Lottie's Photos: Christmas 1939

 

Back: Lewis, John and Emma
Front: Anna, Mom, Marge and Bert

It’s Boxing Day – the day after Christmas and I feel a sense of relief. Celebrating Christmas in our family was a double-whammy because my mother Lottie was born on Christmas day in 1919. So, there was always a lot of excitement and later a lot of pressure to make it extra special for everyone but especially for my mother. For many years I've felt a tremendous sense of relief when Christmas, and all its preparations, was over. 

This photo was taken the first Christmas after my parents were married and long before I was born. I like this photo because it shows all four of my grandparents and my only aunt and uncle. I have that necklace that mom is wearing in this photo. It opens to reveal a photo of Mom and Dad.

 

That year Mom and Dad hosted the family on Christmas Eve. Everyone arrived at 6 PM and they served Tom and Jerry’s. Then they opened their packages. Our family always opened gifts on Christmas eve which I thought was great – one less day to wait. Mom wrote, “They went home about 11 PM. I was tired as heck, but terribly happy.”

 

The following day Dad went to mass with Mom – something he did on occasion when they were first together. Dinner was at Gramma and Grandpa Thornally’s. Gramma served turkey and carrot pudding. The Pattillo’s spent Christmas at Dad’s cousin Jo’s home in Brentwood but they stopped by on their way home.

Caspar Stolte 1821-1875 My 2nd Great Grandfather on my Mother's Side

Home of Caspar Stolte

Caspar Arnoldius Aloysius Antonius Stolte was the eldest son of Gottfried Edmund Stolte and Gertrudis Sophia Hohmeister. He was born on February 6, 1821, in the family home at Kehrwieder 1057 in Hildesheim, Germany. He had two brothers Anton and Fredrick and three sisters Marianna, Theresia and Josephina. His long name comes from his godparents who were present at his birth — so the name Caspar was after Caspar Müller and Arnoldius was after Arnoldius Becker. I don’t yet know how these two men are connected to our family, but it is very likely that they are relatives of some sort. There were two other men present, Henrius Coffa and Henrius Ohlenrozt. It is not apparent from Caspar’s birth record where the names Aloysius or Antonius came from. So far, none of these four names have appeared in other records. 

Caspar was baptized by Pastor Brandeis on February 11, 1821, at St. Godehard’s Catholic Church. He likely attended school for a few years and then entered an apprenticeship program to become a bottchermeister, or cooper master, which means he learned to make barrels and kegs. That is the occupation recorded in my great grandfather’s journal and what is shown on the birth records of Caspar’s children. This is how he made his living and supported his large family.

Historic map showing the location of
Hildesheim in relation to Achtum and Einum

When he was 26, Caspar married Louisa Brönneke, on July 18, 1847, in St. Godehard’s Basilica. The wedding ceremony would have been a grand affair inside the spectacular cathedral. Imagine walking down a long aisle between massive columns as family and friends watched from the pews, then standing beneath a giant circular gilded chandelier to profess your vows.  Caspar and Louisa had twelve children, of which nine survived.

 

Caspar was the eldest son of Gottfried and Gertrudis, he was able to buy the family home when his parents were ready to sell it. Traditionally, the workshop for his barrel making business would have been on the ground floor of the home and the living quarters on the upper floors. The home at Kehrwieder 1057 was still standing in 2020 and in active use. The street address has been changed to Kehrwieder 37, and what had been the workshop has been converted to a café.

Original birth record in German for Caspar Stolte

Caspar died from tuberculosis on his birthday in 1875 at the age of 54, and was buried in Hildesheim two days later. Pastor Kruger officiated at his funeral service. Unfortunately, graves are re-used in Germany every few years, so unless someone is notable or wealthy it is very unlikely that a grave could ever be found for Caspar or any of our German ancestors.

Death record for Caspar Stolte in German

Interior of Caspar Stolte's home. Photo taken by Thomas Henze
in 2019.

Sources for this Post: My great grandfather's journal, Birth, marriage and death records for Caspar and for his children. Information provided by Thomas Henze, and FamilySearch website.

Louisa Brönneke 1828–1893 My Second Great Grandmother on My Mother’s Side

A historic home in Hildesheim, Germany

Louisa’s full name was Louisa Sophia Magdalena Brönneke. She was the daughter of Heinrich Brönneke and Gertrude Budde. Louisa was born on April 18, 1828, at house number 841 in Hildesheim. She was baptized two days later by Pastor Brandeis, the same church official who baptized her future husband. She had three godmothers present at her birth: Louisa Bogershausen, Sophia Budde and Magdelena Brönneke. These are the sources of Louisa’s full name.

Hildesheim where Louisa was born and where she and her husband lived and raised their children is one of the largest cities in Germany. It is located in a valley 24 miles southeast of Hanover, on the banks of the Innerste River, a small tributary of the Leine River, and is surrounded by hills.

 

Historically, Hildesheim was known as the cradle of art. Today, Hildesheim is one of the most important places for Romanesque art in Germany. One of the most important historic buildings is St. Godehard’s Basilica, which was originally constructed between 1133 and 1172. The building was restored between 1848 and 1863 and is considered one of the finest Romanesque buildings in the world. Another is St. Michael’s Protestant Church which was built by Bishop Bernward. Both of these buildings are designated World Heritage Sites.

The original birth record for Louisa that Thomas Henze
found and sent to me.

Hildesheim is a quaint and picturesque town with many very old homes. A large percentage of these buildings and homes were either destroyed or damaged during the last two months of World War II, but many have been restored or reconstructed to match the original design.

This portrait was among my grandmother's things.
I think it is a photo of her grandmother but
I am not certain. If anyone recognizes this photo
and can tell me who it is please contact me.

