SAFFORD — A man who owned and operated a funeral home and an ambulance service, and a man who taught for decades at EAC and provided the Gila Valley with fresh fruit were honored for their contributions to the community.
During the annual meeting of the Graham County Historical Society on Saturday, Jan. 18, Ray Luster and Eldon Angle were presented the Historical Society’s Heritage Awards.
Luster was born in 1929 in the Pima area, and he spent his youth working on the family farm. As an adult, he would assist Caldwell Funeral Home, which led to his becoming a partner and eventual owner. Caldwell also operated the local ambulance service, and he eventually started a medical supply business.
He finally “retired” at 73 by selling the funeral home, but continued to help the new owners for an additional five years.
Luster said the biggest change he’s seen in his years serving the Gila Valley is improvements in technology.
“They’ve changed it to the better to get their patients to the hospital, where they need to be. The funeral business has changed a lot, too,” Luster said.
– David Bell Photo/Gila Valley Central
After a stint in the Army, Angle obtained his degree and taught first at Snowflake High School before teaching for 27 years at Eastern Arizona College, specializing in human anatomy and heading up the Math Department.
He and his sons built numerous homes in the Gila Valley and in 1980 he purchased Angle Orchard from his father and managed the operation for 25 years. Angle Orchard was founded in 1922 by Angle’s grandfather, Eldon Prescott Angle.
Despite helping feed the Gila Valley, Angle said it was his time as a teacher that he preferred.
“Because I was able to help people, students, reach their potential,” Angle said.
