Kern County CA Obituary Project Obituaries.....Dieter , Valentine Michael "Wallie" July 15, 2005 ********************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/obits/obitsca/obitsca.htm ********************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: K T bluewolf@onemain.com July 17, 2005, 4:46 pm The Bakersfield Californian Dieter, Valentine Michael "Wallie" 1908 - 2005 Valentine Michael (Wallie) Dieter April 26, 1908 - July 15, 2005 Wallie Dieter, 97, passed away peacefully on July 15, 2005, at Rosewood Retirement Community. Wallie was born April 26, 1908, in Mandan, ND, the youngest child of John and Barbara Dieter. They soon moved to Freeburg, MO. At the age of twelve, the family moved to Wasco, CA. Wallie had six brothers and sisters; Matthew, George and Mike Dieter, Rose Clelland, Dora Hicks and Genevieve Schroeder who have all passed away. By 1936, he had moved to Bakersfield where he met and married Virginia Shaver, a union that lasted until her death in 1992. Living relatives include his daughter Leila Espinoza and son-in-law Frank; grandchildren CS1 (SS) Gregory R. Espinoza, USN, of Kings Bay, GA, and Christine Edwards of Bakersfield, plus three generations of nieces and nephews including brothers Matthew of Bakersfield and Patrick Mickey of Gainsville, FL. He especially appreciated the devotion and attention in recent years of his niece Barbara Mickey. Wallies working years began driving a truck for the Wasco Creamery over the old 3-lane Highway 99 ridge route to Los Angeles and back. He also drove for Mohawk Oil. During WWII her served in the US Coast Guard. The next twenty-seven years were spent in public service as a Bakersfield Police Officer. As a policeman, he most remembered that his experience with Harley Davidson motorcycles influenced the department to change over from a Flathead Motor, raising money for the BPD Benefit Assn. (dances held at the fairgrounds with Spade Cooleys band), narrowly escaping death when a speeder made a left turn right in front of him, and being in charge of the crime scene when District Attorney of Alameda County Earl Warrens (later Governor of California and Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court) dad was murdered in his East Bakersfield home. Wallie retired from the force as a Lieutenant and then worked for awhile as a bailiff with the Kern County Sheriffs office. At the time of his death, Wallie was the oldest living retired Bakersfield police officer. Wallie and Virginia (a retired superior court reporter) in their years of retirement traveled in their Aistream trailer throughout most of the continental United States, Canada and Mexico sightseeing and meeting new friends; they loved to golf so much they even went on a golfing caravan to Alaska. For the past eleven years, Wallie has called Rosewood Retirement Community his home. Their attentive staff and his many fellow residents always made him feel loved and at home. Every Sunday, he enjoyed dinner with his daughter and son-in-law followed by a card game with his niece Barbara and granddaughter Christine often joining them. His funeral service will be held at San Clemente Catholic Mission, 1305 Water St. on Wednesday, July 20, at 10:00 a.m. The Pastor, Fr. Joachim Choen, will celebrate the Mass of Christian Burial followed by internment at Greenlawn Cemetery. Visitation will be held at Hopson-Anspach Family Mortuary, 620 Oregon St., on Tuesday, July 19, 2005, from 2:00 to 8:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to San Clemente Catholic Mission, 1305 Water St., Bakersfield, 93305. Hopson-Anspach Family Mortuary Legacy.com Published in the Bakersfield Californian on 7/17/2005. Additional Comments: Volunteer submission - No relation to deceased. http://www.legacy.com/bakersfield/LegacyHome.asp File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/kern/obits/dieter8395gob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/caobfiles/ File size: 4.1 Kb