Loweida Artense Myrick Bunnell, 1925–2024

Loweida Artense Myrick Bunnell, age 98, passed away peacefully into Jesus’ arms on January 17, 2024, in Long Beach, California, with her son, Dick, and daughter, Millie, by her side.

Loweida was born on August 2, 1925 in Blue Ridge, Texas, to Henry Dow Myrick and Cordelia Dena Nevil Myrick.

Loweida grew up in Blue Ridge and the Floydada, Texas, area and was baptized in Whitewright, Texas. She grew up enjoying the music of her talented mother’s piano playing. Loweida loved the West Texas plains and watching her father work on the oil drilling rigs. Loweida graduated from Floydada High School in West Texas.

As a young lady she was the manager of the family owned and operated “OK Café” in Floydada. It was there she met the love of her life, her beloved husband, Dick Elton Bunnell, who owned and operated the OK Rubber Welders tire shop in Floydada.

The couple married on December 25, 1947 and moved to Santa Monica, California, to join her husband’s family in running their family owned and operated business. The business created commercial art designs and stateof- the-art silk screening, producing commercial artwork of the 1950s and ’60s that was sold to the movie studios, hotels and theater fronts, including some of the more iconic blacklight posters of the ’60s and ’70s, as well as animated sign boards on Wilshire Boulevard and float designs for the Tournament of Roses Parade. Loweida was very creative and talented on many projects, including silk screening and resin artwork, lamps, resin jewelry, resin grapes, poster board art and frames.

Loweida was fascinated with the Hollywood movie industry and the new television media of the era. Introducing her children to the industry in the Screen Children’s Guild (S.A.G. for child actors), she enjoyed being a stage mom taking her children to many movie, TV and commercial shoots in and around Los Angeles and at the major movie studios.

Loweida also was a proud member of the Teamsters Union for retail clerks and enjoyed working in that industry for many years in Inglewood and Manhattan Beach, California.

After the passing of her beloved husband, Dick Bunnell, in 1988, Loweida moved to Helendale/Silver Lakes, California. Loweida was a devoted Christian and longtime member of the Helendale Community Church. She also enjoyed spending time with her granddaughter, Nicolette, joining her in all of her club activities growing up, such as varsity tennis, farmers' markets, Hinkley Rollicking Ranchers 4-H Club, Girl Scouts, Mojave Desert Gem and Mineral Society, Equestrian trails horse club Eti, and International Order of the Rainbow for Girls Barstow #81 and Victorville Masonic Lodges. Loweida was a proud member of the Order of the Eastern Star Chapter #242 and #247 and Order of the Amaranth Court #123 along with her daughter, Millie, and granddaughter, Nicolette.

More recently, Loweida enjoyed planning and attending Nicolette’s engagement party, bridal shower, wedding and baby shower and welcoming the birth of her first great-grandson, Alexander Nicholas Salazar, whom she called the “cherry on top of her life.” She also enjoyed camping and road trips with her son Dick Joseph Bunnell and step-grandsons, Kenny and Matt Derocili.

Loweida also enjoyed the annual Myrick Family Reunion in Canton, Texas, Daingerfield, Texas and Ardmore, Oklahoma.

In her free time, Loweida loved music, especially her talented husband’s piano playing. Loweida loved to tap dance, clog dance, square dance and line dance with her dance groups. She loved the music of Andre Rieu, Dolly Parton and Elvis Presley, and enjoyed going to their concerts. She raised miniature horses and enjoyed her many peacocks and guinea hens on her ranch in Helendale.

Loweida was a very patriotic American from a military family and supported the USO and military; her husband was a World War II veteran, Army Air Corps (Aleutian Islands, Battle of Attu, Asiatic-Pacific service). Loweida often spoke about her late big brother, Clovis Myrick, who was also a World War II veteran, whose service started with his voyage to the European Theatre on the Queen Mary, a.k.a. The Gray Ghost. Loweida was so very proud of her family and all her brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews who served and are serving in every branch of the United States Armed Forces. Loweida attended many veterans’ events, visiting veterans at the VA hospital, the Veterans’ Home in Barstow, Fort Irwin, the Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Edwards Air Force Base, the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base and the Pima Air Museum in Arizona.

Loweida is preceded in death by her husband, Dick Bunnell; her parents, Henry and Cordelia Myrick; her brothers Gloy Myrick, Clovis Myrick, Rasse Myrick, and Jackie Myrick; her sister Aris McWilliams; her sisters-in-law and brothersin- law; and her nieces and nephews.

Loweida is survived by her daughter, Millie Dena Grill, and husband, Nick, of Hinkley, California; her son, Dick Joseph Bunnell and wife, Andrea, of Fountain Valley, California; her granddaughter, Nicolette Salazar and husband, Joseph, of Helendale/Silver Lakes, California her stepgrandsons, Kenneth Derocili and Matthew Derocili, of Fountain Valley, California; her great-grandson, Alexander Nicholas Salazar; her sister, Joyce Taylor, and husband, Max, of Texarkana, Texas; and other sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews, and many more family and friends.

Spending time with family was most important to Loweida. Loweida will live on in the hearts and memories of all who knew and loved her. Loweida was an exceptionally beautiful, classy lady inside and out; she had a beautiful heart, twinkling eyes and sparkling personality that charmed everyone. She also loved helping people and volunteering in many charitable organizations.

She was the best and most wonderful mother, wife, sister, daughter, aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. She was the best of the best. We loved her dearly. The family will profoundly miss her.

A public viewing will be held Wednesday, February 28, 2024, from noon to 4 p.m. at Inglewood Cemetery Mortuary, 3801 West Manchester Blvd., Inglewood, California 90305, (310) 412-6811.

A second public viewing will be held Thursday, February 29, 2024, from 12:30 to 1 p.m. at the Golden West Galleria Chapel, Inglewood Park Cemetery, 720 E. Florence Ave., Inglewood, California 90301, (310) 4126500.

A public funeral service will be held Thursday, February 29, 2024, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Golden West Galleria Chapel, with a graveside service and white dove release immediately following.

A reception will be held at 3:30 p.m. at the Proud Bird Restaurant, 11022 Aviation Blvd., Los Angeles, California 90045, (213) 2584328.

The family of Loweida Bunnell would like to thank you all for the love, prayers, support, and expressions of sympathy shown following her passing. Your support at this difficult time is very much appreciated and a great comfort to all of our family. God bless you.

For those who wish to view the services but cannot attend, livestreaming is available. Inquire for link: (714) 342-3352.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Shriners Hospitals for Children at www.donate.lovetotherescue. org