MY MOM
Virginia Mifflin Smith
My Mom kept everything. If she could not use it she refashioned or repurposed it into something else. Back in the day everyone had to do this to save money. Especially when you had a lot of kids. My Mom learned from her Mom Ethel Mae Hopkins Kingwell Mifflin. There are photos at the end of the story which shows you how much talent my Mom has for multiple artistry in many craft mediums to artwork and painting. Fun and necessity brought out her talents.
Mom had an avid fondness for photography. She and my Dad purchased equipment to develop their own black and white photos. Many of their first photos were done this way. Later they just had them developed as color film became less expensive. As soon as the home movie camera came out they bought the first Bell and Howell 8 mm camera. My brother took all those films and transferred them to DVD after Mom and Dad did the same to the films to VHS format in the 1990's.
So I have a lot of photos over the years. The photography bug hit me and my brother, my kids and my grand kids.
Mom kept all the correspondence and returned it to me so I could use it for my journals. She extracted notes from the letters and documents and transferred
them to formal genealogy binders.
Mom wrote autobiography of things that she remembered. I will extract her stories and add them here. Her notes added most of the information to the stories I have already added here of my Dad, Grandfather Benjamin W Mifflin and Grandfather Walter Adelbert Smith. I have already written stories about my Dad, my Dad's parents - my Grandmother and Grandfather Smith. Also my Mother's - Mother Ethel Mae Hopkins Kingwell Mifflin and her husband Benjamin W Mifflin. Those pages have a lot of photos of my Mom and Dad and me and my brother Mike.
So here is my Mom's story so far... She is now going to be 85 in April of 2015.
For without Grandma and Grandpa Mifflin there would be no Virginia M Smith
Ethel Mae Hopkins Kingwell Mifflin 1904 - 1979
Grandpa Benjamin Williams Mifflin 1894 - 1958
Grandpa made this cute announcement for my Mom's birth
Isn't this a cute hand drawn announcement~
Grandpa Benjamin and Ethel in the back - Ethel is holding my Mom. The older woman in the photo is my Grandfather's Grandmother! She is Cecile Morgan Mifflin who was born in 1840-and died four years after this photo was taken in 1934 this was her 90th birthday photo. The other kids are my Mom's older sisters: front left is Connie, front right is Joyce, Behind Joyce is Mona and Behind Connie is Patricia.
Mom as an infant 1930
My Mom Virginia as a toddler about 1932
My Mom was born in Cache County Utah. They lived in Utah until 1936 when they moved to San Francisco.
Back Left upper - Patricia, center my Mom Virginia right upper Mona
Bottom left Connie and right is Joyce. Notice the snow on the tire in the back with 'chains' on the tires. This could possibly be the car they used to travel to California from Utah after Ethel lost a baby in February of 1936 as the next baby was born in July 1936.
My Mom typed in all capital letters I think it was just easier for her!
Mon says:
1936
"THEY HAD ME GET UP ON STAGE FOR AMATURE TIME AND SING "HAPPY LITTLE BLUE BIRD" AND WINNING.
MY SISTERS DID NOT WANT ME TO KNOW, BUT THEY TOOK THE CANDY I WON.
[There was a] FIRE FROM KEROSENE STOVE BURNING CURTAINS AND MOTHER CALLING FIRE DEPT AND THEN THROWING WATER ON FIRE AND PUTTING IT OUT.
1937
23RD ST. & DOUGLAS [San Francisco]
LIVING ABOVE BUTCHER STORE SHOP. VERY LARGE ROOMS, [and] a KITCHEN WITH DUMB WAITER AND SLIDING DOORS BETWEEN THE KITCHEN & DINING ROOM TO PUT FOOD IN AND DISHES AND TAKING OUT IN ANOTHER ROOM. CLIMBING IN AND SOMEONE WOULD LOWER IT DOWN TO BUTCHER SHOP WHICH WAS LOCKED AND THEN BACK UP, LIKE A RIDE. OUR CLOTHES HANGING OUT ON THE ROOF TO DRY.
Mom says: THIS IS WHERE I LEARNED THERE WAS NO SANTA. I HEARD MY OLDER SISTERS HELPING WRAP PRESENTS AND SAYING THIS BALL IS FOR VIRGINIA AND FINDING IT WRAPPED UNDER THE TREE WITH SANTA'S NAME TO ME.
THE CHRISTMAS TREES, WHICH WERE REAL, WERE ALWAYS BOUGHT THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS. NEVER SEEING IT UNTIL CHRISTMAS MORNING WITH ALL THE TRIM AND REAL LITTLE CANDLES LIT.
WE WENT TO THE FIRE STATIONS AT CHRISTMAS AND THEY GAVE US TOYS AND CANDY. THE FIREMAN WERE GREAT. THEY HAD SANTA SLIDE DOWN THE POLE WITH THE GIFTS.
