Patterson Cemetery District Obits listing 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. Almo Maria Joaquina 400126 p1 Mother Passes Away After Lengthy Illness; Crows Landing, Jan 24-- Funeral services for Mrs. Maria Joaquina Almo, mother of Mrs Mary P. Avila, were held in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church here on Monday morning, Rev. Joseph Porto of Patterson reading the mass. Interment was made in the Hills Ferry Catholic Cemetery at Newman. Rosary services had held in the Davis Chapel of that city on Sunday. Mrs. Almo was 90 years of age and resided at the home of her daughter here for the past 27 years, coming there from the Azores. She had been in ill health for some time, and the end came early Friday afternoon. She was a member of the local Altar Society. Mrs. Avila was her only daughter. There are seven grandchildren, Charles, Amos, Joseph, Frank, and Manuel Avila, Rose Goulart and Mary Leandro, and three great-grandchildren. Anderson Anna C 400517 p1 Passing of Mrs. Swan Anderson Wednesday; A Patterson resident since the early days of the town, Mrs. Anna Charlotte Anderson passed away at a Modesto hospital Wednesday morning following an illness of three weeks. A native of Sweden, she had resided here for 24 years. She is survived by her husband, Swan, and eight children, as follows: Otto of San Francisco; Morris of Turlock; Ernest of Sacramento; Alder of Petaluma; Roy of Patterson; Mrs. Alice Brazil of Petaluma and Mrs. Rosaline Brazer of Patterson. Funeral services will be held this Friday, morning at 10 o'clock at the Davis and Evans Chapel, with Rev. E. I. Mattson in charge. Interment will following in the family plot in Del Puerto Cemetery. Bryant V G 400705 p2 Former Resident Died on Saturday; Crows Landing, July 3. — V. G. Bryant, a former resident here, died suddenly at Paradise Park, near Santa Cruz, early Saturday evening. Apparently in good health, he had eaten a hearty dinner of barbecued steak, assisted with the dishes and retired soon afterwards. He was ill but a few moments, the end coming at 9:15. Bryant had resided in Los Banos during the several years since he moved from here and had been City Clerk for some time. Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon at Los Banos, followed by cremation at Fresno. Buckholtz Frank 400202 p1 Local Man Dies at Modesto; Frank Buckholtz, local laborer for many years, passed away at the County hospital Tuesday following a long illness. A native of Iowa. he was 85 years of age. but no record of his relatives was left. Burkes Franklin 400308 p1 F. Burkes Passes Away at Modesto on Monday; One of Patterson s first business men passed away Monday as a heart attack claimed the life of Franklin Burkes at a Modesto hospital. He had been there for several weeks, undergoing an operation, but had almost completely recovered from that and was preparing to come home when the attack occurred. Established in 1911, Burkes shoe shop has been in the same location ever since, the longest continuous operation of a local business in one place by one man. The deceased was 71 years of age. He was a native of Massachusetts, coming to California in 1903. He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Mary Burkes. Funeral services were held at the Davis & Evans Chapel yesterday morning with Rev. John W. White officiating, followed by interment in Del Puerto Cemetery. Combs EA Mrs 400906 p1 Passing of Mrs. E A. Combs, Former Resident; Mrs. E. A. Combs, Patterson resident until about five years ago, passed away Tuesday of last week at Pittsburg, where the family resided at the Standard Oil station there. Funeral services were held Thursday at Oakland. Fred Blosser and daughters, Doris and Mrs. Bernice Holder, and LeRoy Holder attended from here. Crow Laura 401004 p5 Pioneer Resident Dies in San Jose; Crows Landing, Oct. 2—Mrs. Laura Crow, aged 84, passed away at her home in San Jose last week. She was the wife of the late Thomas Crow, residents of Crows Landing for many years. Dabbs Audy 400920 p1 Another Fatal Mishap at Red Mountain: Audy Dabbs; A third mine worker was killed last week in the Red Mountain Magnesite Mine, located just over the summit beyond Del Puerto Canyon. Two were caught in a cave-in last March, and details of the latest mishap are given as follows by the Livermore Herald: Buried under tons of rock and dirt in a cave-in at the Red Mountain Magnesite Mines, Audy Dabbs, 26, of Morgan Hill, was killed Wednesday night. Fifteen fellow workers in the same section of the mine escaped through a back exit after the main passage-way has been blocked. None of them were injured and none were trapped. Meager reports on the cave-in indicated it occurred in Tunnel No. 6 near the top of the hill. Apparently Dabbs was walking away from the main group of workmen as he is believed to have been carrying a lunch pail. Unable to determine cause of the cave-in, mine officials were checking reports of an earthquake, said to have occurred about the time of the accident, which might have loosened the tunnel ceiling. Day Clarence 400322 p6 Well Known Farmer Succumbs Suddenly; Crows Landing. Mar. 20– Clarence Day, Woodland rancher long identified with the West Side through his extensive interests in this area, passed away suddenly Saturday morning as the result of a heart attack. He had suffered a similar attack a few days before, while superintending farm work on the Day ranch between here and Patterson, land that was farmed in partnership with Mrs. J. A. Hayes. His wife and daughter were summoned but he seemed so well on the road to recovery that it was planned to take him to his home within another day or so. Funeral rites were held at Woodland on Monday, several going from here to attend the services. Day was 77 years old and a native of Woodland. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, and six children. They are Mrs. Olah Brown of Yuba City, Mrs. Phyllis Sieber, Natalie Day, and Darrell Day of Woodland, Mrs. Phonnie Reith of Sacramento, and Mrs. Naomah Mills of New Zealand. Downey Floyd R 400906 p7 Downey Found Dead in Auto; Newman, September 5. (Special); Floyd R. "Quill" Downey, 1ocal rider well known to every stockman on the West Side, was found dead in his car shortly before one o'clock yesterday afternoon. A gaping rifle wound in his head, thought by investigating officers to have been self inflicted, was the cause of death. Downey, who was driving towards Newman, apparently stopped his car just after he had rounded the turn at the Eastin windmill, some four miles west of the city on the county road extension of Yolo Avenue. Slumped in the car, he was first seen by Mrs. Aubrey Mills, who reported the circumstance to Jack Kayser and Earl Quincey at the Standard-Pacific Station. They immediately investigated and seeing the wound, notified Dr. A. M. Roscoe and Deputy Coroner Arnold Davis, who pronounced Downey dead upon their arrival. The barrel of the 30-30 rifle was still grasped in his hand. Downey was in Newman yesterday morning and appeared to be in excellent spirits. He had been employed recently on the George Dvaney ranch. He was 53 