Kern County Obituaries

Gene Woods Stivers

Submitted by Don Stowell; 13 Feb 2008

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Mojave Desert News; 27 Feb 1947

Many Friends Mourn Passing of Gene Stivers
Testifying to the great esteem in which he was hed by his friends and fellow citizens of 
Mojave, more than 500 persons gathered Monday of this week to pay their last respects to well 
loved Gene Woods Stivers who passed away at the Sawtelle Veterans Hospital last Friday 
morning at 6:28 o'clock. 
One of the largest attended funerals ever held in Mojave, if not the largest, more than 105 
separate floral pieces were presented by various organizations to which he belonged and 
individually by friends.	
Funeral services were held in the Community Congregational Church, the impressive Episcopal
services being read by the Rev. Parker of the Episcopal Church of Lancaster. .
Graveside services in the Mojave cemetery were conducted by Post No. 3711, Veterans 
of Foreign Wars of Mojave, of which Gene was Commander at the time of his death, with full 
military honors, Chaplain Harry Williamson reading the opening passages of the impressive 
ceremony, Acting Commander Chas. Willson, Senior Vice Commander, Ray Knupple, acting 
Junior Commander C. Abraham, Officer of the Day Richard Moore, Color Bearer Claire 
Martinez, Color Guards Frank Cappello, Herbie James Willson and a firing squad of eight 
assisting. Closing passages of the ceremony were then read by the Chaplain after which the 
services were concluded by the Rev. Parker, followed by the firing of three volleys over the 
grave of theIr beloved Commander. Taps were sounded by Bugler Joseph Melendez.
Mrs. Kingdon Dean of Chicago, mother of Gene, could not attend the services due to illness. 
Mrs. ottie Stivers, grandmother, paid her final respects at the funeral which was conducted by 
the O'Donnell Funeral Home.
Gene Woods Stivers, beloved husband of Jean R. Stivers, father of Suzanne Marie and Gene 
W. Stivers, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Joe W. Stivers, brother of Gladys, Carol and Jack Stivers, 
was born in Los Angeles January 18, 1921, coming to Mojave in 1928 where he has resided 
ever since except for the period of four years which he served in the Army Air Corps 556th 
Base Unit, 12th Air Corps, from November 1941, to September of 1945, attaining the rank of 
First Lieutenant, mostly in the European Theater of War, was known to everyone in Mojave 
for his bright and cheery disposition and frank sunny ways and he will be sorely missed not 
only by his immediate relatives but by many a Mojave person for whom at one time or 
another he performed favors in his free and cheery manner. Gene was a graduate of the 
Mojave Public Schools and later graduated from the Antelope Valley Joint Union High 
School at Lancaster'
His body rests within the shadow of the majestic mountains which he loved closely guarded 
by deep blue desert skies until that last day when all who have gone before will arise to take 
their proper places on high.
Rest in peace Gene knowing that while you are gone from this life, you will never be 
forgotten.