I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THEM AND HOW KIND THEY WERE. THE WORKED ALL YEAR LONG MAKING AND REPAIRING GIFTS FOR THE CHILDREN.
WHEN I HAD MY OWN HOME I ALWAYS GAVE THEM GIFTS FOR THE CHILDREN.
THE PARTIES WE WERE TAKEN TO AND RECEIVED PRESENTS AND CANDY AND SOME OF THE PEOPLES CHILDREN WERE HAUGHTY AND LOOKED DOWN AT US. WE WERE POOR CHILDREN TAKEN TO THEIR CHRISTMAS PARTY AND GIVEN A GIFT. WE HAD TO WALK UP TO THE SANTA AND RECEIVE THE GIFT WITH ALL THE PEOPLE LOOKING AT US. WE WERE ON DISPLAY. WE DIDN'T CARE AS WE GOT GOOD GIFTS.
WALKING ALL THE WAY TO THE BEACH AND GETTING ON THE STREET CAR TO COME HOME AND GERI CRYING SO THEY WOULD LET US RIDE FREE.
TAKING THE BUS FOR THE FIRST TIME TO THE CASTRO SHOW. THE BUS DRIVER DIDN'T TELL US WHERE TO GET OFF AND ENDING UP BACK HOME AND HE MADE US GET OFF THE BUS AS WE DID NOT HAVE ANY MONEY TO GO AGAIN. HAD TO WALK TO THE CASTRO SHOW.
DADDIE WENT TO HAWAII TO WORK FOR THE NAVY OVERSEEING REPAIR OF SHIPS 1939.
I think Mom said this was a birthday party for her when she was like 8. Her sister Geri is the one in front on the right.
1938 - 1942
25TH ST. SAN FRANCISCO
WAKING UP AND HEARING THE SOUNDS OF THE CITY AND THE SMELLS OF THE BAKERIES AND THE FLOWERS.
SWEET SMELL OF PAINT ESPECIALLY AFTER THE RAIN. SMELLING MOTHERS COOKING.
CONNIE & JOYCE GOT MARRIED IN 1940.
RUTHIE COURT [ I could not find any other information on this, so I am not sure if they lived there or what.]
ALVARADO SCHOOL 1936 to 1942
WE HAD A BLACK DOG THAT WAS AN ALASKAN HUSKY NAMES JEZEBEL.
WE HAD A TINY PAINTED TURTLE THAT DIED FROM BEING PAINTED.
WE GOT EGGS THAT HATCHED INTO CHICKS. IT WAS FUN.
DAY TRIPS
CAMP SAN FRANCISCO MONA & I.
DADDIE HAD US GET PASSPORTS TO GO TO HAWAII. HE RENTED A HOME ON THE ISLAND OF OAHU, HONOLULU AT DIAMOND HEAD.
HE CAME HOME BECAUSE HE KNEW THE JAPANESE WERE GOING TO ATTACK HAWAII IN 1941 [WORLD WAR II STARTED SEPTEMBER 1, 1939 - USA Pearl Harbor attacked December 7 1941]
GRAMMAR SCHOOL
SISTERS HANGING ME OUT OF SECOND STORY WINDOW OVERLOOKING JUNK YARD OF GLASS AND METAL.
TALKING ME INTO JUMPING ONTO PILLOWS.
HAVING TO COVER WINDOWS AND DOORS FOR BLACKOUTS. WHOLE CITY BLACKED OUT SO TROOPS COULD GO UNDER THE BRIDGE TO GO OVERSEAS.
MOVED TO HAYES & BAKER AND WENT TO FREMONT SCHOOL
LOTS OF BLACKOUTS DURING THE WAR.
MOVED TO DIAMOND ST 1942
ALVARADO SCHOOL
DADDIE TOOK US TO UTAH BECAUSE OF THE WAR. GERI, NANCY, LAURIE AND I WENT. THE OLDER SISTERS STAYED IN THE CITY WITH MOTHER.
[From what I understand this was just for a few months in Ogden Utah in 1942. They lived with her Father's sister and family. Mom said she did go to school in Utah so it must have been before summer. Benjamin and Ethel got divorced and Ethel married Ralph McKenna in 1948. Ethel and Ralph got divorced before 1955 and Ralph passed away in 1956. Benjamin and Ethel remarried to each other in 1958. Benjamin knew he was very ill and had been having strokes. He wanted Ethel to have the house so they got married again in March of 1958 and Benjamin died in July of 1958.]
[In 1939 was the World's Fair on Treasure Island in the middle of San Francisco bay and the The Golden Gate International Exposition.]
