All Obituaries

John Ray Lippert Sr. 1918 - 2019 John Ray Lippert Sr was born July 14, 1918, in Fellows, CA, and went home to be with the Lord on April 15, 2019 at his home in Taft, CA, just 3 months shy of his 101 st birthday. John was born on a lease near Fellows, CA to Peter and Bessie Lippert and attended elementary school in Fellows, graduated from Taft Union High School in 1937, and attended Taft College where he ran track. He married Charlotte Patricia Varley of Maricopa, CA on May 4, 1947. John...

Obituary, Laura Mae May April 19, 2019   Laura Mae May, age 95, long-time resident of Valley Acres, died at home on April 18, 2019.  Laura was born September 28, 1923, on a homestead near Upton, Wyoming.  Her parents were Howard and Lillie Norris Butts.  Laura attended a one-room country school before entering and graduating from Upton High School.  In 1941 she travelled to Tacoma, Washington, where she met and married Willard May.  The couple were married 67...

M. Corene Wagner October 27, 1926 – April 15, 2019   Corene Wagner was born in Fellows, California to Theo Filer and Grace O’Harrow and grew up and became lifetime friends with her future husband of 58 years Robert C Wagner Jr.  She was a member of First Baptist Church in Taft before her move to Bakersfield where for the last 14 years she has been a member of Valley Baptist Church and part of the Prayer Quilt Ministry.  She is preceded in death by parents Theo...

Edward Dean Johnson May 22, 1948 - April 10, 2019 Edward was born in McCurtain Oklahoma on May 22, 1948 to Earl Junior Johnson and Mary Marie Bray Johnson Bethell. Edward, a Taft High School graduate of 1966, proudly served his country in the U.S. Airforce from July 1966 until he was Honorably discharged in June of 1972. After his discharge he went on to work for Texaco/Chevron from where he Retired after working for more than 30 years. He had a small farm where he raised horses, goats,...

Wanda Margaret Ireland Sutton Spradlin July 7, 1931 - April 7, 2019 Wanda Spradlin passed away April 7 2019 in Taft California. Wanda Margaret Ireland Sutton Spradlin was born in St. Elmo, Illinois on July 7, 1931– the youngest child of Jim and Nancy Sweetland Ireland. Wanda had a twenty- month older sister, Alta Ireland, to welcome the new baby home. Wanda was a happy and busy child. She loved school, and entered into everything she could. When she was in the third grade, the...

Zona Fauke 1931-2019 Graveside funeral services will be held in the Westside District Cemetery on Friday March 22, 2019, at 2:00 p.m. for longtime Taft resident, Zona Fauke, 88. Mrs. Fauke was born on February 7, 1931 in Doniphan, Missouri and passsed away in Bakersfield on March 15, 2019. Zona moved to Fellows at an early age and attended Midway School and Taft High School. Zona was married to Donald Lynch until his death in 1958. She married Darrell Fauke in 1962, until his death in...

Anselmo Chavarin Curiel May 21, 1930 – March 13, 2019   Anselmo Curiel Chavarin has gone to be with the Lord he died March 13, 2019 in Taft. There will be a Viewing at Erickson & Brown Funeral Home March 21 from 4-8 pm. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church on Friday March 22, 2019 at 10 am Interment to follow at West Side District Cemetery. Services will be under the direction of Erickson & Brown Funeral Home.

Virgil Ray Merrill September 28, 1938 – March 12, 2019   Virgil Ray Merrill our Beloved Father and Grandpa, passed away on March 12, 2019 at the age of 80. A viewing will be held at Erickson & Brown Funeral Home Monday March 18, 2019 from 12:00 to 2:30 pm followed by Graveside Services at 3:00 pm at West Side District Cemetery in Taft.

 Betty M. Dethloff After a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease, Betty Dethloff has gone to be with the Lord. She is preceded by her sisters Celena bell Rogers and Artie Levindeski who she affectionally called “Shug” and “Sis.” She is survived by her husband, Kossie Dethloff, three children: Tammy Isbell, Teri Smith, and Gary Dethloff, and three grandchildren Kyle and Kirk Isbell and Holly Smith. Her service will be held March 8th at 10am at a graveside...

Mary Marie Bethell November 11, 1929 - February 24, 2019   Marie passed away peacefully at home on February 24, 2019. Marie was a gifted seamstress and could make anything. She especially loved making quilts. She will be greatly missed. Marie is survived by her sons, Lendell, Dean and Gary Johnson. Stepchildren, Lorraine Townsend and Mike Bethell. Marie had 12 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and 1 great great-grandchild. Marie is also mourned by her beloved black lab Jake her...