United States High School Yearbooks by County
Ayako Abe
Services will be Saturday for Ayako Abe, who died Tuesday at Watsonville Community Hospital after a long illness. She was 87.
Mrs. Abe was born in Bainbridge Island, Wash., and lived in Watsonville for 37 years. She lived in Salinas and Idaho previously.
Mrs. Abe was a homemaker and a member of Westview Presbyterian Church, the Watsonville Hospital "Pink Ladies" and the San Francisco Giants Booster Club.
She was an avid San Francisco 49ers fan, and enjoyed knitting and crocheting.
Mrs. Abe is survived by daughters Kristine Kitamura and Patricia Fernandez, both of Salinas, Leanne Abe-Alciati of Watsonville, Yvonne Hall of San Diego; four grandsons and four great-grandchildren.
Her husband, L. S. "Ceasar" Abe, and a daughter, Tomiko T. Lee, died before her.
Services will be 2 p.m. Saturday at Westview Presbyterian Church.
Mrs. Abe’s ashes will be taken to Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Salinas.
Contributions are preferred to Westview Presbyterian Church building fund, 118 First St., Watsonville, CA 95076.
Arrangements are by Mehl’s Colonial Chapel.
February 21, 2002
Wilbert ‘Webb’ Schuette
Services will be Friday for Wilbert "Webb" Schuette, who died Monday in Sparks, Nev. He was 81.
Mr. Schuette was born in Linn, Kan., and lived in Watsonville for the past 46 years. He retired from Meadow Gold Creamery and served in the South Pacific during World War II.
Mr. Schuette was an avid fan of the San Francisco 49ers, the San Francisco Giants and the Kansas Jayhawks.
He is survived by a daughter, Cynthia Totten of Sparks; a son, Wilbert "Mac" Schuette of Everett, Wash.; and a brother, Arthur Schuette of Abilene, Kan.
His wife, Shirley Schuette, died in 2001.
Graveside services will be 1 p.m. Friday at Pajaro Valley Memorial Park in Watsonville.
Arrangements are by Davis Memorial Chapel.
February 21, 2002
Martha E. Gray
Services will be Wednesday for Martha E. Gray, who died Thursday at her Capitola home. She was 80.
Mrs. Gray was born and raised in Montana and moved to Santa Cruz in 1972.
She earned a nursing degree and a teaching credential at the University of Seattle and raised her family in San Jose.
Mrs. Gray taught at the San Jose Hospital School of Nursing and at Cabrillo College. She also taught a course in beer making at UC Santa Cruz.
She was an energetic person who enjoyed fishing, camping, travel and poker, and was a talented artist, seamstress and cook, family members say.
Mrs. Gray is survived by daughters Heidi Irvin of Freedom, Regina Gray of Santa Cruz, Jessica Gray of Sonora, Cindy Gray of San Jose and Laurie Gray of New York; son Martin Gray of the Netherlands; brother John Eckerman of Wyoming; eight grandchildren; one great-grandchild.
Her former husband, Jesse Gray, died in 1995, and a sister, Dorothy Stanton, died in 1993.
Services will be 3 p.m. Wednesday at Oakwood Chapel on Paul Sweet Road in Santa Cruz.
Arrangements are by Benito and Azzaro Pacific Gardens Chapel.
February 4, 2002
Lorraine Marie Oliver
Services will be Tuesday for Lorraine Marie Oliver, who died Wednesday at her Watsonville home. She was 68.
Mrs. Oliver was born in Madera and moved to the Santa Cruz County in 1948.
She worked at the J.C. Penney department store in Watsonville for 10 years and as a seamstress for O’Neill Surf’s design department for 10 years.
Mrs. Oliver was a craftsperson, painter and gardener who won several awards at the Santa Cruz County Fair.
She enjoyed crocheting, knitting, sewing quilts, her family and her pets - lastly a Chihuahua named Mouse.