years old. The remains are at the Davis Chapel pending funeral arrangements. A brother, residing in Sacramento was notified. Edminster John 400202 p1 Stevinson Man Electrocuted; John Edminster, Stevinson man well known on the West Side, was instantly killed Monday afternoon when 20,000 volts of electricity formed an arc from a power line to a shaft which he was holding. His brother, Ralph, was severely hurt in the same accident, but is reported as recovering in a Turlock hospital. Both men were employees of the Bureau of Reclamation and were engaged in drilling small test wells to determine water levels. They were using a 4 inch auger with a steel shaft handle, which was added in four foot sections as they bored into the ground. The shaft had been lengthened to 24 feet when the tragedy occurred. The accident was witnessed by J. H. Stramler, foreman of another crew working in the vicinity. He stated that he did not think that the shaft touched the wire as it was being pulled from the ground, it appearing to him that an arc was formed between the line and the shaft, sending the entire electric charge through the bodies of the two men who were holding the equipment. The shaft was bent into a U shape. No explanation could he given as to why one man was killed while the other escaped death. Both men had been working for the Bureau about ten days and before that were employed on the Hatfield Ranch. The accident occurred about one mile from Bear Creek, southeast of Stevinson. on the Charles S. Howard ranch, through which the power line, owned by the San Joaquin Light & Power Company, runs. Edminster, who was 52 years old, is survived by his wife, Marian, and nine children. His injured brother, Ralph, aged 54, is a member of the Stevinson school board. Elias Sol P 400726 p1 County Pioneer Dies at Modesto; Sol P. Elias, for many years mayor of Modesto and as widely-known throughout the West Side as he was in other parts of the county, died last Friday afternoon of a heart ailment. Active always in civic and fraternal organizations, his greatest public service is considered to be his "His story of Stanislaus," a volume that contains a vast amount of authentic information on the county from the earliest days. Funeral rites were conducted Monday with Stanislaus Lodge, No. 206, F. & A. M., and Rabbi David Greenberg officiating. Engen Nicolal 400209 p1 Brother of Louis Engen War Casualty; Louis Engen received word last week that the ship of his brother, Nicolal Engen, went down when it struck a mine east of Scotland about the first of the year. Engen, about 60, had been captain of his ship, the Arturus, a passenger freighter, since 1914. He survived three torpedoes during the World War, but was taken with nine of his men by the current conflict. Engen leaves his mother, Mrs. Elisa Engen, his wife, and two daughters, of Bergen, Norway. Francisco Maria 401011 p2 Former Resident Died in Turlock; Crows Landing, Oct. 9 -- Mrs. Maria J. Francisco, a resident here for 33 years before moving to Turlock five years ago to make her home with her daughter, Mrs. Louise Borba, died at the latter's home last Wednesday. Funeral services were held Saturday morning in the Catholic Church here, with Rev. Joseph Porto reading the mass. Interment was made in St. Mary's Cemetery in Oakland. Mrs. Francisco was 77 years old. A native of Massachusetts, she came to California as a young girl. Most of the many years that she lived here were spent on a ranch home east of this city Besides Mrs. Borba, six other children survive. They are Tony of Crows Landing, Manuel of Paradise, Butte County, Alvin of Santa Clara, Mrs. Minnie Freitas of Patterson, Philip of Monterey, a n d Frank of Turlock. Mrs. Francisco had long been a member of S.P.R S.I., No. 61. Gamma Anton 400920 p1 Anton Gamma Passes Away on Friday; Following a lengthy illness, Anton Gamma, long-time Colony resident passed away at his home on South Sycamore Avenue Friday morning. A native of Switzerland, Gamma was 75 years of age. Coming to this country in 1883, he moved to Patterson in 1913. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Maria Gamma; one son, John Gamma of Chicago; three daughters, Mrs. Carolyn Anthieny, of Los Angeles, Miss Mary Ann Gamma of Patterson and Miss Anita Gamma of Salinas one brother, Severina Wildhaver of Menlo, Washington, and a sister in Switzerland. Funeral services were held from Sacred Heart Church Monday morning, with Rev. Joseph Porto officiating, followed by interment in St. Stanislaus Cemetery at Modesto. German Kenneth 400719 p1 Kills Self As Wife Asks Divorce; Kenneth German Uses Rifle to End Life Saturdayl; A rocky path of youthful romance ended in tragedy Saturday afternoon as Kenneth German, 23, blasted a hole in his chest to inflict a fatal wound, following failure of efforts to obtain a reconciliation with his wife. He was rushed to a Modesto hospital following the shot but died shortly after his arrival there. It was four years ago that he married Shirley Garner, when she was but fifteen and he 19. Their married life was marked by difficulties and several stormy periods were followed by reconciliations, but finally Mrs. German decided it was no use trying again and returned to the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Garner, at the Vernalis Associated Oil Station, to start divorce proceedings. German has been employed on a gold-dredging outfit near San Andreas and when he heard of his wife's move, he came down Saturday afternoon to make another effort to dissuade her. But only Mr. and Mrs. Garner were there and they told him that his wife had definitely decided to make the final break. That seemed to crush him, and he declared that he thought he would go out and end it all. They tried to urge him to go to Oakland and talk it over with an aunt who had helped him on previous occasions, but he refused to listen. "When you hear a shot, that's the end," he told them, and started out in his car. Garner watched him drive down the road toward the Rising Sun School a short way and then he turned into an orchard, where a moment later, a shot was heard. When they reached him, it was found that he had placed a hunting rifle against his chest, the bullet tearing a gaping hole above the heart. Son Survives; Beside the widow, a 2-year-old son, Harleigh, survives him. Other relatives are his grandfather, Carl Larson of Patterson; three aunts, Mrs. Harold Brown of 0ak1and, Mrs. Charles Postal of Alameda, and Mrs. Charles Lee of Watsonville; and his uncle, W. German of Newman. He was the son of the late Mrs. Tulle //oftcr. His father died in a Reno hospital in 1923. A native of Patterson, he was a graduate of the local schools. Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon from the chapel of Davis & Sons, with Rev. John W. White officiating. Interment was made in Del Puerto Cemetery. Group Attend Services; Attesting to the esteem in which he was held in San Andreas a delegations of about fifty friends and fellow employees made the trip down to attend the services. Other from more distant points coming for the funeral included Mr. and Mrs. Charles Lee and Jerome Lee of Watsonville and Mr. and Mrs. William Del Biaggio of San Jose. Gustafson John E 401227 p1 J. E. Gustafson Passes Away Christmas Day; John E. Gustafson, Colony resident since 1916, passed away at a Modesto hospital early Christmas morning following a long illness. A native of Sweden, he came to Minnesota at the age of 14. He came to Patterson in 1916 to take a construction contract on the Patterson & Western Railway, running up Del Puerto Canyon to the magnesite mines, and purchased an Almond Avenue ranch, where he has resided ever since. He is survived by two brothers, Charles Gustafson of Patterson and P. M. Gustafson of McIntosh, Minnesota; and one sister, Mrs. Ingrid Olson of Phoenix, Arizona. Funeral services will he held this afternoon at 2 o'clock from the Davis & Evans Chapel, with Rev. Orlando Ingvoldstad in charge, followed by interment in Del Puerto Cemetery. Gustafson Palmer 400607 p1 Gas Blast Fatal to Gustafson; Heater Explosion Inflicts Fatal Injuries Saturday; Burns which caused his death twenty-four hours later were incurred by Palmer Gustafson as accumulated gas exploded in the basement of his ranch home on Orange near Sycamore late Saturday afternoon. Approximately half of his body was covered with third degree burns as a result of the blast, and he also suffered from inhaling of flames which seared his lungs. Gustafson's brother-in-law, William Quick, was also caught in the explosion and received extensive burns, mainly on one side and his back, but his injuries are not critical and he was brought home from the hospital Tuesday. Pilot Light Goes Out; As nearly as could be reconstructed, the mishap resulted when a pilot light on an automatic hot water heater went out, probably about noon time. Flamo gas used in the heater, heavier than air, accumulated on the floor of the basement to a depth of about a foot and a half, as evidence left by the blast seemed to indicate. Gustafson and Quick went down into the cellar about 6:15 to see what was the matter and Palmer stooped down in front of the heater to light it, receiving the full blast of the accumulated gas as he struck the match. Both dashed for the open and the cellar door fell, striking Quick on the head as they started up. But they reopened it and got outside where Quick tore his flaming clothes off Gustafson dashed for a bucket of water instead, and the delay caused much more serious burns. Neither paid any attention to their injuries for the moment, however, and they started relaying buckets into the cellar to extinguish the fire that had started. The rural fire truck was quickly summoned and the blaze was extinguished w it h very little damage done. The men were rushed to a Modesto hospital, but little could be done for Gustafson, who passed away Sunday evening. Long Resident Here; Gustafson had passed all but two of his twenty-nine years in Patterson Colony, coming here with his family from Minnesota as a baby. He is survived by his wife, Helen; his father, Charles Gustafson; five sisters, Mrs. Hilma Agadoni and Miss Alice Gustafson of Patterson, Mrs. Edna Mostrom of Sonora and the Misses Dora and Doris Gustafson of Oakland; and one brother, Lester of Patterson. Funeral services were held from the Davis & Evans Chapel Wednesday afternoon with Rev. E. W. Lee officiating, followed by interment in Del Puerto Cemetery. Large Turnout for Funeral; There was a large turnout for the funeral, with many from more distant points, including the following: Mr. and Mrs. Edward Hubbard of Covina; Mrs. Mary Thomas of Pomona; Mr. and Mrs D. Skaggs, Mrs. Arthur Skaggs and Mrs. Lewis Skaggs of Tulare; Gus Reinke of Downey; R. Jensen of Fresno; Mr. and Mrs. John Nielsen and Lester Nielsen of Salinas; Mr. and Mrs. Ebbe Danielson of Redwood City; Mr. and Mrs. Hilmar Pearson and Mrs. H. Carlson of San Jose; Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Agadoni of Sunnyvale; Mr. and Mrs F. A. Fasoli of Mountain View; Mr. and Mrs. Charles Agadoni and P. Braghetti of San Francisco; Mrs. C. Merlo, Mrs. P. Merlo and Mrs. V. Bianchio of Stockton; Mr. and Mrs. F. H. Hauert, Miss Dorothy Hauert and Henry Hauert of Los Banos and Mr. and Mrs. Dan Olson of Livingston. Hansen Erhart C 400524 p1 Long Illness Causes Suicide; Newman, May 23 -- (Special) -- Long months of illness which brought a complete nervous break-down resulted In the death Tuesday evening of Erhart C. Hansen, assistant vice-president of the Bank of Newman and a past commander of the local American Legion Post. A self-inflicted gun-shot wound in his chest brought the relief he felt medical science had been unable to achieve in spite of a delicate thyroid operation performed a few weeks go. The tragedy which shocked the community evidently occurred about quarter after nine Tuesday night, for twas then that neighbors recall having heard a sound that was probably the report of the 12-gauge shot-gun. Mrs. Hansen had been called a few moments before to briefly attend a meeting of the Girl Scout Committee on an urgent matter. It is believed that the gun was removed from its case almost as soon as she left. A nail driven in the garage wall was used to discharge the gun while its muzzle was firmly pressed against his left chest with both hands. Absent on Return; When Mrs. Hansen returned shortly before 9:30 and found him absent, she assumed that he had gone outside to enjoy his usual late evening stroll. When he did not appear within a few moments, she became alarmed and called their son, Bobby, to help her look for him. It was the boy who found him lying by the garage. Neighbors and Dr. A. M. Roscoe were summoned, but to no avail, death had been instantaneous. Funeral Friday; Funeral services are to he held on Friday afternoon at 2:30 in the Davis Chapel. The local Masonic Lodge, which Hansen had been a member since he was 21, will conduct rites in the chapel, while the American Legion will officiate at the graveside in the Hills Ferry Masonic Cemetery. Beside his wife, Anita, he is survived by two children, Shirley, who lives in Alameda, and Bobby. His father, Andrew J. Hansen, resides in Aptos, where lives also his sister, Mrs. Ann Day. A brother, Akeel, is a resident of San Francisco. In addition to his associations with the Masonic Lodge and American Legion, Hansen was active in many other community affairs. He was a member of the Newman Elementary School Board of Trustees and was serving on the local Boy Scout Troop committee. Harris Joe 400322 p2 Dies at Age of 100; A. Harris, local gardener, and family went to Vistalia Tuesday to attend funeral services for the former's father, Joe Harris, Civil War veteran who attained his 100th birthday last Christmas. Howell Minnie F 401101 p1 Passing of Mrs. James Howell Wednesday; Mrs. Minnie Fowler Howell passed away at the family home on Ash Avenue Wednesday afternoon. The wife of James B. Howell, she had resided here for the past eight years. She was 41 years of age and a native of Harris, Humboldt County. Besides her husband, she is survived by two children by a former marriage, Lela Maria Vincent and Floyd Fowler Vincent, residing at San Rafael. The following brothers and sisters