WE SAW A SEAL BOY, ALLIGATOR MAN, BEARDED LADY, PIN HEADS, TATTOOED PEOPLE, FAT LADY, MIDGETS, AND SIAMESE TWINS. WE WENT TO PLAYLAND AT THE BEACH [SAN FRANCISCO.]
Memories of World War II
I remember President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the war. He was a great President and did so much for our country.
I remember the Civil Defense starting in May 1941 and did not end until July 1944. It was a very scary time.
I lived in San Francisco, California and was only 11 years old.
We had to black out any light that could be seen from the air. This was to help keep us from air raids.
We had back cloth covering the windows and doorways or painted the windows black.
They made sure street lights, eclectic signs and all household lights could not be seen from the air. They painted curbs and around trees and walkways with luminescent paint which turned out to be toxic as it was made of calcium and barium sulphides. Some people got cancer from it. We did not go out much after dark.
It was very scary when they sounded the sirens and blacked out the whole city. We could hear planes going overhead and thought it was the Japanese.
We found out later it was done so our troops could go overseas without people knowing.
We learned how to identify planes so we could spot an enemy plane. The plane I liked the most was the P 38 which had twin bodies.
I lived on 25th Street near Castro. We moved to 21st and Treat Ave. below Mission St. next to a big plant with trains running in back of our yard.
While there one evening the sirens sounded and all went black except the plant. Everyone in the neighborhood was yelling at them to turn out the lights but they knew that it was for troop movements did not turn out their lights.
We moved from there soon and moved to 1458 Hayes near Baker Street near the panhandle of the Golden of Gate Park.
We also had to have a bucket of sand to put out incendiary bombs that were dropped from the plans to light up the sky. If they landed on your place they started a fire.
My Father got his pension from the government for being in War World II and he bought a home for us at 421 Diamond St.
Shortly after that my Father took Laurie, Nancy, Geri and I to Ogden, Utah because he did not want us to be in an area that might be bombed. This was in 1942. {Benjamin and Ethel got a divorce at this time.}
My older sisters and Mother worked in the Defense plants. My Mother was a shipwright and Connie was a riveter. My Father left us there in Utah and went back to San Francisco. We stayed with my Aunt Ada my Dad's sister and her husband Uncle Barclay J Standing in Ogden, Utah. They had four sons and two daughters.
We moved back to San Francisco about a couple of months later.
I have talked to people who were in the service when Pearl Harbor was attacked. They said in San Francisco they did not have weapons and were training with wooden guns. If they had guns they had no amunition.
During the war everything was rationed. We got stamps to buy things like certain foods and gas and rayon stockings and then nylon stockings.
We had to stand in line when the stockings were available. Sometimes they ran out before you got to the front of the line. [Mom has the remains of her ration books and I will add photos of these later.]
More about 1936 - 1942:
DEPRESSION 1936
SCHOOLS Alvarado on Douglas Street
[they skipped her a grade ahead when she came back from Utah from 6th to 8th grade]
James Lick Jr High School 1942 - 1944
Mission High School 1944 - 1947 She was a Senior when she got married.
1942
Everyone was on welfare. We all went to a school downtown S.F. and were given a dress, slip, underpants, socks and a pair of shoes.
All the dress were gingham design.
The different sizes were in different colors.
So at recess you saw a sea of blue gingham, another area of green gingham and red gingham in another area.
It was like private schools with everyone dressing alike.
One girl had her own clothes and no one liked her. All the boys wore the same clothes also including jackets.
John remembers going to the same place getting the clothes and shoes.
They gave us over sized shoes so they would fit us longer. We had to put paper in the toes so our feet wouldn't slip down.
It was depression time we were given food at recess time, like an orange, apple, grapefruit, raisins. We got a small carton of milk and sometimes graham crackers.
Mother made great meatloaf that was like lunch meat. She sliced it and made great sandwiches with it. She added thin sweet pickles, she made. She put butter on the bread which was homemade.
Mother also cooked beef tongue, sliced it and made sandwiches with the sweet pickles.
We brought extra sandwiches and traded them for tuna sandwiches or store bought lunch meat. The other kids loved her sandwiches.
I had a school friend, Daphne Earlinston. Her Father seemed to be the only one who had work. She was not liked because she had store bought clothes and rabbit fur coats and lots of money. They lived up the Street from the school in a beautiful home. I stayed at her house a couple of times.
Her mother came to school all the time and sat in class which didn't help. She was odd and fluttered her eyes and dresses up fancy. She didn't want anyone to be mean to her daughter. She wanted the teacher to treat Daphne special.
23rd St
ran away to the corner of 25th St but would not cross the street as Mother told me not to cross intersections. [Mom does not say when or why. She must have been under 8.]
There was bad car accident at 23rd & Diamond streets [near her house] A car fell on man and mother picked up car to get him out. It ruined her back. [I never knew this about my Grandma!]
