Obituaries

Barbara Jean Harding Pitts

1927 - 2009

Barbara Jean Harding Pitts, a fourth generation Santa Paulan and daughter of George and Mildred Harding, passed from this world on December 27^th at 1:30 in the afternoon surrounded by family in Reno, NV. 

For much of her life she was a creative seamstress, making gorgeous wedding gowns and designer dresses for many prominent people in Santa Paula. She would be known to make up to 12 different types of pies on any given holiday – just to satisfy the palates of everyone present! She knitted, quilted, did needlepoint and raised three successful children. She was a den mother for the Cub Scouts, attended every baseball game for her sons and dance lesson and recital for her daughter, taught sewing lessons, along with raising pigs, sheep, rabbits and steers to support her kids in FFA and 4-H. She was the perfect homemaker and loving mother in every way!

In her teen years, Barbara was the beautiful Santa Paula Citrus Queen, Queen of Job’s Daughters and Senior Class President.

She left Santa Paula and moved to Washington D.C. in 1973 where she completed her accounting degree, became a bank liquidator for the FDIC and traveled all over the United States. Her travels took her to Oklahoma City, Las Vegas, Golden, CO, Princeton, NJ and Ashland, OR, among her favorites. Following her retirement, she settled in Sparks, NV to be near her daughter.

Of utmost importance to her was her ability to take her four grandchildren to anywhere in the world that they chose to go in their early teens. She took Niki, Kathryn, Scott and Kelly to their choices of Germany, Austria, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

Barbara was plagued with many health issues in her later years, including breast cancer and trigeminal neuralgia. She was a 15-year survivor of breast cancer! Her strong determination and will to see her grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow up gave her the impetus to keep going! 

She is survived by son John and his wife Becky from The Villages in Florida; son Lee and his wife Diane of Los Osos, California; daughter Claudia and husband John Andrews of Sparks, Nevada; sister Gail Stockton of San Diego, California; and two special nephews and a niece. She was preceded in death earlier this year by her sister, Beverly Harding.

Her pride and joys in life were her grandchildren: Niki Himmer and her husband Jason, with children Morgan and Lucas of Bentonville, Arkansas; Kathryn and JP Hickey, and son Garrison with another great granddaughter to be born in March in Chester Springs, PA; Kelly Pierce of Las Vegas, Nevada; and Scott Pierce of San Diego, California and his wife Breanne with children, Liam, Amerenne and Sawyer. 

A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held later in the spring when all of her family can travel to Santa Paula, where her ashes will be laid to rest next to her parents.  In lieu of flowers, the family wishes that donations be made in her name to the American Cancer Society: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/Barbara_Pitts.

Barbara A. Rios-Michel

Barbara A. Rios-Michel, our beloved Mom, Sister, Grandma and Tia, has returned home to the Lord on December 30, 2009, surrounded by her family. She was born in Santa Paula on February 23, 19?? to Isaac and Beatrice Mendoza.

She was employed for 20 years by the Blanchard Community Library, working for the F.L.A.I.R. Literacy Program with her dear friend Elaine Hunt. She was also most recently employed by Hospice (River Valley Club).

She always looked forward to her annual birthday trip to Las Vegas. She enjoyed cooking up a storm for her Christmas brunch, and being surrounded by her family. She also enjoyed listening to music, including her favorite artists Rod Stewart and The Beatles. She was always the life of the party with her sense of humor, smile, and who could forget the red lips.

She was preceded in death by her parents, brother Manuel, and husbands Rudy Rios and Mario Michel. She is survived by her children, Rudy Rios (Mandy), Gena Rios, Rocky Michel and Mica Michel; grandchildren Rudy, Raylene, Hannah, Samantha and Hope; her Sissy Rosanna Mendoza; brothers Isaac, Bobby and Stevie Mendoza; along with numerous special nieces, nephews, friends, and her puppy “Silly Boy.”

A memorial service will be held at Skillin-Carroll Mortuary on Thursday, January 7 at 6 p.m.

Martha Louise Alsup

Martha Louise Alsup of Santa Paula, CA, passed away December 31, 2009 after a brief illness. Martha was born in Sterling, CO January 12, 1922 to the union of Walter G. Barker and Ella (Briggs) Barker. She was 87 years young.

Martha met her late husband Roy Alsup Sr. in Fruita, CO when she was a senior in high school and Roy was in the CCC camp there. They were married 55 years.

Martha was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great grandmother, loyal friend and neighbor. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her. She made friends everywhere she lived, and communicated by letter and phone to friends all over the U.S.

Martha was a Christian lady. She practiced her faith at Life Way Baptist Church in Santa Paula, CA.

Martha was a hardworking lady. She worked in the defense industry in Dallas, TX during WWII. The family moved to Santa Paula, CA in 1947; she worked at the Limoneira packing house, the walnut house in Saticoy, was a packing supervisor at Calavo when they started operation in Santa Paula, at the frozen food business in Santa Maria, and Blue Bell (Wrangler Jeans) in Oklahoma, until she retired in 1987. She worked until she was 65 years old.

Martha moved back to California from Oklahoma when her husband passed away in 1996, to be closer to her family in California.

Martha enjoyed reading; she read western books and love stories, she read a couple of hours almost every day. She loved word books and she did them daily while she was watching her soaps and western movies.

After she moved back to Santa Paula she got involved in the farmers market, where she sold the baby quilts she made. She made new friends there who learned to love her, too. Several ladies she sold quilts to had her make quilts for baby showers, and she gave them to friends and family when new babies were born long after the farmers market ended.

She loved pictures, and her house was full of pictures of her family and friends.