Tehachapi News

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Born in Peacock, Texas on August 9, 1922, Pete left this world on February 19, 2008, after a lengthy, courageous battle with health problems.

He grew up in Texas, helping with the family farm until he was 14. He and his family literally lived the “Grapes of Wrath,” traveling to California in 1936, where he worked and picked many different crops. He and his wife, Daisy, left McFarland and moved to Tehachapi in 1963 to open the Tehachapi Flower Shop.

Pete served as a medic in the Army Air Corps during World War II. Returning from the war he worked on farms in the San Joaquin Valley, generally around McFarland and Delano. He was the School Farm Supervisor for McFarland High School for five years and was the superintendent for the Tehachapi Public Cemetery District for 26 years. He was an avid sports fan, loved crossword puzzles, fishing, and his family. He enjoyed his trips to Laughlin and Stateline with Daisy, and bus trips to Eagle Mountain with the Senior Citizen group. He spent many wonderful hours solving the world's problems with his buddies at Kelcy's and fishing at Brite Lake.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 43 years, Daisy, in 1996. 

He leaves behind two sons, Ron Johnson and wife, Sue, of Tucumcari, NM, and Steve Minton, and wife, Lora, of Tehachapi; brother, Bud Minton, and wife, Betty, of Bakersfield, and sister, Bessie McCurry, of Wasco, and 10 grandchildren, 14 great and two great-great grandchildren, as well as numerous nieces, and nephews.

Services were held Saturday, Feb. 23 at 11 a.m. at Wood Family Funeral Home. Following the service, a gathering was held at one of Pete's favorite places, Kelcy's Restaurant. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Center for Blind & Visually Impaired in Bakersfield, 1124 Baker St.,Bakersfield, CA 93305.