I had another friend, in Jr. High School. Her name was Marie Finch, and she who lived on Castro Street. I went to her place all the time and stayed over sometimes. Her Mother worked and her Father was in the Navy and away because of the war. She had a white rabbit fur coats and she gave me the ones she had outgrown. I had a least two. I gave them to Geri when I outgrew them. It must have looked funny wearing a fur coat over my welfare clothes.
I liked a boy named Arthur St. Clair. I was madly in love with him. He never knew. When I went to Utah in 1942 and came back a year later he was a year behind me in school so that was the end of that.
PEOPLE I DATED BEFORE DATING JOHN
Bill Smith and Warren Smith [her future husband's Brothers]
Jens Juhl [His father was the Danish Consulate
Bill (Bob's friend)
Larry Carso [her sister's future husband]
1945
WAR OVER SEPTEMBER 1945.
WE WENT TO STAGE SHOWS AT THE GOLDEN GATE THEATER AND OTHER THEATERS IN DOWNTOWN SAN FRANCISCO. WE SAW FRANK SINATRA AND BIG BANDS. SAW LENA HORN. [Mom said they saw the actor Robert Mitchum and he put his jacket on Geri as she was cold and had no sweater or jacket on while waiting to see him.]
WENT TO THE BEACH, SWIMMING POOLS,
CONCESSIONS WITH CAROLYN SMITH [niece of my Dad.] PARKS THAT WE WENT TO: GOLDEN GATE, DOLORES, GLENN PARK, AND DOUGLAS.
WE USED THE STREET CARS AND BUSES. NOT TOO MANY HAD CARS AND GAS WAS RATIONED.
PHOTOS
Ethel in the back second from the right, kids left to right in back are Mona, Patricia and to Ethel's right is Joyce. In the middle is left Geri and right is my Mom and in the front is left Nancy and right Laurie about 1940
Same day as the other with the exception of the daughter on the left of Ethel is Connie
Mom in 1942 age 12
Mom age 15
Original size and before I cleaned up the folds and scratches
about age 16 1946
1946 and on
Mom and Dad's wedding announcement May 1946
Mom and Dad's wedding photo
Dad - John - with Mike 1948
Mom holding me February 1950 I will get the original and add it here
Dad holding me - Sherry - Summer 1950
Me and Mike - 1951
Mike with the big silver toy guns about 1952
Me and Mike - 1952
Me and Mike - 1952
Me Mom and Mike in our first house - 1951
Oct 1951
Dad Sherry Mike 1951
Mike and me with my twin cousins Joan and Janet Falk
Me and Mike at the new house - 1953
Mike and me - Halloween 1953
Sept 1953
about 1954 - the baby, my cousin was born in 1953 Spring - That was my first pair of glasses.
Nov 1954 Mike, Dad, Mom and Sherry
Mike, Mom and me first color photo - Summer 1955
Mom in the backyard of our first house 1956
Mom and her sisters about 1952
Mom left and her sisters Geri, Mona, Joyce, Grandma Ethel, Connie, the bride is Laurie, Patricia, Grandpa Benjamin and Nancy - 1956
Patricia, Connie, Geri, the bride is Nancy, My Mom, Laurie, and Joyce - 1957
Me, Mike, Mom and Dad 1961
the new house on Hill Street
1946 Lived at 4018 22nd St, San Francisco, when we first got married. We rented a room from his parents that had been his bedroom.
Went to the beach at Russian River and lots of other vacation areas including Reno.
We went to the stock car races, big car races formula One races, midget car races, motorcycle races, fights, wrestling matches at the Cow Palace, Seals Stadium, Tanforan race track in San Bruno, Oakland and Fremont.
1946 - 421 Diamond St.
We moved to 421 Diamond St. and rented a room from my parents house downstairs.
1947 4018 22nd St.
We rented a basement apartment that John's Dad built. John helped him. I helped him a little too. The walls were lathe and plaster or stucco that John's Dad did.
Did a lot of fishing up at the Sacramento River.
We went to Utah for the 100 year celebration in July 1947 for three weeks.
We drove with my Father and three of my sisters, Geri, Nancy & Laurie to Oregon to visit my Mom.
I was pregnant with Michael.
1947 November Michael was born while we lived in the basement apartment.
We had an ice box and the ice man came by and put a big block of ice in it. We left the money on the top of the ice box for him.
We had a little black "Cockapoo" (Cocker Spaniel & poodle) named Rags. While we were in Utah, Rags was run over by a car and killed.
1948
We rented a room from John's sister, Velma, 4020 22nd St.
1949 - Moved 1401/2 Cuvier St.
Rented an apartment from Laura & Herb Falk.
John's Father Walter built the apartment in the basement of John's sister Laura, and her husband's home. Walter used stucco plaster. John helped Walter again because Walter had an ulcerated leg and could not do much.