a1so survive her- Mrs. Anna Holtoff of Graton; Mrs. Queen Baldwin of Alton; Mrs. Lavina Smith of San Francisco; Mrs. Anita Holtz of Santa Rosa; William J. Fowler of Alton and Fred Fowler of Oakland. Funeral services will he held at the Davis and Evans Chapel at one p.m. this afternoon, with Rev. John White conducting the services. The remains will he taken to Oakland for cremation. Knight Orrison 400913 p1 Deer Hunter Victim of Heart Attack; Orrison Knight of Oakland passed away suddenly about 1:45 Saturday afternoon as he was stricken by a heart attack following a morning spent in deer hunting in the upper Del Puerto Canyon area. Accompanied by three Oakland friends, Knight had come up for the weekend and they were staying at the Harry Lawley cabin. Apparently in good health, Knight was preparing to sit down to lunch when the attack struck him. Aged 69, Knight was a native of Atwater and was a Los Banos resident for many years, where he engaged in market hunting. For the past twenty years he has resided at the Bay, however. His widow, a. daughter and three stepsons survive him. Knutson Robert K 400719 p1 Three Local Boys Involved in Wreck Near Modesto; Death struck a lightning blow at a Patterson car late Sunday night and claimed the life of Robert Kenneth Knutson, popular Patterson youth and son of Mr.and Mrs.Walfred Knutson. At the same moment, Robert Moe and Bill Fleharty had hairbreadth escapes from a similar fate. The grim reaper rode an automobile driven by James Mortensen, 20, of Modesto, who flashed out from a blind corner on an arterial stop entering t h e Modesto-Crows Lauding highway to crash broadside into the car occupied by the three youths. The catastrophe occurred about 11:30 p.m. as the trio was returning home from Modesto. Approaching the intersection of Whitmore Avenue, about two miles south of the city, Mortensen and a girl companion arrived at the same moment from the west. The latter's car struck the machine driven by Fleharty squarely on the fore door and the machine was knocked sidewise almost bodily. Bill had had time to weave only slightly in an attempt to avert the blow and the car headed for the fence. But he said he saw several telephone poles in the path and he straightened,it. out again, only to lose control after going about seventy feet in the sand. And then it buckled up and made two, possibly three, loops before coming to rest, 144 feet from the point of impact. As it did, a door flew open and catapulted Knutson through the air 70 feet further. He was almost instantly killed as he struck. The other two were thrown partially out of the door, with Fleharty pinned under a running board, while Moe was free. Despite painful injuries, Moe did heroic work in trying to aid the others, although help was speedily at hand. Fleharty incurred extensive, but not dangerous injures. Two lucky breaks were in his favor. One was that he fell sideways so that the weight of the car rested on his right shoulder instead of directly on his chest. The other was that, while acid from the battery above him dripped directly on his arm, it missed his face by inches. The arm was badly burned and the other arm lacerated. Several broken ribs, a broken collar bone, injured lung tissues, and extensive bruises and sprains complete the probable extent of his injuries, although examinations have not yet been completed. He was reported feeling considerably improved yesterday. Moe had several fractured ribs and suffered from numerous bruises and shock, but was able to leave the hospital the next day following examination. Skid marks at the scene were measured by officers, showing that Mortensen's car had slid 18 feet in a vain effort to halt before the crash. It was also ,revealed that Mortensen had killed a pedestrian on a Modesto street in October, 1937. Following investigation of the crash, Mortensen was cited on a charge of negligent homicide in a warrant sworn to by State Motor Patrol officers. He is at liberty on $5000 bail, pending arraignment. Funeral Services Wednesday; Funeral services for Knutson were held Wednesday morning from Our Savior's Lutheran Church with former Pastor E. W. Lee of Sacramento officiating, following by interment in Del Puerto Cemetery. The deceased was a native of Patterson, 19 years of age, being one day older, than his cousin, Robert Moe. Beside his parents, he is survived by three sisters, Mrs. Thelma Schultz of San Francisco, Mrs. Marion Bloom of Gustine and Mrs. Ann Smith of San Francisco; and one brother, Alex Knutson of Sacramento. He was a graduate of the Patterson schools, attended Modesto Junior College one year and was a junior student at the University of California at the time of his decease. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity. Out-Of-Town Attendants; Business was suspend during the funeral services and the church could hold only a portion of those who assembled for the final tribute. Among those who came from more distant points for the services were the following: from San Francisco Mrs. Anne Smith and daughter, Anna Mae, Mrs. R. Smith, Miss Esther Smith, Mrs. Martin Olson and son, Martin, Mrs. 0. Rohr and sons, Gordon and Kenneth, Mrs. Annie Wellman and son. Knutson Wilfred J 400405 p1 W. J. Knutson Victim of Heart Attack; Wilfred J. Knutson passed away quite suddenly about 8 a. m. Monday at his North Fourth Street home, the victim of a heart attack. Ill with heart trouble for several years, he had been quite sick for several weeks previous but had apparently recovered and was able to be about at the time of his death. A native of Sweden, Knutson was 51 years df age. He had resided here at varying intervals for the past 14 years. He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Ella Knutson, and two step-daughters, Geraldine and Charline Elfers of San Francisco, as well as two brothers, George and Richard Knutson of Crookston, Minnesota. Funeral services were delayed pending the arrival of his brother, Richard, of Minnesota, and will be held this afternoon at 2 p. m. at Our Savior's Lutheran Church, with Rev. Orin Goodmonson of Trinity Lutheran church, San Francisco, officiating. Interment will follow in Del Puerto Cemetery. Arrangements are in charge of Davis & Evans. Kuntz Fred 400607 p1 Mrs. Fred Kuntz Passes Away Sunday; Mrs. Effie B. Kuntz, wife of Fred Kuntz, .passed away at their South Third Street home Sunday following an extended illness. A native of Kansas, Mrs. Kuntz was 59 years of age and had been a Patterson resident since 1912. Beside her husband, she is survived by two brothers; A. L. Moriarty of Patterson and H. A. Moriarty of Compton. Funeral services were held from the Davis & Evans Chapel Tuesday afternoon with Rev. John W. White officiating, followed by interment in Del Puerto Cemetery. Lawley Alice E 401227 p1 Passing of Mrs. Harry Lawley Sunday Morning; Mrs. Alice Elizabeth Lawley passed away at a Modesto hospital Sunday morning, failing to survive the effects of a critical operation performed there the previous Wednesday. A native of Minnesota, she was 24 years of age and had resided in this state for fifteen years. She had been residing