Kern County CA Obituary Project Obituaries.....Uhalt, Jr., Bernard "Frenchy" September 3 2004 ********************************************************** 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 September 26, 2004, 11:35 pm The Bakersfield Californian Bernard "Frenchy" Uhalt, Jr. Apr. 27, 1910 Sept. 3, 2004 Born April 27, 1910 in Bakersfield, CA, he was the son of French-Basque immigrants Benita Asnarez and Bernard Uhalt Sr. from the Pyrenees who settled in Bakersfield opening Uhalts Blacksmith Shop on East 19th and Kern. Known as Frenchy he excelled in athletics from an early age. He was a tremendous football player at Kern County Union High (now the Bakersfield High Drillers). In 1927 he was the star running back taking the Drillers to the California State Prep Championship, beating Fullerton 38-0. His coach, Dwight Goldie Griffith once said he was the best back Id ever coached in over 40 years. Frenchy was offered football scholarships to such schools as USC, Notre Dame, St. Marys, Fordham and UCSF, but turned them all down for the life of a baseball player thinking hed physically last longer in baseball than football. His professional baseball career started when the Pacific Coast Leagues Oakland Oaks drafted him in 1928. He was an outfielder with tremendous speed. He played with the PCLs Oakland Oaks, Hollywood Stars and San Francisco Seals. In 1934 the Chicago White Sox purchased him where he wore jersey number 36. After the 1934 season, he was sold back to the Oaks. He was bought and sold many times the New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers each owned him at one time but he returned to the PCL and finished off his career there. He was with the San Francisco Seals in the 1946 season when they were the PCL champs. When Gilmore Field opened in 1939 he won a pair of shoes, a hat and two shirts for getting the first hit, first double, first steal and first run. His 20-year career included a batting average of .332, and 2,798 hits, 2nd all-time in the PCL. He was inducted in the Bob Elias Hall of Fame in 1973, the Bay Area Hall of Fame and the Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame. After retiring from baseball as a player, he started managing. His first managing job took him to the Fresno Cardinals where in his first inactive season as a player since 1928 they stayed in first place almost from the opening gun. After retiring from managing, he eventually settled in Oakland with his wife, Virginia and their only child, Suzanne Karen. He lived a quiet life of golf, playing with his grandkids, helping to coach his grandson Marcs Little League Teams (who, like his grandfather was a tremendous baseball player being looked at while still in high school by the pros) and never missed a sporting event whether it was soccer, swimming, baseball or track of his grand-daughter, Paulette. His later years were also filled with pain. His only child, Suzanne Karen died of breast cancer at the age of 50 in 1989 and his home of 40+ years in Oakland was lost during the fires of 1991. He and Virginia moved to Rossmoor in Walnut Creek, CA after the fire and spent the remainder of their lives there. Virginia preceded Frenchy in death, dying peacefully at home in February of 2003 and Frenchys passing was also peaceful, at home with Paulette holding his hand as he took his last breath. At his request, there will be no public service. Frenchy was a private man who took great care of his family and cherished his grandchildren and great- grandchildren. He is survived by son-in-law, Fred William Vinson of Kekaha, HI; grandchildren, Marc Stephen (Wendy) Vison of Fair Oaks, CA and Paulette Benita (Clay) Fry of Lafayette, CA; great-grandchildren, Courtney Suzanne Vinson of Fair Oaks, CA; William Clay Fry and Giovanna Suzanne Fry of Lafayette, CA. He is also survived by nieces, Paulette Bruce Miller of Sacramento, CA and Joanne Sevilla of Ketchum, ID; nephews, Gary (Jane) Uhalt of Bakersfield, CA and Steven (Kay) Uhalt of Bakersfield, CA. The family is requesting donations be made in his name to the Bernard French Uhalt Memorial Scholarship Fund in care of: Bakersfield High School, attn: Annie Elrod, 1241 G Street, Bakersfield, CA 93301. Neptune Society of Northern California Additional Comments: Volunteer submission - No relation to deceased. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/kern/obits/gob1823uhaltjr.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/caobfiles/ File size: 4.7 Kb