Hilda Silveira of Sun City Roseville passed away Aug. 28 at 84 years of age.
Mrs. Silveira was active in the community, and was well-known for her love of family, wonderful cooking and delicious baked goods.
Please see notice at side for complete obituary details.
Long-time Newman resident Dolly Carey Husman passed away Aug. 28 at 86 years of age.
Mrs. Husman worked at several leading Newman businesses, including Mowry’s Drug, Lloyd’s Supermarket and West Side Theatre, and was actively involved in a number of local organizations.
Please see notice below for complete obituary details.
Long-time Newman resident Joseph Louis “Butch” Hill passed away Aug. 31 at 74 years of age.
Mr. Hill was a native of San Jose.
He lived in Newman for 40 years, where he was a former City Council member and served on the Police Department.
Mr. Hill was employed as a truck driver for more than 30 years.
He was a parishioner at the Shrine of Our Lady of Miracles, and belonged to the Sons of Italy.
He enjoyed cooking and spending time with his grandchildren. Mr. Hill was an avid baseball fan of the St. Louis Cardinals and was a fan of the San Francisco 49ers.
Mr. Hill is survived by three children, David (Kim) Hill of Waterford, Mike (Joan) Hill of Kansas and Denise (Mark) Orozco of Gustine; a sister, Joann Coleman of Red Bluff; and seven grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife Donna in 2008.
Visitation will be today (Thursday) from 5-7 p.m. at Hillview Funeral Chapel, Gustine, with a rosary to follow.
A funeral mass will be held Friday at 2 p.m. at the Shrine of Our Lady of Miracles, with burial to follow in Hills Ferry Cemetery.
Remembrances may be directed to: Our Lady of Miracles School, 370 Linden Ave., Gustine 95322; or: Benedictan College Football Program, 1020 N. 2nd St., Atchinson, Kan., 66002.
Elvira Louisa “Ty” Dunn of Cupertino passed away Aug. 20.
Mrs. Dunn was born in Turlock in 1930 and was raised on a dairy farm near Gustine.
She was an accomplished artist and seamstress.
Please see notice below for complete obituary details.
Marjorie Jane Bingham Talbot of San Jose passed away Sept. 7.
She was 80.
Mrs. Talbot was raised in Gustine.
Please see notice at side for complete obituary details.
James Lee Humphrey, 77, of Eureka, Nev., passed away Sept. 19.
Mr. Humphrey was a ranch hand and cowboy.
Please see notice at side for complete obituary details.
Mozart Azevedo
Mozart Armindo Azevedo of Gustine passed away Sept. 15 at 83 years of age.
Mr. Azevedo was born in St. Jorge, the Azores. He lived in Gustine for 41 years.
He worked as a dairyman for 60 years.
Mr. Azevedo belonged to the Portuguese church in Hilmar. He enjoyed gardening.
He is survived by his wife, Rosa Azevedo of Gustine; two sons, Victor (Hortencia) Azevedo and Loren (Dee) Azevedo, both of Gustine; a brother, Loreno Freitas-Azevedo of the Azores; two sisters, Salome Silva of Canada and Aida Brasil of the Azores; and three grandchildren.
Visitation will be Friday, Sept. 26, from 9-10 a.m. at Hillview Funeral Chapel, Gustine, with a funeral service to follow. Interment will be in Hills Ferry Cemetery.
Rose Ida Onstine, 92, of Gustine passed away Sept. 28.
Mrs. Onstine was born in Pinole. She was a resident of Gustine for 70 years, where she was a homemaker.
Mrs. Onstine was a member of SPRSI (Sociedade Portuguesa Rainha Santa Isabel), Gustine Senior Citizens and the American Legion Auxiliary.
She is survived by a son, Leroy (Doris) Onstine of Gustine; a daughter, Joanne (Stanley) Dill of Nevada; two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Walter Onstine, in 1977; and three siblings, Edward Faria, Manuel Faria and Alice Hansen.
Graveside services will be held today (Thursday) at 11 a.m. in Hills Ferry Cemetery.
Remembrances may be directed to: Gustine Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 16, Gustine 95322; or to a favorite charity.
Hillview Funeral Chapel was in charge of arrangements.
Mary Ford-Azevedo
Mary Kathryn Ford-Azevedo of Gustine passed away Sept. 28.
She was 79.
Mrs. Ford-Azevedo was born in Seattle. She was a resident of Gustine for 44 years.
