The Memorial Wall

Vernon E. Swedlund, age 76, of Mpls. Retired mail carrier, U.S. Postal Service. Served proudly in WWII and the Korean Conflict. Member Brookings, SD VFW and the American Legion. Born August 26, 1926 in Brookings, SD & died December 12, 2002 due to complications from Parkinson's Disease. Preceded in death by parents, Bessie & Victor Swedlund & brothers, Leon & Eugene Swedlund. He is survived by devoted wife, Joan; loving son, David; brother, Robert; sister, Ellen ``Patty'' Hughes & special sister & brother-in-law, Bonnie & Donnie Nesheim; godsons, Roger Swedlund, Robert Swedlund Jr. & Kevin Ziegler; and a host of special nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, cousins, very special neighbors & friends. 

The seventh of eleven children

Married: Bill Glatz around 1940, he served in World War II Army in Europe.

Gladys worked as a beautician in her own shop in So. Beach, Miami.

She loved Bill, gardening, travel, and volunteer work at the Elks Club.

She and Bill were married about 50 years before his death.

In the 1990’s she developed health problems, which they determined were Parkinson’s.

She moved to Palm Desert at 80 to live with her youngest brother and family (she had no children.)

Gladys died at 86.  Her ashes are buried in the family graveyard in Mandeville, LA.

All her sisters and brothers have passed on, even her brother Paul.  Many nieces and nephews.  Mary Kay and Paulette (Paul’s wife and daughter.)  All the family loved her dearly!

Archie Christopher (Chris) – Passed away in San Jose on May 29, 2002. Age 77 of complications from Parkinson’s disease. Chris was born in Sacredwind, KY in 1925, the third of 13 children. A loving, caring brother, father, grandfather, great grandfather and friend for life who served in the Navy during WWII receiving a Purple Heart for his efforts during the invasion of Anzio, Italy.A skilled machinist and toolmaker for over 40 years; who after retiring enjoyed may successful entrepreneurial endeavors as well as being an accomplished ballroom dancer. Former husband of Ermel Marcum who died in 1976. Chris is survived by his three children Roma and her husband Stan Rhamy, San Jose, Sherrell and her husband Ted Bumgarner, Cypress, CA, Shawn and her husband Steven Booth, Fresno, CA; his grandson, Christopher Rhamy, Chugiak, AK, five granddaughters, Jennifer Bumgarner-Kuhn, TX, Kristin Crisford, TX, Samantha and Sarah Booth, Caprice Endeman, San Jose, CA, four great-grandchildren Rachel Bumgarner-Kuhn, Dailie and Teddy Crisford and Shanna Endeman; five brothers, Clayton, OH, Curtis, Los Gatos, CA, Donald, TX, Howard, FL, and Robert, OH and two sisters, Wanda Stephens, OH and Christine Mullins, FL. and numerous nieces and nephews.

JOHN G. CARNEGIE Died March 10, 2002 in Van Nuys of Parkinson’s Disease. He was 83. Born in Corry, Pennsylvania. Served in the Army and the U.S. Coast Guard during in WWII. A master auto mechanic for more than 40 years. Member of Van Nuys Knights of Columbus. Survived by his wife of 56 years, Rita; three children, Tom (Rhonda), Barbara and Vince (Kristy); his daughter-in-law, Karen Carnegie-Stochl; and six grand children. Preceded in death by his beloved son, Laurence. He will be remembered for his great smile, scouting leadership, baseball coaching, companionship, determination and good cheer. 

Carl Ray Sharp, a native of English, IN, and Glendora resident since 1954, passed away January 26, 2002, at the age of 81. Mr. Sharp was a lieutenant in the US Army Air Corps during World War II, serving in the 101st Airborne as a glider pilot in Europe. As an Irrigation Engineer, he organized Rainbird International in Europe and held several patents. A charter member (1956) of the Rotary Club of Glendora, he thoroughly enjoyed his 46 years of Rotary membership and held the distinction of being a Paul Harris Fellow.

Mr. Sharp had served as president of American Field Service, an exchange program for foreign students, and hosted numerous students in his home for their year of study in the United States. He is survived by his loving wife, Liette; sons, Alain (Bobi) of Spring Valley Lake, Paul (Rune) of Columbia, MO, and Jeffrey (Margie) Sharp of San Dimas; daughters, Liliette (Jock) McGraw of Huntington Beach; Sylvia (Bill) Valencia of Las Vegas and Christina (Jamie) Earl of Glendora, Lorraine Grindstaff of Pasadena; brothers, Melvin of Lake Chelan, WA, John and William of Boulder City, NV and Curtis Sharp of Las Vegas; 16 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Contributions in his memory may be made to Glendora Rotary Charities, P. O. Box 776, Glendora, CA 91 740 or Carl Sharp Memorial Fund, c/o Parkinson's Resource Organization, 74-090 El Paseo, Suite 102, Palm Desert, CA 92260.

