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Subject: [CAKern] OBIT: MARMOLEJO, CHARLES M. "BUZZ"
Date: 4 Aug 2003 11:30:29 -0600

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Daily Independent newspaper Ridgecrest CA Kern County
July 3, 2003

CHARLES M. "BUZZ" MARMOLEJO 1947-2003

Longtime Ridgecrest resident Charles M. "Buzz" Marmolejo died Saturday, July 5, 2003 at his residence of natural causes. He was 56.

Visitation will be Thursday, July 10 from 5 to 7 pm at Holland & Lyons Chapel. Graveside services will be Friday, July 11 at 10 am at Mt. Whitney Cemetery, Lone Pine. Military rites will be provided by the U.S. Navy Honor Guard, China Lake. Pastor Mike Skaggs of Lone Pine Assembly of God Church will officiate.

Marmolejo was born May 7, 1947 in Lone Pine. He attended Lone Pine High School graduating in 1966. He attended Bakersfield College prior to being drafted into the U.S. Army, where he served with distinction in Vietnam. He attained the rank of sergeant and received the Silver Stary, Purple Heart and numerous other awards. He had lived in Ridgecrest since 1968.

His family says this about him: "He was a man with integrity, unselfish, loving, and wanting all to be happy and peaceful. He was always there to lend a helping hand to those in need. He touched the hearts of many people and will be missed. No words express the loss felt by those who loved him."

He was preceded in death by his mother Amalia "Nana" Marmolejo on Dec. 5, 1992, his father Pedro "Pete" Marmolejo on Nov. 21, 1977 and his brother Juan "Hank" Marmolejo on Dec. 5, 1992.

He is survived by his sister Maria Marmolejo, niece and husband Heather Holman and Santana Cortez, great-nephew Rafe Cortez and great-niece Jenyssa Cortez, niece and husband Niki and Mark Guess, great-nieces Mazon Hampton and Kwynn Guess, great-nephew Jared Guess all of Tulare, nephew Michael Holiman of Seattle, Wash., sister and husband Velia and Ben Kutzkey of Bishop, sister and husband Rosa and Bill Kniebrugge of Lone Pine, numerous nephews, nieces, great-nephews and great-nieces.

Arrangements provided by Holland & Lyons Mortuary. Media information provided by Holland & Lyons and the family.

News Review newspaper Ridgecrest CA July 9, 2003

Charles M. "Buzz" Marmolejo died July 5, 2003 at his Ridgecrest residence. He was 55.

Visitation will be held Thursday, July 10 from 5-7 pm at Holland & Lyons Chapel. Interment will be Friday, July 11, at 10 am at Mt. Whitney Cemetery in Lone Pine. Pastor Mike Skaggs of the Lone Pine Assembly of God will officiate. Graveside military rites will be give by the U.S. Navy Honor Guard of China Lake.

Born May 7, 1948 in Lone Pine, Charles graduated from Lone Pine High School in 1966. He attended Bakersfield College before being drafted into the U.S. Army, where he served with distinction in Vietnam. Sgt. Marmolejo earned the Silver Star, Purple Heart and numerous other awards.

He was a man with integrity, unselfish and loving. He wanted all to be happy and peaceful. He was always there to lend a helping hand to those in need. He touched the hearts of many people and will be missed. No words express the loss felt by those who loved him.

Charles is preceded in death by his mother Amalia "Nana" Marmolejo on Dec. 5, 1992, his father Pedro "Pete" Marmolejo on Nov. 21, 1977, and his brother Juan "Hank" Marmolejo on Dec. 5, 1992.

He is survived by his sister Maria Moarmolejo, nieces Heather Holiman and husband Santana Cortez and Nii and husband Mark Guess, nephew Michael Holiman of Seattle, Wash, sisters Velia and husband Ben Kutzey of Bishop and Rosa and husband Bill Kniebrugge of Lone Pine, great-nephews and nieces Rafe Cortez, Jenyssa Cortez, Mazon Hampton, Kwynn Guess and Jared Guess, and numerous other nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews.

Arrangements were provided by Holland & Lyons Mortuary.

Note differences in info between the two papers.

Wednesday, July 9, 2003 The News Review front page
MAN FOUND DEAD BEHIND BURNING HOME, FIRE NOT CAUSE

Kern County firefighters found the body of a Ridgecrest man behind his burning home on Saturday. But after a preliminary investigation, it appears the man died before the fire started.

According to Kern County Fire Station 77, local firefighters received a call at 2:26 pm about smoke coming from undeneath a mobile home at W. Upjohn Ave.

Firefighters responed and found light smoke coming from underneath the trailer and from the porch. A neighbor who had seen the smoke was on the porch fighting the fire with a garden hose.

He did some good. We appreciate that said the fire department.

Behind the mobile home, firefighters found the body of 55 year old Charles Carlos Marmolejo, the home's only resident.

Firefighters called the Kern County Sheriff's Department but Ridgecrest Police Department officers, dispatched to suppor the deputies were first on the scene.

An officer covered Marmolejo's body, which was lying on its side in the back yard, visible from the adjacent vacant lot.

Investigators found themselves having to simultaneously investigate a possible homocide and possible arson.

While the investigation proceded a young man arrived with a friend. When he saw the emergency vehicles and police tape, he became visibly upset and approached the deputy in charge.

He identified himself to the officer as a former roommate of Marmolejo. He was escorted to view the body and he confirmed that the body was that of Marmolejo. He was too shaken to offer much information.

He did confirm he had seen Marmolejo alive and well early that morning. He said that when he left Marmolejo's Fourth of July fireworks party at 1 am Saturday, Marmolejo was eating and drinking. He said he became concerned when he called Marmolejo several times the next day but did not receive an answer.
" I was suppose to come over and do some laundry," he said.

He pointed out that the 55 year old Marmolejo was a U.S. Army veteran who served in Vietnam and that he had a heart condition for which he was taking medication.

After investigating for about an hour, the deputy gave a statement about the preliminary findings of the investigation.

"It appears to be a heart attack," he said of the cause of Marmolejo's death. His body showed no signs of burn damage or even smoke inhaltion and deputies found multiple types of heart medication in the home.

Sheriff's Department Publich Information Officer confirmed that Marmolejo's death seemed unrelated to the fire. The preliminart investigation put Marmolejo's time of death between two and four hours before he was found by firefighters.

An autopsy was conducted to try to ascertain Marmolejo's cause of death, which an investigaro with the coroner's ofice said was being investigated as suspicious but not as a crime.

If the autopsy proves inconclusive the coroner's office will conduct a toxicology screening, which can take as long as eight weeks.

As for the fire, the cause appears to be sparks from fireworks set off the night before.

The sparks "got in some material on the proch and smoldered there quite some time before it came to produce flames.

The materials that burned were of a type that could easily smolder for hours before anyone would notice.

Flames and smoke did little damage to the structure and no damage to the inside.

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