Francis "Sonny" Trenum

BARTON - Francis Allen “Sonny” Trenum, 82, of 18517 Takoma Drive SW, Barton, MD, passed away Saturday, August 17, 2013, at WMHS with his family at his side after a long and courageous 7 year battle with Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Born December 10, 1930, in Westernport, MD, Sonny was the son of the late Howard Francis and Jane Mildred (Kirk) Trenum. Preceding him in death, besides his parents, were his sisters-in-law Catherine (Jones) Cook and Ruth (Smith) Jones.

Sonny served in the U.S. Marine Corps from October 9, 1951 to October 8, 1953, Second Recruit Battalion, Platoon 495,  where he was an aviation mechanic serving on the USS Bennington and USS Antietam. After discharge from the Marine Corps he worked at Jake’s Service Station in Westernport before starting to work at Westvaco (West Virginia Pulp and Paper Co.) in August, 1954. Sonny retired in 1994 from Westvaco with 40 years of service, ending his career as the supervisor on  No. 8  paper machine. All who worked for and with him during those 40 years held him in the highest regard as he respected them and earned their respect.

He was a 50 year member of the Barton United Methodist Church, 30 year member of the Barton Fire Company, Georges Creek Valley Lodge #161 AF & AM. Order of the Eastern Star, Martha Washington Chapter #10, the Scottish Rite, Ali Ghan Shrine Club (Motor Corps Unit), a life member of the Barton American Legion, and a trustee of the former El Fidel Dance Club.

Sonny will be remembered for his quiet way of getting things done. He always said “If a job is worth doing then do it right or don’t do it at all”. This was stressed with his children and grandchildren as well as the many who worked for him at the mill. Many hours were spent tinkering and fixing things, working on his cars and home improvements. We could always count on him to give us the correct identification of cars, their year and model, even when the differences were minor. He drove the coolest cars in town and loved his “57 Chevy! Keeping a shine on his car kept a smile on his face!  He was always ready lend a hand to help anyone who needed his help.

Many will also remember his talent for roller skating and dancing. As a young man many hours were spent at the roller skating rink in Piedmont, WV. His first gift to his future wife was a pair of roller skates. He loved to dance and he and Evelyn could always wow the crowd and amaze his children and grandchildren.

Sonny enjoyed his yearly trips to Ocean City, especially when the grandchildren made the trip with him. He thrived on the confusion of everyone talking at once. He loved to drive till the end and was always willing to take you anywhere you wanted to go.

A man of great strength and strong moral values instilled in his children and grandchildren, Sonny is survived by his wife of 60 years, Evelyn Mae (Jones) Trenum. The couple was married on New Year’s Eve in 1952. He enjoyed the telling the story of walking up Church Hill in Lonaconing in three feet of snow to get married. He is also survived by his children Mary Jane Dye and husband, Herby, Frostburg and Wyoming, Amy Sue Patton and husband, Tom, Barton, and Gary Joe Trenum and wife, Annie (Roland), Frostburg. Also surviving him are his grandchildren and the lights of his life; Megan Elizabeth (Patton) Bittinger and husband, Sid, Midland, and Jennifer Ashley Patton, Baltimore, Derek Allen Dye, Arlington VA., and Kaitlyn Jane Dye, Seattle, WA., Joshua Roland Trenum and Grace Marie Trenum, Frostburg. He is also survived by his great-grandson, Kaden Mac Bittinger. His proudest moments were watching his grandchildren live life to the fullest. He attended every sporting event, dance recital, concert, play, musical, speech, and graduation, no matter how far he had to travel, letting everyone know he was the proud “Pap”. He now has a “reserved” ringside seat for every future event.

He is also survived by his sister and brother-in-law, Arlene and Elzie Michael, Westernport and his niece, Juetta (Michael) Gould, Westernport, husband Ron and children, Daniel, Autumn, and Michael. Also surviving are his brother-in-law, James G. Jones, Covington, GA and niece, Kendra (Jones) Mayfield, husband Lee and children Max and Lily, and brother-in-law, Gerald Cook, Sr., Lonaconing, and nephew, Gerald Cook, Jr. as well as many cousins, some that were like brothers.

Pallbearers will be Derek Dye, Josh Trenum, Gerald Cook, Jr., Sid Bittinger, Don Beeman, Stanley Broadwater, Joseph (Sonny) Kyle and Jim Bosley.

Friends will be received at the Boal Memorial Chapel in Barton on Tuesday, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and    6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Memorial services by the Barton Fire Company, Barton American Legion and the Georges Creek Valley Lodge #161 AF & AM will be held from 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

A funeral services will be held at the Barton United Methodist Church at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Interment will at Laurel Hill Cemetery, Moscow.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Sonny’s memory to aid in finding a cure and creating awareness of this relatively unknown disease that can afflict young and old to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, 230 East Ohio Street, Suite 304, Chicago, Illinois 60611 my mail or by phone 1-888-733-6741. Donations can also be made online at http://www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org/donate. A tribute to Sonny can also be viewed at this site http://www.pulmonary-fibrosis.donorpages.com/Tribute/SonnyTrenum

Donations may also be made in Sonny’s memory to the transportation fund at the Ali Ghan Shrine Club, the Barton Fire Company, or the Barton United Methodist Church.

We would like to thank Dr. Schmidt for helping to extend his time with us well beyond the average life expectancy of this disease. Also, a heartfelt thanks to all of his caregivers over the past month at Egle Nursing Home, and the High Level Care Unit (5th floor) at WMHS. Your care and compassion did not go unnoticed.

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