WILLIAM ALBERT HOUSER, FUHS 1951

Houser, William Albert, 79 years old, passed away peacefully at Valley Crest Residential Care, Sunday, July 10. 2011. William was born in Anaheim, but grew up in Fullerton, known as "Billy" to friends and family. He joined the Navy in his senior year at Fullerton High School, and served as a dental technician for four years in San Diego. He married his wife Nellie in 1951 and they had two children, Leslie Ann and William Michael. In 1954, he joined the Fullerton Fire Department and promoted in the ranks to become Fire Chief in 1978. Chief Bill Houser retired in 1984. Additionally, he was chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Fullerton Elks, a Shriner and a Mason with the Anaheim Blue Masonic Lodge. He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Edward and Charles; two sisters, Laura Ball and Eva Mae Wells; and grandson, Jesse Rolsheim. Survived by his wife of 59 years, Nellie; son, William Michael and his wife, Donna; daughter, Leslie and her husband Richard Rolsheim and their son, Jonathan Rolsheim; brothers-in-law, Ben Francis, John Francis and his wife Juanita, Ed and his wife Carol, Garland and his wife Marion; sisters-in-law, Ellen Guinn and Marjorie Francis; and many nieces and nephews and their families. A service will be held in Fullerton, CA at 12:00 noon at Wilshire Community Church, 212 East Wilshire, July 30th. In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to the Alzheimer's Association . Our family would like to thank Valley Crest for the loving and dignified care William received during his stay there.
Published in Orange County Register on July 26, 2011
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Tuesday, July 26, 2011 2:22 PM
Hi Connie,

Re Alumni Blog:
I just wanted to let you know that Bill Houser is also survived by his sister, Shirley (Houser) Edwards currently residing in Santa Maria, CA, FUHS Class of 1957.
The OC Register omitted my name from the obit.
Thanks!
Shirley

(I am so sorry that your big brother died. I'm glad he came to the alumni luncheon in 2007 and got to see some classmates then.
We missed you this March. Hope you can attend next year.
Connie)

DIANE OESTREICH, FUHS 1964, HISTORY OF FUHS

Diane Oestreich will be signing her book at the Fullerton Public Library on Saturday, July 23 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The book costs $20 plus tax. For more information email: diane@fullertonhshistory.com  or go to http://www.fullertonhshistory.com/

Click on this link to see a preview of the book:
http://www.fullertonhshistory.com/About_the_Book.html


Article in the Orange County Register:
Published: July 20, 2011 Updated: July 21, 2011 11:35 a.m.
The Indiana Jones of teacher librarians
After losing her job to budget cutbacks, teacher librarian continues to be a resource through history book
By YVETTE CABRERA, COLUMNIST
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER ycabrera@ocregister.com