Louisa was nineteen when she married Caspar and twenty when their first son, Friedrich Joseph, was born. Her second child, another son, died just six days after his birth. Her fourth child and first girl was my great grandmother Gertrude Elizabeth Stolte, who was born in 1853. Louisa continued to give birth every couple of years until she was 41 years old. Sadly, of her last two children, one died at five months and the last died at birth. Then her husband Caspar died five years after their last child was born, and Louisa was left a widow at the age of 46. Here is a list of Casper and Louisa’s twelve children.

Louisa's baptism record in German found by Thomas

Friedrich Joseph Stolte born August 14, 1848

Friedrich Carl Heinrich Stolte born March 6, 1851, and died March 12, 1851

Friedrich Heinrich Stolte born March 4, 1852.

Gertrude Elisabeth Stolte (my great grandmother) born October 21, 1853

Johanna Maria Stolte born October 23, 1855

Heinrich Wilhelm Stolte born February 15, 1858

Gertrude Stolte born January 10, 1860

Magdelena Stolte born November 24, 1861

Carl Heinrich Stolte born July 1, 1863

Maria Gertrude Stolte born October 30, 1866.

Georg Friedrick Stolte born on February 8, 1868. King George V was listed on his birth record as the godfather. Unfortunately, George died on July 25^th of the same year.

Their twelfth and last child died at birth on March 31, 1870. 

Interior of the Basilica of St. Godehard's 
where Louisa was baptized and married.

Somehow Louise managed to survive after her husband’s death and raise their children. She died on September 15, 1893, at the age of 65. She too was buried in Hildesheim, probably with her husband and the children who had died before her.

Sources for this post: Birth, baptism and marriage records found by Thomas Henze, FamilySearch website, and my great grandfather's personal journal.

Lottie's Photos: Thanksgiving Gatherings

 

Our family gathered on Louis and Anna's front porch.

While I was growing up the tradition in our family was that Mom and Aunt Marge shared responsibility for hosting Thanksgiving dinner, and whoever did not host would then be responsible for hosting that year’s Christmas dinner. It worked out well for decades. Both celebrations always included three generations of our combined families. Occasionally, someone would be added like Marge’s parents or a current boyfriend.

From reading mom’s diaries, I learned that when she was a girl, she and her parents typically had Thanksgiving dinner with Gramma’s brother’s family Henry Menge, so mom was with a gaggle of her female cousins. In 1933 they all went to Henry’s cabin in Ben Lomond for Thanksgiving dinner. They were with the Menges again in 1936. That year mom and her cousins strategized about how to convince Martin McTigue to take mom to the senior ball.

Dinner was at the Menges again in 1938 but by then Mom had met Dad so after dinner the two of them went to San Francisco with some friends. Anna and Louis hosted in 1939 and included Emma and John Thornally at their table since Mom and Dad were engaged to be married by then.

1940 was the first time Mom hosted Thanksgiving dinner. She planned it well ahead because on November 13^th she wrote that she had asked her mother to help her prepare the meal. Afterward, she noted that dinner was fine. The following year Marge offered to host the combined family at her parent’s home and she asked everyone to contribute $2 towards the meal. In 1942 Anna Pattillo hosted. Emma Thornally had the honor in 1944 and served a roast chicken!

The last diary entry about Thanksgiving was for 1946. That year Marge offered again to host at her family home but the ante was only $1. Despite the reduced charge, Mom was fed up and refused to attend, and instead she decided to host her own dinner and invited the Pattillos who declined saying they felt they should accept the earlier invitation from Marge.

I started hosting Thanksgiving dinner at my home in 1977.

Cluvarius Coleman 1740 - 1799 My 5th Great Grandfather on my Father's Side

 

Abington Church in Glouster, Virginia where
Cluverius was born

Cluverius Coleman was my 5^th great grandfather on my paternal line. He had a role in the American Revolution. He was born in Abingdon Parish which is in Glouster County Virginia. His parents were Joseph Coleman and Grace Cluverius so it is clear where his unusual name came from. Cluverius had five siblings – two brothers Thomas and Samuel and three sisters Elizabeth, Rebecca and Sarah. Glouster County was formed in 1651 and was a major tobacco growing area.

By 1760 Cluverius had relocated to Mecklenburg County where many of our Pattillo ancestors lived. Cluverius married Elizabeth Massey in Mecklenburg that year. They had nine children – four boys and five girls including my 4^th great grandmother Rebecca Coleman.

In 1775 Cluverius had a key role in the start of the American Revolution. He along with twenty other representatives met on the eighth and thirteenth of May to “secure a due observation of the association entered into by the Continental Congress”[1] They went on record stating that Lord Dunmore’s actions were alarming in response to his having declared Patrick Henry an outlaw. Patrick Henry and his body of militiamen objected to Dunmore having removed the gunpowder from the public magazine in Williamsburg. “Taking a dramatic step ….. each member of the committee was implored to exert his endeavors to enlist volunteer soldiers for defensive rather than offensive purposes”.[2] This led us one step closer to the American Revolution.

On October 13, 1777 Cluverius, along with five other men, was appointed as a Gentleman Justice for the county.[3] His term was renewed in September of 1778. Cluverius and his fellow jurists were charged with administering loyalty oaths from the citizens of Mecklenburg. The objective was to “dispel or at least render harmless potential enemies of the cause.”[4] Some who were unwilling to sign the oath were asked to leave.

Records show that on at least three occasions in 1776 and 1777 Cluverius was listed on polls taken to determine delegates for Mecklenburg County. Between 1777 and 1779 he witnessed three different deeds that were recorded in Deed Book 5 for Mecklenburg County.

