Obituaries

Carol Sue Martin (49)

Carol Sue Martin (49) a native of Fresno and a 40 year resident of Madera, passed away on Sunday, January 5, 2020, at St. Agnes Medical Center in Fresno.

Carol attended Madera Schools, including Webster School in the Ranchos and later graduated from Madera High School with the Class of 1988. Carol was an employee of Valley Children’s Hospital for 14 years, most recently as a Lab Technician. Carol enjoyed her work at Valley Children’s and the friendships of her co-workers.

Samantha Lilly Martinez (20)

Samantha Lilly Martinez (20) from Madera California passed away on Saturday, December 28, 2019. She was the oldest daughter of Isaac and Victoria Martinez.

Samantha graduated from Madera South High School in 2017. She had an adventurous spirit and lived life to the fullest, creating laughter wherever she went. Sam will be greatly missed by all who came in contact with her.

Former Madera Mayor Paul “Bud” Sanders Passes at 81.

Paul Thomas “Bud” Sanders (81), a former Madera City Council member and mayor of Madera, died Dec. 6, 2019, after having suffered from a lung illness of long duration. Mr. Sanders was born on May 10, 1938, in Blytheville, Arkansas.

He married Pamela Gordon in October 1960, and they were married for 59 years. They had four children. Mr. Sanders was proud of his military service, having served in both the Army and Navy. Mr. Sanders moved with his family to Madera in December 1967 after being transferred with the California Highway Patrol (CHP). He worked in the Madera CHP office for 19 years.

Edgar “Ed” Thomasson (89)

Edgar “Ed” Thomasson (89) passed away on Sunday, December 1, 2019, at St. Agnes Hospital in Fresno after a brief illness. Ed’s parents Joseph S. Thomasson and Lillie Belle Rowe married in 1915 in Hastings, Oklahoma and moved to California in 1916 where they farmed and owned a dairy. Ed was born on October 11, 1930, and grew up on the family farm along with his older brother Joe. Ed attended local schools and graduated from Madera High School in 1949. He was athletic and participated in track events.

Ed and Barbara (Simmons) met in Madera and were married on Feb 5, 1966. They loved U.S. and Civil War history and traveled frequently especially in the Southern and Eastern United States. His question was always “where are we going next?”. Special friends, Janet and Ken Seibert frequently traveled companions. We cherished sharing time together with them “on the road” and at home with their children Kyle, Mandy, and Shane.

Former Madera Orthodontist Passes at 89: Dr. Bill Duke

Dr. Bill Dwayne Duke (89) passed away on November 9, 2019. Bill was born in Colton, California, and was a practicing Dentist and Orthodontist for more than 40 years. Bill was a 1948 graduate of Colton High, then attended UCLA for undergraduate studies, before graduating the USC Dental School, and Loma Linda Graduate School

He served honorably in the US Air Force in the Philippines during the Korean War. Bill later served as a Trustee Colton Unified School Board. He was also associated with Fresno County Coroners Office as their forensic orthodontist.