A few summers ago, when Fullerton Union High School decided to make space for a new office by moving the school's archives, Diane Oestreich decided to do a little digging.
The school's librarian since 1994, Oestreich was keen to find a place where the archives could be properly preserved. Eventually, she stored the more than three dozen boxes in the library's office and workroom.
Diane Oestreich will be signing her book at the Fullerton Public Library on Saturday, July 23 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The book costs $20 plus tax. For more information email: diane@fullertonhshistory.com or go to www.fullertonhshistory.com
But as she explored each box, Oestreich realized she had a treasure on her hands.
Club scrapbooks from decades past; minutes from student body meetings; yearbooks; newspaper photographs and stories starting in 1913 -- and all collected under the stewardship of Oestreich's predecessors, a string of school librarians.
"There were so many wonderful things that made the history come alive," says Oestreich, who graduated Fullerton Union in 1964. "It was like a little treasure hunt."
It was also an opportune discovery for Oestreich.
Ten years ago she began researching and writing a history of her alma mater to complement a book covering the first 50 years of the school's history (A History of the Fullerton Union High School and Fullerton Junior College 1893-1943 by former district superintendent Louis E. Plummer).
Oestreich's book project, along with her efforts to digitize the school's newspaper archives and the creation of a DVD about the school's history, was Oestreich's contribution to what she hoped would become a living resource for students, staff and alumni. She has spent her summers and off-time researching and interviewing those connected with the school's history.
"I just felt I wanted to leave a legacy," says Oestreich, a resident of Orange who grew up mostly in Fullerton.
But then Oestreich became a victim of school budget cuts.
Districts across Orange County have had to make painful decisions about what programs to pare down, and the unfortunate consequence for students has been the elimination or suspension of teacher librarian positions – the heart of the school library.
In Oestreich's case, her district informed her in the spring of 2010 that her job had been suspended. She then applied for one of two librarian positions the district created to oversee its six regular high schools. But Oestreich says she was told she wouldn't be "a good fit."
She was told this after working 16 years as a teacher librarian at FUHS, and more than two decades as a school librarian.
She was eventually reassigned to teach English, which Oestreich, a former German teacher, had never taught. But after doing the job last fall, and after a stint as a substitute teacher in the spring, Oestreich decided to opt for early retirement.
We rarely hear of educators like Oestreich because they typically work behind the scenes.
Yet teacher librarians are that crucial link between students and the wealth of knowledge that school libraries can provide.
"The information or technology - whatever it was - I was there to help them. I was their advocate," says Oestreich of her students.
"...I was like a coach to help them move forward and get their job finished."
So even though it took years to complete the book, Oestreich doggedly pursued her goal, using her own money and donations from alumni (like Newport Beach resident Penny (Hineman) McManigal, who was Fullerton Union's student body president in 1954) to publish it.
Last month, she received the first copy of "The History of Fullerton Union High School 1893-2011." In it, she details events that unfolded while she was on campus, such as the 1996 discovery of a long rumored fresco on the west wall of the school's Plummer Auditorium (the fresco had been painted over in late 1930s after complaints from the community), as well as highlights of notable alumni.
Russell Chambers, for example, was a 1932 graduate of Fullerton Union before a military career that inspired the naming of the destroyer escort, the USS Chambers. His story is chronicled by Oestreich. (Others who attended Fullerton Union include late baseball stars Walter Johnson and Arky Vaughn, guitar inventor Leo Fender, President Richard Nixon, and legal powerhouse David Boies, among others.)
As Fullerton Union's librarian, Oestreich saw how the multi-media version of school history that she showed to students was an inspiration for class pride. She hopes her book will have a similar effect.
Like her predecessors at Fullerton Union, she's proven that when it comes to finding the real treasure in a school library you don't have to look beyond the librarian.
Contact the writer: 714-796-3649 or ycabrera@ocregister.com , or twitter.com/ycabreraocr

From 1939 to 1997 this mural on the west wall of Plummer Auditorium was covered in layers of paint. Commissioned as a Public Works of Art project during the Great Depression and completed by Charles Kassler and an assistant, the fresco was controversial during its time. Fullerton Union High School's board of trustees decided to cover up the fresco with paint in 1939. In 1996, FUHS guidance counselor Cheri Hansen organized a study to test whether the mural was under the layers of paint and experts confirmed that the fresco was there. In 1997, the district launched a community restoration project, which revealed a fresco depicting early California and Orange County history, featuring Orange County settler Jose Antonio Yorba.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF DIANE OESTREICH

Former Fullerton Union High School teacher librarian Diane Oestreich with her recently published book "The History of Fullerton Union High School 1893-2011."
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF DIANE OESTREICH

RICK (JAY RICHARD) FEUCHTER, FUHS 1965

Feuchter, Rick (Jay Richard), born February 5, 1947 in Buffalo N.Y., died peacefully on July 14, 2011 in Fullerton, CA. Rick will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Nina; his children, Alicia, Nicole and Karl; his aunt, Margaret Hunt; his cousin, Janet Hunt; his brothers and sister-in-law, Ince and Kai Westergaard and Cato Rose; his nephew, Karl Christian; and his mother-in-law, Kari Rose. Memorial service will be held 11 am on July 23 at McAualy & Wallace Mortuaries, 902 N. Harbor Bl., Fullerton. In lieu of flowers, kindly make donations to the American Lung Association. McAulay & Wallace Mortuary Published in Orange County Register on July 20, 2011
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CLIFFORD DALE LAKEMAN, FUHS 1932?