in Oakland for the past few months, where her husband, Harry, is now employed. She had returned home to care for her mother during a flu attack when she became ill herself. Besides her husband, she is survived by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Meinzer, three sisters and one brother; Mrs. Lon Maxon of Coalinga; Mrs. Pete Tobini of. Hanford; Mabel Meinzer of Patterson and Glen Meinzer of Stockton. Funeral services were held from the Davis & Evans Chapel Tuesday morning, following which the remains were taken to Oakland for cremation. Marshal Anna 400802 p1 Passing of Mrs. Anna Marshal at Turlock Friday; Mrs. Anna Marshal passed away at a Turlock hospital Friday following an illness of several weeks. A native of Nebraska, she was 52 years of age and had resided here for several years past. She is survived by her husband, Deem Marshal; two sons, LaVerne and Dwight, and one daughter, Mrs. Rosalie Lauderback, all of Patterson, as well as a sister in Nebraska. Funeral services were held at the Davis & Evans Chapel Saturday with Rev. E. I. Mattson in charge. The remains were shipped Sunday to Nebraska for interment, accompanied by Mr. Marshal, Mrs. Lauderback and Dwight. Maxey Roy B 400415 p1 Superior Judge Roy B Maxey Passes Away; Roy B. Maxey, Superior Court Judge, passed away in Modesto late Monday after an illness that had forced him to leave the bench about two months ago. A cancer in the abdomen was said to have been the cause of death. Maxey, prominent in county affairs for many years and often a guest at local civic and fraternal affairs, was well-known throughout the entire West Side area. He was 51 years old and had resided in Modesto during the twenty-five years since he came to California with his parents from Missouri. A highly successful attorney he was elected as judge of the Superior Court six years ago. McNulty Thomas 400426 p2 El Solyo Ranch Employee Kills Self in Car; The body of Thomas McNulty, 59, El Solyo Ranch packing shed employee, was found slumped over in his car Saturday afternoon, parked along the road to Manteca from the ranch. He had been dead since the previous night, it was determined. A poison-soaked handkerchief had been used to inhale deadly fumes following failure of a plan to attach a hose to his car exhaust. A note found beside the body attributed his act to sickness and fear of insanity. A sister in San Francisco is the only surviving relative known. Miller Louise 400308 p2 Former Vernalis Resident Passes; Mrs. Louise Miller of Morro passed away Saturday evening after an illness of several weeks. She leaves her husband, one daughter, Phyllis, her mother, Mrs. George Collins of Watsonville, her father, C.E. Dahney of Sebastopol, a sister, Mrs. Paul Drake of Stevinson, and two brothers, Ed Dahney of Oakland and James Dabney of Patterson. Mr. and Mrs. Miller resided at Vernalis several years ago and before that were located in Tracy. Miller was transferred by the Standard Oil from Vernalis to Morro Bay five years ago. Graveside services were held in Turlock Tuesday afternoon with interment at the Turlock Cemetery. Mr. and Mrs. James Dahney were called to Morro Bay Thursday by Mrs. Miller s condition. Minniear Charkes W 400308 p2 Father of 0.N. Minniear Passes; Charles W. Minniear of Modesto, father of 0. N. Minniear of Patterson, passed away at his home Tuesday following an extended illness. He was 75 years of age and had resided in this county for 47 years. The widow and three daughters also survive, the latter comprising Mesdames B. F. Stone of Pacific Grove, E. C. Davis and B. C. Hawkins of Modesto. Funeral services wore hold at Modesto yesterday morning. Morton Blanche 400719 p1 Mrs. Blanche Morton Passes in city; Mrs. Blanche Morton, former well-known local resident and owner of the Sunflower Ranch until she moved to New York many years ago, passed away at her San Francisco home last week. She had been residing there for the past year, having recently returned from a Honolulu trip. She recently received nation-wide attention as a result of her staunch defense of her father-in-law, Dr. Morton, as the discoverer of anesthesia. Many in this area will have kind memories of her for her anonymous charities. A woman of generous heart she did much to aid the needy, little was ever known of it, but in such an unobtrusive way that little was ever known of it, except by accident. Mourra Joe J 400823 p1 Joe J Mourra Passes Away; Failing to survive the effects of a ruptured appendix, occurring nine days previous, Joe J. Mourra passed away at the West Side Hospital on Wednesday afternoon. A. native of the Azores, he was 35 years of age and has been a resident of the Patterson and Crows Landing areas for the past 15 years. He is survived by his sister, Mrs. Mary Figuerido of Patterson; two brothers, Antonio and Alphonse of Oakland, and two brothers and a sister residing in the Azores. Funeral services will be held at Sacred Heart Church Saturday morning at 10 o'clock with Rev. Joseph Porto officiating, followed by interment in St. Mary's Cemetery. Arrangements are in charge of Davis & Davis. Parker Jean 401129 p1 Baby Burned to Death in Home Blaze; Burned to death in her bed, Jean Parker, 2-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Parker, was the victim of a tragic blaze at their home just south of Modesto early Tuesday morning. The parents and two other children were burned in escaping from the blazing structure. Parker, former Patterson youth, and the son of Mrs. Manuel Andrade, is taking a course in aviation mechanics at Modesto Junior College. He was awakened to find the interior of the house in flames. He and Mrs. Parker were sleeping at one end of their back porch with Jean and Patsy, 4, in a double bed at the other end, while Shirley, 8 months, was in a crib inside. His first thought was for the baby and he rushed in to save her and then aroused his wife, who was so sound asleep that she was slow to awaken. When she did, she dashed for the bed to grab one of the children, seizing Patsy and planning to come back for Jean, who was asleep at her side. Walking through the flames, the parents took the two out, but before Parker could turn around to go back, the roof collapsed and it was impossible to get inside the flaming structure. Parker was burned on the feet and hands, his wife had burns on her head and back and the infant was blistered on the neck and head by flames which were sweeping up the side of her crib as she was rescued by her father. Neighbors who were on the scene immediately declared it was a miracle that any got out alive. Interment Here; Funeral services for Jean were held yesterday afternoon at the Davis and Evans Chapel, followed by interment in Del Puerto Cemetery Rev. Orlando Ingvoldstad conducted the services. Patterson John D 400419 p1 Death of J. D. Patterson, Sr., in Canada; Former Loca1 Leader Fails to Recover From Effect of Fall; John D. Patterson, Sr., former leader in local affairs as president of the Patterson Ranch Company, passed away in Ontario last Saturday morning from complications following a fall on icy streets some weeks previous. He had been