In September of 1778, Justices in Mecklenburg ordered a man named John Cardin to appear in court and answer a charge of “speaking disrespectfully of the measures of this Commonwealth …” Cardin was found guilty, fined five pounds and spent two days in jail. Then in October of 1777, “Leonard Cardin was accused, apparently by Cluverious Coleman, of “harboring two deserters from the militia in the southern service.”[5]

Diagram from Katherine Elliot book of Mecklenburg
County showing the Buckhorn District that Cluverius
collected names of residents

Land Acquisitions

Between 1771 and 1797 Cluverius purchased twelve tracts of land and only sold one parcel as far as I can determine from studying the deed books for Lunenburg and Mecklenburg Counties. His first purchase, at the age of 21, was a 285-acre parcel in Lunenburg County located on the Meherrin River. Six of the deeds noted that he bought land on the Meherrin River. Most were on the south fork of the Meherrin and most of those were on the south side of the south fork but one was on the north side of the south fork. Other parcels were located on Buckhorn Creek, Laton Creek and Allen Creek. All of these parcels were located generally northeast of the town of Chase City which is very close to the town of Boydton – the county seat and the place where our Pattillo ancestors lived for four generations. You may ask how can parcels in two different counties be located in the same place? The answer is because in 1771 what is now Mecklenburg was a part of Lunenburg County. Mecklenburg was carved out of Lunenburg in 1765.

1870 Map of Mecklenburg Co. from the Library of Congress.
The Buckhorn District is the gray section on the top of the map

The purchases varied in size from a one-acre parcel that he bought from Anthony Street for 15 shillings to a 370 acre parcel he acquired in 1774 from Joseph Turner. In total he owned at least 1877 acres. That amount of land constitutes a plantation whereas total acreage of less 500 acres would have been considered a farm. His will noted that Cluverius grew tobacco on his plantation.

Two parcels were mentioned in his will when he left them to his son Thomas. Of those one had a mill on it. 

Census Enumerator

In May of 1782, Cluvarius was one of eight men who were appointed to record the number of tithables in Mecklenburg County which meant males sixteen years of age or older including slaves. This data has been used in place of the first US census taken in 1790 because the census was destroyed during the war of 1812. The district that Cluvarius counted was in the northern part of the county bordering Lunenburg County.

This is the list of names collected by Cluverius that were
published in lieu of the 1790 census which was destroyed.

In October of 1787, Cluverius was involved with an unusual and interesting court case. He submitted an application to be compensated for a slave he owned that had been falsely convicted of burning a barn owned by a man named John Thompson. The record of this case, dated October 24^th noted that it included condemnation, a valuation and a certificate. Likely this was the same Mr. Thompson who was his neighbor on Buckhorn Creek.

One month later Cluvarius was engaged in another court transaction when he was named as the guardian of Elizabeth, Jane and Benjamin Coleman who were three of the four children of Cluvarius’s son James Coleman. It is likely that James’s wife, Sarah Whitehouse was still living but it was customary at that time for a man to be appointed as the guardian. The children would have continued to live with their mother but their grandfather was made responsible for their well-being until they came of age.

Will of Cluverius Coleman

On September 14, 1799 Cluverius signed his will. He was fifty-nine years old at the time and living in St. James Parish of Mecklenburg County. In his will he left his wife Massey the land they were living on and five slaves named Anthony, Bob, Primus, Hanna and Amey. In addition, she was to receive six choice head of cattle, one yoke (that’s two) of oxen, one ox cart, ten head of sheep, fifteen head of hogs, thee choice work horses, three choice featherbeds and furniture. He also left Massey his desk and a bookcase, one dozen setting chairs, two choice tables, and such household and kitchen furniture as she may stand in need of. His will stipulated that she should be given sufficient plantation utensils for her use and the crop of corn and tobacco growing on his plantation.

A clip from our family tree showing how Cluverius is
related to James William Pattillo, our great grandfather.

He left each of his son James Coleman’s children five pounds cash which was to be distributed to them when they came of age. That is the equivalent of $140 in 2020. His daughter Elizabeth Coleman Jeffries received one slave named Phebe and each of her five children got thirty pounds cash which is comparable to $838 today. The will offers no explanation as to why he gave so much more to Elizabeth’s children. Possibly he had already given James’s children, his three wards, other cash or property.

My fourth great grandmother Rebecca Coleman Phillips received one negro boy named Moses and one negro woman named Jenny and her increase, plus one hundred pounds to her and her heirs.

His daughter Mary Coleman Boswell’s five children received one negro woman named Abbe and her increase and thirty-five pounds cash a piece. His daughter Grace Coleman Hicks received one negro boy named Edmund and one negro woman named Rachel and her increase. Grace’s children also received one hundred pounds cash each.

His son John Coleman received one hundred pounds, and two cows and calves for himself and his heirs. Anne Coleman Green received five Negroes named Milly, Aggy, Jude, Mike and Sam, as well as a young unbroken mare of her choice, and two cows and calves for her heirs. Anne and each of her children received two hundred pounds.

Son William Coleman got the tract of land that Cluverius had purchased from Nevin Stewart and the tract he bought from John and David Holmes which he estimated contained 313 ¾ acres. This was the parcel that Cluverius and Elizabeth lived on at the time. William and his heirs also received five hundred pounds apiece.

Finally, his son Thomas Coleman and his heirs got all of his land lying on both sides of the Meherrin River including his mill. Anything not otherwise stipulated was to be equally divided between his sons William and Thomas, and upon his wife’s death they were to received everything that he had left to her. He also appointed his sons William and Thomas as his executors.

The will was signed by Cluverius and witnessed by John and Matthew Allen. It was proved in the Mecklenburg County Court in October of 1799. One month later Cluverius died in Mecklenburg County on October 14, 1799.

So, Cluvarius left his children and their heirs between five and five hundred pounds each that’s $140 to $14,000. Why the discrepancy? I don’t think we will ever know. From my experience in reading historic wills I would say that it is more typical that parents tried to provide a more equitable distribution except sons typically received more than daughters.

