Alva Guler Pankratz was born on Thanksgiving day, November 28, 1935, Alva passed away on Friday, April 22, 2022. She is preceded in death by her husband, Bruce Pankratz, granddaughter Natasha Jade, and parents, Martha and Elwin Guler. She grew up in Dos Palos as an only child (which she loved) and graduated from Dos Palos High School in 1953. Upon graduation she attended Fresno State College and pledged Delta Gamma Sorority, majoring and graduating in early education. After graduating, Alva taught in the Fresno Public School district. In 1959, she married Bruce Pankratz of Fresno and had two children, Greg and Marta. They lived in Fresno before moving to the Sacramento area and then back to her hometown of Dos Palos where she worked for the Dos Palos Elementary School as a first grade teacher before retiring in 1998. Alva touched many school age hearts through her dedication and love for learning. Alva enjoyed attending Fresno State football and basketball games with her husband and was an avid San Francisco Giants fan, attending many games throughout the years. She treasured her time with her friends playing bridge and looked forward to bridge night and hosting parties. In 2015, she moved to Buena Vista, Colorado with her daughter, son-in-law, and grandson. She and her family lived there with beautiful views of the mountains, streams, and snow all while enjoying the grazing of local deer, elk, and antelope. In 2021, she again moved with her family to Diana, Texas with peaceful surroundings of the lake, birds, and green hills outside her window. She is survived by her son, Greg, grandsons Brett, Holland, and Reno; daughter, Marta (Troy), grandchildren Madeline (Kyle), Rai, and Trae, and two great-grandchildren, Bradley and Riley. A gathering for family and friends will be at the Gage Farms (38741 W. Silaxo Avenue Firebaugh, CA 93622) on Sunday, June 12th at 1:00 pm. A contribution, in remembrance, to any animal shelter is appreciated (if you knew Alva, she had many, many cats and a soft spot for any stray that ended up on her doorstep).
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