|
Obituaries
Galt Herald Staff
-
James E. Clouse
James Edward Clouse, 42, of Herald died on July 24, 2008. He was born on a small farm in Pennsylvania on Sept. 9, 1965. He enjoyed the farm life, milking cows, cutting wood and stoking the fire to keep the family home warm. As a young man he loved all sports, but especially loved to play football, serving as a four-year starter and leader of the team. Even if he wasn’t the one scoring the points, the team played better with him in the game.
After high school he attended the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry-dock company apprentice school and became a journeyman pipe fitter. During this time he continued to play football on the school’s division II team as a starter, and he also worked as a welder on new aircraft carriers the USS America and the USS Abraham Lincoln.
Travels in the United States led him to Iowa where he helped rebuild processing plants, and to North Carolina where he helped install thermal oil and steam systems. He had an opportunity to join his family in California in 1998 to help his sister with a horse training business. He was soon employed as a mechanical contractor in Sacramento.
He met the love of his life Cheryl while on a golfing trip with his friends, and three years later proposed to her surrounded by friends and family at home in Pennsylvania. The couple purchased a small piece of land in Herald where they began their life together. The pair worked hard and turned their land into a beautiful ranch surrounded by wine grapes, horse stables and custom additions of buildings and pastures. He was particularly proud of the tree-lined driveway that was difficult to cultivate. The home soon became a favorite gathering place for friends and family, decorated by Cheryl’s touch and Jim’s Pittsburgh Steeler memorabilia, a favorite gift for many years.
A resident of the area for eight years, he had worked as a pipe fitter for 25 years. He was loved by everybody because he loved people and will be remembered for having a huge heart and an intense desire to do things right and come through for the people who depended on him. He lived a wonderful life, working and playing hard. He made the world a better place.
Surviving him are his wife, Cheryl Clouse of Herald; parents, Bill and Mona Clouse of Acampo; brother, Bill Clouse of Sunnyvale; sister, Jana (Ken) Gross of Messena, N.Y.; brother, Rich (Andrea) Clouse of Gold Canyon, Ariz.; sister, Lisa Carper of Ithaca, N.Y.; sister, Patti (Matt) Sargood of Acampo; stepsons, Henry and Justin Gualdavama, and David Williams; grandchildren, Tyler and Faith Gualdavama; nieces and nephews, Chad, Zach and Kendra of Messena, N.Y., and Cameron, Stephanie and Tori of Acampo.
A memorial service was held on July 29 at Galt Funeral Home with Pastor Rick Keiser II of Family Life Christian Church officiating. Committal was private.
Rodney A. Cotton
Rodney A. Cotton, 22, peacefully passed away on Aug. 2, 2008 after a long battle with congestive heart failure,. He was born in Sacramento on Aug. 6, 1986.
Rodney was a dedicated Dallas Cowboys and L.A. Lakers fan. Additionally, he enjoyed sports, music, cooking and spending time with his family and friends. He was a determined person who never let his medical condition dim his dreams of one day learning to drive, being able to play basketball, and one day moving to Texas with his parents and to be closer to his beloved Dallas Cowboys. He was a very caring person who always hated to be a burden to his family and always put his family’s feelings first.
Rodney will forever be remembered in his family’s hearts and souls for the rest of their days until reunited once again.
Surviving Rodney are his parents, Teresa and Jerry; sisters, Delilah, Kisha and Sonjia; brother, Mark; nieces and nephews, and many caring relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his grandmother, Betty F. Lange, and will be laid to rest next to her.
Viewing will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 8 at Mt. Vernon Memorial Park, 8201 Greenback Lane in Fair Oaks, with a funeral service following at 2 p.m.
Harry C. Cochrane
Harry Charles Cochrane of Herald, 62, passed away in Lodi on July 28, 2008. He was born in San Mateo on Oct. 13, 1945 to Harry and May (Wright) Cochrane.
He served in the United States Army from 1965-1967. In 1990, he moved to Herald with his family. He was self-employed as a general contractor for 45 years.
Harry loved people. He was very sociable, and he was passionate about the time he spent with his family. He was always working on some kind of project, remodeling or building. He raised and raced thoroughbred horses. He was a member of the Carpenters Local Union #25.
He is survived by his wife of 26 years, Diana Louise Cochrane of Herald; three daughters, Stephanie Anne Cochrane, Megan Marie Cochrane and Molly Bea Cochrane, all of Herald.
His parents preceded him in death.
Friends are invited to attend a service to celebrate Harry’s life in Herald on Saturday, Aug. 16, at 11 a.m. There is no visitation, and committal is private.
Memorial contributions may be made in Harry’s name to the American Lung Association, 1231 W. Robinhood Drive, Stockton, CA 95207.