Map of the area of Mecklenburg where Cluverius owned land.
The black arrows point to the Meherrin River, the South fork,
Buckhorn Creek and the small creek at the top right may
be the Bare Branch.

---

[1] Bracey, Susan L., Life by the Roaring Roanoke: A History of Mecklenburg County, VA, 1977, p. 64.

[2] Ibid p. 64

[3] Nettie Leitch Major, Revolutionary Service in Mecklenburg Co. Virginia Genealogical Society Quarterly 1982.

[4] Bracey p. 92.

[5] Ibid p. 94

Lottie's Photos: The Van-Tillo Ally Painters, 1947

 

Mom, Dad and Terry with John Thornally and Clara
and Floyd VanEpps and their son.

Wherever Mom and Dad lived they made friends with their neighbors and kept those friends for the rest of their lives. This pattern began with Harold and Mickey Mohr and when they bought their first home on Elsie Avenue in San Leandro, they met and befriended Clara and Floyd VanEpps.

Mom and dad socialized with Clara and Floyd and they spent time entertaining each other in their homes. Mom and Dad went to the VanEpps one Thanksgiving, the following year they spent New Years Eve together. They went dancing at the German Club and the Alta Mira Club. In August of 1944 they all went to see a musical at Woodminster. Occasionally, they would watch each other’s children and when Dad went to the hospital to bring Kathy home after she was born Clara rode along with Dad and held Kathy on the way back.

This photo was taken over the 4^th of July weekend when the two families worked together to paint one of their home. The following weekend they painted the other. Grandpa Thornally, sitting in the middle with his pipe and a hat on washed all the brushes and helped clean up each day. Looks like even Terry and the VanEpps’s son helped as well.

Lottie's Photos: Terry's First Birthday, 1943

Terry and Mom - both looking stylish

This photo stands out for me because it shows my mother looking rather glamorous. It’s not how I saw her but I think it may be how she saw herself – at least when she was that age. This photo was taken on Terry’s first birthday and he is looking quite smart in his sailor suit. Mom would have been 23 and everything she’s wearing says style – the flowing dress – no doubt one she made for herself and possibly designed, the shoes, the nylons, the necklace, her makeup and the hairstyle all look fabulous. Of course, her slender figure helps a lot too. I have that necklace now and remember her wearing it. It has 8 stones on the face that I suppose are small diamonds and inside there is a photo of her and my father. I don’t know for sure but it looks like it may have been a gift from dad.

The look she is giving Terry says a lot too – “we’ll young man, what do you think about being one year old?”

In her diary mom wrote that they went to see Bert and Marge, then both sets of grandparents. She recorded each of the gifts Terry received which included two bonds – one for $5 from Gramma and Grandpa Thornally and a $25 bond from her and Dad. I guess that was something families did during the war years. Somehow, there was still time that day for my father to plant vegetable seeds in his garden and to put a coat of varnish on Terry’s toy chest.

Lottie's Photo: Dad's Vegetable Garden, 1945

 

Kathy, Dad and Terry in Dad's vegetable garden

I love this photo partly because my father and siblings all look so adorable but also because it clearly shows how much pleasure and pride my father took in his vegetable garden. Practically the first thing Mom wrote about after they purchased their first home on Elsie Avenue in San Leandro is the fact that Dad was outside working on planting a vegetable garden. This turned out to be a life long endeavor. Years later when I was young I remember how Dad would come home from work, covered in white dust from the sheetrock he’d been hanging all day. He would make a mess of washing up at the kitchen sink. Then he would turn around, give my mother a big hug and a sloppy kiss.

Typically, he would take a nap before dinner, then after dinner, he’d be out working in his garden. We had an apple, apricot, plum, two orange trees and a walnut tree that all produced fruit and nuts. For many years there were blackberry vines and a few raspberries. Dad always planted a large area with corn, lots of tomatoes, multiple types of squash – all of which I hated, cucumbers, and beans. He also planted potatoes and onions which he stored in a dark shed after harvesting and they lasted that way for months. We also had rhubarb and artichoke plants. In later years, after I’d left home, he grew fava beans.

Prepping the soil, doing the planting and watering and tending all this was a big, on-going job. Most of the work was done by Dad but Mom and I sometimes helped with the planting and Terry and I were often charged with watering and harvesting. Throughout the summer mom did a LOT of canning and freezing to store the proceeds to last through winter – nothing better than home-grown corn from our freezer in December. Everyone was involved with pie making and fruit canning – Dad or Terry would pick the fruit, Mom would prepare it, Kathy or I would make the dough and assemble the pies which Mom would bake, and of course, we all enjoyed eating them.

Lottie's Photos: World War II, 1939 - 1945

Dad's brother Bert on the right, 1943

My father did not serve in the military during World War II but that does not mean our family was not impacted by the war. It is not something that our parents talked about – at least not during my lifetime which began five years after the war ended. Now, as I read Mom’s diaries, I am learning about the many ways that the war did impact them very directly and I can imagine that it would have been a stressful and frightening time. 

The war began in Europe in 1939 but Mom commented on the war very little prior to the bombing at Pearl Harbor. She made a couple of comments about Gramma Pattillo being concerned that Bert would be drafted but otherwise the war was not something she wrote about.

Then Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. On that day she wrote, “Today is a day that none of us will ever forget. Japan declared war on the United States. Over 300 were killed in a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Two British ships The Repulse and Prince of Wales were sunk. We had dinner with Ed’s folks and had the radio on all afternoon listening to news reports. It made me so upset that finally I got Ed to take me to the show. Ma went too, but Pop stayed home and listened to the radio. The show was empty. Everyone was home listening to war reports.” 

