Bell restoration makes personal connection for resident

History came full circle for longtime resident Gerry Moncur, 78, who heard about the Wildomar bell rededication at a recent town hall meeting. The class of 1946 Elsinore High School graduate moved with her family to Wildomar in 1944 during World War II. She returned to her hometown in the 1980s and has lived there ever since. Her parents remained in the family home and kept her informed of the latest community news. “They always told me what was happening, so I always knew what was going on,” she said.

Moncur’s father, Elroy Pelletier, helped build the original tower to house the bell when the old schoolhouse was destroyed to make room for the current school facility in the late 1950s. She said she was unaware of her dad’s role until late local historian and nearby middle school namesake David A. Brown told her when she returned to the area.

Moncur and her husband Grant decided to come to the recent bell celebration in remembrance of the family connection. “I just wanted to see the bell,” she said. “Nobody will know <about her dad’s contribution>.”

But word quickly spread and Moncur was soon describing her memories of living in Wildomar back in the day. The rural farmlands, periodic flooding of Lake Elsinore up to Corydon, legendary postmistress Dorothy Turner, watching cowboys herd cattle at Pauba Ranch and the educational institution of schoolteacher Ida Keegan, who taught at the Wildomar K-8 school from 1928 to 1948, were reminisced and shared with listeners.

Coincidentally, one of the focuses of the bell restoration and time capsule projects was to find longtime residents to share their priceless eyewitness stories of Wildomar’s early years. Wildomar Historical Society member Sheryl Ade said it was an ongoing project to videotape and record memories of the area. “We’re looking for people who have lived here for a long time,” she said.

Moncur was treated to a chance to ring the bell with the assistance of Supervisor Bob Buster, who helped pull the rope to set the bell wheel in motion. “He was the kindest person to let me do that,” she said.

The Wildomar Historical Society was also involved in efforts to save and preserve the historic 1886 home of local settler Rudolph Brown. After the Brown property was slated for development, the society arranged a swap of home sites between two developers, allowing one, Beazer Homes, to proceed with the construction of tract homes and the other, the Bergman Companies, to incorporate the Brown house or the future historical society museum into a planned commercial/retail center off Baxter and the I-15 freeway. Society members hosted a “bon voyage” party in August and arranged for the home to be moved to a temporary location until its permanent site is ready.

For more information, contact the Wildomar Historical Society at (951) 678-1385. Meetings are held the first Saturday of each month at noon at the Wildomar Chamber of Commerce office, 33751 Mission Trail.