CAN'T PLACE A VALUE ON THIS BURGLARY.

Byline: BETTIE RENCORET Senior columnist

LANCASTER - Burglars who broke into Ron Yorton's home have a surprise in store when they try to fence some of their loot.

They made off with a beautiful blue pottery urn that could have been mistaken for an antique. It isn't. It's actually a crematory urn containing the ashes of Yorton's deceased wife, LaVerne.

Yorton desperately wants it back. He is offering $1,000 for the safe return of that urn and its ashes.

``They can just leave it on the porch and disappear, for all I care,'' he said. ``Of course, I'd like the other stuff back, too, but the urn is the most important thing. That's something that can never be replaced. I just hope that they handle it with care.''

``It's hard to believe that anyone would deliberately take that if they knew what it was,'' he said. ``It has her name and her rosary in it.''

Yorton was on a trip to Washington for a relative's hip surgery when he got the word about the burglary. He drove 16 hours home to assess the damage.

``They broke into the cars in front first, then got into the garage. After that, they used a crowbar or something to jimmy the door and gain entrance to the house,'' Yorton said. ``They took all my guns, some of them handed down to me from my father. Then they looted the bedroom drawers and took all the jewelry, including a 1910 railroad watch.''

Another item taken was an old Graham Bell console model gramophone with its box of 70 cylinders, he said. ``That was bad enough, but I was devastated to find they had taken LaVerne. I didn't know how I was going to tell our seven children about this. How are they going to cope with the loss of their mother all over again?''

Yorton, a retired arborist, is a native of Stevens Point, Wis. After living in Santa Monica for about 25 years, he came to Antelope Valley in 1996. LaVerne died in 1999 of cancer at age 61.

He has taken great pride in making the house he only moved into weeks ago a botanical showplace.

``It's not finished yet,'' he said, ``but it's getting there. I love this place and want to feel safe in it, so if anyone has any information concerning this break-in I hope they'll come forward with it. I really need that urn back.''

He can be reached at [phone], or people can contact the Lancaster sheriff's station at [phone].

Menus for the week at the senior life nutrition sites in Lancaster and Palmdale have been announced. All meals include bread, margarine and coffee, tea or milk for a suggested donation of $2. Reservations at least a day in advance are now required.

Monday: Beef enchilada casserole, Spanish rice, juice, parsleyed carrots, garden salad, tapioca pudding.

Tuesday: Sweet and sour chicken, parsleyed potatoes, Normandy vegetables, cottage cheese, orange.

Wednesday: Roast pork, bread dressing, stewed tomatoes, tossed salad, grape juice, oatmeal cookies.

Thursday: Hot turkey sandwich, mashed potatoes, green beans, marinated salad, apple pie.

Friday: Chili egg puff, chili beans, spinach, creamy coleslaw, tomato juice, pears.

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Photo:

Ron Yorton holds a one-third-size replica of the urn stolen by burglars from his Lancaster home.

Bettie Rencoret/Special to the Daily News