Kern County Obituaries

Florence Fillmore

Submitted by Don Stowell; 13 Feb 2008

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Source Unknown; 24 Jul 1952

FUNERAL RITES ARRANGED FOR QUAKE VICTIMS 
Eleven persons are dead and many injured as a result of the major earthquake in the Tehachapi 
area last Monday morning.  Immediately following the collapse of the many buildings scores of 
citizens started digging through the rubble, removing the dead and injured as quickly as possible.  
 
Found dead in the town of Tehachapi were:  Mary Angelina Martin, age 8, Maryanna Lee 
Martin, age 12, and Linda C. Martin, age 10, all daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Martin, furniture 
store owners in Tehachapi; and Marylin Louise Taylor, 12, who was visiting the Martin girls 
overnight.  Mrs. Blanche Quantana, age 36, and four of her children, Nicholas, 16, Joe, 11, 
Gloria, 13, and Roberto, 5.

The Quantana family had arrived in Tehachapi the night before the disaster and were staying 
with relatives prior to finding a home for themselves.  Found dead in the ruins of the Summitt  
Hotel was Walter Julius Nolen, age 47, a carpenter who had been recently release from Keene 
Sanitarium.  The eleventh victim was a young girl from Los Angeles, Florence Fillmore, age 15, 
who with her parents and other relatives had just arrived at the Owsley Ranch to spend a few 
days.  Miss Fillmore was asleep in a guest house when the quake occurred and was crushed when 
the roof fell on her.

Ten of the bodies were removed to the O'Donnell Funeral Home where arrangements are as 
follows:  The Quintana family bodies will be shipped to Salinas after services and interment will 
be held.  The three little Martin girls will be buried in Tehachapi.  Rosary will be held in the 
O'Donnell Chapel at 8:00 p.m. Friday night and high mass will be held Saturday at 10:00 a.m. in 
the Catholic Church in Tehachapi.

The body of Florence Fillmore was transported as far as Lancaster by her parents.  Deputy 
Sheriffs removed the body at that point and took it to the Mumaw Funeral Home.