Frank Summer PADELFORD

Male 1912 - 1995  (83 years)


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  • Name Frank Summer PADELFORD  [1
    Birth 20 Feb 1912  Ventura County, California Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2
    Gender Male 
    Census 1920  Living with parents in Piru, Ventura County, California Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Census 1930  Living with parents in Piru, Ventura County, California Find all individuals with events at this location  [3
    Death 30 Dec 1995  Fillmore, Ventura County, California Find all individuals with events at this location  [4, 5
    Notes 
    • Obituary Notice - Fillmore California - Herald Newspaper dtd Jan 4, 1996

      FRANK SUMNER PADELFORD

      Native county son, Frank Sumner Padelford, died Saturday, Dec. 30 after a brief illness. He was 83 years old, having been born in Buckhorn between Fillmore and Piru.
      Mr. Padelford was a pioneering citrus producer throughout the Filmore-Piru area for his entire life. His parents, Frank and Sadie Padelford, are general credited with developing the agricultural aspects of the Buckhorn area. Young Padelford graduated from Fillmore Union High School in the class of 1919 (1929?). He successfully pursued an agricultural degree in college, having graduated from Chaffey Junior College in 1931.
      Following college, Mr.. Padelford met a young lady from Bardsdale who was to become his lifetime companion, Verna Stoll. While at Chaffey, he developed a love for music which included playing the clarinet in the college orchestra. This love for music played a key role in the lives of Sumner and Verna Padelford, thereafter.
      After graduating from Chaffey, Mr. Padelford worked for a short period at the old Texas Refinery located in Fillmore. However, he shortly returned to agriculture by going to work for uncle Charles Padelford's ranch located at Hopper. While working for his uncle, Mr. Padelford learned to use mules in the farming operation. He always joked that his early experience with mules resulted in his life long interest in equipment. Also while working for his uncle, he was assigned the unique project of trucking flagstone fro the Sulphur Mountain quarry down to Fillmore for the Christian Science Church construction. That flag stone is still in evidence today.
      It wasn't long before Mr. Padelford transferred his ranching experience to properties owned by his parents. Padelford Ranch Co. was formed as a partnership which included, along with his parents, both his brother, Frederick and his sister, Allene.
      It was at this time that Mr. Padelford's genius with mechanics came to the forefront. He was always fascinated with machinery as a vehicle for reducing the manual labor required in citrus production or simply solving a problem. He teamed with Oliver "Mutt" Corl of the Fillmore firm of Corl and Fleming with the idea of building a citrus tree hedger, one of the first in the Fillmore-Piru area. The resulting machine was used extensively on older groves throughout the citrus industry. Mr. Padelford also developed other innovative citrus ranching equipment including various types of spray rigs.
      Mr. Padelford took an active role in the development of the citrus industry in the county. As such he served the President of Piru Citrus Association from 1965-1967. In addition to the many duties of that office, he took charge of rebuilding the Association's Piru packing house that was completely destroyed by a devastating fire in December, 1965. The resulting new facility featured some of the most innovative packing processes ever seen in the citrus industry at that time.
      Mr. Padelford was a life-long member of the California Farm Bureau. He served on the Ventura County Civil Service Commission Board of Review and Appeals from 1966-74 (?). Throughout his active life, he was a member of the Fillmore Noontime Rotary Club. He was especially fond of his almost constant assignment of kitchen duties with lifetime friends Fred Bryce and Al Bartels. Their antics and jokes were a standard feature of the weekly Rotary meeting.
      Until just recently, Mr. Padelford continued to take an active role in the supervision and management of 75 acres of family owned citrus properties in the Piru and Bardsdale areas.
      Mr. Padelford is survived by two daughters, Peggy Colburn of Yorba Linda and Nancy Noel Lesperance of Elko, Nevada. Additionally, he is survived by four grandchildren, all California residents: Shanna McBurney of San Francisco, Philip Colburn of McKinleyville, Holly Mraz of Auburn and Candace Rousselet of Loomis. He is also survived by two great grandchildren, Travis and Miranda Rose Mraz. His wife, the former Nina Verna Stoll preceded him in death on Sept. 22, 1984. Also, he was preceded in death by his sister, Allene Urner and brother Frederick Padelford.
      Visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m. today at the Skillin-Carroll Mortuary. On Friday, a brief burial service will be held at the Padelford family plot in the Bardsdale Cemetery.
      The family has asked that in Sumner Padelford's memory, contributions be made to "Ag in the Classroom," 1601 Exposition Blvd., Sacramento 95815.
    Person ID I42616  Main Tree
    Last Modified 1 Dec 2019 

    Father Frank Henry PADELFORD,   b. 20 Apr 1871, Quechee Gorge, Vermont Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 16 Nov 1963, Fillmore, Ventura County, California Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 92 years) 
    Relationship Birth 
    Mother Sadie Rhoda SMITH,   b. 06 Feb 1884, Vermont Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 17 Oct 1968, Ojai, California Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 84 years) 
    Relationship Birth 
    Marriage 07 Sep 1910  South Pasadena, California Find all individuals with events at this location  [6
    Family ID F21518  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Nina Verna STOLL,   b. 10 Apr 1913   d. 22 Sep 1984, Fillmore, Ventura County, California Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 71 years) 
    Children 
    +1. Peggy Jean PADELFORD,   b. 24 Feb 1941, Ventura County, California Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 7 Mar 2002 (Age 61 years)  [Birth]
     2. Nancy PADELFORD
    Family ID F21521  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 30 Dec 1995 - Fillmore, Ventura County, California Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Headstones
    Frank Sumner and Nina Verna Padelford Headstone
    Frank Sumner and Nina Verna Padelford Headstone
    Frank and his wife Nina are buried in the Bardsdale Cemetery in Fillmore, Ventura Co., California.

  • Sources 
    1. [S01352] 1920 Census Piru, Ventura County, California.

    2. [S01738] Ancestry.com: California, U.S., Birth Index, 1905-1995.

    3. [S01584] 1930 Census Piru, Ventura County, California.

    4. [S02823] Obituary Notice for Frank Sumner Padelford.

    5. [S01818] Ancestry.com: Social Security Death Index.

    6. [S02822] Obituary Notice for Frank H. Padelford.