(Editor’s note: Four distinguished Taft Union High School graduates will be inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame on April 11. Biographies of all four will be printed in the Taft Midway Driller and on the paper’s website, taftmidwaydriller.com
Carl F. Twisselman II was born on May 30, 1940, in Atascadero, California. Shortly after his birth, his parents, Carl and Dorothy Twisselman, brought him home to the family’s Temblor Ranch near Cholame, just northwest of McKittrick. Growing up on the ranch, Carl became deeply involved in ranching and grazing operations, continuing a lifelong connection to the land and agricultural community. He attended Olig Elementary School, McKittrick Elementary School, and graduated from Taft Union High School in 1958 before continuing his education at Taft College and the University of California, Berkeley.
In 1961, Carl married Martha Matney, a fellow Taft High alumna. Together they returned to the ranch to build a life centered on family, ranching, and community service. They raised four children—Mary Ann, Carl F. Twisselman III (Rick), Julie, and Kathy—all graduates of Taft Union High School…