This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Stephens, Marigold, Blackburn Classification: Obituary Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/JW.2ADE/8232 Message Board Post: Pete Joseph Vukich April 22, 1917 - Jan. 6, 2004 The Rosary was recited Friday, Jan. 9 and Mass of the Christian Burial was celebrated Saturday morning, Jan. 10 at St. Malachy Catholic Church for Pete Joseph Vukich, 86, who passed away in Arvin on Jan. 6. Pete was born on April 22, 1917 in Monolith. He lived his entire life in the Tehachapi area. He married his wife of 66 years, Jewell M. Stephens on Aug. 16, 1937 in Tehachapi. Pete and Jewell moved to Old Town Road in the early 50s and built the original house and barn which is now the location of Mourning Cloak Ranch. Pete's favorite hobby was hunting deer in the Tehachapi mountains with his family and friends. Pete worked for Monolith Portland Cement Company as a crane operator for 13 years. In 1939, while still working for Monolith, he began selling all types of water well pumps. In the early 50s, Pete left Monolith and he and his brother Paul began Vukich Tractor Sales. Pete sold Case farm machinery as well as water well pumps. When his brother Paul left the business, the name was changed to Pete Vukich Irrigation Supply and branched out to include septic system installation, grading and trenching. The name of the business changed a final time to Vukich & Son, Inc., but the focus remained on water. Pete's knowledge of the Tehachapi area ground water and agriculture history proved to be a valuable asset to the Tehachapi Cummings County Water District. He served on the board from 1967 until his death. Pete also worked part time as a real estate salesman for Don Adams Lands, selling property in Golden Hills and the surrounding area. Pete is survived by his wife, Jewell Vukich of Tehachapi; sons, Gerald Vukich and his wife Nancy and George Vukich and his wife Karen, all of Tehachapi; grandchildren, Steven Vukich and his wife Brooke of University Place, Wash., Mike Vukich of Bakersfield, Matt Vukich of McChord Air Force Base, Wash., and Mandy Vukich of Pepperdine; great-grandson, Mac Vukich; sisters, Babe Marigold of Richmond and Mary Blackburn of Redondo Beach; sister-in-law, Phyllis Vukich of Fullerton; and numerous nieces and nephews. Monsignor Joseph Barnes officiated at the service. Interment followed at the Tehachapi Public Cemetery - Westside. Wood Family Funeral Service handled the arrangements. The Pete Vukich family: 100 years in Tehachapi There aren't many families that have been living in the Tehachapi area continuously for 100 years but there are a few, including the Vukiches, whose ancestor Paul Vukich arrived in 1904. This longtime residency was a source of pride to family patriarch Pete Vukich, who died last week at the age of 86. Pete was a native son of the valley who was born at home in the old townsite of Monolith in 1917 and then spent his entire life here. Pete used to tell people solemnly (with his husky baritone voice) that "I've come a long way in my life," and they would start to nod appreciatively, thinking of his successful rise from humble beginnings. He would then point to the eastern part of the valley and say "I was born over there in Monolith and I've made it as far as Tehachapi," and the smile on his face and the light in his eyes would reveal his humor. The Tehachapi in which Pete and his contemporaries grew up was different from today's community in many ways. The population of the entire area was under 2,000 people, for example, while the most recent census counted 25,000 to 30,000. The area was primarily a scattering of ranches, farms and some mines and quarries with one small town (Tehachapi) and two little communities (Monolith and Keene). There were large open areas and Pete grew up hunting in the mountains and canyons of the region. Among his friends were the children of other pioneer families, including Bud Cummings, Joe Sola, Ben Sasia, Bob Freeman, Hooks Anderson, Jerry McCarthy, Tony Anthony, Boy Williams, and several members of the Fickert and Crofton families. Pete's parents raised seven children in Tehachapi: Mary, Martin, Bill, Paul, Pete, George and Pauline. Pete was the only sibling who never left the area and the last surviving brother but both of his sisters are still living. The Vukich family was originally from what is now Croatia and Pete grew up speaking Croatian as well as English and Spanish. He was adept at languages and was able to converse in several other tongues as well. After attending local schools, Pete went to work at the Monolith Portland Cement Company, which after several changes of ownership and names is now known as Lehigh Southwest. Pete eventually spent 13 years as a crane operator for Monolith. In 1937 Pete became enamored with an attractive young waitress named Jewel Stephens and they were married in August. Pete had dashing good looks and early photos of him bear a resemblance to cinema stars of the day. Pete and Jewel's marriage was a 66-year partnership that lasted until Pete's passing. Pete and Jewel raised their sons Gerald (born in 1939) and George (1943) in Tehachapi and both of them in turn have raised their families here. Always hustling to be successful, Pete began to sell water well pumps in 1939 when he was still employed at Monolith. The endeavor was going well enough that by 1950, Pete left Monolith and he and his brother Paul opened Vukich Tractor Sales on Tehachapi Boulevard in the building that now houses the Tehachapi Tea Company. The brothers sold harvesters, disks, spreaders and other kinds of farm equipment in addition to Case tractors. Pete also began to sell irrigation supplies, including gated pipe, sprinklers and booster pumps-he was the first to bring these innovations to Tehachapi. Earlier methods of irrigation were primarily open ditches. As business demands changed, so did the nature of the Vukich business. Agriculture declined somewhat in the area until a store that once sold many tractors and a few water pumps was now doing the reverse. Paul Vukich left the business in the 1950s and the name was changed to Vukich Irrigation Supply to reflect the change in emphasis. Pete branched out into grading, trenching, and septic installation, bringing the first backhoe into the Tehachapi area. Pete worked endless hours following the 1952 Tehachapi earthquake, using the company crane to lift debris to help recover both victims of the quake and later to salvage belongings from ruined buildings. For many weeks he worked from sunup to sundown to restore water and irrigation systems that were damaged in the 7.7 quake. From about 1950 to 1973, the Vukich family lived on Old Town Road at the old Hungerford homestead, a portion of which was the site of the original Tehachapi (aka Williamsburg) townsite. The Vukiches sold the estate to Ed and Marian Sampson, who created the Mourning Cloak Ranch and Botanical Garden. Pete and Jewel then moved into a new house on Mountain Drive-one of the first houses ever built in West Golden Hills. Pete's long involvement with water issues was reflected in his help in creating the Tehachapi Cummings County Water District. He was a founding board member and remained on the board from 1967 until the present (see Bill Mead's story on page A1). With Pete's passing, another of the shrinking number of local oldtimers has gone on, but he left his mark on the valley by helping to develop and improve Tehachapi's water supply. Posted by East Kern Genealogical Society Courtesy of Tehachapi News Tehachapi, Kern, CA