John's friend John Johnson gave Michael a set of guns when he was little. They were bigger than him.
Michael & I went to Astoria, Oregon with my Father & Nancy & Laurie to visit my sister Connie and her family and my Mom who was married to Ralph McKenna at the time.
I was ill all the time because was pregnant and didn't know it at the time. Sherry was born here when we lived at this apartment. Stayed here until 1951.
1951 - 4228 - 22nd St.
We bought our first home from Margaret Jenkins. Her husband Jack had passed away September 1951 and she could not afford the mortgage.
This place was built before the 1906 earthquake.
We had electricity but we had gas lights on the wall that still worked. John removed them.
We had a phone alcove that had a shelf for the phone. We also had a phone bench called a "chit chat."
The downstairs was dirt and John cemented the floors. He also cleaned out the backyard which had large trees planted in it.
He leveled the yard and put brick around for a walkway and put up a new fence around the whole back yard. [Later he added a cement patio and a cement walkway to replace the bricks. They used the bricks as a border from the garden paths and the cement walkways.]
The house was square and had a living room, dining room, one bedroom and a huge kitchen and an add on bathroom - all upstairs. There was a downstairs that was unfinished and had a garage area.
He took out the pantry in the kitchen and made a breakfast nook in its place. He made a sewing room out of the washroom next to the kitchen which had a wall of windows and a set french doors.
French doors area where he made windows, Dad and me standing with the droopy diaper... 1952 - There is Wonder bread on the table as well as Dad's favorite Del Monte Ketchup! Paper towels on the wall! I even think that is Best Foods mayonnaise as well!
He took out the old cupboards, sink & stove and put new white metal ones and a new stove & sink.
The dining room had china cabinets on one wall which he removed and he made a closet and bookshelves. He closed off the door to the bedroom and made a bedroom for Mike and Sherry.
A few years later he took part of the other bedroom and made an enclosed stairway to the downstairs.
He finished off the downstairs room for Mike.
He bought sheetrock from his brother and installed it on the walls. The sheetrock was bad and dust came off of it all the time.
John brought a small potbelly stove home and put it in the back yard near the house. He would burn wood and paper trash in it and listen to the ball games.
We started having birthday parties for Mike and Sherry every year. Started in November and December and then decided to use Halloween for combined party for both of them.
1959
We bought a new home, 470 Hill St. We sold 22nd St.
1963
We bought 80 Upper Briar Road, Kentfield.
1965
Had swimming pool built and all the family and friends came over all the time and enjoyed the pool with us. Had many parties here.
Nieces & nephews stayed for weekends and vacations.
1968 June Sold Upper Briar when Mike got married that year and moved out and Sherry went away to college.
Mom and Dad buy and sell houses in California
[1.] 1950 - Bought 4228 - 22nd St, San Francisco
[2.] 1959 - 4 September - Bought 470 Hill St, San Francisco
1963 - June - Sold Hill St.
[3.] 1963 - 7 August - Bought 80 Upper Briar Rd., Kentfield.
4 November 1963 - bought small parcel of land next to house on Upper Briar.
1965 - 1 May - had installed a 17 x 32 Kidney shaped swimming pool. Paid $4,000.
Mom holding her dog, Ethel and me
Mom sewed the dress she is wearing and it has smocking on the upper bodice. I am wearing a cardigan that Mom knitted - 1963 Upper Briar House.
10 September 1968 - sold 80 Upper Briar Rd.
10 August 1968 - moved to 304 California Ave. rented this house.
[4.] 1969 - 23 January - bought 3 & 5 Ridgeway Duplex in Fairfax. Later rented out one to Michael.
[5.] 1969 - 5 September - bought 40 Acacia Ave, Larkspur.
1970 - 23 June sold 3 & 5 Ridgeway, Fairfax.
[6.] 1970 - 2 November - Co-signed 802 Hacienda Way in Santa Venetia for Michael & wife with our G.I. loan
1970 - 12 Nov - sold 40 Acacia Ave.
1970 - Summer - rented Spring Valley Rd in Millbrae.
1971 - rented in Corte Madera Golden Hind Passage.
1971 - 25 August - bought 802 Hacienda way from Michael as he and his wife and daughter moved to Texas for a job.
1979 - SOLD 802 HACIENDA WAY.
[7.] 1979 - 15 MARCH WE BOUGHT 1701 SARKESIAN DRIVE IN PETALUMA, CALIF.
1980 - 26 NOVEMBER SOLD 1701 SARKESIAN DRIVE
[8.] 1981 - 16 JANUARY BOUGHT 364 GLACIER WAY HOME IN CON-TEMPO MARIN MOBILE HOME PARK
1985 - SOLD GLACIER WAY
Rented several places in Petaluma until 1990.
