July 15th, 2011

CONGRATULATIONS CINDY ROWE FOR 25 YEARS OF EXCELLENT SERVICE!

25 Year Anniversary with Inyo-Mono Title Company for Cindy Rowe!

Jerry Core, owner of Inyo-Mono Title Company presented Cindy Rowe with a certificate in celebration of her 25 years of employment with the company.  Cindy was awarded an all-inclusive “Hawaii Style” vacation for two in Waikiki Beach, Hawaii.

Cindy moved to Mammoth Lakes in 1981 just a few days after marrying her husband Fred.  She began her career with Inyo-Mono Title Company on July 14, 1986 in the company’s Mammoth office.  Cindy has worked in the title department and is now the Lead Title Policy Department Supervisor.  Cindy relocated to the company’s Bishop office in 1990.  Cindy and Fred have 3 grown children.

Jerry says that Cindy is the fastest typist that he or anyone has ever seen.  “She’s lighting” he says.  Inyo-Mono Title Company and all their employees and customers want to thank Cindy for all her hard work and dedication.  They all hope she will remain with the company for another 25 years!

August 2nd, 2010

Rest In Peace James "Jim" Durward Core. Owner and Co-Founder of Inyo-Mono Title Company.

This photo of the animated Core was taken at his and Jo's 50th wedding anniversary.

The Mammoth Times Weekly

July 30th, 2010

By Wendilyn Grasseschi

When Inyo-Mono Title founder Jim Core died last week at 74 after a struggle with Lou Gehrig’s disease, he left behind him a very large hole in the fabric of the Eastern Sierra, according to those who knew him.

Core was known to give as much  attention to the family trying to buy a mobile home as he was to the agent trying to sell a multi-million dollar mansion. If the banks wouldn’t help, he often would, as long as his sharp, judge-of-character radar system marked you as a good bet.

“Much to my grandmother’s chagrin, he could never say no to anyone,” said his granddaughter, Michelle Forbis.

“He was the light of my life, the wind beneath my wings,” said his wife Jo.

“He was such a wonderful guy ... so fun-loving, with just the right amount of seriousness.”

“His mission, because he was a Christian man, was to help others. Throughout his life, when he found someone in need, he was always there and would do whatever possible to help.”

That pretty much summed up Core’s life, according to the many friends and family members left behind.

Here’s some more of what Core’s friends had to say about him.

“He was one of the wisest people I knew. He was right, he was just always right. Back in the ’80s when the economy fell apart, he knew things would rebound because he had such faith in the local business owners. And he was right again.
“He was so generous with his money to other people but he was notorious about not spending money on himself.
“I remember that day he drove up in a black Cadillac (after driving older cars for decades) and he came over to me and he asked me, “You don’t think it’s too flashy, do you?” That was classic Jim.”
– Rick Liebersbach,
longtime friend, attorney

“He was just a real friendly guy, that’s what always stood out to me. He helped out a lot of people, lending money, etc. I know that’s what connected him to so many people.
“And it was catching. Everyone in his company saw how he was and they wanted to be the same way ... But he was so modest. He never thought of himself like that. He just thought of himself as a Christian man and that’s what you did; you helped people when you could.”
– David Buckman,
longtime friend,
owner of Mammoth Properties

“Jim core was an icon, one of those people that shaped the Eastern Sierra. He was a very astute man, and he was just as likely to plop himself down beside your desk and talk to you about your week. He was a friend and mentor to so many businesses owners and residents.”
– Stacey Bardfield,
Mammoth Sierra Properties

“He was the most honest and trustworthy man. We always knew he would help anybody and everybody he could. He wanted to be sure his company was a direct reflection of who he was.
“And it was.”
– Michelle Forbis,
Core’s granddaughter and
Inyo-Mono Title employee

“He was the person who did more than any other one person to build the Town of Mammoth Lakes... and he was a pretty good poker player. A funny man and a lot of fun to be around.”
—Neil McCarroll,
longtime friend, attorney

“We knew Jim first on a professional level, later as a neighbor. Everyone speaks of Jim’s honesty and integrity in business. But he was also a great problem solver; he would find solutions so that a project could proceed. As a neighbor, he always wanted to strike up a conversation, and always had a smile on his face.  He would look at our garden and admire the corn, and joke that he was going to steal some of it.  So each year we would plant the corn right next to his fence to tempt him.”
– Dave and Ellen Laverty,
longtime friends and neighbors

