Alvarado Street

Remember when I wrote about The White House, the Gunzendorfer family mercantile which was located on Alvarado Street in Monterey, California?

I'm now the proud owner of my first vintage postcard which shows Alvarado Street in about 1905.  Somewhere on this street stood The White House! 

As my dad used to say, now I can visualize what it looked like! 

Labor Day isn't a great day for me

Robert (standing) and Gordon Levy
December, 1930

On September 3, 1950 my parents, Gordon Levy and Geraldine Martin, were married.   On Saturday, September 3, 2005 they celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary and two days later, Labor Day, September 5, 2005 my dad was gone.  Although Dad had Parkinson's and other health issues, the heart that had been repaired 26 years before just gave out. 

Gordon Floyd Levy was born in Fresno on February 11, 1927 and was the second son of Sigmund and Mildred Loraine (Gunzendorfer) Levy.  He graduated from Fresno High School in 1944 and after a two year pause for service in the US Army Air Corp, he received a Bachelors Degree from Stanford University in 1949 and a MBA in 1951.  He joined Dean Witter in 1951 and served as a Broker, Partner, and Branch Manager until 1974.  After spending 10 years as General Manager for the San Jose Chamber of Commerce, he returned to Dean Witter/Morgan Stanley in 1985.  Not surprisingly, he spent a full day at work on Friday and died on Monday.  That was just the way he was.

My dad had so many "Gordy-isms" that we still laugh about today.  He loved his sports and would wait for weeks for the big game to finally come on TV.  And once it started and he was comfortable in his chair, we'd find him getting a much needed nap.  And those headphones were placed firmly on his head if he couldn't be near a TV - at weddings, graduations, you name it - he always knew the score. 

Dad bled Stanford red.  He had season tickets for the football games for over 50 years and also loved following the basketball team.  When Stanford would make it to the Rose Bowl or Final Four, Dad was first in line to buy tickets, no matter the location.  And he came to Seattle a few times to watch the UW/Stanford game and had no problem sporting his Cardinal pride amidst a sea of purple.  And then he'd throw up his hands and say "it's not fair, no one can win in this stadium".  Of course plenty of teams other than the Huskies have won but it just never happened to be Stanford when Dad was in attendance.

Dad loved his membership in all sorts of clubs and was very active in the San Jose community, but nothing was more important to him than Rotary.  He was President in the 1960's and was proud of his 51 years of perfect attendance.  I remember no matter where we were vacationing, Dad would always look for a local meeting to attend so he could keep that perfect attendance going.

Oh how I wish Dad could be here to share in this genealogy journey with me.  He loved talking about the past and was always tickled when someone would ask him questions about his youth.  He was proud of his track accomplishments at both Fresno High School and Stanford and loved telling the story of the moment he was the second fastest man in the world.  His theory was this - one day he ran against the fastest man in the world and finished a distant second but that proved that for that moment in time, he was the second fastest man in the world.  He was always looking for the positive in a situation.

I could go on and on about my Dad but to those who knew him best, I'm sure we all agree that the impact he's had on us and those who knew him was significant.  We still laugh about his antics and at times it seems like he's right here with us when his children, grandchildren and even great grandchildren mimic him.  He definitely was one of a kind.

I miss you, Dad!

Gordon Levy
July, 2005

Wedding Wednesday on Saturday: Gordon Levy and Geraldine Martin

Gordon Levy and Geraldine Martin
September 3, 1950

So I know usually we do Wedding Wednesday but today is a very special day in my family, the wedding/anniversary of my parents.  And sadly, it also was the start of a very bad Labor Day weekend for us in 2005.

My parents, Gordon Floyd Levy and Geraldine Martin, were married in Fresno on September 3, 1950.  They met in 1943 when they were students at Fresno High School - dad was a senior and mom was a sophomore.  After high school, they went off to Stanford and both studied there - Mom with a BA in Economics and Dad finished up with a MBA.  Mom likes to say she didn't "follow" him there but I'd bet she's kidding all of us with that one.

I remember as a child my sister and I would pour over their wedding album and loved to look at all of the pictures - Mom looked so beautiful in her wedding dress (which is still packed away in a hope chest) and Dad was a dapper groom.  We also liked looking at the album where Mom wrote about all of the events.  My favorite part was opening up the tissue paper where a few of the flowers had been pressed and although brown and limp with age, it was a wonderful reminder of what was surely a beautiful day.  I also remember staring at the giant portrait of Mom which still hangs at the end of the hallway in our childhood home.  All little girls dream of their wedding day and it was no exception for us. 

In 2000, Mom and Dad were ready to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary and decided that the best way to celebrate would be to have all of the kids/grandkids together in a very special place.  So Labor Day weekend in 2000 found us all together in Napa for a celebration.  Everyone arrived at different times throughout the weekend but we knew we would all be together for one very special dinner.

Our surprise to Mom and Dad that year was hiring a photographer to capture the day with both group photos and individual family photos.  Dad could, at times, turn into an emotional wreck and my recollection is that he was close on this special evening.  And being the eternal Stanford football fan, I also seem to remember him sitting at the dinner table with his ever-present headphones on listening to the game.