She worked as a cosmetologist for nearly 30 years, and was a partner in the Fifth Avenue beauty salon in Gustine for 13 years.
She and her first husband Dick Ford started Dick Ford Tractor Repair in 1970.
Mrs. Ford-Azevedo was a past president of the Gustine Chamber of Commerce. She started the “Olde-Fashioned Christmas at Home” celebration as well as two farmers’ markets – the first in the late 1980s and the second six years ago.
She was a parishioner at the Shrine of Our Lady of Miracles, and belonged to the Catholic Daughters.
She was active in school parent clubs and Gustine High Athletic Boosters, and was a member of Gustine-Newman Soroptimists and the Los Banos Jayceettes. She also served as an advisor on the Merced County Transportation Committee.
Mrs. Ford-Azevedo is survived by her husband, Manuel J. “JR” Azevedo of Gustine; a son, Richard (Lori) Ford of Gustine; three daughters, Kellene Cervantes of Los Banos, Lettie (Pat) Borrelli of Gustine and Shella (Brian) Veilleux of Gustine; a sister, Dorothy Rankins of Washington; a step-son, Guy (Debbie) Azevedo of Arizona; six grandchildren and two step-grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and three step great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her first husband, Richard “Dick” Ford in 2003; a grandson, John Machado; great-grandson Izayah J. Cervantes; son-in-law Jack Cervantes and step-daughter Debbie Azevedo.
Visitation will be held Friday, Oct. 3, from 5-7 p.m. at the Shrine of Our Lady of Miracles in Gustine, followed by a rosary/vigil service at 7. A funeral mass will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Miracles.
Interment will be Tuesday, Oct. 7 at 11 a.m. in San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery.
Hillview Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Remembrances may be directed to: Gustine Unlimited Scholarship Trust Organization (GUSTO), P.O. Box 431, Gustine 95322.
John Gilbert Cox of Stevinson passed away Sept. 23.
He was 51.
Mr. Cox was born in Turlock, and was a lifelong resident of Stevinson.
He was a self-employed beekeeper for 34 years. Mr. Cox was a past president of the Delta Beekeepers Association and a member of the California State Beekeepers Association. He belonged to the Newman Swamp Rats, and was a member of First Baptist Church of Newman.
He is survived by his wife, Sharon Cox of Stevinson; three sons, Christopher Cox of Atwater, Sean Cox of Castro Valley and Matthew Cox of Stevinson; a daughter, Elizabeth Cox of Stevinson; his mother, Mary Cox of Hilmar; a brother, Kelly Cox of Delhi; and a sister, Lori Guinard of Antioch.
He was preceded in death by his father, William Cox; and a brother, Robert Cox.
A memorial service was held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1, at the First Baptist Church of Newman.
Hillview Funeral Chapel was in charge of arrangements.
Donald Keith Campbell of Turlock died Sept. 17 at 57 years of age.
Mr. Campbell held a number of positions in the emergency medical services profession since becoming a paramedic in 1979.
He served as the director for West Side Community Ambulance from 1988-92. He worked as a flight paramedic for Medi-Flight of Northern California, and was appointed program director for Medi-Flight in 2008. He became a regional business manager for Mercy Air in 2008, and held that position until his passing.
Mr. Campbell made numerous contributions to EMS in California. He served on many state, regional and local boards, committees and task forces in the EMS field.
He also served as a reserve officer for the Newman Police Department.
Mr. Campbell was an avid hiker who loved the outdoors, and was particularly fond of Yosemite National Park.
He is survived by his wife of 20 years, Susan; a daughter, Jessy Davidson; a brother, Jim Campbell; a sister, Sandy O’Dwyer; three step-children, Patrick, John and Kelly, as well as three grandchildren.
Remembrances may be directed to the Yosemite Conservancy, through the conservancy website.
Martin Miller
Martin Russell Miller passed away Sept. 27 at 73 years of age.
Mr. Miller retired from a career in education to return to the family farm in Gustine in 1976.
He was deeply interested in history, and was an active member of the Gustine Historical Society.
Please see notice below for complete obituary details.
Former West Side resident and educator Dwain Forbus passed away Sept. 29.
He was 75.
Mr. Forbus was born in Rose Bud, Ark., and raised in Newman. He was a 1957 graduate of Orestimba High School.
After completing his college studies, Mr. Forbus taught elementary school in Walnut Creek.
