The Owl - June, 1905

Oops, I'm already out of order.  So I'll go back and catch up on 1905 - the June, 1905 edition was the commencement edition which means lots of photos!

 Always fun to see the faculty.

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1. Fred J. Armstrong, U.C. '99, Commercial Department
2. A.C. Olney, U.C. '98, Principal - Mathematics
3. Miss Olive M. Dunbar, Stanford '98, Latin
4. Miss Bessie Carpenter, Stenography and Typewriting
5. L.A. Buchanan, Stanford, Manual Training and Mechanical Drawing
6. Miss Mabel Cory, Stanford '96, History and English
7. C.L McLane, Northern Indiana N.U. '87, Superintendent of City Schools
8. Miss Jessie Dewell, U.C. '97, English
9. John A. Nowell, Stanford '93, History
10. Harlan C. Smith, Stanford '87, Mathematics
11. Henry Kerr, U.C. '97, Science
12. Mrs. E.M. Babcock, Stanford '95, Biology
13. Miss Laura E. Marshall, Chicago Art School, Freehand Drawing
14. Miss Elizabeth Adams, U.C. '03, Latin and English

I wonder who out of this group was the favorite teacher?  And who did the students dread having?

And of course the Class of 1905 took center stage.

1. Mable Anderson
2. Wm. Wainright (graduated in February)
3. Grace Niblock
4. Lawrence Pierson
5. Charles Shaw
6. Helen VanSlyck
7. Myrtle Newlin
8. Zillah Beall
9. Alma Prather
10. Lulu Markley
11. Jessie Price
12. Katherine Gundelfinger
13. Jessie McDonald
14. Anna Wallace
15. Lotta Young
16. Minnie York
17. Erle Leaf
18. Cloie Loveall

I need to keep my eye on Katherine Gundelfinger.  Often times when I search for my Gunzendorfer ancestors, Gundelfinger will pop up and I've ignored it.  But not any longer.

1. Edna Bates
2. Aleen Lambie
3. Della Yeargin
4. Edward Glass
5. Tullius Tupper
6. Mattie Barnwell
7. Lenna Prather
8. Burt Swartz
9. Elizabeth Gorman (graduated in February)
10. Dora Linderstrand
11. Grace Stewart
12. Ola Harrell
13. Sadie Smith
14. Ella Hume
15. Genevieve Walker (graduated in February)
16. Axchie Davis 
17. Ethel Rhea

And then three other names - maybe those without photos?  Leslie Clark, Georgia Barker (graduated in February), Mildred Rorick (graduated in February).

Unfortunately, not a familiar name in the bunch.  But maybe one of their descendants will find my blog.

Of course, sports was a big draw and I was glad to see the teams' photos.

Track Team.  Sounds like they didn't have a great season.

The baseball team finished 5-2 in 1905.  The Owl stated "Of all the teams this school had in the field this year the baseball team is the only one that has made an unqualified success."  No names associated with this photo but I do know the captain of the team was Pierson and the battery for one game was Leonard (pitcher) and Pierson (catcher).

And of course, football, where Clinton Collins was captain of the team at the beginning of the season but was obliged to resign soon after he was elected.  Geo. Hensley (fullback) was then elected to fill the position and Fred Scott coached the boys.  The team finished 2-2 for the year.

The team nearest and dearest to my heart was the Tennis team.

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Members of the team were:  Boys - Sig Levy, Arthur Drew, Lloyd Griffith, and Gus Hoover. Girls - Violet Hodgkin, Marcia Edwards, Ola Harrell and Constance Beveridge.  Of course I can't put a name to a face for anyone except my grandfather, Sig Levy, who is seated on the left.

I loved the description of the April 15 match against Easton High School where Fresno High won three out of five events.  

"The first event, the boys' singles, was easily won by Arthur Drew, then Marcia Edwards and Constance Beveridge won the girls' doubles in three hotly contested and well-played sets.  In the next event, the boys' doubles, was seen the best playing of the day, Levy and Griffith winning it in straight sets.  Levy's driving and Griffith's lobbing were the features of the game.

I find the advertisers so interesting.  

My parents were both born in Burnett Sanitarium (1927 and 1928) and here they are in 1905 advertising in the Fresno High yearbook.  I wonder if my grandfather ever thought about the fact that his son would be born in this facility.  Glad to know they offered weekly rates of $15 to $40 which included room, board, and nursing.  What a bargain!

Nyman Levy?  That's a new name to me.  Is that two surnames or someone with the first name of Nyman and last name of Levy?

Now that I look at it closer, I think it is two surnames and I think Levy is my great grandfather, Herman Levy!  This is an excerpt from Sig's brother (and Herman's son) Ben's autobiography.

When the county seat in Fresno County was moved from Millerton to Fresno, my father came to Fresno.  He worked for the pioneer firm of Kutner and Goldstein Co., which later had stores in practically every town in the Valley.  Later, my father owned and operated a clothing store on Mariposa Street and later moved to an enlarged store at the Corner of J (Fulton) and Mariposa Streets.  This store was destroyed by fire and my father then became the sole agent of the New York Life Insurance Co. which he held until his death.

Maybe someone who is familiar with Fresno in the early twentieth century can tell me if 1936 Mariposa could be the store?

This is an interesting advertisement.  My mother's maternal grandfather, Edward Fitzgerald, had a sister, Anna, who married Robert Sronce.  And Edward's wife, Mabel McAboy, had a sister, Clara, who married Alexander Dick.  Somehow these have got to be related to this business on "I" Street.

So fun to see the snappy footwear of the time!

And at Waterman Bros. you could buy a "white" touring car.  10 years later my grandmother would call their car a "machine".

Sure gives us a feel of what life was like in 1905.