in ill health all winter and the shock proved too much for him to rally from. Funeral services were held at Woodstock, Ontario, near his home at Richmond Hill, Tuesday morning. Jack Patterson left by plane from San Francisco Sunday night to attend the services. The deceased was 74 years of age his closest surviving relatives being a brother, Alfred and a niece, Miss Kate Taylor, both of Canada. Here Eight Years; Mr. Patterson spent eight years here as president of the Patterson Ranch Company, piloting the Patterson Colony enterprise through a critical period of development. He was a cousin of T. W. Patterson, whose conception of a daring venture in irrigation development and colonization led to the conversion of bare lands into the present productive empire that is Patterson. Both had inherited an interest in the Rancho del Puerto from the first John D. Patterson, who had acquired it in 1866. T. W. Patterson, father of John D. Patterson, Jr., present head of the Patterson Ranch Company, passed away in 1914. He had seen his dream of a model colony realized but many of his plans were still undeveloped when he died. Following his death, Judge Dudley Kinsell of Oakland took over active management of the Ranch company. But a year later, John D. Patterson, Sr. decided to come out and assume handling of the enterprise because of the large holdings of himself and members of his family. That was in the spring of 1915. General conditions were at low ebb at that time. Hay raising was the principal Colony occupation, dairying not yet having gained the dominance that it now holds. And hay prices went so low that it was hardly saleable and more than one crop was burned in the field to get rid of it. Capable Executive; Shrewd, capable, conservative, Mr. Patterson guided the affairs of his company through the different period in able manner. Later, conditions improved as the war sent commodities skyrocketing. And the post-war boom in farm lands saw a heavy portion of the Colony lands disposed of. In 1923, Mr. Patterson's wish to get back to his other interests, world-wide in their scope, and the desire of J. D. Patterson, Jr., to take over the project first dreamed of by his father, resulted in a deal whereby the latter and his sister acquired control of the Ranch Company. Returning to Ontario, Mr. Patterson gradually retired from more active participation in business affairs and devoted himself to his hobby of purebred stock-raising, and his herds of Southdown sheep and Aberdeen-Angus cattle were second to none, sweeping the field at the international live stock shows. Through the years, a few of his Patterson friends have been fortunate enough to be able to visit him at his home at Don Head Farm, near Woodstock, and returned with glowing pictures, not only of his hearty hospitality, but of a farm which was a dream of beauty and completeness. City Extends Condolences; Acting on behalf of the City of Patterson, Mayor F. S. Harrison wired condolences to the family of the deceased Monday, expressing the esteem in which Mr. Patterson is held in the community. Pepioni Clemente 400614 p1 Instantly Killed By Car; Pedestrian Struck While Walking on Highway Wednesday; Clemente Pepioni. about 50, farm laborer, was instantly killed about 9:25 Wednesday night when he was struck hy a car while walking along the highway just north of town, opposite the C. T. Jennings place. Jack H. Ladrigan, 21, of Terra Bella, was the driver. He is employed on the Hastings place north of Westley, and together with Dick and Ernest Hastings was starting home when the mishap occurred. According to others who had passed him, Pepioni was walking toward town on the east side of the highway, facing oncoming traffic. According to the boys, they were blinded by headlights of a car coming over the bridge just ahead and saw nothing until the car struck Pepioni squarely, hurling him over the hood. He was instantly killed, his neck being fractured and his body badly crushed. Traffic Patrolman E. L. McCabe investigated the mishap and Coroner J. K. Ransome was over yesterday morning to complete the investigation, and a decision that the accident was unavoidable was reached. Pepioni has been employed on ranches in this area and elsewhere in the county for many years. His ex-wife and two children reside in Oakland and were contacted yesterday. Remains are at the Davis & Evans Chapel pending funeral arrangements. Power Leonie M 400802 p1 Mrs. Leonie Power Passes Saturday; Plans of members of the Eastern Star Chapter to stage an informal birthday party for Mrs. Leonie M. Power, charter member of the local group, Monday had to be changed as Mrs. Power passed away Saturday, and the Chapter conducted the funeral services Tuesday morning instead. A native of Ohio, the deceased was 72 years of age. She was the wife of Clifton H. Power, and they originally came here about twenty years ago, conducting the Welty Hotel at that time. Leaving after several years stay here, they had been back but a few months at the time of her death. Beside the husband, two daughters survive; Mrs. Hazel Stout of Fresno and Mrs. Vera Haas of Cleveland, Ohio, as well as two grandsons. Following the funeral services at the Davis & Evans Chapel, the remains were taken to Fresno for interment. Raines Sarah C 400823 p1 Sister Passes at Vallejo; Miss Sarah C. Raines of Vallejo, sister of Supervisor Frank Raines, passed away there Friday following an extended illness. She was also the aunt of Willis Mollen. Funeral services were held at Vallejo Monday with Mr. and Mrs. Raines, Mr. and Mrs. Mollen, Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Flake, Mr. and Mrs. 0. S. Ball and Mrs. 0. N. Minniear attending from here. Reis Manuel L 400705 p2 Manuel Reis Passes Away at His Home; Manuel L. Reis passed away at his home on S. 4th St. Monday morning. A native of the Azores Islands, he was 82 years of age and had resided here for sixteen years past. Besides his widow, Mrs. Mary Reis, he is survived by the following children: Mrs. Rosa Tosta and Mrs. Emilie Sllva of Patterson; Mrs. Rita Ferreira of Crows Landing; Mrs. Adeline Ferry of Massachusetts, John Reis of Patterson; Joseph Reis of Volta and Jesse Reis of Rhode Island, as well as a sister in Massachusetts, and a brother and sister in the Azores. Funeral services were held Wednesday morning at Sacred Heat Church with Rev. Joseph Porto officiating, followed by interment in St. Mary's Cemetery. Arrangements were in charge of Davis & Evans. Relvas Eugene 400105 p2 Newman High School Student Passes Away; Eugene Relvas. a nephew of Joe Relvas of Patterson passed away at Newman Wednesday morning, pneumonia being the cause. A graduate of the Class of 1938 at Newman High School, he was well known to many local young people. Funeral services will be held Saturday morning at Holy Ghost Catholic Church at Gustine at 10 o'clock. Sawdey Frank Mrs 400719 p1 Death Of Mrs. Frank Sawdey at Stockton; Funeral services for Mrs. Frank Sawdey, former Patterson resident, were held at Stockton Tuesday. She passed away in that city following an operation. The family has resided at Tracy for some years