Kinzetta Jean Trimble

Kinzetta Jean (Riley) Trimble, 91 years young, joined the angels on February 25th, 2021. As a young girl, Kinzetta relocated to California’s Central Valley with her family as the Dust Bowl made it near impossible to farm in Oklahoma. From a young age, she was responsible for cooking and cleaning for her nine siblings and parents, while they worked on the farm. This is where she learned the value of hard work, which she would later instill in her daughters and expect from those around her. Kinzetta was a dedicated mother who always sacrificed for her daughters, whom she raised mostly on her own. She stitched their clothes, baked pies and took them to church every Sunday. When the girls were young, she taught them the value of hard work, having them shell walnuts, pull weeds and clean the house far more often than they saw fit. While they didn’t have much money, her daughters still remember how she managed to make each holiday special. Her Christmas candy has always been a hit.

Kinzetta was a very strong woman but you wouldn’t know it just by looking at her. She took pride in always being well dressed and put together like a lady. The appointment with her hairdresser was her favorite hour of the week. With the perfectly permed apricot hair decorated with seasonal stickers, she lived a life full of adventure and lacking in fear. She rode motorcycles, flew planes, won sharpshooting competitions, traveled the world, and drove a shiny Cadillac through the winding mountain roads of Mariposa. She was versatile - working day and night to support her daughters and her community. She worked for the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department and ironed clothes for spare money for many years, which is how she met her late husband Ed. She was a member of the International Association of Rebekah where she was elected Noble Grand. She became a qualified tax agent and was manager of H&R Block Mariposa. She was later a licensed nail technician and volunteered her time giving manicures and pedicures at nursing homes. Furthermore, she spent much of her adult life taking care of aging neighbors. She played an active role as her family’s matriarch - sending her grandchildren and great-grandchildren birthday cards with her infamous two dollar bills each year. She made all the new babies a blanket and made a porcelain doll for everyone who wanted one. Her collection of Kewpies and porcelain dolls made sleepovers at Grammys a little tough to sleep.  She attended all family reunions, holidays, weddings and celebrations.

Kinzee, as some love to call her, was one of a kind. She was fun, wild and unapologetic. You could find her square dancing in Mariposa and dancing on the tables at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore. She would make you biscuits and gravy for breakfast and a berry cobbler with ice cream for dessert. She could make a new friend anywhere and she loved to play with every baby she saw.  She always had a jigsaw puzzle in progress but would pack it up in a heartbeat if anyone wanted to play cards. She took creative liberties with the rules of the card games…in her favor of course! She enjoyed reading the newspaper front to back to pass the time until her beloved mail arrived. She once missed a kilt lifting at a family wedding and asked for a do-over. She wasn’t a regular drinker, but she always made exceptions for Jell-O shots with her grandkids or a margherita and taco with her daughters. Last year, her family was fortunate enough to come together for her 90th birthday. More than 80 family members and friends gathered to celebrate with her, a true testament to the woman she was. Survived by her two sisters Maxine White, Linda McCraw (Dwight), five daughters Marilyn Tomasian, Gail Tavares, Diane Morse (Steve), Margie Mears-Koltz (Bill), Rachel Jalota (Gaurav), 11 Grandchildren and 15 Great-Grandchildren. Kinzetta is now re-united with many people who were very close to her heart. Namely, her husband Edward Albert Trimble, her siblings Mary Renfro, Marie Capps, Sandra Fike, Bud, Jack Lex and Neal Riley, her daughter Karen Walsh and her Son-in-Laws Lee Walsh and Rick Tavares. Kinzetta was loved and will be missed dearly by the countless family members and friends she has left behind. Whenever we see a hummingbird, we will think of you. Rest in peace Kinzetta Jean Trimble.

There will be a memorial at a later date to celebrate her life.  Details to be shared as soon as possible. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests planting a tree in memory of Kinzetta. Alternatively, you can donate to the Wounded Warrior Project, which Kinzetta was a supporter of.

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