A virtual register book may be signed at www.lodifuneralhome.com where memories can be shared. Lodi Funeral Home is assisting the family with the arrangements.
Jean Brown
Jean Brown, a resident of Galt and former resident of San Jose, passed away Aug. 3, 2008, just 18 days before her 82nd birthday. She was born in Dewer, Okla., to Ethel and Hayden Pool.
At the age of four, she and her family moved to California to work in the fruit orchards in the central valley, and settled in Greenfield. When World War II broke out, the family moved to San Jose where she would live and raise her family.
At age 16, she met her soon-to-be husband, Marvin Brown, a handsome young soldier on weekend leave. After he earned his wings as a fighter pilot, Jean and Marvin were married. Two months later, Marvin was sent to the European Theater where he was shot down and served a year and a half as a prisoner of war.
After the war, Jean and Marvin settled down in San Jose and, in 1946, had twin sons, Michael and Phillip, and seven years later another son, Terrell. Following the war, Jean’s parents owned the penny arcade for the West Coast Shows and the family traveled along the Pacific Coast working at local carnivals. Jean wanted more in her life and returned to school, attending adult education to receive her high school diploma, then continued on to San Jose State where she earned her bachelor’s degree and teaching certificate. Jean graduated with academic honors and was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi, carrying a 4.0 GPA all four years. Jean taught elementary school at O.S. Hubbard in San Jose for the next 30 years.
During those years at Hubbard, she was a mentor teacher and was honored numerous times by the community, the children and teachers. For 25 years, she donated her time after school to develop and teach international folk dance for the children. She and her mother spent countless hours sewing costumes by the hundreds. Her groups danced at schools, hospitals and community events around the Bay Area. In her last year of teaching at Hubbard, 180 children participated in dance class.
In 1987, Jean’s husband and son Phillip passed away. In 2000, she moved to the Stockton area, where she remarried. Jean and Norman settled down in Galt where, almost immediately, they began doing what they loved, teaching dance. Together they taught three dance classes a week in Galt and Lodi and spent two weeks every year teaching at the UOP Folk Dance Camp in Stockton.
Jean is survived by her devoted husband, Norman; brother, Lonnie; sisters, Rose and Thelma; sons, Michael and Terrell; daughters-in-law, Ellen and Nela; grandchildren, Chris, Garrett, Krista, Amie, Scott, Andrea and Robbie; and great-grandchildren, Phillip, Sasha and Kyla.
Jean will be remembered as a devoted wife, daughter, sister, mother and grandmother, and will be missed by all who loved her and were blessed by her life.
A memorial to celebrate Jean’s life will be held at Ben Salas Funeral Home, 149 Fourth Street in Galt, on Saturday, Aug. 9 at 1 p.m.
Jean has asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to the Jean Brown Folk Dance Scholarship Fund to provide scholarships for youth and adults in folk dance. Please send donations in care of Bruce Mitchell, 2420 Willow Creek Court, Cool, CA 95614.
Mary L. Yunt
Mary L. (Smith) Yunt, 78, died July 21, 2008. She was born in Monticello, Ky., on April 3, 1930 to Millard and Pearl Smith. She survived rheumatoid arthritis, which while it developed in Mary at the age of 18 months, was not diagnosed until she was an adult. As a result she spent most of her childhood in hospitals, like the Shriners Hospital for children. Mary was told as a child, after having both knees fused as a result of the arthritis at a young age, that she would never walk without crutches. Despite the disability, Mary learned to walk on her own.
Mary was a world traveler, visiting China, Israel, South America, Europe and Canada. She was a passionate crossword player, and avid reader. She was the past, and first woman secretary-treasurer of the Orange County AFL-CI Central Labor Council for 26 years. She has served on a number of Orange County boards in the years she lived there, from the United Way, Red Cross, Health Planning Council, and Private Industry Council, to Urban League. Describing herself as a “very liberal champion of the underdog,” she represented workers, women, minorities and the handicapped at the state and county level whenever possible. She was also an officially commissioned Kentucky Colonel.
She met and married her firefighter husband, Albert, while working in Louisville. The couple had two daughters and one son prior to relocating the family to southern California. She first became acquainted with the union when she landed a job in a Teamsters office and said she felt like she had “come home.” Throughout her years of service she twice served as a delegate to the Democratic national convention and served as California labor liaison in Sen. Alan Cranston’s 1974 campaign.
The widow of Albert Yunt, she is survived by son, Jim Yunt; daughters, Deby and Terry Yunt; grandchildren, Alex and Zodie Wender, Austin and Dustin Yunt; brothers, Bob Smith and Ralph Smith; and sister, Esther Geisler.
She was preceded in death by her sister, Meg Davis.
Services were held at St. Christopher Catholic Church in Galt on July 28.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
|
|