Lakeman, Clifford Dale, passed away July, 12, 2011, in Placentia, California. He was born, October 14, 1914, to Jacob and Bertha Leep Lakeman. A lifelong Fullerton resident he attended local schools and Fullerton College. A World War II veteran, he served in the Pacific Theater. He owned and operated Lakeman's Market on E. Commonwealth Avenue for many years, beginning in 1923. He is survived by daughter Judy Hudnall (Buck), son "Bud" Lakeman (Paula), 6 Grandchildren, 9 Great Grandchildren, brother, Boyd Lakeman and his constant companion, Barbara Robison. He was preceded in death by wife, Dorothy Lakeman, brother, Floyd Lakeman and sister, Thelma Boisseranc. Graveside service will be 10 am Friday July 15 at Loma Vista Memorial Park, Fullerton. McAulay & Wallace Mortuary
Visit Guest Book (available until July 13, 2012)
http://www.legacy.com/guestbook/orangecounty/guestbook.aspx?n=clifford-lakeman&pid=152536352&eid=sp_gbupdate
Published in Orange County Register on July 14, 2011

Elizabeth Keverian, FUHS 2010, Asks For Help

Does anyone have any information to help this FUHS graduate fund her dream? Contact Connie to get Elizabeth’s e-mail address.


My name is Elizabeth Keverian and I recently graduated from FUHS in 2010. I am currently studying film at Chapman University and just found out that I have been accepted to study abroad in the Spring. The program I hope to participate in is called Semester at Sea, which means I will get to sail around the world, visiting 11 different countries over a span of a few months! Here is a link to the voyage if you would like more information:  http://www.semesteratsea.org/voyages/upcoming-voyages/spring-2012.php

I am contacting you because as I searched for scholarships and other ways of financing this amazing opportunity, I found your FUHS Alumni Blog on www.blogspot.com and thought maybe you would know of any community scholarships or potential sponsorships or donors. I am in substantial need of funding in order to make this dream a reality.

I am so ecstatic that I might actually get to make this trip and can't wait to see how it changes my life! Traveling is one of my greatest passions and I would love to take this experience and incorporate it into the many films I hope to create. I can't even begin to imagine what kinds of things I might learn on this journey, but I know I will definitely become a better person because of it - full of understanding, appreciation and a stronger character.

If you know of any person or organization that might be able to help me in any way, please let me know. And if you would like any more information from me, please do not hesitate to contact me. I appreciate anything you can do for me!

Thank you so much,

Elizabeth Keverian

GENE JONES MATTHEWS, FUHS 1953

(Earl Gibson, FUHS '53, sent me the following message that Gene's daughter sent him. Pat Zima sent me the picture of Gene, Sammy and Jerry (l to r) at a Pow Wow party a few years ago.)

From Shonna on July 6, 2011:

I apologize for the delay in updating you. I am afraid, my news is not good.

Dad passed away in the early evening of Monday July 4th. Seems fitting for him don't you think?
He fought a good fight. And he went at the cancer the way he does everything, head on and sure of his decision.
Dad knew he had an uphill battle against pancreatic cancer, and that surgery, while extremely risky was his only option. He made it through surgery, but simply wasn't strong enough to recover.
I was with him and I know he suffered very little.
Please remember him as we do, a funny, caring guy, filled with opinions and conversation.
There will be a small family gathering in Oregon on Sunday. Dad's ashes will be combined with Mom's and dispersed in a private location. I would love stories to share with the grandchildren and great grandchildren if you have them, please email to me.
We aren't seeking donations, but Dad always donated to childhood cancer.
Thank you for your support and Love, we felt it here, and it was appreciated.
Love, Shonna and Mark

(Shonna sent her permission to post Gene's last message to us and her other messages.)



This one is from Gene on June 21:
FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS I HAVE BEEN WITH DR.S TRYING TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO
ABOUT A CANCEROUS TUMOR IN MY PANCREAS. IT BOILS DOWN TO NOTHING
AND A PROCEDURE CALLED THE WHIPPLE PROCEDURE.
THE PROCEDURE IS CONSIDERED ROUGH, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE HEART
PROBLEMS. THE PROCEDURE IS 9/10 HOURS IN DURATION.
NO OPERATION MEANS 4/6 MONTHS. TO LIVE.THERE IS NO CHEMO OR RADIATION
JUST MR WHIPPLE. A WEEK IN THE HOSPITAL AND AT LEAST 2 MONTHS RECOVERY.
MILD CHEMO WILL BE GIVEN AFTER SURGERY JUST TO HOPEFULLY HEAD OFF THE
RETURN OF THE CANCER.
THE MAIN REASON I AM COMMUNICATING WITH ALL OF YOU IS I AM SHUTTING DOWN
ALL OF MY WEB TV ADDRESS AND MAYBE SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE I WILL PLUG
BACK IN.
I WILL BE CONVALESCING AT HOME OR WHO KNOWS. I JUST KNOW WEB HAS TO GO
FOR NOW.
I WILL MISS ALL WHO HAVE SENT E-MAILS AND REALLY I LOVE YOU ALL.
OK THOSE WHO PRAY, PLEASE PRAY FOR MY DR.S. ESPECIALLY THE SURGEON. HE
IS A GOOD GUY AND I HAVE FAITH IN HIM. I PLAN ON GETTING 10 OR 12 HOURS
SLEEP OR MAYBE A LOT MORE WHO KNOWS.
THANKS TO YOU ALL FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP AND FOR YOUR LOVE, YOU KNOW WHO
YOU ARE. I WILL SHUT DOWN THIS WEEK END. THE OPERATION WILL BE HERE IN
CORVALIS, OR. EARLY TUES. THE 28TH OF JUNE.
HUGS TO YOU ALL, GENE MATTHEWS AKA GRANPAGENE.