Guests, guests, and more guests

Now that my parents’ wedding ceremony was over, it was time to party!  And it looks like there were a lot of people to participate.



Actually, it doesn’t look like this crowd was too into partying – this group looks pretty reserved.  And with all the people in this photo, there is only one person that I recognize and that is my grandmother, Clara Fitzgerald Martin Hunter.  You have to look really closely – she’s the lady underneath the canopy with the fun hat on.  It is almost like she is just standing there surveying the crowd.  And probably breathing a sign of relief that the stress was behind her.

And here is another crowd shot with Mom throwing the bouquet – looks like bridesmaid Patricia O’Farrell is ready to make the grab. 



There’s only a few familiar faces in this photo – my dad’s brother, Robert Levy, is in the center of this photo (with white tux jacket) and to his left, I believe, is his future wife, Patricia Davis.  And it also looks like some of the guests are enjoying that lovely cake. 

And how fun that I have a list of the guests who attended, and in their own handwriting!  Notable guests noted below each page.



Mr. & Mrs. I.T. Thurber – Mrs. Thurber was Dorris Feuerstein, daughter of my grandmother’s sister, Viola Fitzgerald.

Nell Martin – older sister of my grandfather.

Mamie Burks (nee Anderson) – the half sister to my great grandmother, Frances Brooks Martin.  Frances’ father, William J. Brooks, was killed at the Battle of Fredericksburg and her mother married John Hayward Anderson in 1868.

Earle Martin and his family – Earle was my mother’s father, Verda was his second wife, Michael was their son, and Paul and Pat were Verda’s children whom Earle adopted.

Ethel and Gertrude Stubblefield – these sisters lived next door to my grandparents, Sig and Loraine Levy, as long as I can remember.  One of them was one of my father’s elementary school teachers.  Neither one of them every married.

Clara Dick (nee McAboy) – Clara was an older sister of my great grandmother, Mabel McAboy Fitzgerald. 



Mr. & Mrs. A.K. Sherwin – Mrs. Sherwin was Irene Gunzendorfer.  Her father, Jacob Gunzendorfer, was the younger brother of my great grandfather, Abraham Gunzendorfer.

Lois and Marshall Peal – Lois was Al and Irene Sherwin’s daughter.

Jessie Hamilton – I know she is important but I just can’t remember how.  My mom talked about her as we were discussing genealogy but, sadly, I didn’t take notes related to Jessie.  Add that to my to-do list.



Mrs. and Mrs. E.A. Hamilton are both on this page.  I wonder if they are in some way related to Jessie Hamilton.

Winifred (nee Dick) and John Hoey – Winifred was the daughter of Clara McAboy and Alexander Dick.

Malcom Bell – Malcom was married to Elizabeth Sronce, who was the daughter of Anna (Fitzgerald) and Robert Sronce.  My mother lived with Anna and Robert for several years while her parents were going through their divorce.
 
Helen Schwartz – I’m not sure but it seems like she could be important since her last name is Schwartz and my great grandmother’s maiden name was Schwartz. 

Robt. Sronce – there he is.  I wonder if Elizabeth Bell and Anna Sronce signed the book.

Ed Fitzgerald – my great grandfather.  His daughter was my mother’s mother, Clara Fitzgerald Martin Hunter.

Mabel (nee McAboy) Fitzgerald – my great grandmother.  These were the only two great grandparents I ever knew.

Mrs. Fred Levy - hmmmm, who is this?  Is she related in some way?



Mr. & Mrs. Clarence Follett – Mrs. Follett was Loraine Feuerstein, whose mother was my grandmother’s sister, Viola Fitzgerald.

Keith Miller – a childhood friend of my dad’s.  I believe he lived on an adjoining street and was friend’s with my dad throughout their lifetimes.



Gilda Levy – my dad’s cousin.  Her father was Benjamin Levy, youngest brother of my grandfather, Sig Levy.

Patricia Davis – future wife of my uncle, Robert Levy. 

Sandra Dick – flower girl and my mom’s second cousin.

Hazel & Alan Dick – Alan was the son of Clara (McAboy) and Alexander Dick and they were the hosts of the event.

Betty Ann Bell – there she is!  Betty was the daughter of Anna (Fitzgerald) and Robert Sronce.

What a treat to be able to see not just who attended the wedding but to be able to see their signatures, too!

Who do you hope to find?

Like most of the geneaworld, I have been eagerly awaiting release day of the 1940 U.S. Census.  I wasn't active with family research 10 years ago when the 1930 census was released so I feel a bit like the new kid in school - excited to get started yet a little apprehensive about where to begin.  So I'm going to start easy and focus on finding someone who can help me in my quest - my mother!

My mother was 12 in 1940 and due to her parents' divorce, at some point she lived with her great aunt and uncle in a different city than either of her parents.  But she's not 100% sure where she was in 1940 - was she still with her mother, had she moved to Berkeley with her aunt, or was she back in Fresno with her mother and step father?  So I'm going to help her figure that out!

She remembers the address of the home she lived in with her grandfather's sister, Anna Teresa Fitzgerald Sronce, as 1441 Milvia Street, Bereley, California.  Lo and behold, when I received the 1950 death certificate for Anna, that was the address listed and it showed that she had lived "in this place" for 30 years.  However, the 1930 census shows Anna and Robert Sronce in Oakland.  My guess is that I'll find them on Milvia Street in 1940 but we'll have to wait to know for sure.

Once I find the Sronce family, I'm hoping my mom will be listed with them.  If she's not there, I'll have to start searching in Fresno to see if she's listed with her mother or, perhaps, her grandparents.  I'm hoping that once I find her, I'll spark some memories for her and she'll be able to put more pieces of the puzzle together.

Who do you hope to find in the 1940 census?



My mom - Geraldine Martin
She looks to be about 14 years old