The next day she went shopping in San Francisco with her mother and wrote that all the Japanese-owned shops were closed. There was a blackout that day and 30 Japanese warplanes flew over San Francisco. “Everyone is frightened.” 

On December 9th she wrote that her father did not get home from work until after 8:00 PM because he got caught in a blackout and traffic was stopped for 45 minutes. Over 1500 Americans had been killed, and the government was asking citizens to stay home at night, keep their lights off, and have sandbags and buckets of water handy in case of fires. Hundreds of people had quit their jobs so they could enlist. 

Mom even signed up for civil defense work but as far as she wrote she never actually did any, whereas Grandma Pattillo did volunteer work by folding bandages at the Oakland Army Base. Mom went Christmas shopping on December 10th but all the stores closed at 4:45 because of the danger of air raids. Then on December 12th she wrote about a blackout that lasted two and a half hours, so she and dad just went to bed early. 

Food rationing was another way they were directly impacted. Mom frequently commented on the difficulty of getting meat, butter and sugar. In March of 1943 she wrote, “we are allowed sixteen pounds per week of meat, cheese, oil and fat, plus 1 pound of round steak and one pound of butter.” Not only was the quantity of meat limited but the quality was also reduced. She noted that things got worse when her favorite butcher was drafted. Coffee was rationed and they were only allotted four gallons of gasoline per week.

During the war people were encouraged to plant Victory Gardens to help compensate for food shortages. Mom and Dad always had a garden and mom was doing a lot of canning of what they produced but finding enough sugar for fruit canning was a challenge. Dad was growing corn, carrots, beets, spinach, squash, cucumbers, cauliflower, tomatoes, lettuce, cantaloupe, beans, watermelon and parsley in his garden. 

The threat of Dad being drafted was a constant and kept changing throughout the course of the war. On January 3, 1944 he was notified by the draft board that his status was rated 1A. That was eleven days before Kathy was christened so he had a wife and two young children, which worked to his benefit. On February 18th they learned that he had passed his military physical and was told he would likely be called up in 21 to 90 days. Mom must have been worried sick. It was at this point that Dad started to teach mom to drive so she would be able to take care of things if he had to leave. 

Dad applied for a deferment but in April he learned that his application was denied. To avoid being drafted he had to find work in the defense industry, so for a short time in April of 1940 he worked with his father-in-law at Union Iron Works in Oakland. Dad liked the work and tried to join the union but the union bosses would not let him join, so Dad was forced to find work elsewhere. During this time, he worked for several different trucking companies delivering gasoline. 

Their anxiety would have been compounded as their friend's and Dad’s brother Bert were drafted or enlisted. Bert quit a job he didn’t like and to avoid being drafted he signed up for the Seabees. Mom has a few photos in her album that Bert sent home like the one above taken in 1943. Cliff Gossett and Harold Mohr, two of their closest friends, both enlisted in the Marines and coincidentally were shipped out, to San Diego for training, on the same day – May 22, 1944. The two of them fought in a battle in Okinawa. That same day in May, Dad’s draft status was changed to 2A until November 26th, so they had a six-month reprieve. Fortunately, six months later he got another deferment. Then in April of 1945 he was again notified that his status was 1A. This time he applied for a deferment based on his job at Union Iron Works. 

Marge’s brother-in-law Kenny Philbrick was sent to England for his service leaving his wife Mary and Marge to help with the milk delivery service he worked for. Ernie Moore escaped the draft when he was labeled 4F for having flat feet. 

In July Bert was transferred to Camp Hueneme which was near Los Angeles. Later he was sent to Rhode Island and Marge flew there to see him. In October he was home on leave and then he was sent to Hawaii, and then in March of 1945 he was sent to Guam. 

The Germans surrendered on May 8, 1945. That same day Dad’s latest deferment request was denied. The following month their very close friend Harold Mohr was injured during combat. A bullet hit him in the neck. Initially, he could only speak in a whisper and for the rest of his life he had a unique gravelly voice. Harold was transferred to Mare Island and for a time and he and Mickey lived together in a Quonset hut on the base. 

In August of 1945 she wrote that, “gas rationing ended, blue points were withdrawn, red points were lowered and lots of priorities and rules were changed.” In September their friend Cliff Gossett was sent to China but he was back in San Diego by December. Jessie left her newborn son Clifford with mom for a few days so she could go see Cliff. At the same time, Marge was looking for an apartment to rent in Alameda anticipating Bert being released soon. Bert and Cliff both got home on December 11, 1945, and everyone’s lives began to go back to normal.

Lottie's Photos: Mickey and Harold Mohr, 1946

 

Harold and Mickey Mohr with Terry
in Garberville, CA

I love this photo of Mom and Dad’s friends Mickey and Harold Mohr that was taken on May 30, 1946, with my brother Terry who looks particularly relaxed with them. Terry looks so cute in the shirt and jumper that Mom made for him and his two-tone saddle shoes. You can see that he is on his way to his six-foot four-inch ultimate height.

This photo was taken at a cabin in Garberville, California. Harold’s parents owned an inn there and that is where they stayed. Dad and Harold went abalone fishing with three other friends and between the five of them they caught 33 abalones.

Mom wrote that Kathy enjoyed the weekend but she said Terry didn’t but she did not say what he didn’t like about it. They went swimming in the Eel River and apparently spent the evenings doing some serious drinking because mom wrote in her diary of having a hangover the next day. Despite that she said it was a wonderful trip.

Their penchant for partying actually got both couples evicted from their apartments in January 1941. They spent so much time with Mickey and Harold during the early years of their marriage that Dad’s brother Bert actually complained of being jealous of their friendship.

Mom and Mickey stayed in touch with Christmas cards and occasional phone calls for the rest of their lives though their friendship was not as close in later years. Reading a diary from 1989 Mom expressed disappointment that Mickey and Harold did not attend their 50^th wedding anniversary party. Then she chose to skip their anniversary a few months later.

