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Obituaries 3-17 |
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Thursday, 19 March 2009 |
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The following is a complete list of obituaries that appeared in the March 17, 2009 edition of The Inyo Register.
Vera ‘Bing’ Habegger
1920-2009
Born Dec. 25, 1920, Vera Habegger died peacefully in her sleep in Rancho Mirage on Thursday, March 12.
Vera, known to everyone as “Bing,” grew up in Huntington Park and was raised in the Mennonite faith. Highly skilled with her hands, she trained as a hat maker and throughout her life she sewed, knitted and crocheted vast quantities of clothes for herself, her family and friends.
She met her future husband, Oliver (“Ollie”), at a church retreat, and they married when she was just 19, surrounded by 500 family, friends and members of the Mennonite church in Upland. Despite the relatively young age of the bride and groom, the marriage endured for almost 70 years, cut short just five months before their anniversary by the passing of Ollie in November 2008.
The early years of their marriage were difficult for Bing, as Ollie was drafted into the Army for WWII and she was left at home to raise their two young sons, Philip (Phil) and Dennis. Ollie eventually returned safely from the war and started a haulage business with his brother-in-law, and in his spare time building and selling a number of homes in the San Fernando Valley.
The family moved numerous times and Bing learned to be adaptable. She made friends easily and quickly fit into every new neighborhood. When Dennis and Phil were teenagers, Ollie and Bing moved to the South Fork of Bishop Creek where they developed what came to be known as the Habegger Resort.
The work was long and hard during the summers, and the mountain location was cold and isolated in the winters. Even though her only knowledge of catering was cooking for large family gatherings, Bing built a flourishing restaurant at the resort, during the season working from sunup to nightfall to feed the hungry fishermen and campers. When the time eventually came to retire, Bing and Ollie sold the resort and built a home in Hammil Valley, and a few years later moved to the warmer climate of Salton Sea in the Coachella Valley. During the hot desert summers, they toured the Western states extensively in their motor home. It was always easy to spot Bing and Ollie’s campsite, decorated with dancing whirligigs and homemade wind chimes created by Bing.
Bing lived a good life and is happy to join her beloved Ollie. She will be greatly missed, said her family.
She is survived by her sons, Phil and Dennis; five grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-granddaughter.
June M. Nelson
1927-2009
Born in Fresno on Nov. 8, 1927 and a resident of Southern California most of her adult life, 24-year Bishop resident June M. Nelson died March 10, 2009 in Tarzana.
In 1949 June married Robert Griffin. Robert died in 1962 and in March, 1974 June married Gordon Nelson. She and Gordon were active members of the Sierra Club and Audubon Society for many years, and enjoyed hiking and backpacking in the Sierra Nevada.
After they retired, June and Gordon moved to Bishop in 1985 so they could enjoy the area they loved on a full-time basis.
She is survived by stepdaughter, Paula Nelson-Spongberg and her husband, Ron, of Woodland Hills; stepson, Eric B. Nelson and his wife, Gerri, of Palos Verdes Estates; and grandchildren, Kali Nelson, Andrew Nelson, Colin Spongberg and Scott Spongberg.
Richard Edwin Conrad
1925-2009
Born June 22, 1925 in San Mateo to Edwin and Dorothy Conrad, Richard Edwin Conrad died March 5, 2009 in Carson City, Nev. after a brief episode with brain cancer.
Richard was a Third Class Gunner’s Mate in the U.S. Navy during WWII on the USS Louisville from 1943-1946. His ship cruised all over the Pacific Ocean from New Zealand to Japan fighting in every campaign and taking six kamikaze hits. He received a Purple Heart, Victory Medal and an Honorable Discharge for his years of service.
He worked at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena as a Mechanical Engineer and worked on many space projects during that time.
Richard met his wife, Anne, in Philadelphia in a small cafe during the war, and after 10 days they were married and had been together ever since. They had two daughters, the late Patricia Stines and Dee Dee Grafius.
Richard lived in the Eastern Sierra for 27 years. Home was the Alabama Hills for 25 years and Bishop the last two years of his life.
Richard enjoyed everything he did to the fullest. He could turn any old motorcycle or car into a work of art. He enjoyed motorcycle riding in the dirt as well as the road, hiking, fishing, exploring every place possible in the Eastern Sierra and making life a continuous adventure.
He is survived by Anne Conrad, his wife of 62 years; daughter, Dee Dee Grafius and son-in-law, Doug Grafius, of Independence; and five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, all of California.
His generosity and genuine caring for others will be remembered. We will miss him as well as everyone whose lives he has touched, said his family.
Elizabeth T. Savage
1922-2009
Funeral services for former Bishop resident Elizabeth T. Savage will be held at 10:30 a.m. today, Tuesday, March 17, at Schriver’s Memorial Mortuary and Crematory in Aberdeen. S.D. Rev. James Clarke will officiate.
Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens and then a time of fellowship and lunch at Schriver’s Memorial Fellowship Center. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the mortuary.
Born May 30, 1922 in Venturia, N.D. to Joseph and Florence (Bauer) Lacher, Elizabeth died Saturday, March 14, 2009 at Aberdeen Health & Rehabilitation.
In 1930, she moved with her family to Eureka, S.D. where they lived for several years. She later moved to Westport, S.D. and attended Westport Public Schools, graduating in 1938. She continued living and working on the family farm until 1943 when she moved to San Diego.
Elizabeth married Charles B. Savage on Aug. 17, 1949 in Las Vegas, Nev. They lived in the Los Angeles area for many years while Charles worked for the State of California until he retired in 1982. At that time they moved to Bishop where they resided until moving to Aberdeen in July, 2004.
Survivors include her brother, Casper Lacher of Reno; her neighbors and longtime friends, Jerry and Marg Clark of Bishop; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles, in May 2007, her parents, eight brothers and three sisters.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 28 July 2009 )
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