Of course no trip to Napa would be complete without some golf and wine tasting!  One of the days found some of us off wine tasting, some at the amusement park nearby, and some playing golf at Silverado Country Club (the perks of a golf pro brother).  I don't think Dad finished his round that day but I know how much he loved being on the course with his family.  And if memory serves me correctly, that may have been the last time he was able to golf.

Sure our family has grown since then and we're still in different cities and states but I don't think any of us will ever forget that very special weekend celebrating our wonderful parents.

Gordon & Gerry Levy
September 3, 2000
50th wedding anniversary

Sunday's Obituary: Sarah Jane Miller Brooks Anderson 1836-1923

PIONEER TO BE BURIED TODAY
Services for Matron are Arranged

Funeral services for Mrs. Sarah Jane Anderson, who died Monday evening, will be held tomorrow afternoon at 2 o'clock at the chapel of Stephens and Bean.  Burial will be in Mountain View cemetery.

Mrs. Anderson, widow of J.H. Anderson, was born in South Carolina, November 5, 1836, and came to Fresno in 1888.  Since the death of her husband she made her home with her children, her death occurring at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Mamie Burks, at 445 Abby.  She had been a member of the St. Paul's Methodist church for many years.

Four sons, A.P., J.B., and W.W. Brooks and J.T. Anderson, two daughters, Mrs. R.L. Martin and Mrs. Burks, 21 grandchildren, Edward, Albert and Oscar Brooks of Richmond, W.A. Brooks of Taft, C. Bart Brooks of Kerman, George H. and Rexford Anderson and W.B. Martin of San Luis Obispo, Earl Martin of Fresno, Mrs. Fred Donleavy, Mrs. Robert Kilpatrick, Mrs. Earl Granger, Mrs. Fred Redden, Mrs. Percy Perry of Madera, Mrs. Allan Dennison of Berkeley, Mrs. Hattie Whitman of Fresno, Mrs. Pearl Fortado of Concord, Mrs. T.J. Delany of Oakland, Misses Nell Martin, Ethel Martin and Ruth Brooks and 15 great grandchildren survive her.

Sarah Jane Miller Brooks Anderson was my second great grandmother.  Her daughter, Mrs. R.L. Martin, was my great grandmother and Earle Martin was my maternal grandfather.

Sarah's memorial on findagrave.

Sarah Jane Miller Brooks Anderson

Sarah Jane Miller
1836-1923



I've spent more time lately researching my mother's paternal line thanks to a Randy Seaver's recent Saturday Night Genealogy Fun to list all 16 of our great great grandparents.  My maternal grandparents divorced when my mother was about 10 and since she didn't stay close to her dad, we never really knew our grandfather.  Her mother remarried and her step dad was the man we considered Grandpa.  But that other line has always been out there, just waiting to be found :-)

I last wrote about my 2nd great grandfather, William Brooks, who was killed at the Battle of Fredericksburg in 1862.  While I've had other ancestors who served in the Civil War, William is the first I've found who died during the war and the first who served for the Confederate Army. 

I wonder how long it took before Sarah Jane Miller Brooks knew she was a widow with four small children to care for.  What must communication have been like in 1862?  Did someone come to her door to notify her or did she wait anxiously for a letter from her husband that never arrived.  No matter how she was told, she was alone.

Sarah was born in South Carolina in November, 1836 and was the third child of Albert Miller and Margaret Finley.  I have a lot more research to do on Albert and Margaret but I do know that when Albert died in 1856, he left "one negro girl (value $595) and ten bushels of wheat (value $13.25)" to Sarah's husband, William Brooks. I guess the daughter's share was given to her husband in those days.

In 1868 Sarah married John Hayward Anderson and together they had two children and moved to Fresno in 1888.  It is this part of the family to which I've recently connected and my new-found cousin has graciously shared the photo above (as well as many other treasures) with me.  Thank you, Terry!

Sarah died in Fresno on April 30, 1923.  She was survived by all six of her children, 21 grandchildren, and 15 great grandchildren.

I don't know much about Sarah but I'm sure I'll learn more.  I do know that she looks like a very kind woman and I wish I'd had an opportunity to know her.  There are so many questions I'd like to ask.......

Another Civil War Veteran!

Photo by terryballard

While blogging last week about my 16 great great grandparents I realized that one of my 2nd great grandfathers in my maternal grandfather's line, of which I haven't researched much, died in 1862 in Fredericksburg.  I'm not a Civil War buff but because my husband is, I remembered visiting the Fredericksburg Battlefield about 15 years ago.  I remembered posing for a family photo in front of the wall in the photo above.  (I also remember being bored to tears but that's another story for a different day)  Could this ancestor of mine actually have died there?  Time to research!



