Patterson Cemetery District Obits listing for 1923 Submitted by Gale Stroud and Burta Herger 26 Aug 2007 This file is part of the California Tombstone Project http://www.usgwtombstones.org/california/californ.html These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Aalia LE 230412 p1 Mrs. L. E. Aalia Passes Away on Friday Evening; Mrs. L. E. Aalia passed awny last Friday evening at the home of her daughter, Miss Dena Aalia, after having been in poor health for some years past. She is survived by four children Mrs. O. S. Lokka, Mrs. C. H. Elfers, Miss Dena Aalia and E. E. Aalia, all of Patterson; six grandchildren and one great- grandchild. Funeral services were held Monday afternoon from the Lutheran church with Rev. George Shurson of Santa Rosa presiding, followed by interment in Del Puerto cemetery. Davis & Evans had charge of arrangements. Baccala James 230215 p1 Kick From Cow Fatal to Dairy Man in Colony Internal injuries resulting from a kick by a cow, caused the death of James Baccala, colony dairyman Saturday morning. The end was most unexpected, as the injury had not been thought to be serious. The accident occurred Thursday morning, when Baccala was struck in the stomach by the animal, and although bruises were sustained, it was not considered a dangerous injury at all. Saturday morning, however, he suddenly became delicious and passed away before a doctor could be summoned. The deceased was 48 years and 10 months of age, and a native of Switzerland. He had been associated with his brother, Charles G. in the dairy business here, there being no other near relative in this country. Funeral services were held Monday morning from the Newman Catholic church, followed by interment in the Newman cemetery. Arrangements were in charge of Davis and Evans. Benson Augusta S 230712 p1 Mrs. C. A. Benson Called By Death Sunday Evening; After a long struggle against illness, Mrs. C. A. Benson passed away early Sunday evening at the family home. Her death marked the end of a battle extending over many months, in which several blood transfusion were given by her daughter, Marguerite, but all without avail, only serving to delay the inevitable. Augusta S. Benson was born in Sweden in 1864, coming to America when a young girl, and marrying C. A. Benson in Chicago in 1891. The family settled in Patterson Colony twelve years ago, being among the early colonists. Beside the husband, three daughters, Mrs. Florence Barber, Alice and Marguerite, and three sons, Harvey, William and Raymond, mourn her loss. A brother and sister in the Middle West also survive the deceased. Funeral services were held from the Presbyterian church Tuesday afternoon with Rev. Warren Elsing presiding. An audience that filled the auditorium and a mass of floral tributes testified to the esteem in which the deceased was held by her many friends and a long procession followed the remains to Del Puerto cemetery. Arrangements were in charge of Davis and Evans. Bergman Roland S 230920 p1 Bergman Baby Passes Away; Roland Stanley Bergman, infant son of Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Bergman, passed away Saturday evening. The baby was the only child. The family being recent newcomers from Minnesota, residing with the Palmgren family northwest of town. Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon from the Swedish Mission church, Rev. H. E. Nordquist officiating. Internment was in Del Puerto cemetery with arrangement in charge of Davis & Evans. Bowles B H 230308 p4 Father of W. L. Bowles Passes; B. H. Bowels, aged father of W. L. Bowles of Patterson, and brother of the pioneer West Side ranchmen, Tom and Letcher Bowles, died at Capitola Sunday, aged 81 years. While not a West Side resident, as were his brothers, B. H. Bowles was quite well known here through his visits to his brothers. He was a Missourian, and did not come to California until he had retired, some 14 years ago, when he joined his brothers, who had also retired from ranching on the West side, and the three old men lived for several years at Capitola. Besides W. L. Bowles, he has another son, Melvin, who has been with of late. There are no other close relatives in California. Dimmitt Bertha E 231018 p1 Former Local Woman Killed by Stockton Street Car; Injuries resulting from being struck by a street car Tuesday of last week in Stockton, resulted in the death of Mrs. Bertha E. Dimmitt, former Patterson resident, the same night, according to advices received by local friends although the information was received too late to enable any to attend the funeral, which was held in Stockton Friday. The deceased was well-known here, having resided in the colony with her husband, W. E. Dimmitt, for eight years, prior to their removal to Stockton last February. Dineson Karen 230517 p1 Near Centenarian Passes Saturday; Falling but twenty months short of the century mark, Mrs. Karen Dineson completed a long life Saturday when she passed away at the J. C. Knutson home, death being due to natural causes from old age. Mrs. Dineson was a woman of remarkable vitality, never having been confined to her bed with illness a day in her life