Services were held Oct. 19 at El Camino Memorial Park & Mortuary in San Diego for former Ceres resident Arden O. Bryant, 92. The San Diego resident died Oct. 10, 2011.
Born Aug. 25, 1919 in Ceres, Arden was the first of two children born to Reece and Verna F. Bryant. He was baptized in 1930 at Ceres First Christian Church. In 1937 he graduated from Ceres High School where he was a member of the football team. Arden then worked for Tom W. Boothe of Modesto from 1938 to 1940 as a foreman over construction and salesman of plywood building materials. He moved to San Diego in 1940 where he became a hoist operator and utility repairman at the U.S. Naval Destroyer Base until 1942. He became a San Diego firefighter in January 1942 until his induction into the Army on April 9, 1943. After three months, Mr. Bryant was promoted to staff sergeant and assigned to the 154th Combat Engineers Battalion, and then assigned with both the 81st Infantry Division and the First Marine Division seeing action in the Southwest Pacific in the Peleiu Islands on New Caledonia and in the Southern Philippines. After his 1945 honorable discharge from the Army, Arden returned to the San Diego Fire Department where he retired as a battalion chief in 1974. Arden married Belle V. Abbett on Sept. 9, 1947.
Mr. Bryant was active in the Gaililean White Shrine, San Miguel Chapter of the Eastern Star, Silvergate Masonic Lodge, Harbor Kiwanis Club, Scottish Rite Bodies, Al Bohr Shrine Temple, San Diego Uplifters, and was past president of the Peace Officers Shrine Club and a past commodore of the Southwestern Yacht Club. Arden enjoyed ocean fishing, yachting and spending time with family and friends.
He leaves behind his son, Gary Bryant; his sister, Annabelle Jaureguy; three grandchildren, Brandon Bryant, Megan Battle and Garrett Bryant; and two great-grandchildren, Samantha Bryant and Connor Bryant. He was preceded in death by wife Belle in 1986 and son Michael in 1996.
-Ceres Courier/ November 2, 2011
Born Aug. 25, 1919 in Ceres, Arden was the first of two children born to Reece and Verna F. Bryant. He was baptized in 1930 at Ceres First Christian Church. In 1937 he graduated from Ceres High School where he was a member of the football team. Arden then worked for Tom W. Boothe of Modesto from 1938 to 1940 as a foreman over construction and salesman of plywood building materials. He moved to San Diego in 1940 where he became a hoist operator and utility repairman at the U.S. Naval Destroyer Base until 1942. He became a San Diego firefighter in January 1942 until his induction into the Army on April 9, 1943. After three months, Mr. Bryant was promoted to staff sergeant and assigned to the 154th Combat Engineers Battalion, and then assigned with both the 81st Infantry Division and the First Marine Division seeing action in the Southwest Pacific in the Peleiu Islands on New Caledonia and in the Southern Philippines. After his 1945 honorable discharge from the Army, Arden returned to the San Diego Fire Department where he retired as a battalion chief in 1974. Arden married Belle V. Abbett on Sept. 9, 1947.
Mr. Bryant was active in the Gaililean White Shrine, San Miguel Chapter of the Eastern Star, Silvergate Masonic Lodge, Harbor Kiwanis Club, Scottish Rite Bodies, Al Bohr Shrine Temple, San Diego Uplifters, and was past president of the Peace Officers Shrine Club and a past commodore of the Southwestern Yacht Club. Arden enjoyed ocean fishing, yachting and spending time with family and friends.
He leaves behind his son, Gary Bryant; his sister, Annabelle Jaureguy; three grandchildren, Brandon Bryant, Megan Battle and Garrett Bryant; and two great-grandchildren, Samantha Bryant and Connor Bryant. He was preceded in death by wife Belle in 1986 and son Michael in 1996.
-Ceres Courier/ November 2, 2011