1985 - Lived at 520 6th St. rented an apartment in back of Sherry and her husband's home.
1988 - Rented 721 Petaluma Blvd S. in Petaluma.
[9.] 1990 bought Leisure Lake Mobile Home in Petaluma.
Mom and Dad continued to live at Leisure Lake and worked as the Managers.
Dad died 28 October 2001 and Mom still worked another year as manager. Then she retired.
Mom lived there and my youngest daughter moved in with her in 2004 full time while she attended college there. My daughter moved out about 18 months later to go to college elsewhere.
PHOTOS
Mom is an artisan and did a lot of crocheting, sewing dresses and quilts. She dabbled in acrylic painting and drawing. Dad did the painting and drawing as well. More on his paintings and drawings later post.
Mom loved to decorate cakes and made cakes for all of us often. Later I started to make the cake and she decorated them.
Mom made this white dress for me before I was born. All three of my girls have worn the dress. My three granddaughters wore it as well.
Close up of the second of my Mom's Great Granddaughter's wearing the white dress 1999 - 1948 = 49 years later! Ready for the 4th generation!
Mom learned how to decorate cakes in the 1970's. Later I made the cakes and she decorated the cakes like this one. The topper on the cake is from my wedding cake in 1982 and we used it for this cake for Mom and Dad's 40th wedding anniversary 1986.
More cakes she decorated
1969 - She baked and decorated the four layers for my wedding in 1969
1969 cake close up details
1977 cake Mom baked and decorated
1999 cake Mom decorated - Sherry baked the cakes.
Me - left and Mom - right - holding up the last quilt she made of Hawaiian print material - 2008
Close up of the quilt
Mom cut out all these lace doilies and fashioned them to the window. She drew the face of the Madonna and baby Jesus on clear vellum. She sprayed the window with the canned snow in 1961. She won first prize for decorated Christmas house.
The next year - 1962 - she took the baby and Madonna taped it to the window. She took clear mylar wrap in many colors and cut it into shapes. She outlined the mylar with black tape. It looked like a stained glass window. It was stunning. She also won a prize for it. Here is the photo of the whole house decorated.
From across the street
From across the street in 1963 as the Madonna is facing downhill this year.
Mom made this white eyelet dress for my youngest daughter for her blessing 1987. My oldest daughter took the photo. This photo was featured in the Senior page of my oldest daughters yearbook for her graduation year 1988 - see below for another photo of the same dress.
Mom with one of her dresses she made, here with her two poodles - The puppy on the right is Empress. Later they got the sister of Empress - Angel both white standard size poodles.
Dad and my second daughter in a crocheted dress Mom made - 1978
My oldest daughter in a blue cardigan that Mom crocheted - 1972
Close up of the white dress that Mom crocheted before I was born [1948] and all the girls have worn it.
Me seated and Mom standing with our crafts at a craft fair. Mom did all those plastic canvas coasters and decorations on the right. I decorated all the baskets on the left - 1991
The oldest thing next to the white dress I have is this Christmas stocking that Mom made for me when I was three. She used scraps from clothes that we had. There is the same tree and ornaments on the back as well. I think that was a old wool houndstooth pattern coat that was my Dad's or Grandpa's.
Mom made the dress and the dolls for my oldest daughter who loved Raggedy Ann and Andy - 1974 - My niece had an identical dress.
Fast Forward to 1996 twenty+ years later and my youngest daughter was having fun with the same dolls [she was using her own baby clothes for the dolls.]
Close up of the eyelet dress and hat Mom made for my youngest daughter. My three granddaughters have used this dress also - 1987
This quilt that Mom made has the new pink material scraps from a dress she also made for me in 1963 Mom's dresses were also from the other new material scraps.
Mom Made these twin dresses for my oldest daughter [R] and my brothers daughter [L] 1971 The girls are 6 months apart.
A different view, you can see that they are coats over the dresses.
Mom and my oldest daughter with her blue star quilt on display in the background - 1977
Mom Crocheted this dress for my 2nd daughter 1978
Me with my son, Dad and Mom center and Mike in blue shirt, Aunts and Uncles 1986 - 40th Anniversary party I had for Mom and Dad
Mom and the new car 1959 - Mom made this dress as well
1969 with an Afghan she made for me when I got married - Mom made her tunic
1972 Mom's 42nd birthday - she had her hair long then - Me in yellow and my oldest daughter singing and Mom is holding the microphone to tape her. Mom made this dress for herself as well.
