webster City, Iowa, and was raised in the Soldiers' Orphans Home in Davenport, Iowa.
He served in the Air Force for 30 years, retiring in 1972 with the rank of master sergeant. He enlisted as a bombardier and later became a flight engineer. He served in World War II, the Korean and Vietnam wars and received two flying safety awards.
He was stationed at Yokota Air Force Base in Japan, Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, March Air Force Base in California and Clovis Air Force Base in New Mexico.
He retired while serving at Travis Air Force Base.
He is survived by his wife, Frances of Fairfield; daughter, Diana L. Dinsmore of Fairfield; sons, Terry of Tacoma, Wash., Charles, David and Gary, all of Fairfield; and five grandchildren.
Arrangements are handled by Bryan-Braker Funeral Home in Fairfield.
Mark Jay Morton
A memorial service for Mark Jay Morton, 38, of Fairfield will be 10 a.m. Tuesday at Bryan-Braker Funeral Home in Fairfield.
The Rev. Nathaniel Bragg of St. Matthew's Baptist Church will preside. There will be a private inurnment.
Born March 19, 1959, in Burlingame, Mr. Morton died July 7, 1997, in Rio Vista.
He was in the Air Force from 1977 to 1997, and had lived in Fairfield for 12 years.
He is survived by his wife, Deborah of Fairfield; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Joseph and Helen Harris of Fairfield; sister-in-law, Nicole Harris of Fairfield; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Beverly and Isaac Hackett of Vacaville; nephew and niece, Al and Leann Wallace of Fairfield; mother and father, Diane and Bob of San Mateo; sisters, Lorraine and Maureen, both of San Mateo; grandmother, Lorraine Viglienzoni of Burlingame; godparents, Eddie and Annie Staten of Vallejo; and numerous aunts and uncles.
Anthony Joseph O'Grady
Funeral services are pending for Anthony Joseph O'Grady, 77, of Vacaville.
Born Dec. 19, 1919, in Janesville, Minn., Mr. O'Grady died July 8, 1997, in a Vacaville convalescent hospital after a long illness.
He was a meter reader for Southern California Edison for 26 years. He was retired from the Navy, and was a veteran of World War II.
He is survived by his wife, Marvel of Vacaville; stepdaughter, Marlene Burke of Pollock Pines; stepsons, Donald and Eugene Hall of Vacaville; sister, Rose Schneider of Minneapolis, Minn.; 10 grandchildren; and 13 grandchildren.
Arrangements are by Fairfield Funeral Home.
Karen Davis
Graveside services in Vacaville-Elmira Cemetery
are 11 a.m. Tuesday for Karen Davis, 79, of Belmont.
The Rev. Steve Leonetti will officiate.
Mrs. Davis died July 10, 1997, in Palo Alto after she suffered complications from surgery to repair a broken hip.
Born April 26, 1918, in Fargo, N.D., Mrs. Davis was a Vacaville resident since 1956 before moving to Belmont four years ago to be near her grandchildren.
She was an active member of the Saturday Club, a Vacaville Museum volunteer and an avid bridge player. She was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Marvin Davis, a longtime Vacaville physician.
She is survived by her daughter, Laura Hutkins of Belmont; and her three grandchildren, Peter, Heidi and Clair Hutkins of Belmont.
Arrangements are being handled by Roller, Hapgood and Turney of Palo Alto.
