Kern County Obituaries

Orville Albert Willman

Submitted by Don Stowell; 13 Feb 2008

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Orville Albert Willman Pearl Harbor survivor
A memorial service was held Wednesday at the Wayside Chapel in Rosamond for Orville 
Albert Willman, who passed away September 7 (2001). Orville was a longtime resident of 
Rosamond and a Pearl Harbor survivor.
Born in Belleville, Illinois, on November 8, 1920, Orville and Mary, his wife of 58 
years, moved to Edwards following World War II, living on the base until buying the home in 
Rosamond where they lived for over 50 years.
He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1939, and was at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii when Japanese 
forces launched a sneak attack on December 7, 1941.
Orville met his wife Mary, then a Navy nurse, while recovering from injuries suffered during 
the Pearl Harbor attack.
A pioneer in the business of building rocket propulsion systems, Orville worked for the 
government in San Bernardino and later moved to Edwards, where he worked at the rocket base 
where he retired in the 1960's. He also enjoyed mining, working at Tropico Gold Mine and had 
a keen interest in mining and local history.
Orville was active for many years as a Reserve Deputy for the Kern County Sheriff's 
Department and later as a member of the department's Citizen's Service Unit. He was also 
active in the Kern-Antelope Historical Society, Elks, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American 
Legion, Moose, and Rosamond Senior Citizens.
Following their retirement, Orville and Mary traveled and enjoyed rock hunting across the 
U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
In addition to his wife Mary, Orville Willman is survived by a sister, Virginia Katt, nieces Sue 
Williams, Mary Donahue, and Janie Allen.