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!

To have and to hold

Aww, look at them gazing into each each other’s eyes! 



Here is the Certificate of Marriage from the Bride’s Book.



And here’s the ‘real’ marriage certificate.



I remember when I sent away to Fresno for this marriage certificate and received a “no record found” response.  Huh?  I asked Mom about it and she was just as confused as I was.  Why was there no marriage certificate?  Did the official ‘forget’ to turn it in?  Finally it occurred to me – they must have applied for their marriage license in another county.  So I asked Mom again and she thought for a minute and said “oh yes, we must have applied for our license in San Mateo County since we were at Stanford at the time”.  Sure enough, that’s where it was.  Phew, I was beginning to worry that my parents’ marriage was not legal.

5409 Wilson Avenue, Fresno was the home of Alan and Hazel Dick.  Alan was the son of Clara McAboy and Alexander Dick – Clara was an older sister of my mother’s grandmother, Mabel McAboy Fitzgerald.  Here they are, along with their daughter Sandy, who was the flower girl.



What a beautiful cake!  I wonder if they smashed it in each other’s face.



I’m somewhat surprised that we didn’t find those bells lying around Mom’s house somewhere. :-)

Now they’re man and wife

So now my parents, Gordon and Geraldine (Martin) Levy, are man and wife.  Let the party begin!



Here’s the happy groom and his groomsmen.  My dad is in the middle toasting with his brother and best man, Robert Levy.  I know the names of the others but I’m not sure who is who.  Those in the picture are:  Keith Miller, Sheldon Lewis, John Hammell, Horace Chandler, Joseph Connolly, Herb Harband, and Bud Richter.  If I had to guess I’d say Joseph Connolly is third from the left and Keith Miller is second from the right.  I’ll have to go through old yearbooks to see if I can identify these fellows.

And here’s the bridal party.




Left to right:  Sandra Dick, Jody Renner, Geraldine Martin Levy, Dona Jean Adams, Patricia O’Farrell.  I was able to find Dona Jean in the Stanford annual pretty quickly but didn’t find Patricia – I’m not sure if O’Farrell was her maiden or married name.  I do know that Jody Renner was married so I’ll need to figure out what her maiden name was.

And I love seeing the receiving line, which is something that doesn’t seem quite as popular these days.



I love how my parents are looking into each other’s eyes – they were so in love!

 

Left to right:  Sandra Dick, Dona Jean Adams, Patricia O’Farrell, Jody Renner, Geraldine (Martin) Levy, Gordon Levy, Sigmund Levy, Loraine (Gunzendorfer) Levy, Clara (Fitzgerald) Hunter.

A few things come to mind as I look at this group.  I always knew my grandfather, Sig Levy, was short but geez, he really was!  My dad was only about 5-9” and my grandmother was only about 5-4” and he is dwarfed by both of them.  I’m guessing he was only about 5’1” which is proof that he is the cause of the “Levy curse”.   I remember reading a letter that Loraine wrote to him as he was training to be a Flying Cadet and she made a comment about him sitting on a pillow while he flew :-)

Although my mother’s step-father, Sheldon Hunter, walked her down the aisle, neither he nor her biological father, Earle Martin, participated in the receiving line.  And where was Robert Levy, my dad’s brother?

Here’s the next pages of the Bride’s Book.




Wow, her father, Earle Martin, isn’t even mentioned.  If I didn’t know better I’d think he wasn’t living at the time.



My mom wrote “Taken on our honeymoon – in front of Montery [sic] Harbor on September 4, 1950. 

I’ve always known they spent their honeymoon in Monterey and Carmel but it wasn’t until today that it hit me – they spent their honeymoon in the city where my grandmother grew up.

My favorite page!

As a young girl, I loved looking through my parents’ wedding albums and tried to imagine what it must have been like.  When I’d get to this page, I always slowed down and took my time – this was my favorite page!



There was just so much to look at and the description was beautiful.  But the one thing that really captivated me was what was hiding inside the yellow paper – the orchid that my mother carried in her bouquet.  And here it is, 63 years later.



It really didn’t look that much different all those years ago and I’m surprised that it’s held up as well as it has considering it was just smashed between two pieces of paper.

Here’s a close up of the two pages.



The Maid of Honor was Mrs. Nick Renner (Jody).  I need to figure out what Jody’s maiden name was and maybe I can connect with some of her descendants.

