This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Obituary Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/JW.2ADE/8190 Message Board Post: Daily Independent newspaper Ridgecrest CA Kern County May 22, 2005 FRANK N. WEIDENBENNER 1920-2005 Frank N. Weidenbenner, a life-long area resident passed away Tuesday May 17, 2005 at Ridgecrest Regional Hospital. He was 84. Born to Loretta and Mathias Weidenbenner in Greenville, Ca., on October 23, 1920 he moved with his parents and older brother Leonard to Randsburg in 1921. He worked for his stepfather Otto Rinaldi learning to cowboy and driving a produce truck to Los Angeles in his early 30s. He was well known as the little boy in the sailor hat standing behind a Packard in front of Rinaldi's Meat Market on a postcard sold in the General Store in Randsburg. He attended school in Randsburg, graduating in 1939 with three other Randsburg High School Seniors. He immediately went to work at the plant in Trona then known as American Potash and Chemical Corporation (AP&CC). He began a machinist's apprenticeship in 1941 shortly before joining the Army Air Force. He served in North Africa and Italy during the War returning to Trona in 1944 to continue his apprenticeship. He married Jane Delle Eyre in 1946 and they had four children. He retired from Kerr McGee in 1982 as Maintenance Foreman for the Trona plant with 43 years of service. Frank was an avid rock hound and sphere-maker. Anyone attending the Searles Valley Gem and Mineral Show or the Indian Wells Valley Gem and Mineral Show would remember his beautiful creations. He was a founding member of the Trona Archery Club in the 1950s. He loved hunting and fishing and regaling visitors with stories of his childhood in Randsburg. Frank was also well-known for his green thumb, planting the mesquite tree in front of the Administration Building at the Trona Plant, planting the trees for the Trona Fire Station where he was a volunteer firefighter and co-captain for many years, and raising beautiful roses in planters at the family home on Yucca Street. Frank will be missed and remembered by his wife Jane, four daughters Nicki Johnson, Kevin Niemeyer, Melissa Hewitt of Ridgecrest and Lori Goodheart of Colstrip Montana, his sister Elizabeth Cortana his sister Elizabeth Corbridge and her family of Bringham City, Utah and a sister-in-law Martina Weidenberger of Ontario. He also leaves behind 13 grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers Leonard and Jack Weidenbenner. Visitation will be held on Tuesday May 24 from 5 to 8 pm at Holland & Lyons Chapel. Services will be held at Holland and Lyons Mortuary on Wednesday May 25, 2005 at 10 am. Interment will be in Desert Memorial Park. Daily Independent newspaper Ridgecrest Ca May 24, 2005 The following obituary notice is a correction to one which ran with errors in Sunday's edition of The Daily Independent., The editor apoligizes for the inconvenience. FRANK N. WEIDENBENNER 1920-2005 Frank N. Weidenbenner, a life-long area resident, passed away Tuesday May 17, 2005 at Ridgecrest Regional Hospital. He was 84. Visitation will be held on Tuesday May 24 from 5 to 8 pm at Holland & Lyons Chapel. Services will be held at Holland & Lyons Mortuary on Wednesday May 25 at 10 am. Interment will be in Desert Memorial Park. Born to Loretta and Mathias Weidenbenner in Greenville on Oct. 23, 1920 he moved with his parents and older brother, Leonard, to Randsburg in 1921. He worked for his stepfather Otto Rinaldi, learning to cowboy and driving a produce tuck to Los Angeles in the early 1930s. He was well known as the little boy in the sailor hat standing behind a Packard in front of Rinaldi's Meat Market on a postcard sold in the General Store in Randsburg. He attended school in Randsburg, graduating in 1939 with 3 other Randsburg High School Seniors. He immediately went to work at the plant in Trona, then known as American Potash and Chemical Corporation (AP&CC). He began a machinist's apprenticeship in 1941 shortly before joining the Army Air Force. He served in North Africa and Italy during the War returning to Trona in 1944 to continue his apprenticeship. He married Jane Belle Eyre in 1946 and they had four children. He retired from Kerr McGee in 1982 as Machine Shop Foreman for the Trona plant with 43 years of service. Frank was an avid rock hound and sphere-maker. Anyone attending the Searles Valley Gem and Minearl Show or the Indian Wells Valley Gem and Mineral show would remember his beautiful creations. He was a founding member of the Trona Archery Club in the 1950s. He loved hunting and fishing and regaling visitors with stories of his childhood in Randsburg. Frank was also well-known for his green thumb, planting the mesquite tree in front of the Administration Building at the Trona Plant, planting therees for the Trona Fire Station where he was a volunteer firefighter and co-captain for many years, and raising beautiful roses in planters at the family home on Yucca Street. Frank will be missed and remembered by his wife Jane, four daughters Nicki Johnson, Kevin Niemeyer, Melissa Hewitt of Ridgecrest and Lori Goodheart of Colstrip, Mont., his sister Elizabeth Corbridge and her family of Brigham City, Utah, and a sister-in-law Martina Weidenbenner of ONtario. He leaves behind 12 grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers Leonard and Jack Weidenbenner. Arrangements and media information provided by Holland & Lyons Mortuary. News Review newspaper Ridgecrest Ca May 25, 2005 FRANK N. WEIDENBENNER Frank N. Weidenbenner, a lifelong resident, died Tuesday May 17, 2005 at Ridgecrest Regional Hospital. He was 84. Visitation was held Tuesday May 24 and services will be at Holland & Lyons Mortuary on Wednesday May 25 at 10 am. Born to Loretta and Mathias Weidenbenner in Greenville on Oct. 23, 1920 Frank Weidenbenner moved with his parents and older brother Leonard to Randsburg in 1921. He worked for his stepfather Otto Binaldi learning to be a cowboy and driving a produce truck to Los Angeles in the early '30s. He was well known as the little boy in the sailor hat standing behind a Packard in front of Rinaldi's Meat Market on a postcard sold in the Randsburg General Store. He attended school in Randsburg, graduating in 1939 with three other Randsburg High School Seniors. He immediately went to work at the plant in Trona then know as American Potash and Checmical Corp. He began a machinist's apprenticeship in 1941 shortly before joing the Army Air Force. He served in North Africa and Italy during the war returning to Trona in 1944 to continue his apprenticeship. He married Jane Belle Eyre in 1946 and they had four children. He retired from Kerr McGee in 1982 as maintenance foreman for the Trona Plant with 43 years of service. Frank was an avid rockhound and sphere-maker. Anyone attending the Searles Valley Gem and Mineral Show or the Indian Wells Valley Gem and Mineral Show would remember his beautiful creations. He loved hunting and fishing and regaling visitors with stories of his childhood in Randsburg. Frank was also well-known for his green thumb, planting the mesquite tree in front of the Administration Building at the Trona Plant, planting the trees for the Trona Fire Station, where he was a volunteer firefighter and co-captain for many years and raising beautiful roses in planters at the family home on Yucca Street. Frank will be missed and remembered by his wife Jane, four daughters Nicki Johnson, Kevin Niemeyer and Melissa Hewitt of Ridgecrest and Lori Goodheart of Colstrip, Mont., his sister Elizabeth Corbridge and her family of Brigham City, Utah, and his sister-in-law Martina Weidenbenner of Ontario. He also leaves behind 13 grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and by his brothers Leonard and Jack Weidenbenner. Interment will be at Desert Memorial Park with arrangements by Holland & Lyons Mortuary.