Lottie's Photos: Kathy 1943

 

Kathy 6 months, Terry 28 months. Taken in the backyard  of their 

Elsie Avenue home in San Leandro

My sister Kathy was born about a year and a half after my brother Terry. On April 2^nd, 1943 mom wrote this in her diary, “Today I’m tired and don’t feel well. I’ve been sick to my stomach for a week new. I’m about two weeks late so I hope it doesn’t mean what it might. We stayed home tonite for a change to catchup a little on our sleep.” Seven months later she was absolutely thrilled to have a baby girl.

It was a difficult time. Our paternal grandfather was ill and Terry was a teething toddler. Food and other items were being rationed because World War II had begun and she was worried that our father would be drafted.

On November 9^th she wrote that she was ready to give birth. On November 11^th Dad got her to the hospital at 7:30 PM. They took her to the delivery room at 8:15 and Kathy was born at 9:00 weighing 8 pounds. I guess she really was ready. On the 12^th Mom wrote, “Gee, am I happy. A girl! I can’t believe it.”

She stayed in the hospital for five days and when she got home her friend Mickey Mohr was there to help, as was Mom’s mother Emma and Mom’s lifelong friend Mickey Risoli who got a seven day leave from the WAVES to spend time helping as well. With all that help Mom was able to stay in bed and rest until November 24^th, which seems like a shockingly long time these days when doctors have you up walking on the same day of having knee surgery.

It seems everyone was happy to have a girl. On December 9^th Mom wrote that they had Ma and Pop Pattillo over for dinner and Gramma had Kathie in her lap the entire evening. Interesting that Mom spelled Kathie with an “ie” when she was first born. Her actual name is Kathleen but no one ever called her that.

Lottie's Photos: The World's Fair at Treasure Island, 1939

In 1939 there were two World’ Fairs – one in New York and one in San Francisco. The San Francisco fair was also known as the Golden Gate Exposition and took place on Treasure Island. The fair began on February 18 and ended October 29 in 1939. It was held in part to celebrate the completion of the construction of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in 1936 and the Golden Gate bridge in 1937.

Mom and Dad visited the fair multiple times. Their first visit was shortly after it opened on March 13, 1939. Mom particularly liked the lights and the “Gayway”. They saw the Mississippi Building, and the Ford, Chrysler, Foods, and Peru Buildings. She wrote, “We ate dinner at the Jolly Roger, left about midnight and got home at 2 AM. I’m so happy and I love Ed so much. We were together 16 hours and if felt like 6.”

They went back to the fair on April 23^rd – that’s when this photo was taken. It shows Mom sitting on the edge of the fountain in the Court of Reflections. During this visit they saw the California Building, the Mine, Metals and Machinery Building, the Mission Trails Building, and lots of others. She commented on how beautiful the flowers were and said they saw Doug Corrigan’s plane. They ended their day going to see the Folies Bergère.

Their third visit was on July 9^th when they went with Dad’s parents. That day they saw the Horseshow – “the Canadian Mounted Police were the best.” They visited the Chinese Village and most of the foreign buildings.

Their last visit to the fair was on October 15, 1939 when she wrote, “the cars were so thick it took us two hours to get over the bridge to the island.” That day they saw the Petroleum Building. She noted that they saw all of the buildings at the fair, that there were 135,000 visitors that day, and before they left they stayed to watch the fireworks.

Lottie's Photos: Big Basin State Park, 1939

Warden's Office in Big Basin State Park, California

Mom visited Big Basin State Park at least twice. On August 4, 1936 when she was sixteen, she wrote, “Bob Smith, Ellen, Dorothy, Aggie and I hitch-hiked to Brookdale and then back with a bunch of fellows. They came back about 1:00 and took us to Santa Cruz and then Big Basin. Dorothy, Bob and I rode in the turtleback, Aggie, Ellen and two fellows in front. Had a lot of fun. Got home 2 AM. Bob necks terrible.” So, what’s a “Turtleback”? Google shows a photo of a bright yellow 1936 Plymouth Turtleback sedan. Looks like a car with a spacious backseat – ideal for necking. Dorothy and Aggie were two of Mom’s Menge cousins. In 1936 Mom spent a lot of time at her Uncle Henry and Aunt Mae’s cabin in Ben Lomand. This would have been before her father bought their cabin in neighboring Brookdale.

She also spent the 4^th of July at Big Basin in 1939 and that is when she would have taken this photograph. She and Dad, Bert and Marge, Dad’s parents, Mom’s parents and Marge’s parents all spent the day together which she wrote was very cold. Mom, Dad, Bert and Marge hiked to the Green Caves “but we were very disappointed. We played horse shoes and ball. Got home at 7:30. Then Ed and I went to Alameda and watched fireworks from Treasure Island.”

The building in this photograph and all the other structures in Big Basin State Park – California’s second oldest park – were destroyed in August of 2020 during one of the dozens of lightning-caused fires. Today, as I write this story, is the eeriest day I’ve experienced in my lifetime in California because smoke from these fires is blocking the sunlight and has turned day to night. Looking out our windows all I see is an unearthly orange glow.

Lottie's Photos: Life Long Friendships, 1939

Ed, Lottie, Rosemary, Mickey and Don

This photo was taken in 1939 and shows dad, mom Rosemary Garrity, Mickey Risoli and probably Don, the man that Mickey dated until she joined the W.A.V.E.S. during World War II. One of the qualities I most admired in my mother is how easily she made friends and how dedicated she was to maintaining those friendships for the rest of their lives. Mickey was clearly mom’s best friend. They met in grammar school and actively cultivated their friendship until Mickey died.