past. The deceased was a native of Missouri, aged 51 years, and is survived by her husband and son, Milan both of Tracy. She was a sister of Mrs. Ingolf Torvend of Patterson and is also survived by three other sisters and two brothers, as well as her father. Sperry Charles A 400209 p1 C. A. Sperry, Pioneer, Passes; Another link with the past was broken Monday as Charles A. Sperry, intimately connected w1th this area for nearly half a century, passed away at his Ben Lomond home. It was just a little over sixty years ago, in 1879, that Sperry arrived in California from New York, bringing a shipment of purebred sheep to stock the Patterson Ranch. A youth in his early twenties, Sperry was here to stay and he gradually worked his way up, first as a workman on the ranch, then as foreman and finally as superintendent of the properties when W. W. Patterson left. When irrigation came and the ranch was colonized, his duties gradually diminished. He purchased a 40 acre tract of his own in the new colony, which was planted to peaches, but finally retired to the Coast in the early twenties. His name is preserved in the christening of Sperry Avenue, which borders Patterson on the south. Tribute to his memory was paid yesterday by W. W. Cox, who started to work on the Patterson Ranch as a youth, under Sperry. "He was a careful and precise farmer," said Cox, "and it was often no easy task to satisfy him, but he was sympathetic and understanding, as well as friendly and fair, and a man of high character. Later, Cox was to farm a part of the Patterson Ranch under Sperry, his lease including the present town site. The Welty Brothers, John and Noah, handled the southern portion of the tract, and John Van Ormer, now of Tracy, leased the northern portion. Sperry married Miss Mable Hughes of Stockton, who was a frequent visitor at the Richie Ranch, later to be known as the Moreing Ranch, and she survives him, together with a son, Charles, Jr., who resides in Oakland. The latter married Miss Margaret Schaeffer of Vernalis. The deceased was 83 years of age. Funeral services were held at Santa Cruz Wednesday, with Cox, Van Ormer and Noah Welty going over to attend the ceremony. Spooner J K 400628 p1 Passing of J.K. Spooner in Canada; R. J. Spooner received a wire the last of the week informing him of the sudden death of his brother J. K. Spooner, at New Brigden, Alberta The deceased was well-known here having resided here for a time about five years ago, while his wife remained for some time longer. Stockton Willian J 400913 p6 West Side Pioneer Passed Away Friday; William S. "Billy" Stockton, 92, pioneer of the West Side, died at his home near Los Banos late last Friday. Services were held Monday morning in the Masonic Temple there. Born January 28, 1848, in Marion, Illinois, Stockton lived there until he was 11 years old. With his parents, he came to California in 1859, traveling over the Truckee route and crossing the plains with ox teams. The family settled in Nevada County, where young Billy received his education and learned the blacksmith trade. Coming to Los Banos in 1872, Stockton rented land and as a grain raiser and blacksmith, built up a large business. In 1890, he moved his business into the new city of Los Banos. He had studied embalming and added the undertaking business to his activities. He was Justice of the Peace, served several terms as supervisor, and was coroner and public administrator for Merced County in the eighties. He became a member of the Hills Ferry Masonic Lodge at Newman, later transferring to the Los Banos group. He took an active part in West Side affairs throughout the early days and was well known in every city in the valley. In failing health the last few years, Stockton has been living in retirement in his home on the Pacheco Pass Road, just out of Los Banos. His widow and two children survive. Thoming John Mrs 400415 p1 Passing of Mrs. John Thoming at Oakland; Mrs. John Thoming of Pinole passed away Sunday following a long illness. Funeral services were held at Oakland Tuesday with quite a number from this section, where the family formerly resided, attending. She is survived by her husband, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Thorning of Patterson, and son, George, Jr. Torvend Christen S 401018 p1 Sudden Passing of C .S .Torvend; Christen S. Torvend, superintendent of the Patterson Elementary Schools for ten years from 1926 to 1936, and member of a prominent local family, passed away suddenly at Sparks, Nevada, early Friday morning. A heart attack, following a case of influenza, was the cause. The deceased was a native of North Dakota and was in his fifty-ninth year. Prior to coming to Patterson, he had served eighteen years in various teaching positions in grammar and high schools in North Dakota, having been superintendent at Canton just previous to coming here. Following his resignation from the local position in 1936, he and Mrs. Torvend have been engaged in selling children's encyclopedias, making their headquarters at Modesto. He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Minnie Torvend, and two children, Helen Jean and Robert of Modesto; his mother, Mrs. Bertina Torvend of Patterson; two sisters, Mrs. Ida Huff of Patterson and Mrs. Lily Hatlen of Goleta; and four brothers, Ingolf of Patterson and Henry, Samuel and Silas of Silverton, Oregon. Funeral services were held at the Davis & Evans Chapel Sunday afternoon with Dr. G. A. Werner of the College of the Pacific, former local pastor, officiating. Interment followed in Del Puerto Cemetery with services at the cemetery in charge of Patterson Lodge, F. & A. M , he having been active in both the Masonic and Eastern Star orders. Out of town relatives attending the services included Mrs. Ole Torvend of Berkeley, Mr. and Mrs. Julius Hatlen and family of Goleta and Mr. and Mrs. O. Paulson of Hayward. Mrs. Ella Larson of San Francisco, who served on a North Dakota school faculty under the deceased, also attended. Vogel Joe 400809 p1 Farm Hand Killed by Train; Joe Vogel Meets Death in Unexplained Manner; Joe Vogel, 64, employed as a ranch worker in this section for a number of years past, was found dead along the Southern Pacific right of way yesterday morning about 15 feet north of the Almond Avenue crossing. He had evidently been struck by a passing train, but how or when had not been determined at this writing. His skull was badly crushed and the body was laying at an angle to the track with the feet on the end of the ties. The body was found about 9 a. m. and from its condition, an estimate was made that he might have been struck by the northbound Owl, but that was only surmise. Vogel had been employed as a milker on the Joe Regli ranch for the past five years or so, but had been working elsewhere the day previous to his death. Just how Vogel reached the scene of the mishap is undetermined but he was reported to have been a very heavy drinker and authorities were inclined to favor a theory that he had walked out to the crossing and had gone to sleep on the right of way. Identification was made by Tony Fernandes, following a first supposition that the