Search Archived Marriage Records
Florence Bishop
Florence Ruth Bishop passed away Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2000 at Pomona Valley Hospital in Pomona, California. She was 82.
Mrs. Bishop was born Feb. 4, 1918 n Plainwell, Michigan. She was a homemaker and lived in Blythe since the 1960s. She moved from Blythe four months ago to be near her family, and was a resident of Pomona at the time of her death. Her husband, James Bishop, was a pastor, and the couple was very active in the Southern Baptist Church in Blythe.
She is survived by sons, David Bishop of Pomona, John Bishop of Tucson, Arizona, and Paul Bishop, of Lakeview, Washington. She was preceded in death by her husband, James, April 24, 1971, and by her daughter, Harriet Bishop in August of this year.
Visitation will be held Saturday, Dec. 30 from 10 a.m. to noon at Frye Chapel. Funeral services will follow at 1 p.m. with Pastor Louis Gerdes of the First Southern Baptist Church of Blythe officiating. Interment will follow in the family plot at Palo Verde Cemetery.
Frye Chapel and Mortuary assisted the family with arrangements.
Melinda Hiser
Lifelong Blythe resident, Melinda Sue Hiser, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2000 in Blythe. She was 32.
Ms. Hiser was born March 23, 1968. She enjoyed arts and crafts.
She is survived by her mother and father, Clara and Dale Reynolds of Blythe; son, Ryan Hiser of Blythe; daughter, Amanda Hiser of Blythe; brothers, Michael G. Toombs and Terry Reynolds, both of Blythe; two nephews and one niece; and grandmother, Nellie Toombs of Blythe.
She was preceded in death by her grandfather, Clarence "Catfish" Toombs.
A private memorial service and interment were held.
Frye Chapel and Mortuary assisted the family with arrangements.
Juan Ramos
Juan Pinedo Ramos passed away Monday, Dec. 18, 2000 in Blythe. He was 83.
Mr. Ramos was born Feb. 8, 1917 in Jalisco, Mexico. He was a 42-year resident of Blythe and worked as a farm laborer.
He is survived by his wife, Ana Maria C. Ramos of Blythe; sons, David Ramos of Blythe, Jose De Jesus Ramos of Blythe, Santiago Ramos and Raul Ramos, both of Paso Robles, Felipe Ramos of Moreno Valley, and Juan Manuel Ramos of Mexicali, Mexico; daughters, Maria Rosario Lopez and Maria Socorro Lopez, both of Phoenix, Arizona, and Maria Elena Ramos of Paso Robles; sister, Lucia Soria of Mexico; 29 grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his two eldest children, Jose De Jesus Ramos and Juan Miguel Ramos.
Visitation was held Thursday, Dec. 21 at Frye Chapel, with Rosary recited. Funeral services were held today at 9 a.m. at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church with Father Paul Schmidt officiating. Interment will follow at Palo Verde Cemetery.
Frye Chapel and Mortuary assisted the family with arrangements.
Orbin Downs
Orbin J. Downs passed away Friday, Dec. 15, 2000 in Blythe. He was 67.
Mr. Downs was born Oct. 23, 1937 in Cordell, Oklahoma. He had been a resident of Blythe for the past 11 years and made his livelihood for 30 years in the autobody and paint industry.
He is survived by his mother, Martha Downs of Blythe; father, Otis Downs of Pensacola, Florida; wife, Joannie Downs of Clifton, Colorado; sons, Orbie Downs and Paul Downs, both of Blythe, and Mike Downs of Purcell, Oklahoma; daughters, Sonya Downs of Blythe, Sheila Carlton of Purcell, and Vicky Francis of New Walla, Oklahoma; and six grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his brother, Paul Downs.
Visitation will be held today from noon to 1 p.m. at Frye Chapel. A funeral service will follow with Rev. Cliff Leonard and Rev. Terry Cano officiating. Interment will be held at Hi Jolly Cemetery
in Quartzsite, Arizona.
Frye Chapel and Mortuary assisted the family with arrangements.
Henry Ortiz
Lifelong Blythe resident, Henry R. Ortiz, passed away Thursday, Dec. 14, 2000 in Loma Linda, California. He was 70.