Early on mom, Mickey and Rosemary did things together. More than once they hiked all the way to Castro Valley, mom took both of them to spend time at her Uncle Henry’s cabin in Ben Lomand, and on August 7, 1936 the three of them went to Chinatown in San Francisco and then to the Golden Gate Theater for a movie. Then something happened in 1938 and mom spent less time with Rosemary but she continued to spend time with Mickey regularly. On November 24, 1939 they both skipped work and went to watch the big game between UC Berkeley and Stanford University – the Bears won the game. For New Year's Eve that same year mom, dad, Mickey and Don all went to the Alta Mira club to celebrate and they didn’t get home until 3 AM.

Mom and Mickey cut school together when they were 16, they went to the movies at the Paramount theater, and wrote letters to each other when mom went to Ben Lomand or Brookdale, and when mom was away on her honeymoon.

Mom and Rosemary also did things together without Mickey. They went to the garden show and movies at the Paramount in Oakland and the Warfield in San Francisco. Rosemary helped mom with her biology and geometry homework in high school. One time after hiking to Lake Chabot mom got a bad case of poison oak and Rosemary brought her some medicine. She also brought mom’s homework home to her. One thing I hadn’t known until reading mom’s diary is that Rosemary was not a native-born US citizen. On January 9, 1941 Rosemary asked mom to go with her when she filled out the paperwork to be naturalized. A few days later mom attended her naturalization ceremony.

Rosemary and Mickey both attended UC Berkeley after high school. Mickey became an elementary school teacher and Rosemary was a nurse who worked in Florida for a time and then moved to Alaska to work as a nurse. Neither Mickey nor Rosemary ever married but Mickey spend most of her life in a relationship with Nellie Smith.

Lottie's Photos: Dad's 1938 Chrysler

Dad's brand new 1938 Chrysler. Mom sure looks stylish in that dress and dad too
in his three-piece suit.

On April 1^st 1938 mom wrote in her diary that dad owned a 1936 Chevrolet but he wanted to buy a Chrysler. That day she had worked at H.C. Capwells but she didn’t say in what department. She worked at Capwells part time for a few years – sometimes in the toy department, at other times in accessories, and sometimes doing inventory. After work she went to the German House in Oakland – a place she frequently went to dance, drink and meet boys. She went with dad and two of her Menge cousins – Marion and Agnus. They left the German House he took her to Sam’s and didn’t bring her home until 2:15 in the morning. She’d forgotten her keys and had to wake up her mother to get into the house.

On April 5^th dad, Bert and Lorraine, who was Bert’s girlfriend at the time, picked up mom in his brand new 1938 Chrysler sedan. He drove them to Richmond, Berkeley, and all over. They had milkshakes and got home at 11:30.

Three days later they went out again. They drove up to the top of 35^th Avenue in Oakland and parked – which she underlined! Then they went for a banana split and he brought her home at 11:45. Before he left, he made another date for Tuesday and suggested that they break up because he thought it would be easier to forget about her now rather than later. But mom said, "she didn’t want to break up."

Lottie's Photos: School Photo, 1925

Mom did not take this photo but it was in her first photo album with the photos she took between January 1938 and October 1949. This is one of three grammar school photos I have. Mom labeled it McKinley School, San Leandro, February 1925 so she would have been five years old and in kindergarten. She is standing in the back row fourth from the left. This is one of very few photos of her with straight hair because she always had it permed. What is written in the lower right corner says 1466 T.C.W. Co. 251 Post, SF. That no doubt is the name and address of the photo shop that took and printed the photo. Terry also attended McKinley for grammar school.

Mom graduated from San Leandro High School on January 22, 1937. After that she attended Merritt College sporadically taking fashion design and business classes. She babysat during high school for spending money and continued to babysit after graduating. In addition, she was doing a lot of consignment sewing. She had a large clientele of women customers who hired her to make formals, dresses, skirts, slips, jackets and do alterations. Her existing clients would introduce her to new clients. She was constantly sewing. On some days she wrote about working on four or five different projects and she was regularly having women come to the house for fittings – sometimes multiple times a day. She earned between $1 and $6.50 for making these clothes for her clients. On November 10th she wrote, “I sewed from 9 AM to 10 PM tonight and am I tired. I finished Dixies formal, Mrs. Neall’s navy-blue dress, Connie’s skirt and put the lining in her jacket. Dixie came over tonight and brought me a new customer Mrs. Wickman who wants a formal made in size 42.”  

Lottie's Photos: Proud Grandparents, 1942

 

Terry was three months old when this photo was taken in June of 1942. Mom wrote in her diary “Terry gets cuter every day.” He’s being held by his paternal grandparents, Lewis and Anna Pattillo. When mom and dad were courting and first married, they spent a lot of time with both sets of parents seeing them essentially every week. They had dinners together, Dad went over to help his parents with all kinds of tasks, and he seemed to prefer to work on his car at his folks’ home.

I was surprised to read how early and how frequently mom left Terry with Gramma Thornally to babysit, and sometimes dad took him to his parents to watch him. Once when Mom and Dad wanted to go out with friends, they asked Gramma T to watch Terry. Gramma and Grandpa were planning to spend the weekend at Brookdale, so they took Terry with them.

They also spent every major holiday with one or both sets of parents and with Dad’s brother Bert. Sometimes they’d have dinner at one household and then go visit the other. At other times the combined family gathered for holiday dinners and other celebrations. Sometimes these events also included the Anglemyers – Marge’s parents.

Lottie's Photos: Terry's Birth, 1942

 

This photo was taken when Terry was 18 days old.
Clearly, Dad was very proud of his son.

Mom first wrote in her diary that she thought she might be pregnant on July 22, 1941. My brother Terry was born after 13 hours of labor and weighed 9 pounds 5 ounces. Dr. Mell who delivered Terry said that “Terry was so big he was ready for school.” Months later Mom wrote that Terry never seemed helpless like her friend Ronnie’s infant girl.