Mom, my two oldest daughters and Dad 1979
Christmas 1980 My two daughters and Mom
1978 - Sherry Mike Mom and Dad
Dad and Mom Summer 1984 with their only one grandson - my son
Summer 1985 Mom with my son
1986 Mom with my son
My oldest daughter, Mom and Dad, My son and me - Christmas morning - 1987
Mom and my oldest daughter 1988 - Gold and Green ball at Church
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2007 My son, Mom and her last dog Silver, my youngest daughter
2007 My son, and Mom with Silver her dog [same day]
I am not sure if this is my first daughter or my niece, I think it is my daughter as her hair was white blonde and not much of it - Mom in 1970
Mom seated holding my brothers daughter. In back is [left] my brother's wife, my brother and my Grandma Ethel 1970
1969 Mom made my wedding dress and veil, The hat was all pearls sewn on a juliet cap. My husband's parents left and my Mom and Dad
right with Mom holding her dog
My other Wedding 1982 - Mom made my dress. I did not have a veil. I had a ring of white silk flowers with white streaming ribbons down the back. There was a tulle lace half apron on the top of the dress at the waist. White eyelet lace on the bodice, neck and hem. I designed the dress. Mom crocheted her white shawl. My new mother in law made twin blue dresses for my girls. Verna made her orange dress out of the same pattern material as the blue dresses. My mother in law in the blue dress.
This is the last dress she made for me. After this she slowed down on dresses. She started quilts after this.
There are more photos of the dresses, quilts, clothes for the kids, paintings embroidery etc on and on that we have that Mom made. When I find them I will add them in.
Mom Christmas 2007 with a shopping bag with her own photo from the year before sitting on Santa's lap a family reunion every Christmas
Travel and Vacations
Mom and Dad did a bit of traveling out of California now and then. She first went to Utah in 1947 for the 100 th anniversary of the Pioneers settling the Salt Lake Valley.
In 1949 they went to Oregon as mentioned.
Mom and Dad went to Russian River all the time while they were dating and after. They made local day trips around the bay area of California.
In 1985 they drove to Monterey with my daughter.
My daughter at the Monterey trip 1985
Later they went again to Utah for a Mifflin family reunion in Summer of 1979.
In about 1987 they drove to Washington and Vancouver BC to see the Worlds Fair. They drove my brother who shared driving with my Dad. They offered to have me go with but I was pregnant with my youngest daughter and thought it would be too hard for me to go. The 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication, or simply Expo '86, was a World's Fair held in Vancouver, British
Columbia, Canada from May 2 until October 13, 1986. My oldest daughter who played the clarinet in her High School band who was participating at the Fair. My daughter went in May 1986 and my parents went later that summer. My daughter was there because my daughter went with her High School band.
In 1997 they drove to Washington to visit my daughter and see their two grandsons and their mom - my 2nd daughter.
As far as I know the only time Mom was in an airplane was when they had that 1939 Exposition where they gave rides to everyone. They took you up for a 10 minute trip around the bay and over the Exposition and back.
Mom got her drivers licence for the first time in 1973. She would only drive on the back roads around her area. She had to give up her licence in early 2002 because her vision was not good enough. She has had glaucoma and cataracts that have not been operated on.
Genealogy
Mom was an avid Genealogist. With the help of documents that my Grandma Nellie Smith obtained in the 1930's she started the Smith side. With letters and research she added the Mifflin side of the family. By the time computers came in and software for a family tree was available she transferred all the data to the software program 1994. It was about that time I started to learn as well and started my tree for my kids father's side.
By the time Mom had stopped in early 2000, she had over 2,000 names in the data base. She was a big influence on me to continue her work.
In 2000 I started the research online and added her tree on to the big database at Family Search online.
In 2005 I joined Ancestry.com and added the tree there in 2008. I uploaded photos and documents and found more that others had already added. As of February 2015 I now have:
People 27,815
Photos 4,798
Stories 6,752
Records 133
Comments 796
I also find information for anyone who asks for my help. I also maintain a tree for a lady I met at church.
Mom and both Grandmother's added their information from letters and memories and documents they had acquired. Mom joined the Genealogical Society in the 1960's and got magazines from them that were databases. She also went to Sutro Library in San Francisco to get information from books that were published that had history and genealogy of our relatives.
Mom and Dad added this to the database with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to which they belong. Mom and Dad spent many hours driving to the Oakland Temple. They spent many hours there to perform baptisms and other ordinances for our progenitors. It was a great time for Mom and Dad. In their later years it became more difficult for them to do that so they switched over to be local missionaries and had the job as transcribing the 1900 and 1910 census from the USA. Those records were on microfilm and they used a special reader machine that had a large monitor on it to see the films. They hand wrote the transcriptions on the paper. Now this is so much easier to do this online. The USA Census are released 70 years after the actual census. Currently the 1950 census is being transcribed and will be released in 2020! There is a big gap of loss of the 1890 census in a fire in 1921. Some of it is available I hear but a good portion was lost.