until her last illness which was of but three days duration. She was a native of Norway, being born in 1825, and came to this country in 1872, making her home in Minnesota until her removal to Patterson in 1912. She was a great-aunt of Mesdames J. C. Knutson, L. H. Locken and J. P. Olson, and had made her home with the three families for the past 28 years. Funeral services were held from the Lutheran Church Monday afternoon with Rev. Oldberg officiating. Music was rendered by the Lutheran choir. Internment in Del Puerto cemetery followed. Arrangements were in charge of Davis and Evans. Eastman Charles 230712 p1 Bodies of Three River Victims Recovered: Charles Eastman; The last of the bodies of the victims of the triple tragedy that marred the Fourth of July in this vicinity was recovered Sunday when the body of 7-year old Rosemary Hitch of Modesto was recovered from the San Joaquin river about six miles below the scene of the drowning. The little girl was a member of a picnic party along the Tuolumne at the bridge about five miles northeast of Grayson on the Paradise road to Modesto. She fell into a deep hole and Harry Sorensen, another member of the party tried to save her. He was unable to swim and also went. under. Miss Nova Bowman leaped in to assist and was in danger also but was saved by Mrs. Sorensen while Sorenson and the little girl swept away. The body of Sorensen was found the same day, but the other victim was not recovered until Sunday. The other tragedy occurred at the Merced river bridge east of Newman when Charles Eastman, 18-year old son of a Turlock pastor, was downed while in swimming. His body was recovered Friday morning. Gearhart Edwin B 231108 p1 Death Ends Long Illness of E. B. Gearhart; Following an illness of several months, Edwin Bush Gearhart passed away last Wednesday evening at the Turlock hospital where he had been receiving treatment. Gearhart was one of the pioneer settlers of Patterson, coming here with his family in the early days of the colony and residing here ever since. He was a native of Iowa, and would have attained his 61st birthday this week. Besides the widow and son, E. B. Gearhart, Jr., a student at the University of California, six brothers and two sisters survive the deceased. Funeral services were held from the family home on North Fourth street Saturday afternoon, the sermon being delivered by Rev. Warren Eising of the Presbyterian church, while Rev. Vincent Jones of the Methodist church assisted in the services. A large gathering of friends attended the last rites, following which interment was made in the Del Puerto cemetery, with arrangements in charge of Davis and Evans. Hendy Harriet 230301 p1 Death of Mrs. Harriet Hendy at Stockton Tuesday; Following an illness of long duration, Mrs. Harriet Hendy passed away Tuesday at Stockton, aged 72 years, she survived her husband but a few months, he having died last July. A native of Wisconsin, Mrs. Hendy and her husband were old-time settlers of the Crows Landing section and their children have grown up to make their homes in this vicinity also, two being at Patterson and two at Newman. Funeral services will be held from the Shannon undertaking parlor in Modesto with interment in the family plot in the Modesto cemetery. Tomorrow is the probable date, although not set at this writing. The following children survive the deceased: Mrs. F. A. Patchett of Newman, Mrs. W. F. Smith or Patterson, Mrs. W. Bright or San Francisco, Glen Hendy of Patterson and Lloyd Hendy of Newman, Mrs. W. F. Smith of Patterson, Mrs. W. Bright of San Francisco, Glen Hendy of Patterson and Lloyd Hendy of Newman. Hitch Rosemary 230712 p1 Bodies of Three River Victims Recovered: Rosemary Hitch; The last of the bodies of the victims of the triple tragedy that marred the Fourth of July in this vicinity was recovered Sunday when the body of 7-year old Rosemary Hitch of Modesto was recovered from the San Joaquin river about six miles below the scene of the drowning. The little girl was a member of a picnic party along the Tuolumne at the bridge about five miles northeast of Grayson on the Paradise road to Modesto. She fell into a deep hole and Harry Sorensen, another member of the party tried to save her. He was unable to swim and also went. under. Miss Nova Bowman leaped in to assist and was in danger also but was saved by Mrs. Sorensen while Sorenson and the little girl swept away. The body of Sorensen was found the same day, but the other victim was not recovered until Sunday. The other tragedy occurred at the Merced river bridge east of Newman when Charles Eastman, 18-year old son of a Turlock pastor, was downed while in swimming. His body was recovered Friday morning. Johnson Mary 231004 p1 Mrs. Johnson Dies at Long Beach; Mrs. Mary Johnson, former Patterson resident and mother of several local people passed away at her Long beach home last week, the remains being interred at Berkeley Wednesday of last week. The deceased was 82 year of age at the time of her death and had resided with her children here for about six years prior to leaving for Long beach a couple of years ago. She leaves six children to