Kern County CA Obituary Project Obituaries.....Pelham, Sammy (Sandy) January 16 2005
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K T bluewolf@onemain.com January 20, 2005, 3:42 pm

The Bakersfield Californian 
Sammy (Sandy) Pelham
March 21, 1926 - January 16, 2005

Sandy passed away quietly at home, with his family nearby, after a prolonged 
period of poor health. His passing now completes the link in his childhood 
family circle as he was preceded in death by his parents, John Pelham and 
Mettie Fisher, as well as his four siblings: brother, L.C. (Buck) Pelham; and 
sisters, Dee Tucker, Ona Mulholland, and Louellen Ward. 

Sandy was born in Oklahoma, migrating to California with his family in his 
early childhood. He attended various schools, primarily in Madera, CA and 
Yuma, AZ. He joined the navy at an early age and wound up attached to a Sea 
Bee Unit when his ship was sunk in the harbor and they needed a heavy duty 
equipment operator. After his discharge, he resided in Porterville, CA where 
he met and married his wife, Claudine Parkison Pelham. They settled in 
Bakersfield, CA and have remained in Kern County for the past 55 years. 

Sandy enjoyed fishing, hunting, boating, motorcycle riding, and most of all, 
traveling. He worked in drilling fields, a water pumping service, packing and 
transporting houses, various trucking companies, but primarily indulged his 
wanderlust by self employed long haul trucking. Failing health forced an early 
retirement but did not entirely ground him, as when Claudine retired in 1993, 
an R.V. took the place of the 18 wheeler and he enjoyed showing her all the 
sights of the open road. He was definitely a people-person and before he 
became fairly housebound, you would frequently see him on his 3 wheel Pride 
Revo, meandering around the neighborhood or R.V. Park, stopping to swap yarns 
with anyone who was willing. I dont think they ever solved any world problems, 
but I am sure they both went away with a lighter heart. 

Sandy is survived by his wife, Claudine; two daughters, on which he doted, 
Sandra Austin and Connie Bollard and their respective spouses, Ken and Don; 
four grandchildren, Matt, Chiuppi, Dawn Winkel and her husband, Paul, Kenneth 
Austin and Sarah Austin. There are also 7 great grandchildren (who loved to 
make him cookies) and several very special nieces and nephews. 

The family would like to thank Sally Thornburg and Rhetta Henry from Optimal 
Hospice Care, who provided care, comfort, and support to Sandy as well as 
strength and guidance to the family and extended the quality of his life to 
the highest level possible. In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to 
Optimal Hospice Foundation at 4800 Stockdale Hwy. Suite 215, Bakersfield, CA, 
93309.

A graveside memorial service will be held Saturday, January 22, 2005, at Kern 
River Valley Cemetery in Wofford Heights, at 11 a.m.. For further information, 
contact Sierra Mortuary & Funeral Home of Lake Isabella.

Sierra Mortuary & Funeral Home 


Additional Comments:
Volunteer submission - No relation to deceased.

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