Robert R. Bean passed away on September 17, 2001, at age 85 of complications of Parkinson's disease. Loving husband of Shirley; adored father of Barbara, Stuart (Nancy) and Richard (deceased) Bean; cherished grandfather of Meghan, Erin, and Ryan. Surrogate father to devoted nieces Bonnie Schumann and Nanci Hiller. Devoted brother of Ed Bean. He is also survived by many loving in-laws, nieces, nephews, and friends. Services 1 PM, Thursday, at Mount Sinai Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, donations will be welcome in memory of Robert Bean to Parkinson's Resource Organization, 74 785 Highway 111 Indian Wells, CA 92210 Suite 208

Edward A. Futoma, 80, formerly of Rocky Hill, a resident of the Silver Creek Manor Convalescent Home in Bristol, RI, died on Sunday, (August 5, 2001) after a long and courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was born on March 20, 1921 in Rockville, the son of Anthony and Stephanie Futoma, and resided for over 40 years in Rocky Hill. He was a proud Veteran of World War II, when he served with the 772nd Bombardment Squadron, 463rd Bomb Group, or “Swoose Group,” of the Army Air Force in campaigns in North Africa, Italy, France, the North Appenines, Rhineland and in air combat in the Balkans. On his return from Europe, he worked in Woolen Mills in Rockville, and later for many years at the United Tool & Die Company in West Hartford. Eddie was a skilled bowler who enjoyed competing in duckpin leagues. He was an avid collector of books, memorabilia, and particularly coins and stamps. He was a lifelong member of the American Numismatic Association and a member of the American Philatelic Society. Edward was predeceased in 1998 by his loving wife of 50 years, Jean Futoma. He is survived by two sons and their wives, Gregory E. Futoma and his wife, Kathleen DeMeo of Wallingford, and David J. Futoma and his wife, Susan of Portsmouth, RI; and three beloved grandchildren, Elizabeth, Joseph and John Paul Futoma. He also leaves behind a brother, Bernard Futoma; and a sister, Irene Futoma Stodd, both of Vernon; and numerous other family members. He was predeceased by a brother, Francis “Pete” Futoma. 

Carl Diedrich, who developed a coffee roaster bearing his name and whose business later evolved into a chain of coffeehouses, died on July 31 at his home in Costa Mesa, Calif. He was 86. The cause was complications from Parkinson's disease, Mr. Diedrich's son Martin said.

Mr. Diedrich was born on March 15, 1915, in Magdeburg, Germany. He received a degree in mechanical engineering from the Technische Hochschule in Berlin. After graduating, Mr. Diedrich worked as an engineer for the Ford Motor Company in England and other locations in Europe.

In the early months of World War II, Mr. Diedrich enlisted in the German army, where he served as a spotter in an artillery unit. Shortly after the end of the war, he worked for a year as an apprentice at a coffee roaster in Naples, Italy. In 1947, Mr. Diedrich rejoined Ford as an engineer and worked there until 1951, based in the Middle East, where he continued to study the art of making coffee. He then held a series of jobs including college professor, marine biologist, and construction foreman.

In the mid-1960s, Mr. Diedrich and his grandmother went to Costa Rica to try to reclaim a coffee plantation from the government that the family had lost during World War II. They were unable to accomplish that, but Mr. Diedrich was able to meet with coffee growers and became a joint owner of a coffee plantation in Guatemala.

A few years later, he moved with his family to a 40-acre coffee plantation in Guatemala. While growing coffee beans, he developed a new coffee roaster. Mr. Diedrich moved with his family to Costa Mesa in 1962. He rented a one-car garage, where he used his hand-crafted machine to roast coffee. In the beginning, Mr. Diedrich gave away bags of beans, but when more people started to show up he decided to charge for the product.

As the business blossomed, Mr. Diedrich moved his headquarters to a strip mall. From 1972 to 1982, he drove a van seven to eight times a year to Guatemala to take care of the coffee plantation. Mr. Diedrich retired in 1985, the year his son Martin bought the business and expanded the focus from roasting to brewing coffee. There are now 370 Diedrich Coffee stores in 37 states and 11 countries

Marilyn Adell (Brunsell) Egerstrom, 71, Kansas City, Mont., passed away Friday, July 20, 2001. Funeral services were held. Tuesday, July 24 at D.W. Newcomer’s Sons Floral Hills Chapel, Kansas City, Mont. Burial in Floral Hills Memorial Gardens. Memorials may be made to Parkinson Resource Organization of Palm Desert, California.

Survivors include her husband, Paul Egerstrom of the home, sons, Tom Egerstrom, Lee’s Summit, Mont., and Mark Egerstrom, Manhattan Beach, Calif., daughter, Debra Murphy, McCall, Idaho, brothers, Donald Brunsell, Monticello and Marvin Brunsell, Annandale, sister, Deloris Kaufert, Monticello, grandchildren, Taylor, Matthew, Christopher, Andy and Elizabeth Egerstrom and Brook, and Jesse Murphy.

Mrs. Egerstrom was born in Silver Creek and a graduate of Annandale High School. She enjoyed summers at the cabin on Clearwater Lake. She was a member of the Blue Ridge Trinity Lutheran Church, Hillcrest Country Club, Ironwood Country Club in Palm Desert, Calif., past president of A.F.S. and owned and operated the Guides and Gals from the mid-70s to the early 80s.

Loving father and fatherin-law of Jonathan and Shelley, Jennifer Fine Pezim, Adam, Maren and Josh. Devoted Gramps of Corby and Roz, Jamie, Jory, Jake, Maxine Pezim. Dear brother of Frances Sobel. Director of Forest Valley Day Camp, Bert died on Wednesday, July 4, 2001 at the Harold and Grace Baker Centre.