mourn her death - four daughters, Mrs. E. D. Adams, formerly of Patterson but now of Berkeley; Mrs. Sarah Johnson, formerly of Patterson but now of Long Beach; Mrs. F. L. Rogers of Long beach and Mrs. Carrie Longerbean; and two sons, Chas. J. Johnson of Patterson and W. W. Johnson of Long Beach. All were present at the funeral services with the exception of Mrs. Longerbean, who is en route from Iowa by auto with her family to establish a home in California. Keating William 231213 p6 Westley Ranch Hand Passes; William Keating, who has been employed on the W. W. Cox ranch for many years, passed away Saturday at Modesto, following a stroke the previous day which resulted in his removal to a hospital there. Leverton John B 230531 p1 Illness Ends in Death For J. B Leverton on Friday; Following an illness of several weeks, John Bailey Leverton passed away Friday morning at the family home just west of town. He was 56 years of age, having been a Patterson resident for some eight years past. He was a native of Arkansas, and had spent six years in California before locating here, erecting the Leverton building, now the Masonic Hall, on North Third prior to making his home here with his family. Besides the wife, Mrs. Martha Leverton, three daughters. Mrs. Mamie Drumbaugh of Brea, Mrs. Ofie Weber and Miss Viola of Fresno, and one son, J. O. Leverton of this city, survive him, besides four brothers and four sisters in the East. Funeral services were held Sunday morning from the home with Rev. Thrice of the Church of Christ of Fresno officiating. A large attendance and a great mass of floral offerings testified to the high esteem in which the deceased was held by his many friends. Following the services here, the remains were taken to Madera where interment was made in the family plot in Arbor Vita cemetery. Arrangements were in charge of Davis & Evans. Oswald Alice 230503 p4 Death of Mrs. Oswald of Crows Landing; A large gathering of West Side people, mainly from Crows Landing, assembled Monday at Newman to pay a tribute to the memory of Mrs. Alice Oswald, for so many years hostess at the Oswald Hotel at Crows Landing, who died Saturday at Turlock soon after retiring from business at Crows Landing. Service was held at the Davis undertaking parlors with a large turnout, with the interment in the local cemetery. Mrs. Oswald and her late husband, whom she survived but six months, had been Crows Landing residents for some 30 years, coming there soon after reaching California from Ohio. They were well known to the traveling public, and in the pre-auto days, when trips were short, the hotel was a favorite stop for traveling men. Mrs. Oswald was 65 years of age. Her only relative in the West was her sister, Mrs. C. S. Wilson of Newman, though she has several surviving brothers and sisters in Ohio. Palmgren Charles A 231115 p1 C. A. Palmgren Passes Away Friday Morning; Charles August Palmgren passed away Friday morning at his home west of town, following a short illness from pneumonia. He had been in a weakened condition for some time past, however, so that he was easy prey for the more serious disease. The deceased was native of Sweden, aged 51 years, and leaves a wife and two little daughters to mourn his loss besides two brothers and a sister in the East. His death is the final blow of misfortune to the little family, which has had more than its share of illness and trouble in the past year. Funeral services were held from the Swedish Mission church Tuesday afternoon, with the Rev. H. E. Nordquist presiding, followed by interment in Del Puerto cemetery. Davis and Evans were in charge of arrangements. Peters Eugene G 230628 p1 Death Follows After Pupil Gains Diploma; Stricken just after he had attained the first big goal in the game of life, Eugene Gilbert Peters, the thirteen-year old son of Mr. And Mrs. R. R. Peters, passed away at the family home Monday after an illness of but a couple of weeks. Eugene has just received his diploma of graduation from the grammar school when he was stricken, kidney trouble being the cause of death. Funeral services were held from the Brethern church yesterday afternoon at 2 o'clock with the Rev. Deardorff of Empire officiating. The funeral procession then traveled to Modesto where interment was made in the Modesto cemetery. Davis and Evans were in charge of arrangements. Skinner Ellen 230417 p1 Fatal Ranch Fire near Patterson: Ellen Skinner; Aged Aunt of Mrs. Earl Hibbard Loses Life When Home Is Burned Mr. and Mrs. Earl Hibbard of Patterson, well known here, where Mr. Hibbard has put up many private and public buildings, suffered a tragic loss Sunday afternoon when their home near Patterson was burned in their absence, and Mrs. Hibbard's aged great aunt, Mrs. Ellen Skinner perished in the flames. The exact happenings of the afternoon can never be known, as Mrs. Skinner was alone and the first persons to arrive did not even know there was anyone in the house. It was some time before the discovery of the body told the story. Mrs. Skinner was an aged lady, 79 years of age, but was comparatively strong and perfectly able to care for herself. Mr. and Mrs. Hibbard