Helen Ketchum, a longtime Claremont resident, died on July 29, 2015 at her home in Sandpoint, Idaho. She was 90.
She was born on July 10, 1925 in South Pasadena to Bennie and Hope Furlow. She married Donald Ketchum, also of South Pasadena, and moved to Ontario and later to Upland, where the couple raised their four children.
When her children were young, Mrs. Ketchum was active as a Cub Scout leader, Girl Scout leader and Superintendent of Sunday school at the First United Methodist Church in Ontario.
John C. Powlesson, Jr. died on June 19, 2015 at his home in Claremont. He was 99.
Mr. Powlesson was born on April 16, 1916 in St. Louis, Missouri to John and Carrie Powlesson. He was a member of the US Army Air Corps during World War II, stationed in Anchorage, Alaska. It was there that he met his true love, Jean Van Zante. They were married in Anchorage on Thanksgiving Day, 1946. They had two sons, Edward and Howard.
Longtime Claremont resident and dentist Gerald “Jerry” Juergens died on July 10, 2015 after a brief illness. He was 90.
He was born in Whittier on November 22, 1924 to Frederick Juergens and Etta Ernst. He lived his entire life in southern California except for a three-year tour as a dentist in the US Navy in the early 1950s. Prior to that, he served as a navy dentist during the final two years of World War II. Following his second tour of duty, Dr. Juergens returned to Claremont where he established a long and successful dental practice.
Eleonore Regina Russak Powell died June 29, 2015 at Pilgrim Place in Claremont. She was 98 years old. She was born on June 12, 1917 in New York City, New York where she attended Hunter College. She was active in the First Presbyterian Church of Jamaica, New York where she met her future husband, Oliver Powell. They were married in 1937 and lived at Union Theological Seminary where Mr. Powell earned his Master of Divinity degree.
Mark David Parsons died peacefully, surrounded by his family, on June 3, 2015 at his parents’ home in Bend, Oregon following an extended battle with cancer. He was 55.
Mr. Parsons was born on December 29, 1959 in Enid, Oklahoma to David and Avalon Parsons, and spent his junior high, high school and early college years in Bend. He developed an interest in music early on, taking piano lessons and then moving onto the trumpet, followed by the French horn.