Mr. Ortiz was born Feb. 16, 1930 in Blythe. He served in the United States Army during the Korean War from 1948 to 1952. He worked at Kaiser Steel for 12 years and was a Supervisor for the Coachella Housing Authority for six years.
He is survived by his mother, Celia Ortiz of Blythe; sons, Henry Ortiz III of Blythe, and Manuel Ortiz of La Quinta; daughters, Eloina Santana of Westwood and Maria Ortiz of Irvine; brothers, John Ortiz and Bobby Ortiz, both of Blythe; sisters, Gloria Baca of Hollister and Nora Lira of Hemet; and four grandchildren.
Visitation was held Tuesday, Dec. 19 at Frye Chapel with Rosary recited. Funeral services were held today at 9 a.m. at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church. Father Paul Schmidt officiated. Interment followed at Palo Verde Cemetery.
Frye Chapel and Mortuary assisted the family with arrangements.
Donald Peck
Former Palo Verde resident, Donald C. Peck, passed away Monday, Dec. 11, 2000 in Calimesa, California. He was 87.
Mr. Peck was born Feb. 7, 1913 in Springfield, Missouri. He served in the armed forces during World War II and operated Peck’s Trailer Park in Palo Verde from 1960 to 1972.
He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Grace, and son Gregory Peck. He was preceded in death by a son, Steven, in 1967.
Private interment was held at Palo Verde Cemetery
in the family plot.
Frye Chapel and Mortuary assisted the family with arrangements.
The Times prints obituaries as a free service to our readers. Photos are welcome at no charges. Submissions are subject to editing for space and content at the discretion of the Editor. Call the Times at 922-3181 for more information.
Steven Starkman
Former Blythe resident, Steven Paul Starkman, passed away Monday, Dec. 11, 2000 in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. He was 45.
Mr. Starkman was born July 20, 1955 in Gardena, California. He grew up in the Blythe area and attended elementary school in Parker. He graduated Palo Verde High School in 1973 and worked for his family in the farming and hay business. He also worked for Copple Construction.
He moved to Lake Havasu City in 1996 and worked at the golf course there, where he was honored as Employee of the Year. He worked for Mack’s Sign Company for the past two years as a sign fabricator.
He enjoyed the river, jet skiing, boating and fishing. He was an avid NASCAR fan and liked to work on old cars.
He is survived by his parents, Bill Starkman and Jerene Baldwin, both of Prescott, Arizona; companion, Peggy Woodard, of Lake Havasu City; son, Aaron Starkman of Blythe; daughters, Holly Starkman of Palm Springs, and Shauna and Michelle Woodard of Lake Havasu City; brother, Chuck Starkman of Denver, Colorado; sister, Vickie Schwindt of Blythe; grandmother, Ada Owens of Oroville, California; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles.
Visitation was held Thursday, Dec. 14 at Frye Chapel. Funeral services will be held today at noon at Frye Chapel with Pastor Gerald Hoemann of Zion Lutheran Church officiating. Interment will follow at Palo Verde Cemetery.
Frye Chapel and Mortuary assisted the family with arrangements.
The Times prints obituaries as a free service to our readers. Photos are welcome at no charge. Submissions are subject to editing for space and content at the Editor’s discretion. For more information call the Times at 922-3181.
Esteban Leon
Esteban M. Leon passed away Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2000 at the City of Hope in Duarte, California. He was 50.
Mr. Leon was born Aug. 22, 1950 in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico. He moved to Blythe in 1971 and married Leticia Lopez in 1975. He was employed for 20 years as a farm mechanic for Chairel Farms.
He is survived by his parents, Esteban and Alejandra Leon of Blythe; wife, Leticia Leon of Blythe; twin sons, Juan Leon and Miguel Leon, both of Blythe; daughter and son-in-law, Patricia and Sergio Gonzalez of Lake Elsinore, and daughter, Lucia Leon of Blythe; two grandchildren; and brothers, Jesus Leon and Carlos Leon, both of Blythe.
Visitation will be held Sunday, Dec. 10 from 4 to 8 p.m. at Frye Chapel with Rosary recited at 7 p.m. Mass of the Christian Burial will be held Monday, Dec. 11 at 10 a.m. at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church. Father Paul Schmidt will officiate. Interment will follow at Palo Verde Cemetery.
Frye Chapel and Mortuary assisted the family with arrangements.
