Obituary: Bill Kettler, known for discovering ancient graveyard in Bolsa Chica, dies at 101

William “Bill” Kettler discovered two Native American skeletons, cogged stones and other artifacts in the area now known as the Bolsa Chica Wetlands when he was a young teenager in the early 1930s.

Those would be a game changer for Huntington Beach in the decades to come, as Kettler’s discovery of an ancient graveyard is credited with helping to quell development plans in the area and preserve the space.

Kettler contributed a lot to the city he called home for more than a century.

He died Sunday at the age of 101 after going into hospice care in recent weeks and suffering from dementia, said his son, Howard Kettler.

“Although it’s hard to say goodbye, we hold a lot of great memories of our father and the time we shared together,” Howard Kettler said. “Dad was quite proud to have grown up in Huntington Beach and to be active in Huntington Beach affairs through all the years.”

Bill Kettler was born in Garden Grove on March 10, 1922, but lived his entire life in Huntington Beach, except for time spent at UCLA in college and the United States Army Air Corps (Air Force) during World War II.

He grew up on a farm on Springdale Street, just south of Smeltzer (now Edinger) Avenue, the son of a farmer who grew lima beans and tomatoes. He graduated from Huntington Beach High School in 1939 and married his late wife of 67 years, Marjorie, in 1943.

William “Bill” Kettler watches as the contents of Kettler Elementary School’s time capsule are removed in Huntington Beach in 2022.

(File Photo)

Bill Kettler’s discoveries in Bolsa Chica helped cultivate his love of Native American history, Howard Kettler said.

“When they wanted to build all the homes in the Bolsa Chica Wetlands [in the 1990s], initially they wanted to put in over a thousand homes,” Howard Kettler said. “Then they reduced that number to several hundred homes on the mesa, saying there were no Indian burial sites up there. My dad said, ‘That is not true.’”

Bolsa Chica Mesa recently had 6.2 acres transferred back to the Acjachemen and Tongva tribes, a first in Orange County.

Bill Kettler went on to work as a mortician and financial adviser and was a docent for the Bolsa Chica Land Trust for years. Kettler was also a dedicated member of the Rotary Club of Huntington Beach as well as a Masonic lodge.

He spent 30 total years as a trustee with the local school district and the Coast Community College District, and Kettler Elementary School was named for him when it was dedicated during the 1972-73 school year.

The former school site now houses the Huntington Beach City School District office, and Kettler showed up in 2022 as an old time capsule was revealed.

“He was an incredible storyteller,” Huntington Beach historian Chris Epting said. “To me, the most important thing about Bill is that he didn’t just live it, but he had a hunger for sharing it. That’s the big difference. Some people live it and don’t care to share or know how to share, but Bill celebrated this idea of passing along his knowledge and stories.”

Epting would often bring groups of people to Kettler’s house as part of his historic tours of the city. Kettler would make sure to pass around a cogged stone to his guests.

“I always thought that was profound and really a game-changer for a lot of people, as they would pass this sacred stone around,” Epting said. “He loved watching people’s reactions when they would first hold the cogged stone.”

Kettler is survived by his sons Howard and Kurt Kettler and daughter Karen Kluewer, all of Huntington Beach. He leaves four grandchildren, Brett Kluewer, Lauren Prelesnick, William Kettler and Ashlyn Kettler, as well as four great-grandchildren.

Howard Kettler said his father’s remains will be cremated, per his wishes, but the family wants to have a celebration of life at a time and place to be determined.