Audrey Symons

Funeral rites were held November 30 at 2 p.m. at the Presbyterian Church, Bishop, 
for Mrs. William Symons, Jr. 57, who passed away Thanksgiving Day at Northern 
Inyo Hospital following a mid-brain stroke suffered September 21 of this year.

The Rev. Hackett Johnson of the First Presbyterian Church officiated at the rites.  
Interment was in the family plot at East Line St. cemetery, Bishop.

Mrs. Symons had been under care of specialists in recent weeks and had recently 
undergone extensive treatment at UCLA Medical Center.

She was born Sept. 3, 1913 in Los Angeles, the daughter of Leon and Clarabelle 
Hawkins, who moved to this area some 43 years ago.  Her father passed away in 
1962.

Surviving are her husband; a son John of Bishop, and his two children, Judd and 
Sally, her mother, Clarabelle Hawkins; two sisters, Mrs. Nedra Haliday of Etna, 
and Mrs. Sandra Hagberry of Pauline, Ore.

Mrs. Symons had been active in civic affairs during her years in Inyo – Mono, 
including the 14 years her husband served as Mono county supervisor; his years as 
State Senator, and the past four years he has served as a member of the State Public 
Utilities Commission.

Pallbears were Alton Goolshy, John Mathieu, Bob and Bud Cashbaugh; Tom 
Weaaver and Dean Dougherty Jr.  Honorary pallbearers were Supervisors Arch 
Mahan and Walter Cain of Mono County, M. C. "Bud" wells and R. R. Carnahan, 
Bishop, Vernon L. Sturgeon and Georgory Turretto.  Sturgeon serves with Bill 
Symons on the State Public Utilities Commission.  Turretto is from the Bay Area 
and Mrs. Turretto was one of Mrs. Symons closest friends in San Francisco area.

Others attending from the Public Utilities Commission family were John P. Vukasin 
Jr., commission chairman; Mary Moran Pajaheh, chief counsel; John F. Donovan, 
director of the finance and accounts division; William W. Dunlop, commission 
secretary; Tony Sousa, attorney.  Also attending were Adrian C. Cassidy of San 
Francisco and H. Parker Sullivan and Richard Ohlson, Santa Monica.

Also attending from out of the area were Audrey's two sisters; her niece and 
husband Bob and Emily (Symons) Jorge of Millbrae; her cousin, Marcia Hunter 
and two aunts, Ethel Page and Alice M. Beach, all of Southern California, her niece 
and husband, Mr. And Mrs. Harry Eakin, Grass Valley, Oregon.

After graduating from Bishop Union high school, where she and Bill were 
classmates, Audrey worked for Bank of American, the Division of Highways, and 
other places.  They were married June 23, 1936.

She was a founding member of Benton Improvement Club, and served as secretary 
in the Benton Elementary school board.  When her husband was State Senator, she 
served as president and secretary of the legislative wives Pals club in Sacramento.  
During the 12 years her husband was on the Tri-County Fair Board as a director, 
she served in numerous public service capacities.

The Inyo Register, Bishop, Inyo County, California
Thursday, December 3, 1970
Transcribed by Pat Houser for Inyo County GenWeb, July 15, 2005