She is survived by Ralph Oliver of Watsonville; sons Leland Hill-Oliver of Watsonville, Ralph Oliver II of Salinas and Jack Oliver of Watsonville; twin daughters Jeniffer Oliver of San Martin and Kathy Oliver of Watsonville; sister Barbara Thornton; 11 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Her daughter Jeanine Oliver died in 1980.
Friends may call from 5-9 p.m. today at Mehl’s Colonial Chapel, 222 East Lake Ave., Watsonville.
Services are 2 p.m. Tuesday at Mehl’s.
Contributions are preferred to the Lupus Foundation, 2635 N. First St., No. 206, San Jose, CA 95134; the Arthritis Foundation, 657 Mission St., No. 603, San Francisco, CA 94105; or the Agricultural History Project, 2601 East Lake Ave., Watsonville, CA 95076.
February 25, 2002
Maria R. Medrano
Services will be Wednesday for Maria R. Medrano, who died Saturday in a Hayward hospital. She was 74.
Mrs. Medrano was born in Zacatecas, Mexico, and lived in Watsonville for 28 years before moving to a San Leandro convalescent hospital two years ago.
She was a devoted member of the Church of the Assumption in Pajaro. She enjoyed cooking for her family and was devoted to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She is survived by husband Santiago Medrano Sr. of Aromas; sons Brigido Medrano, Jose Medrano, Alfredo Medrano, Ramiro Medrano, Sergio Medrano, Fernando Medrano and Santiago Medrano Jr., all of Watsonville; daughters Senaida Medrano of Mexico, Columba Medrano of Salinas, Elia Medrano of Watsonville and Guillermina Medrano of Aromas; six brothers; two sisters; 36 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.
Son Jaime Medrano died in 2000.
Friends may call 3:30-6 p.m. today at Mehl’s Colonial Chapel, 222 East Lake Ave., Watsonville. A rosary will be recited at 6:30 tonight at Church of the Assumption in Pajaro.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10 a.m. Wednesday at Church of the Assumption, followed by Burial at Valley Public Cemetery.
February 26, 2002
Harold L. Butcher
Services will be Wednesday for Harold L. Butcher, who died Sunday in Watsonville. He was 82.
Mr. Butcher was born in South Dakota and lived in Watsonville for 24 years.
He retired from the juvenile justice system in El Centro.
Mr. Butcher served in the Army during World War II and was a member of the Freedom chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He loved big band music from the 1930s and 1940s and was an avid Washington Redskins fan.
He is survived by wife Isabelle C. Butcher of Watsonville; son Harold Butcher Jr. of Imperial County; daughters Susie Ludlow of El Centro, Martha E. Needham of Escondido and Harriet Scott of Imperial; six grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
His brother, Glenn Butcher, died before him.
Friends may call from 2-5 and 6-8 p.m. at Davis Memorial Chapel, 609 Main St., Watsonville.
Graveside services will be 10 a.m. Wednesday at Pajaro Valley Memorial Park.
February 26, 2002
Calvin ‘Roy’ Monroe
Services are private for Calvin LeRoy "Roy" Monroe, who died Sunday at his Ben Lomond home. He was 69.
Mr. Monroe was born in Bladon, Neb., and had lived in Ben Lomond since 1984. He lived in Scotts Valley for five years before that.
He grew up in Reseda and graduated from Canoga Park High School.
Mr. Monroe was a well-known masonry contractor and worked in the field for 49 years, his wife Lotus said. He specialized in artistic brick and river rock work, and donated his work for a Ben Lomond park and the Felton fire station, she said.
He loved his work and his garden, which garnered appreciative comments from passers-by on Alba Road, his wife said.
Mr. Monroe was an expert rifleman who won several medals, and was also quite adept at fishing Northern California rivers and streams, his wife said.
He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Lotus Monroe of Ben Lomond; son James C. Monroe of Santa Cruz; stepsons Michael Altman of Encino and Stephen Altman of New York and Los Angeles; sisters Foneta Guichu of Reno and Eileen Nelson of Kingman, Ariz.; and a granddaughter.
His brother, Robert Monroe, died before him.
Arrangements are by Santa Cruz Watsonville Cremation Service.
February 26, 2002