dead man might have fallen from a passing freight train. Officers Carl Busengdal and C. W. Kirk and Deputy Sheriff Stanton Briggs aided in the investigation. Vogel Joe 400816 p1 Vogel Death Not Finally Cleared Up; While the death of Joe Vogel, local farm hand whose body was found alongside the S. P. track at the Almond Avenue crossing Thursday morning of last week, was probably accident or suicide, circumstances and details of the mishap have not been cleared up, nor does it seem likely they will be. Believed to have been struck by a passing freight, the puzzling feature of the case was that there was but one blow, on the back of the skull, and the body was too close to the tracks and showed no signs of having been hurled any distance to fit into the ordinary train mishap circumstances. In fact, Chief Special Agent O'Connor of the Southern Pacific detective force flatly declared it was impossible that the body could have been struck and landed as it did, with no more evidence of injuries. The feet were on the ties, with the body at a 45 degree angle to the south indicating that southbound train had hit him. Other theories advanced the possibility of a hit-run accident on the highway with the body carried to the spot where it was found, to make it appear a train had struck him. But there was no evidence of a crash on the highway and here again, a blow from a car would have also caused more injury than the single place on the skull, and the clothing would have shown more evidence of the mishap. Possibility of foul play, with the body carried to the spot where it was found, is also discounted by the force of the blow, which was too crushing for any ordinary weapon in the hands of another to inflict, and by the lack of motive, as he had little money, and that was found on the body. Constable C. W. Kirk tends to a suicide theory, following the story of Joaquin Azevedo that he had given Vogel a ride into town the previous day and that he had said he was feeling bad and was discouraged, at that time. Vogel was also known to drink considerably. Vogel had been visiting at the Bizzonelli ranch in that section the evening before but had not stayed late. But evidence indicated that he had been hit by a southbound freight, if he was hit by a train, which went through here about 2:30 that morning, a "hot shot," which travels at high speed between the Bay and Fresno. So the most tenable theory is that he was walking along the right of way and either deliberately stepped, or else stumbled into the corner of a speeding box car. Of short stature, he would have been struck at about the height where the blow registered. But that still does not explain the position of the body nor the single injury, as a blow from a speeding car would have hurled him far afield. No Inquest No inquest was held, Coroner J. K. Ransom dropping, the matter after a cursory investigation. No relatives were found and the deceased was interned in Del Puerto Cemetery Friday, with graveside services by Rev. Joseph Porto, Wellbaum Earl 400119 p1 Drowned Man Passes Away in Hospital; Earl Wellbaum is realty dead, according to reports received by his former associates at the Shell pump station near Crows Landing. But he was not drowned in the San Joaquin River. The end came instead, a year later in a veterans hospital at Phoenix, Arizona, according to the indirect, but apparently well verified story recently received. It was in August, 1938, that Wellbaum disappeared while on a lone frog hunting expedition east of Patterson, leaving an upturned boat and floating oars as the only trace. But failure to find the body after an intensive and costly search, led to belief that he had faked his demise and debts left behind supported this theory. Enough evidence was found to cause denial of a petition to probate his estate asked by a divorced wife. Reports of his being heard from in the East were received, but nothing definite was learned until the story of his death in Arizona. Whitlock Vincent 400705 p1 Drowned in River Saturday; Newcomer Drowned While Swimming in San Joaquin; Vincent Whitlock. aged about 22, was drowned Saturday afternoon in the San Joaquin River. Circumstances surrounding his demise are unknown as he was alone at the time. Whitlock who had arrived from Oklahoma about three weeks previous was one of a party engaged in swimming and fishing at the sand bar about a quarter-mile south of the foot of Eucalyptus Avenue. He had been drinking and when the rest of the group left, they tried to make him accompany them, but he refused. So they came into town and located his uncle, A. L. Strapp, employed on the Art Thorkelson place, who went down to get him. But when they arrived they found only a pile of his clothes on the sand bar, with no tracks leading away from the river. Constable C. W. Kirk was notified and he summoned Coroner J. K. Ransom. who came over late that night, but little could be done then. Sunday morning Ransom and Deputy Ace Prouty of Modesto brought over grappling equipment and spent the day in dragging the river in that vicinity but without success. A watch was then set along the stream in that vicinity with the result that the remains were found Tuesday evening by Prouty, lodged in the branches of an overhanging willow tree, about two hundred yards downstream from the place where his clothes were found. Funeral services were held yesterday morning from the Davis & Evans Chapel. with Rev. G. F. Fink of Los Angeles, who is holding gospel meetings here, in charge. Whitlock's home was in Weleetka. Oklahoma. and his parents and a number of brothers a n d sisters survive him. Wiley Charles 400524 p7 West Side Killer Leaps to His Death; Crows Lauding, May 22.-- Charles Wiley, who, on April 27, 1930, killed three men near the Crows Landing bridge, leaped to his death from the fifth tier of a San Quentin cell block, according to press dispatches carried Tuesday evening. He died from his injuries two hours after the plunge. He had been serving a life term to which he was sentenced following his capture and conviction for the crime of which he was charged. Prison officials said that he had been let out of his cell in advance of other prisoners, he being a cell tender at the prison. Woofter Dorothy 400510 p1 Murdered Girl Was Niece of Patterson Man; Miss Dorothy Woofter, one of the victims of the shocking double murder near Stockton last week, was the niece of Everett Woofter of Patterson. The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Emory Woofter, her family was well-known up and down the West Side, as both Everett and Emory were employed on the Standard Oil Co. Pipe line Division for many years prior to the abandonment of the system. The deceased girl was born in 1921 while the family resided at the Vernalis Standard Oil Pump Station. They later resided at McCabe Station, arid since the pipe line ceased operating, have lived at Tracy where her father is employed. Funeral services were held at Tracy Monday afternoon with a large turnout of friends from many West Side points. Everett Woofter was one of the pallbearers, as were two other uncles, Ray and Harley Woofter.