March 2020

David and Maribeth VonTungeln are home.

The El Reno couple arrived Saturday night after a three-week ordeal that began Feb. 21 when they boarded the Grand Princess cruise ship headed for Hawaii. While returning, the ship was placed under quarantine after a passenger became ill with the coronavirus. That passenger would die and some 21 other passengers on board would reportedly test positive for the virus. The ship, with some 3,500 passengers, sat off the coast of northern California for days while officials worked to figure out how to handle the situation.

Brice Hill has been eagerly awaiting his senior season at El Reno High School after losing his junior year while going through rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery on his shoulder.

After the first five games of the Indians 2020 season, Hill looked well on his way to having a stellar final campaign in an Indians uniform.

“Everything is starting to click and was coming back,” said Hill.

The right-hander is 2-0 with a save and a zero earned run average over 11 2/3 innings. Seventeen batters have been retired by strikeouts against five walks.

Redlands Community College will be moving on-campus classes to online courses between Monday, March 23 to Friday, April 10. Students are out this week due to spring break.

College offices and services will open regular business hours during this period in order to maintain operations and be available to assist students as needed.

During this time, RCC staff will be working to sanitize all classrooms, common areas and offices.

Concurrent classes held on high school campuses will continue on-site as scheduled.

Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the El Reno Public School System is “hoping for the best but planning for the worst,” said Superintendent Craig McVay.

On Monday, as McVay waited for word that the State Department of Education would close all public schools at least until April 6, he said the health issue is by far the most talked about topic.

“It’s coronavirus, wall-to-wall,” McVay said.

Cities across the state and the nation have been scrambling to figure out how to best prevent the spread of the disease.

El Reno Mayor and Acting City Manager Matt White took to Facebook Monday afternoon to let citizens know a “state of emergency” has been declared in response to the coronavirus.

White said the Carnegie Library will remain open, but no meetings will be held there. He said the Senior Citizens Center would be closed for a week.

“We’ll take this week-by-week,” White said.

White said water cutoffs for lack of payment would be suspended and municipal court would also be suspended along with any public meetings at City Hall.

Funeral services for Raquel Luna Garcia will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, March 20 at Sacred Heart Church. Burial will be in the El Reno Cemetery under direction of Huber-Benson Funeral Home.

Raquel died March 14, 2020, at home in El Reno. She was born Oct. 19, 1929, in Enid. Raquel was raised in El Paso before returning to Enid during her teen years. There she met and married Pete Garcia and they moved to El Reno where they made their home.  They had three children.

Prayer service for Regina Mary Schwarz was held Monday, March 16 at Sacred Heart Church, with Mass of Christian Burial held Tuesday, March 17 at Sacred Heart Church with Revs. Louis Philip and Lance Warren officiating. Burial followed in the Holy Trinity Cemetery in Okarche. Services were under the direction of Huber-Benson Funeral Home.

Regina, 85, of El Reno, died March 13, 2020. She was born in Okarche to John and Rose Alig Grellner. She graduated from Holy Trinity High School in Okarche in 1952.

Visitation for Robert Reyes Jr. will be from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 18 in the Benson Memorial Chapel. Graveside services will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, March 19 in the El Reno Cemetery with Pastor Dick Kurtz officiating. Services are under the direction of Huber-Benson Home.

Mr. Reyes died March 11, 2020, at OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City. He was born Dec. 25, 1979, in Vasalia, Calif. 

A diesel mechanic, he was a fan of the Kansas City Chiefs and Nebraska Cornhuskers and enjoyed fishing and hunting.