Mary Lou enjoyed the arts and music especially multicultural expression. She was an advocate for peace and social concerns. Mary Lou lovingly cared for many feline pet companions over the years that were a welcomed part of the family’s home.Frank, her husband of sixty-years died in 2003 after a courageous struggle with Alzheimer disease. She is preceded in death by her parents Luis and Maria; sister Rebecca Lujan and brother Abraham Tirre.She is survived by sons, Reinaldo of Los Angeles, and Frank Edward of Rancho Cordova, California, and a number of family members, nephews, and nieces in both southern and northern California.A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, March 24 at 2PM at El Buen Pastor United Methodist Church, 1029 East Santa Paula Street, Santa Paula. Her ashes will be interred at Santa Paula Cemetery.In lieu of flowers, contributions may made in her memory to the: Reverend Luis P. Tirre and Rev. Manuel Moran Endowed Scholarship Fund, Claremont School of Theology, 1325 N. College Avenue, Claremont, CA 91711 or to a local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).Catharina LaanCatharina “Trien” Laan, 88, after a brief illness went to be with the Lord on March 15, 2007, surrounded by her family. She was preceded by her husband, Petrus, who went to the Lord in 1984.Catharina Laan was born in the Netherlands, the second oldest of seven children. She married the love of her life, Petrus Laan, in May 1946. She had five children with Petrus, and in 1956 they all moved to the U.S.A. They eventually settled in Santa Paula in December 1957, where she and Petrus were blessed with two more children.Catharina, “Trien,” a devoted mother, gave her time, love and energy in raising her children: Jacob, Paula, Nick, Vera, Ted, Catharina, and Peter. She welcomed her daughter-in-law Sandy, who married Nick, who blessed her with two grandchildren, Julie and Michael; welcomed son-in-law Frank Van Rooy, who married Vera; and welcomed Mila, who married Jacob.Catharine left us with wonderful memories. She had a zest for life each and every day. She always had a cheerful and loving disposition, and was a wonderful role model. She always greeted everyone she met with a big, bright smile. She had a caring nature that was always present in the way she talked and listened. She always made time to listen to you. She was an inspirational and religious mother who raised her children Catholic. She enjoyed telling stories and talking with her children about life in Holland and about life’s lessons learned, especially in her personal experiences during WWII when the Nazis took over Holland. She loved cooking for her children, especially making homemade bread. She loved singing folk songs from Holland. She really enjoyed working outside in her yard. She will be missed greatly by her family and friends.She is survived by her brother, Nick, who lives in the Netherlands, six of her children, and two grandchildren.Recitation of the rosary will be on Thursday, March 22 at 7:30 p.m. at Skillin-Carroll Mortuary (corner of 8th Street and Santa Paula Street), Santa Paula. The Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 23 at St. Sebastian Church, 235 9th St. (corner of 9th and Santa Paula Street). Burial will follow at the Santa Paula Cemetery.Arrangements are under the direction of Skillin-Carroll Mortuary, 738 E. Santa Paula St., Santa Paula, 525-3391.
Obituaries
March 21, 2007
Obituaries
Voyd Ray Milam
Voyd Ray Milam passed away in his sleep at home February 26, 2007. He lived in Mokelumne Hill in Northern California for the last 19 years.He was born in Twitty, Texas on November 11, 1928 to Ray and Agnes Milam. They moved to Santa Paula when Voyd was a young child. He went to school in Santa Paula, and graduated from Santa Paula High School in 1946, where he played football.After graduating, he went into the Navy. He enlisted in the Army in the early 1950s, and was honorably discharged in 1953 and married Virginia Barton (Santa Paula). They were married for 53 years, and have four children.Through the years Voyd was in law enforcement, and worked in the automotive parts business. He was district sales manager with Borg-Warner for 25 years before retiring.After moving to Northern California with Virginia to their “piece of heaven,” he enjoyed working around their property and home, spending time with Virginia traveling in the Sierra Nevadas, finding little out-of-the-way places. He enjoyed his children and grandchildren, and was looking forward to the arrival of his first great-granddaughter in July of this year.He is survived by wife Virginia and their children - Kathy (Steve) Samples of Oak View and grandsons Adam (Melanie) Samples and Sanger Samples of Ventura, Kim (Panos) Angelos of Snohomish, Washington and grandsons Vasili Angelos and Nikko Angelos of Snohomish, Dirk Milam of Mokelumne Hill, and Guy (June) Milam of Castro Valley. He is also survived by his granddaughter, Karilyn Milam, grandsons – Karlyn Milam and Kyle Kilpatrick, brother Russell (Janette) Milam of Bakersfield, brother Richard (Linda) Milam of Utah, and cousin Roberta Wilhelm of Santa Paula.Per Voyd’s wishes there were no services.We miss you so much!Mary Louise Tirre Vargas1914-2007Mary Louise Vargas passed away on February 21, 2007 at her home in Rancho Cordova, Sacramento County, California at the age of 92.Mary Lou was born in Albuquerque, NM. Her parents, the Reverend and Mrs. Luis P. Tirre were all early residents of Santa Paula, where her father was pastor of El Buen Pastor United Methodist Church. Her father’s ministry at various congregations gave her childhood opportunities to live in Calexico and Pasadena, California before her residence in Santa Paula.In the 1940’s, she worked in the Santa Paula city clerk’s office for the city judge, the honorable Alice T. Magill. In 1942, she married Frank A. Vargas of Santa Paula. During World War II, Frank served in the U.S. army in the South Pacific and also assigned to army bases in the U.S. east coast where Mary Lou joined him in Virginia and Pennsylvania.Mary Lou and Frank returned to California and lived in Los Angeles where she raised two sons and was a “working mom” employed as executive secretary to the treasurer with the United Methodist Center for the denomination’s California-Pacific Conference. She held this position for more than twenty-five years before her retirement in 1977. In retirement, she and Frank moved to Northern California.