After moving back to Newman, Mr. Forbus taught in Patterson and the Newman-Gustine district. He became an administrator in the Newman district, and then served as superintendent in Shandon for seven years.
After moving back to Modesto to be closer to family, Mr. Forbus started Circle D Liquor Country, which he operated for 28 years, and the Wine Shoppe. He retired in 2004.
He enjoyed being with his sons and granddaughter, and was an avid golfer who traveled extensively in his pursuit of playing as many courses as possible.
Mr. Forbus is survived by his wife, Yvonne; three sons, Darren Forbus, Dustin Forbus and Derrek Forbus; his mother, Loetta Fine; and one grandchild.
He was preceded in death by his father, Herman Forbus.
The family will hold a celebration of life gathering to be announced at a later date.
Jeffrey Bloyed
Jeffrey Stephen Bloyed of Ceres passed away Sept. 19.
He was 57.
Mr. Bloyed was born in Turlock. He was raised in Gustine, and graduated from Gustine High.
He split his time between Ceres and Newman over the past 20 years.
Mr. Bloyed held a number of jobs through the years, including forklift driver, mechanic, janitorial services, handyman and night watchman.
He was an avid fan of the San Francisco 49ers, and never missed watching a game.
He is survived by his mother, Willean Bloyed of Newman; his father, Tom Bloyed of Gustine; two brothers, Dennis (Loretta) Bloyed and Keith Bloyed, both of Newman; five aunts, one uncle and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
A celebration of life will be held Saturday, Oct. 18, at 11 a.m. in Pioneer Park, Newman.
Those attending are asked to bring a dish for a potluck, and will be invited to share stories and photos celebrating his life.
Laura Marie Simmons of Turlock passed away Oct. 13.
She was 88.
Mrs. Simmons was born in Newman.
Mrs. Simmons was a resident of Turlock for 20 years. She was a homemaker.
She was a parishioner at the Shrine of Our Lady of Miracles in Gustine.
She was involved in the Gustine Senior Citizens Club in the past, and enjoyed playing Bingo, cards and visiting casinos.
Mrs. Simmons is survived by her son, Glenn Simmons of Hilmar; a sister, Rose Teixeira of Newman; three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Leo Simmons; and a brother, Carl Dias.
A funeral mass will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 20, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Miracles in Gustine, with interment to follow in Hills Ferry Cemetery.
Hillview Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Remembrances may be directed to: American Cancer Society, 1101 Sylvan Ave., C105, Modesto 95350; or to any hospice organization.
Marla Reyes
Marla Jean Reyes of Gustine passed away Oct. 11 at 76 years of age.
Mrs. Reyes was born in Pekin, Ill., and was a resident of Gustine for 24 years.
She was a U.S. Air Force veteran.
Mrs. Reyes was a homemaker.
She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Crows Landing.
Her hobbies included crocheting, attending bluegrass festivals, camping, reading Western books and watching sports, particularly the San Francisco Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Oakland A’s and Oakland Raiders.
She loved spending time with her family.
Mrs. Reyes is survived by her husband, Angelo M. Reyes of Gustine; two sons, David McDermeit of Utah and Daniel McDermeit of Fairfield; a daughter, Judy Dalton of Utah; two brothers, Don Urish of Utah and Jim Urish of Oklahoma; a sister, Judy McDermeit of Nevada; 10 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her son, James Earl McDermeit Jr.
Visitation will be held Tuesday, Oct. 21, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Crows Landing, followed by a funeral service. Interment will follow at 2:30 p.m. in San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery, Santa Nella.
Remembrances may be directed to: Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, 4221 Northgate Blvd., Sacramento 95834.
David L. Peters of Gustine passed away Oct. 9 at 65 years of age.
Mr. Peters was born in San Francisco. He was a resident of Gustine for two years, and had previously resided in Gustine years ago.
He was in the trucking industry for 35 years and was the vice president of Ted Peters Trucking.
He enjoyed traveling the United States in his recreational vehicle, and also enjoyed cars and motorcycles.
Mr. Peters is survived by his sisters, Janis Peters of Stockton and Joan Verduzco of San Jose. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lowell and Nancy Peters.
Private services will be held at a later date.
Hillview Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Remembrances may be directed to: Gustine Historical Society, 803 Laurel Ave., Gustine 95322; or to a favorite charity.
Connie Fantazia-Cunha
Connie M. Fantazia-Cunha of Gustine passed away Oct. 12.
She was 92.