Mickey Risoli agreed to be Terry’s godmother – a Catholic tradition and she filled that role until she died. She always gave Terry birthday and Christmas gifts and sent him birthday cards every year. I was always a bit jealous because Dorothy Menge, my godmother attended my christening but seemed to forget about me after that. I think the same was true for my sister Kathy.

As soon as Terry was born our father was determined to buy a house and not live in a rented home. He and mom started shopping for a house immediately and first saw their future home on Elsie Avenue in San Leandro on April 16^th, 1942 just one month after Terry was born. They finalized the purchase on April 19^th and soon moved in. They put $750 down and their monthly payments were $36 – that’s about what I pay to subscribe to the newspaper these days. The house cost $5250.

Terry was christened on May 10^th. All the family attended the event, particularly Mom’s Menge relations. Mom said he behaved perfectly during the ceremony.

When he was born, he had an umbilical hernia. The recommended treatment was to put a penny over the belly button and tape it in place. Mom never mentioned this again so I guess it worked.

Lottie's Photos: Dad's 26th Birthday, 1939

 

Dad turned 26 on May 10^th in 1939. Surprisingly, mom didn’t write anything about his having a birthday party in her diary but she did caption this photo so I know who was there. In the back row left to right is Don, who Mickey Risoli dated for quite a while before she enlisted in the W.A.V.E.S. during World War II. Mickey, one of Mom’s oldest and dearest friends, is next to Don. Then Doris Low, Dad’s cousin in the printed dress. The couple on the right are Dorothy and Harold Hale. They’re friends I don’t know anything about.

Leonard Low, Dad’s cousin is in the lower left next to Dad. Doris and Leonard were the children of Mary Vetter and Fred Low. Mary was Gramma Pattillo’s sister. Then Bert and Marge, Dad’s brother and his girlfriend. You can see they were wearing party hats. Mom did write about many other parties she planned or attended and they always played games for entertainment, ate and typically had a lot to drink. I don’t know for sure but imagine this photo was taken inside Lewis and Anna’s home. In 1940 Lewis and Anna lived at 1310 39^th Avenue in Oakland. Probably they were at the same address in 1939.

Lottie's Photos: Brothers and Their Gals, Brookdale, 1939

Ed and Lottie, Unknown friend, and Bert and Marge

Dad was always close to his brother Bert. They shared a bedroom as boys and were always helping each other with projects like fixing each other’s cars. Later in life they helped each other with projects at their homes. Bert poured the concrete driveway at Mom and Dad’s Elsie home and he hauled a load of manure in his pickup for Dad’s garden. They went hunting and fishing together with their father, and years later after they’d both married they continued to take hunting trips together. As young men they took their girls on dates together – dinner, dancing, movies, stock car races, and on July 14^th of 1938 they went to the Fleishhacker Zoo in San Francisco and then to see the ice follies.

This photo was taken on June 21st at Brookdale – the vacation home Grandpa Thornally owned near Santa Cruz. Mom and Dad invited Bert and Marge to spend the weekend there. I don’t know who the man in the middle is but it might be one of dad’s cousins. Mom wrote in her diary that she and Marge stayed up till 4 AM talking. Marge told her that Bert was just as passionate as Dad and that she and Bert were planning to go to Reno to get married in October.

Lottie's Photos: Ed & Lottie, Trip to Brentwood, 1938

 

Dad and his family used to visit his cousins Elma, Jeanette, Patsy, Corrine and James, his Aunt Jo and her husband Carl Miller a couple of times a year. The first time Dad took Mom to Brentwood was on March 27, 1938. Mom wrote that there were fourteen family members for lunch in a small home. Everyone welcomed her and “treated me grand”. When they got back to the Pattillo home that evening Gramma served ice cream and showed Mom some of Dad’s baby photos.

They visited their Brentwood family again in August. What most impressed mom were the peaches, nectarines and honey-dew melons that Jo sent home with them. Mom remembered those peaches and mentioned them for the rest of her life.

In this photo they are sitting on the bumper of Dad’s 1936 Chevrolet. The photo was taken at Jo’s home. Mom is looking very stylish in that suit – no doubt another of her creations.

Lottie's Photos: The Whole Family, July 4, 1939

John, Ray, Loie, Lewis, Anna, Emma, Marge, Bert and Ed

I've always loved this photo because everyone is in it. Starting on the left, that’s John Roger Thornally my maternal grandfather. He is holding a pipe. I wonder if that’s the reason I’ve always liked the smell of pipe tobacco. Grandpa died right after my 5^th birthday but I spent a lot of time at Gramma and Grandpa’s house so I remember him. I remember being in his basement with him which was kinda spooky and I remember going to his funeral which frightened me.

The couple next to Grandpa are Marge’s parents Loie and Ray Anglemyer. They were at Bert and Marge’s home when we went there for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.

Next are my paternal grandparents Lewis and Anna Pattillo. Looks like Lewis has a pipe too. Anna is wearing a dark dress with a lighter pattern. I used to call her Polka-Dot Grandma because I had difficulty keeping my two grandmothers sorted out. Anna has her arm looped through Gramma T’s (Emma’s) arm who is standing next to her.

Bert and Marge are standing between Emma and Dad. Dad is the tall, handsome one on the right. No wonder mom fell in love with him. Mom took the photo two and a half months before she and Dad were married. The car was probably Dad’s.

Mom and Dad met on January 14, 1938 when Mom was eighteen. That night she wrote this in her diary. “I went to the German House with Mollie and danced with Vern. Then I danced the rest of the set with Ed Pattillo and he brought me home. He has a swell car, and is 24 years old. He wants to see me again but I’m not very interested.” Hum, guess she changed her mind about Ed Pattillo.