United States High School Yearbooks by County
Alejo G. Jimenez
Services will be Monday and Tuesday for Alejo G. Jimenez, who died Wednesday at his Watsonville home. He was 78.
Mr. Jimenez was born in Jamay, Jalisco, Mexico, and lived in Watsonville since arriving there as a bracero in 1942.
He worked as a foreman and caretaker at Rancho Santa Maria for almost 60 years, and grew strawberries and raised champion bulls and Hereford cattle.
Mr. Jimenez loved spending time with his dog, Chiquita, and enjoyed gardening.
He grew much-admired tuber roses and begonia gardens for his wife, family members say, and took pride in his vegetable garden as well, especially the corn, tomatoes and chayote squash.
He is survived by sons Alejandro Jimenez of Mexico and Raymond, Joe, Tony and Jesse Jimenez, all of Watsonville; daughters Eva Jimenez of Oxnard, Mary Madrigal, Gloria Sanchez and Suzie Fernandez, all of Watsonville, and Linda Ousley of Kentucky; brothers Salvador, Victor, Benjamin and Miguel Jimenez, all of Oxnard; sister Carmen Lopez of Oxnard; 58 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
His wife of 59 years, Maria, died in January; and sons Paul and Alejandro also died before him.
Friends may call from 1-5 p.m. Sunday and Monday at Mehl’s Colonial Chapel, 222 E. Lake Ave., Watsonville.
A rosary service will be 7 p.m. Monday at Our Lady Help of Christians Valley Catholic Church.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be 10 a.m. Tuesday at Our Lady Help of Christians Valley Church.
Burial will follow at Valley Cemetery.
November 22, 2002
Alva Vaughan
Visitation will be Saturday for Alva "Al" Vaughan, who died Thursday at his Watsonville home. He was 94.
Mr. Vaughan was born in Ranger, Texas, and lived in Santa Cruz County for 60 years.
He served in the Army during World War II and spent 18 months in the hospital after he was wounded on Saipan in 1944.
Mr. Vaughan was awarded the World War II Victory Medal, two Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart, the American Theatre Ribbon, Combat Rifle Medal and Asiatic Pacific Ribbons.
He was a life member of Odd Fellows and the Freedom Post of Veterans of Foreign Wars and was a member of First Baptist Church of Watsonville.
Mr. Vaughan worked as a custodian for the county for 12 years.
He loved sports, especially the Oakland Athletics, and fishing.
He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Rose Vaughan of Watsonville; daughter Patricia Lee Zajack of Redding; three grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
Friends may call from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Davis Memorial Chapel, 609 Main St., Watsonville.
Private graveside services with military honors will be at Pajaro Valley Memorial Park.
Contributions are preferred to the American Cancer Society, Dominican Hospital Education Building, 1555 Soquel Drive, Santa Cruz, CA 95065 or to the youth center at First Baptist Church of Watsonville.
November 22, 2002
Miguel Vargas De la O
Services will be Sunday and Monday for Miguel Vargas De la O, who died Friday at Sunbridge West. He was 53.
Mr. De la O was born in Michoacan, Mexico, and had lived in Watsonville for the past 12 years.
He worked for C & V Farms in Salinas for 20 years.
He is survived by son Carlos Vargas of Oxnard; daughter Blanca Hilda Vargas of Oxnard; sisters Lourdes Martinez of Watsonville and Maria de los Angeles Navarro of Los Angeles; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Friends may call from 3-9 p.m. Sunday at Mehl’s Colonial Chapel, 222 E. Lake Ave., Watsonville.
A vigil service will be 7 p.m. Sunday at Mehl’s.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be 9:30 a.m. Monday at St. Patrick’s Church.
Burial will follow at Valley Cemetery.
November 23, 2002
Ethel Dismachek
Services will be Tuesday for Ethel Dismachek, who died Tuesday at home. She was 74.
She was born in Duquesne, Pa., and had lived in the Santa Cruz area for 19 years. She was an active member of Holy Cross Catholic Church. She enjoyed gardening.
She is survived by sons Paul Dismachek and Dennis Dismachek of Scotts Valley.
Services will be 11 a.m. Tuesday at Santa Cruz Memorial Park and Funeral Home, 1927 Ocean St., Santa Cruz. She will be buried in St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Duquesne.
November 23, 2002
Hildegard Lotze Wilke
No services are planned for Hildegard Lotze Wilke, who died Nov. 12 at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz. She was 86.
Mrs. Wilke was born in Osnabruek, Germany, and moved to Santa Cruz in 1958.
She grew up in Osnabruek, one of five children in a Lutheran family. She attended public schools for 13 years, and graduated with honors. She accepted an apprenticeship in an attorney’s office, and worked there as a private secretary until 1937.
During the war years she worked as a private secretary and office manager in the paper industry in Bielefeld, Germany. She moved to Helter, Germany, in 1945, where she met her husband. The couple immigrated to Toronto, Canada, in 1952. A friend, Inger MacKenzie, helped the couple and their two young children move to the United States six years later.
Mrs. Wilke enjoyed taking care of her family and home. Her hobbies included needlework, baking and working with flowers. As a member of the German Club, she particularly enjoyed the singing and dancing. Maintaining her many close friendships was also important to her, and she regularly corresponded with friends and family in Germany and the United States.
She is survived by her husband of 56 years, Wilhelm Wilke; son Norbert Wilke of Richmond, Va.; daughter Birgit Wilke of Santa Cruz; and brother Heinz Lotze of Bonn, Germany.
Contributions are preferred to Hospice of Santa Cruz County, the SPCA, or donor’s favorite charity.
November 23, 2002
Klaus Wilke
Services will be today for Klaus Wilke, who died Nov. 8 while visiting his sister in North Carolina. He was 58.
Mr. Wilke was born in Germany and lived in Boulder Creek for 30 years.
He was an accomplished journeyman machinist and a limousine driver.
Mr. Wilke started a youth soccer program in the San Lorenzo Valley and was proud of the Scopazzi’s team he coached through many winning seasons. He loved to fish, camp, attend drama productions and write scripts.
He is survived by daughter Lisa Shirk of Boulder Creek; son Cary Wilke of Boulder Creek; sister Monika Jesse of North Carolina; mother Johanna Hauk of Mannheim, Germany; five grandchildren; one niece; and one nephew.
A tree planting memorial service will be 2 p.m. today in Boulder Creek.
November 23, 2002
Ruth Crosby
Services will be Dec. 1 for Ruth Crosby, who died Saturday at Dominican Oaks. She was 86.
Mrs. Crosby was born in MIchigan and moved to San Jose at age 7. She retired to Aptos in 1971.
Mrs. Crosby graduated from San Jose High School and San Jose State University. She was a homemaker and also worked as a caterer.
Mrs. Crosby was a voracious reader, an accomplished cribbage player and a devoted mother and grandmother
She enjoyed camping trips with her family when her children were young and later enjoyed traveling the country with her husband and friends.
She was a longtime member of Aptos Community United Methodist Church, a member of the United Methodist Women and a past member of the Aptos Garden Club.
She is survived by daughter Carol Streib of Watsonville; sons Jim Crosby of San Jose and Bill Crosby of Santa Cruz; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Her husband of 56 years, James T. Crosby, died in 1994.
A celebration of her life will be noon Dec. 1 at Aptos Community Methodist Church, 221 Thunderbird Drive, Aptos.
Contributions are preferred to a favorite charity.
November 23, 2002