Mrs. Fantazia-Cunha was born in Gustine, and was a Gustine resident for 85 years.
She was a homemaker.
Mrs. Fantazia-Cunha was a bus driver in the 1950s for Our Lady of Miracles and was a certified nurses assistant.
She was a parishioner at the Shrine of Our Lady of Miracles, was in the church choir and belonged to the Catholic Daughters.
Mrs. Fantazia-Cunha was the first statue carrier for the Our Lady of Miracles Celebration in 1936.
She is survived by her brothers, Matthew Fantazia and Joseph Fantazia, both of Gustine; two step-sons, Ronald Cunha and Roger Cunha; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Raymond Cunha; a brother, Anthony Fantazia; and two sisters, Eleanore C. Nunes and Catherine Fantazia.
A funeral mass will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 17, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Miracles in Gustine. Interment will follow in Hills Ferry Cemetery.
Hillview Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Remembrances may be directed to: Our Lady of Miracles School, 370 Linden Ave., Gustine 95322: or: New Bethany Nursing Home, 1441 Berkeley Dr., Los Banos 93635.
Billy Joe Wright
Billy Joe Wright, 84, of Gustine, passed away Oct. 18.
Mr. Wright was a native of Clovis, N.M. He was a resident of Gustine for 49 years.
Mr. Wright was a crane operator for the Operating Engineers for 46 years.
He belonged to First Baptist Church in Newman, and was a member of the Odd Fellows, Eastern Star, Masonic Lodge and Shriners.
Mr. Wright is survived by his wife of 60 years, Viva Wright of Gustine; a son; Dr. Bill Wright of Texas; four daughters, Virginia “Ginger” Morgan of Idaho, LaJuana Graham of Gustine, Sherrill Appleyard of Waterford and Fern Wear of Texas; 21 grandchildren and 43 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his daughter, JaQuita Rodrigues.
A visitation was held Wednesday, Oct. 22, from 5-7 p.m. at Hillview Funeral Chapel, Gustine. A funeral service will be held today (Thursday) at 10 a.m. at the First Baptist Church in Newman. Interment will follow in Hills Ferry Cemetery.
Remembrances may be directed to: Shriners Hospital for Children, 2425 Stockton Blvd., Sacramento 95817.
Sadie Escobar Oliveira
Sadie Ann Escobar-Oliveira of Newman passed away Oct. 17. She was 87.
Mrs. Escobar-Oliveira was born in Oxnard.
Mrs. Escobar-Oliveira attended Holy Names University.
A resident of Newman for 76 years, Mrs. Escobar-Oliveira was a farm administrator and involved in a number of organizations.
She was a parishioner at St. Joachim’s Catholic Church, and belonged to the Young Ladies Institute, Altar Society and Catholic Daughters. She was also a 50-year member of the Portuguese Fraternal Society of America (formerly the UPPEC).
She enjoyed gardening, traveling, cooking and baking, and loved taking care of her animals and rescuing pets.
Mrs. Escobar-Oliveira is survived by her son, Gary Oliveira of Newman; two daughters, Janet Stambaugh of Hughson and Natalie Oliveira of Newman; three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Roland Oliveira; and her brother, Joe Escobar Jr.
Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Miracles in Gustine, with a rosary to follow. A funeral mass will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Miracles. Interment will follow in Turlock Memorial Park.
Hillview Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Remembrances may be directed to: The Orestimba Scholarship Community Association (TOSCA), P.O. Box 18, Newman 95360; or: Stanislaus Wildlife Refuge, 1220 Geer Rd., Hughson 95326.
Paul Thomas
Former Gustine resident Paul Douglas Thomas of Paradise passed away Oct. 14.
He was 82.
Mr. Thomas was born in Houston.
He was a U.S. Navy veteran.
Mr. Thomas lived in Gustine from 1957-84.
He worked at Foremost Dairies for 27 years before retiring to live in Paradise in 1998.
He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Evelyn Thomas of Paradise; three sons, Doug (Carolyn) Thomas and George (Celia), both of Gustine, and Brian (Lisa) Thomas of Paradise; a sister, Minnie Denson of Mississippi; four grandchildren, four step-grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
He was preceded in death by his parents, C.C. and Jadie Thomas; and five siblings, Mary Evelyn Pate, Sarah Childs, Dick Thomas, James Thomas and Billy Thomas.
Services will be held Monday, Nov. 3, at 1:30 p.m. in San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery, Santa Nella.