Best Man was Mr. Robert S. Levy – my dad’s only sibling and since my mother was an only child, the only uncle I ever had.  At some point Uncle Bobo went on to get his PhD so we always knew him as Doctor.

Bridesmaids were Dona Jean Adams and Patricia O’Farrell.  I don’t know anything about either of these women.

Flower Girl was Sandra Dick.  Sandra’s grandmother was Clara McAboy, an older sister to my great grandmother, Mabel McAboy Fitzgerald, and the wedding was held in Sandra’s parents’ home.

Others who helped with serving, etc. were Betty Bell, Norma Burkhart, Ellie Miller, Jan Richter, Lorraine Follett, Pat Davis, Sally Conley, Doris Thurber.  Norma, Lorraine, and Doris were all cousins and Pat was her future sister-in-law.

Ushers and others were:  Keith Miller, Sheldon Lewis, John Hammell, Horace Chandler, Joseph Connolly, Herb Harband, Bud Richter.  I know Keith was a childhood friend and Joe was a college friend and I met both as a child.  I’ve heard the name Bud Richter before but not sure of the relationship.

And this is the page I would really study and spent hours looking at it over the years.

  

It looks like Jan and Bud Richter must have saved a piece of cake for them.  

And then Mom wrote:

Could any story, photographs or description ever describe the beauty of our wedding?  Not for us for the beauty to us is partly in our minds – but mostly in our hearts for it was a day we’ll never forget.

The flowers were all white – bells of white daisies were hung with chains of draped daisies.  The aisle was marked by hurricane lamp with daisies on the stands.  My flowers were baby white orchids and stephanotis & centered with a large white orchid.

My dress was of rose point lace – long sleeves, short train, full skirt over hoops, round neck – with Gordon’s gift to me – pearls.  The fingertip illusion veil was attached to a skull cap of rose point lace & edged with seed pearls.  When we left I wore a navy gabardine suite, white with blue shoes, navy & white hat, white gloves & navy bag – with white orchid corsage.

The setting was beautiful – everything was perfect – truly an occasion we’ll always remember – our wedding day!

These pictures are probably a little out of order but it seems appropriate to put them here since they show some of the things Mom described.

Here’s the girls getting ready.



This is a nice look at the back of her dress and the skull cap with the veil attached.  I’m pretty sure that is Jody Renner helping with her veil and, of course, Sandy Dick is the young girl.  As we cleaned out Mom’s house a few months ago, we pulled out the wedding gown that we always knew was in the hope chest in the garage – it’s actually in pretty decent condition.  We couldn’t bear to part with it so we left it inside the hope chest and it is now home with my sister.

And here’s the flowers she described. 



And, of course, some photos showing the flowers and lamps on the aisle.  Here’s Mom with her step father, Sheldon Hunter.  I see on the guest list later in the book that her father, Earle Martin, attended along with his wife, Verda, their son Michael Martin, and Verda’s two children that Earle adopted, Paul and Pat Martin.  I wonder how he felt watching someone else walk her down the aisle.



She looks so serious – I wonder what she was thinking at that very minute.  I know she was thrilled to be marrying the man of her dreams but you wouldn’t know it by this picture.  Check out the beautiful pearls.  I wonder if we ran across those when cleaned out her jewelry.

And no wedding would be complete without the happy couple walking down the aisle after they were pronounced man and wife!



And since she described her going away outfit, here it is.



Now that I look at that BIG corsage she’s wearing I wonder if that’s the orchid she pressed and saved all these years?  Boy do they look happy – and so stylish, too!

The big day is here!

The big day has finally arrived – my parents’ wedding day! 

Again, many newspaper articles talked about the big day.  The next page of the book has a few included – I love how the event is described in such detail.



Here’s a close up of the first article. 



The mystery of the handkerchief is solved!  The hankie I wrote about here was carried by my paternal grandmother, Loraine Gunzendorfer Levy. 

And a close up of the other article.



Look at that – another mention of the hankie adding that it was also carried by my great grandmother, Bertha Schwartz.  And I know that it was, indeed, 56 years prior to my parents’ wedding that my great grandparents, Bertha Schwartz and Abraham Gunzendorfer, were married on September 9, 1894.  You can read about it here. 

And here’s the happy couple.



It will be fun to compare the photos with the description in these articles.  Stay tuned for more!