Coralee Dixon

Our loss, Heaven's gain: There goes Coralee. Actually, she is already there. She arrived in a twinkling of an eye, at about 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 24, 2022, Thanksgiving Day, singing praises to her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This world, which she entered on Sept. 26, 1939, is going to miss her infectious smile, her funny little snicker and her boisterous laugh; she found true joy in everything and everybody.

On Dec. 30, Coralee's earthly body will be interred by her family at Shafter Memorial Park.

On Dec. 17, at 11 a.m., there will be a Celebration of Eternal Life, with Jesus and Coralee's spirit as the special invited guests of honor. The service will be held at her church, the Congregational Bible Church of Shafter. Everybody who ever met her, and those that haven't, are invited to attend this joyous special event.

Coralee Alice Jennings Dixon came to this world through Lillian and Lloyd Jennings in Santa Monica. She lived and attended elementary school there until her father, who worked for the Douglas Aircraft Company, was transferred to the Mojave Desert, to what is now Edwards Air Force Base. This was the first of several moves she experienced – a common occurrence for aircraft industry families.

The family of five moved to the east side of Lancaster, where they lived in a crowded small one-bedroom travel trailer that was parked on an alfalfa ranch about 20 miles from town. Tomboy Coralee loved the adventure, but her older sister by six years hated it. That was understandable, having lived near the glamorous Sunset Boulevard movie stars, where many of the children of whom had become classmates and good friends. The sisters' hopes were buoyed, however, when their father announced that he was being transferred to Patuxent Naval Air Station. Subsequently, they would be living in Hollywood, as in Hollywood, Md. The family soon discovered they had traded one rural area with rattlesnakes and scorpions for another rural setting with water snakes and snapping turtles.

Six months later they moved back to Lancaster and pretty much stayed there for the duration of Coralee's education that included Antelope Valley High School, where she excelled, becoming a four-year member of the National Honor Society, graduating in 1957. She then attended Antelope Valley College, where she obtained an associate of arts degree in secretarial studies; one of the few career fields that were open to women at the time, even though her aptitude tests indicated she had the mind of a scientist. However, she had a great time socially at the college and was elected to the position of ASB secretary.

Another major social activity during the high school period her life was her involvement with the Lancaster Bethel of Job's Daughters, where she attained the position of Honored Queen. Even though this was over 60 years ago, she could still quote much of the Book of Job, chapter and verse. She believed that this experience gave her the ability to speak in front of people of any faith, which she did quite well.

We who knew her well believe this experience was the seed that was dropped into her life that led to her becoming a Christian almost 20 years later in 1975. Her husband of 56 years, Richard, can attest to her being a wife of noble character as described in Proverbs 31:10-31. According to him, she was the reason their marriage lasted despite their having met and married in five weeks. Although their marriage ceremony took place at the Chapel of Roses Wedding Chapel in Pasadena on Sept. 3, 1966, they both agreed that something special occurred when they met on July 29, 1966, at a dance sponsored by the Never-On-Friday-Club at the Pike's Verdugo restaurant. They celebrated both anniversaries every year until 2022, when she became ill.

Coralee's interests were wide and vast. Including some of those already mentioned, she enjoyed cooking, drawing, photography, traveling, knitting and sewing. The last mentioned she actually turned into a business called Fabric Art By Coralee. She began by creating fabulous vests that were made by cutting strips of material, then reassembling them into unique chevron designs. She then applied the same technique to handbags with equal success.

Of all her interests, she probably enjoyed writing the most. She was very creative in creating stories which she read at the Kern City Writers, Club of which she was a member for many years.

Coralee is the last of her immediate family to leave this world. She was preceded by her father and mother, her older sister, Doreen, and her younger brother, Lloyd. Those she leaves behind include her husband, Richard; daughter Robin (husband Josh) and daughter Honour; son Jason (wife Karen) and their sons Michael, Alex and David; and daughter Erin and her daughters Katie, Jazmine, Sequoia, Brianna, Danielle and Charlee.