This was from his daughter Shonna on June 28:
It was a 10 hour surgery with some good results. Cancer was limited to the tumor in the pancreas, with no extension to lymph nodes, liver or bowel. There was a great deal of scar tissue to clean up around previous surgery sites which took a long time. Going to ICU for the night, and probably tomorrow as well.

From Shonna on July 2:
Looks like it was the best of all possible situations. Wait and see on suture sites, infection, etc. but the surgery itself went better than expected... nice change
With any luck we have passed a hurdle. I can't lie, yesterday afternoon was grim at best. The doctor's have a fragile balance between too much fluid and not enough. Dad needed assistance breathing and they were able to use a positive pressure mask to force air into his lungs rather than intubating him.
Neither is fun. Hopefully he won't remember it, but Mark is pretty sure Dad is going to blame me.... But that's ok, he made it, so what's to complain about right? HAHA
The combination of drugs and exhaustion have really taken it out of him. He is sleeping today, and hard as it is, Mark and I are limiting our visits to a couple hours, and we sit behind him so he won't try and stay awake. I know some of you are anxious to call or visit, but please, not yet. He is still in intensive care and will be for the whole weekend.
Again, thanks for the good wishes and prayers, the doctor is very impressed with his improvement, and how fast he is healing. Plus, his insides are functioning already and the doc didn't expect that for a couple more days. Keeping true to form, he's early and without any advanced notice!
Shonna and Mark

From Shonna July 10:

I am attaching the long form of the notice we did in local papers. If you will pass on to others, I would appreciate it. I was going to place it in the OC Register, but time has gotten by me. There is a picture at the bottom of the page.

Thanks for all the good wishes.
Shonna

Eugene “Gene” Marshal Matthews
Eugene “Gene” Marshal Matthews, 75, of Corvallis passed away July 4 from complications of pancreatic cancer.
 He was born in Santa Ana, Calif. He met and married Dixie Marie in 1957; she preceded him in death in 1995.
 He served in the U.S. Army, played baseball, and retired as a police officer for the city of Fullerton, Calif., and moved to his beloved Oregon.
 He is survived by daughter Shonna and husband Richard of California; son Mark and wife Debbie of Oregon; grandchildren Rich, Jennifer and Jacquie of California, and Emma, Erin, Tessa, Sam and Nick of Oregon; great-grandchildren Nick and Cami of California, and Myah, Hudson and Madi of Oregon; sister Corallee and husband Bill of Indiana; and many loved cousins, nieces, nephews and good friends.
 He never met a stranger; his heart was big, warm and welcoming. He truly loved being a father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend. He had a zest for life, enjoyed fishing, camping and golfing, and was a wonderful companion and a true patriot. He will be missed and forever loved!
 The family is not seeking donations, but says Gene always donated to Children’s Cancer Research.

The History of Fullerton Union High School 1893--2011

Hi Connie,
Would you please post this information of your blog? I've attached an image of the book.

Fullerton Public Library (Main Branch) is celebrating its grand reopening on Saturday, July 23. I will be in the Local History Room from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. selling and signing copies of The History of Fullerton Union High School 1893--2011. With the new sales tax rate, the book is $21.55 when purchased directly. The library is located at 353 West Commonwealth.

My website for ordering books for shipment ($26, including tax, shipping, and handling) is:
http://www.fullertonhshistory.com/

Contact me at diane@fullertonhshistory.com

Books can also be ordered for shipment by sending a $26 check to:
Diane Oestreich
Box 6161
Orange, CA 92863

Fullerton Hardware also has copies of the book for sale:
117 West Commonwealth

Thanks,
Diane