left home for a Sunday in Modesto, as they had often done, and did not return till about 8 at night, hours after the fire, which broke out around 3 o clock, The cause can only be conjectured. An oil stove is a possible cause. Another is the electric system, operated by a gasoline engine, a short circuit being a possible source. It seems almost certain that the aged lady was either suffocated by smoke or died from shock or excitement before the fire reached her, as there was nothing to hinder her escape from the house, and even if her clothing had been ablaze she would instinctively have run out doors ??? conscious. The most tenable theory, judging from the position of the body, is that the fire started in the rear of the house, and, when she opened the door and found a room all ablaze, the shook was too much for her constitution. The remains will be shipped to the home of the deceased at Petaluma. The house was entirely destroyed, hardly anything being saved. A car in the garage was run out before it caught. The loss is estimated at $6000 to $7000. Sorensen Harry 230712 p1 Bodies of Three River Victims Recovered: Harry Sorensen; The last of the bodies of the victims of the triple tragedy that marred the Fourth of July in this vicinity was recovered Sunday when the body of 7-year old Rosemary Hitch of Modesto was recovered from the San Joaquin river about six miles below the scene of the drowning. The little girl was a member of a picnic party along the Tuolumne at the bridge about five miles northeast of Grayson on the Paradise road to Modesto. She fell into a deep hole and Harry Sorensen, another member of the party tried to save her. He was unable to swim and also went. under. Miss Nova Bowman leaped in to assist and was in danger also but was saved by Mrs. Sorensen while Sorenson and the little girl swept away. The body of Sorensen was found the same day, but the other victim was not recovered until Sunday. The other tragedy occurred at the Merced river bridge east of Newman when Charles Eastman, 18-year old son of a Turlock pastor, was downed while in swimming. His body was recovered Friday morning. Torvend William 231004 p1 Death of William Torvend Saturday; Death brought a merciful ending to the suffering of William Torvend Saturday afternoon after an illness extending over ten years, resulting from a runaway accident when a small boy. The injury was incurred while driving a delivery wagon, the horse run away and throwing him on his head, resulting in a serious fracture of the skull. A delicate operation saved his life but left him partially paralyzed, and although at times his condition seemed to be much improved, yet recovery never came. The deceased was 21 years or age and is survived by his mother, Mrs. S. Torvend; two sisters, Misses Ida and Lillie, both of Patterson; and six brothers, Ole and Ingolf of Patterson, Samuel, Silas and Henry of Silverton, Oregon, and Chris of Steel, North Dakota. Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon from the Lutheran church, Rev. Albert J. Towe officiating, with interment in Del Puerto cemetery. Davis & Evans were in charge of arrangements. Witten Phillip W 231122 p1 Death of P. W. Witten of Crows Landing on Tuesday; An old timer resident of Crows Landing, who was also one of Patterson's business men, passed away at his home in the former town yesterday. Phillip W Witten, proprietor of meat markets at both Patterson and Crows Landing, had been ill for the part two months, suffering from a complication of disorders, and the end Tuesday afternoon was not unexpected. His daughter, Mrs. Leonard Terry of Patterson, had for several days been at her father's bedside, leaving her school duties to a substitute. The funeral services will be held this afternoon at 2 at the Crows Landing Presbyterian church, the interment being at the Modesto mausoleum. The deceased was a native of Missouri, and lacked but a couple of months of being 63 years old. He was one of the early settlers of the Crows Landing region and was a farmer and stockman for many years before he engaged in the market business at Crows Landing. His Patterson business dates back to the early days of this comparatively young town, Mr. Witten being one of the pioneer merchants in the new town. He is survived by his wife and two children Howard Witten, now a resident of Stockton; and Mrs. Leonard Terry of Patterson; and two brothers, residents of Riverdale and Visalia respectively, and one sister, Mrs. Gillum, of Ashley, MO. Young John 230301 p1 Burnes Proves Fatal to P.G. & E Man; John Young, P.G. & E lineman, who was serenely burned while testing insulators at the Patterson substation Tuesday of last week, passed away at a Modesto hospital the following evening, news of his death being received too late for report in last week's Irrigator. The burns were caused from contact with a 60,000 volt line which was supposed to have been shut off. While severe, his burns wee not necessarily considered fatal at first, but death came 18 hours later. He is survived by a wife and two small children, their home being in Modesto, where funeral services were held Friday.