“In 1985, after 20 years with Bank of America Escrow, I went to work for the Core family for the next 20 years. Jim always reminded me I was the oldest employee (older than him). He was a fair and generous boss, a friend, hard worker and instilled good work standards for his family and his employees. Jim was truly a self-made man, building a dynasty and leaving a legacy in Inyo and Mono Counties for years to come. He will be missed, but will live forever in our hearts. It has been my honor to be a part of the Core’s adopted family. Jim loved his family more than life.”
“He also loved his biscuits and gravy.”
— Mary Lou Sipherd,
longtime friend, former employee

Read the online article here: http://www.mammothtimes.com//content/blogcategory/19/27/ 

The Sierra Wave:

‘Sierra Wave’ “TV, Radio and the Web”

July 23, 2010

A man who lent money, advice and support to countless business owners in the Eastern Sierra died last Saturday. Jim Core was 74. He was surrounded by family when he died at his home in Bishop after a long battle with Lou Gehrig's disease.

When the banks wouldn't help prospective business people in Inyo and Mono, Jim Core was there, gaining the moniker "The Secret Bank of Mammoth". He was the founding CEO and President of the family-owned business, Inyo-Mono Title Company, located in Bishop and Mammoth from 1983 until his recent retirement.

Survivors include loving wife Jo Core of 57 years. Jim and Jo met in kindergarten in Paris, Arkansas, where Jim was born. They met up again in the early 1940s in Port Hueneme when they were juniors in high school. Relatives said their love was that of a lifetime.

Jim is also survived by son and daughter-in-law, Jerry and Debbie Core of Bishop, daughter and son-in-law Judy and Rick Markham of Bishop, five grand children and four great grand children: Mike Core of Ventura, James Markham of Mammoth, Michelle Forbis of Bishop, Tyler Core of Bishop and Julie Core of Australia, Ryan and Eric Forbis of Bishop and Kadyn and Owyn Core of Ventura, plus countless friends and admirers.

Jim had a great sense of humor, and as family said, you would always find a smile on his face. He lit up any room he entered and never knew a stranger, they said. He was described as a devoted family man who loved to travel with Jo and their dog, Tibby. He liked Dollywood and The Grand Ole Opry. Jim loved golf and craps and a good game of poker.

Jim had worked in the title and escrow business since he was 18. He worked in Ventura, Concord and Merced before the family moved to Bishop. His two children continued the title and escrow work as have two grandchildren.

Private services were held on July 20 at Pioneer Cemetery in Bishop. A public memorial for Jim Core will soon be announced in Mammoth. Donations can be made to Renown Hospital Institute of Neuroscience, ALS Division, Attn: Lisa Jonkey, 10101 Double R. Blvd., Reno, NV 89521 or the Hospice of the Owens Valley.

Read the online article here: http://news.sierrawave.net/eastern-sierra-news/3575-jim-core-key-contributor-to-eastern-sierra-communities

‘The Sheet’: “News, Views and culture of the Eastern Sierra.”

July 23, 2010

Jim Core, dubbed the “Bank of Mammoth” by the late Rick Blake and considered by many to be one of Mammoth’s three “icons” of the real estate and business communities (along with Dave McCoy and Tom Dempsey) passed away last Saturday. He was 74.

Core, who co-owned the Inyo-Mono Title Company with his son Jerry, is survived by Jo, his wife of 57 years, Jerry, daughter Judy Markham, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Core was born in Paris, Arkansas in 1936. His family moved to the Ventura, Calif. area in the early 1940s. He was in the title insurance and escrow business for over fifty years, starting out in Ventura with stops in Concord and Merced before settling in the Eastern Sierra in 1983.

Soon after his arrival, son Jerry said that the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) determination that Mammoth had “volcanic issues” led to a tremendous amount of economic uncertainty and property foreclosures. No banks would lend on Mammoth property. So Core stepped forward with a group of fellow Rotarians to establish a funding source for builders and buyers. “I know we funded a lot of people’s payrolls in the ‘80s,” said Jerry.

As Stacey Bardfield of Mammoth Sierra Properties added, “Jim provided the bridge between the people who had money and the people who needed it.”

“Because of him, many people in Mammoth Lakes are where they are today, me included,” said local real estate developer John Hooper.

“All of us would consider him a mentor,” Bardfield added. “He helped everyone from the guy trying to buy the mobile home to the guy building the multimillion dollar spec home to the lonely real estate agent who didn’t know what to do with their life.”