Burnside Bridge, Antietam Battlefield
Photo by Galileo55


And research I did.  I learned that William J. Brooks served as Private, Company G, 3 South Carolina Regiment, CSA.  His service began in July, 1862 and his regiment particpated in the Battle of Antietam (or Sharpsburg, as it was known in the south) on September 17, 1862.  This was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history with about 23,000 casualties.  I remember visiting this battlefield with a book in hand that compared the location in 1862 with present day.  It was quite humbling to stand on the same land that our ancestors fought on.  As we walked across the Burnside Bridge, we thought about the lives that were lost that day.




Photo by Jackie
Findagrave #8222614

 I've also learned that William J. Brooks did, in fact, die at the battle at Fredericksburg on December 13, 1862, mid way through the 5 day battle (December 11-15, 1862).  I don't know specifics about his death but I know that he left a wife, Sarah Jane Miller, and four young children, one of which was my great grandmother, Frances Maria Brooks.  William is buried in Dials Cemetery in Laurens County, South Carolina.

I've also learned that after William's death in 1862, Sarah married John Hayward Anderson in 1868 and together they had more children.  At some point after their marriage (I'm still researching), they moved across the country from South Carolina to Fresno. 

There is so much to learn about Sarah.  Two of her great grandfathers were Revolutionary War patriots and her father was a slave owner.  While I know this is a sensitive part of our nation's history, I'm excited to learn more about this.

But the best part about researching William and Sarah is that I found a new cousin!  My new cousin (2nd cousin, once removed) is a descendant of Sarah Miller and John Anderson and we're currently in the process of exchanging information and learning more about our common ancestors.  She not only lives near my childhood home where my mother still lives, but we discovered today that my mother actually attended the wedding of her parents as a young child.  Proof positive how small this world really is!

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - My 16 Great Grandparents

Photo by Tomorrow Never Knows

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Randy Seaver at genea-musings for the Saturday night challenge of listing our 16 great great grandparents.  I've been in a "blog fog" (where I can't think of anything to write about) for the last few weeks and now I have something to blog about.  I will admit it is Sunday night and I'm 24 hours late but I've been out of town this weekend so I get a free pass :-)

The challenge was:

1)  List your 16 great-great-grandparents with their birth, death and marriage data (dates and places).  [Hint - you might use an Ancestral Name List from your software for this.]

2)  Determine the countries (or states) that these ancestors lived in at their birth and at their death.

3)  For extra credit, go make a "Heritage Pie" chart for the country of origin (birth place) for these 16 ancestors. [Hint: you could use the  chart generator from Kid Zone for this.] [Note: Thank you to Sheri Fenley for the "Heritage Pie" chart idea.]

I'm not going for extra credit as I'm too tired and too technically challenged but here goes:

1.  William Warren McAboy:  Born 12 December, 1842 in DeWitt County, Illinois.  Died 12 January, 1925 in Santa Cruz, California.  Married 10 January 1864 in DeWitt County, Illinois to....

2.  Rebecca Moriah Waller:  Born 7 February, 1845 in Warren County, Ohio.  Died 23 October 1928 in Fresno, California.

3.  Matthew Fitzgerald:  Born 10 September 1850 in Ireland.  Died 24 August 1905 in Fresno, California.  Married June 1869 in Derryleagh, Cork, Ireland to....

4.  Julia Horgan:  Born 1849 in Derryleagh, Cork, Ireland.  Died 4 August 1886 in Black, Yolo County, California.

5.  Lewis Saxon Martin:  Born 9 April 1820 in South Carolina.  Died 19 July 1903 in Laurens County, South Carolina.  Married 12 April 1848 in Laurens County, South Carolina (second marriage) to....

6.  Millicent Moore:  Born 6 October 1827 in South Carolina.  Died 3 January 1884 in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.

7.  William J. Brooks:  Born 1835 in South Carolina.  Died 1862 in Fredericksburg, Virgina.  (I need to research this - I just realized he must have died at the battle of Fredericksburg).  Married to.....

8.  Sarah Jane Miller:  Born November 1836 in South Carolina.  Died 30 April 1923 in Fresno, California.

9.  Louis Schwartz:  Born 28 December 1834 in Shildberg, Prussia.  Died 23 May 1893 in Byron Springs, Contra Costa County, California.  Married 15 October 1865 in California to....

10.  Rebecca Steen:  Born 8 February 1848 in Poland.  Died 7 January 1918 in Oakland, California.

11.  Ferdinand Gunzendorfer:  Born 1 August 1838 in Adelsdorf, Bavaria.  Died 20 October 1907 in Montery, California.  Married in 1863 in California to....

12.  Fannie Goldstein:  Born 6 March 1848 in Poland.  Died 22 July 1910 in San Francisco, California.

13.  Benjamin Benas:  Born 26? December, 1826 in Posen, Germany.  Died 17 April 1892 in Vallejo, California.  Married before 1870 in California to....

14.  Fredericka Wilzinski:  Born 20 April 1840 in Prussia or Germany.  Died 14 October 1915 in San Francisco, California.

And that's all I've got.  I do not know the parents of my paternal great grandfather, Herman Levy.  I've hit a bit of a brick wall so I've put them aside.  For now.