Bardfield said Core would hand-deliver commission checks and then sit down to chat, and it’s the memory of those personal conversations which she will forever cherish.

John Hooper described Core as “Easily the most knowledgeable person I’ve ever met in real estate and business. I always sought his advice before making any major decisions.”

“He was the most generous person I’ve ever met,” continued Hooper. “Some say he was generous to a fault, but … I don’t think generosity can be described as a character flaw.

He was one the few people left whom you could do business with on a handshake.”

Son Jerry recalled his mother’s observation that “He [Jim] never met a stranger.” He had an instant connection with people who liked and trusted him and sought his opinion.

As Jerry said, “He gave people a fuzzy feeling.” And he had a wonderful laugh. In a crowded room, you could identify where he was.

Jerry said his mother and father were always identified as a team and were invariably together. In fact, Jim and Jo knew each other as kindergartners in Arkansas and reconnected in high school after Jo’s family also moved out to California.

Jo was her husband’s faithful caregiver from the time he was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) in January, 2009 until his passing.

Inyo-Mono Title is and has always been a family business, and that extends beyond the children and grandchildren who have joined Inyo- Mono Title over time. “Everybody with us [at the company] is a part of our family,” said Jerry.

Just family, employees past and present and a handful of others were present at funeral services Tuesday.

Those who wish to make contributions in Core’s memory can do so by contributing to ALS research via:

Renown Institute for Neurosciences
ALS Division – Attn. Lisa Jonkey
10101 Double R Blvd.
Reno, NV 89521

Read the online article here: http://thesheetnews.com/archives/3732  

The Inyo Register

July 23, 2010

1936-2010

Private funeral services were held July 20 at the Pioneer Cemetery in Bishop for 27-year Bishop and Mammoth resident James “Jim”  Durward Core. A public memorial for Jim will soon be announced in Mammoth.
Born in January of 1936 in Paris, Ark., Jim died July 17, 2010 at his home in Bishop with his family by his side after a long battle with ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Jim was the founding CEO and president of the family-owned business, Inyo-Mono Title Company, located in Bishop and Mammoth, from 1983 until his recent retirement.
Jim was a devoted family man. He loved to travel with his wife, Jo, and their dog, Tibby. He enjoyed places like Dollywood and The Grand Ole Opry. Jim loved to play golf and craps and was always ready for a good game of poker.
Jim met his beloved wife Jo in kindergarten in Paris, Ark. and ultimately, the families moved to Port Hueneme in the early 1940s, where they met up once again as juniors at Oxnard High School, fell in love all over again and began a relationship that lasted 57 years.
Jim had a great sense of humor, and you would always find a smile on his face. He lit up any room he walked into. Jim never met a stranger.
Jim had been in the title and escrow business since he was 18 years old. He had worked in Ventura, Concord and Merced prior to the family move to Bishop. His two children followed in his foot-steps and then two grandchildren also followed as third generation “title and escrow guys” to continue his legacy.
Jim is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Jo Core; son and daughter-in-law, Jerry and Debbie Core of Bishop; daughter and son-in-law Judy and Rick Markham of Bishop; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, Mike Core of Ventura, James Markham of Mammoth, Michelle Forbis of Bishop, Tyler Core of Bishop and Julie Core of Australia, Ryan and Eric Forbis of Bishop and Kadyn and Owyn Core of Ventura. His survivors also include countless friends.
Donations can be made to Renown Hospital Institute of Neuroscience, ALS Division, Attn: Lisa Jonkey, 10101 Double R. Blvd., Reno, NV 89521 or the Hospice of the Owens Valley.

Read the online article here:  http://www.inyoregister.com/content/view/121794/32/

JUNE 8th, 2009

INYO-MONO TITLE COMPANY AWARDED 'BEST OF BISHOP 2009' BY THE U.S COMMERCE ASSOCIATION!

CLICK THE PICTURE ABOVE OR THIS TEXT TO VIEW THE PRESS RELEASE ABOUT THIS AWARD

JANUARY 30th, 2009

CONGRATULATIONS RICHARD HARRIES FOR 25 YEARS OF EXCELLENT SERVICE!

OWNER JERRY CORE PRESENTS RICHARD HARRIES WITH A 25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY HANDSHAKE AND GIFT ON BEHALF OF INYO-MONO TITLE COMPANY.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW ARTICLES/PICTURES FEATURING INYO-MONO TITLE COMPANY!

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