Work History
The jobs that my Mom had in her life were:
San Francisco Age 12 - babysitting her nieces and nephews and her younger sisters.
Age 14 - Galland Laundry on Mission St in San Francisco. She said she used a big machine called a Mangler that dried and ironed the clothes.
Home Mangler - Business machines were huge
Koret of Calif knitting Co. on 24th St.
Age 15 - Southern Pacific as a file clerk
Age 17 - Kress 5 and 10 cents store
Pacific Bell Phone Company operator
Woolworths Department Store
Home business after 1947 San Francisco:
knitting socks - custom made orders
crocheting afghans custom made orders
selling Avon Beauty Supplies
Marin County
1970's selling Jafra Beauty Supplies
Telephone at home phone service selling sod, and another company phone call orders for blind products
1976 Co-Custodian at Stake Center Marin County - light housekeeping
Sonoma County 1980's
Diet Center Franchise owner and manager 1978 - 1980 Petaluma
Selling Avon
2000 - Selling Nikken Magnetic Products
Leisure Lake Managers of the mobile home park - 1995 until 2002 Petaluma
Mom's Church Callings:
San Francisco
Cub Scouts - Certifying and Treasurer
Reporter for the San Francisco Mission Ward newsletter
Secretary to the Genealogy program in Mission Ward
Teacher of Genealogy at Mission Ward
Marin and Sonoma Stakes
Visiting Teaching and VT Supervisor Marin and Sonoma Stakes
Relief Society First Counselor San Rafael Ward
Petaluma
Relief Society teaching classes on cooking and crafts
Stake Missionary as described above.
Mom and Dad were active in their church callings and attendance. When it was time for them to give a talk, Mom would write out the talks for both of them. In 1980 Mom wrote a talk and all three of us stood up at the podium and had our parts.
Mom also helped my Dad to learn his callings as Secretary in the Elders Quorum and other callings in the church where he needed help
Education
After she got married Mom took college classes on PBS TV, from San Francisco State College, while living in San Francisco. Classes and PBS started in the early 1950's.
In the 1980's she took Adult Education classes. One class we took together was a Poetry class. She later took more poetry and Literature classes though Santa Rosa College at the Petaluma Campus.
Mom went to the Library all the time when she was living in San Francisco. One of the benefits that my Dad had from his jobs at Bekins - Moving and Storage was that anyone who was throwing away books and other good items - he would bring home to us. Mom had a library of over 3,000 books. When she was done with the paperbacks she would give them to the church for redistribution. She would also give books to anyone who asked if she did not want that book anymore.
The Big Storm of 1995
A diary about the big storm 1995 and how it flooded the Leisure Lake Mobile Home park when Mom and Dad were the Managers. I remember this and was in Petaluma also at the time.
FLOOD 1995 - January 5, through January 17, 1995
LEISURE LAKE VILLAGE
Jan 5th, 1995
Had been pumping down the lake because of rain storms since Thursday.
Sat Jan 7th
Heavy rain, the pump is working fine.
Sunday Jan 8th
Flood threat.
Willow Brook Creek way up.
Storm came in, rain very heavy. Flood warnings up for Sonoma, Marin and Napa counties which lasted through out the night. Pump working.
Les [owner of the Mobile Home Park] called and said the would come up if it got worse. It got worse before noon and he came up.
We put all the furniture in the clubhouse up and put the files and important papers on tables on the stage, up very high, just in case. Mark [husband of grandniece] helped John and Les put the things up.
News on T.V. and radio had a warning of probable flooding in low lying areas, by streams, and rivers in Sonoma county.
We told everyone who called or came by the house or office that we felt it would be best if they left now. The news came that we would probably be ask to evacuate soon.
200 homes along Payran Street area [Petaluma] and our park was evacuated. The fire department and the police arrived and went door to door announcing the evacuation. The had loudspeakers and went on all the streets. A lot of the people who had called about leaving had left on our suggestion.
Four big city buses came in to take the people who did not want to drive out or could not drive. Only four people went on the bus so three of the buses left.
The police and fire department were very nice and told us the names of the people who would not leave.
We had decided to try and stay and try to get the rest of the people out.
We ask the police if they would stay at the entrance to keep looters out and they said yes but
that they might have to leave if it got real bad elsewhere.
The storm seemed to be getting worse.
Channel 5 T.V. called and spoke to me on the phone about the possible flooding and the evacuation just before we left to take the car and van out. We were going to take them to high ground and then return and stay the night. It was about 5 p.m.
We got a little past Reiner St. and hit water. It seemed to come in so fast two police cars got caught in it too.
John, who was in the truck and leading stalled out first and flagged Les to drive by and I followed Les. Les stalled out and I kept going and got near Pete's restaurant parking area and stalled out.
The water kept coming fast. I was very frightened. I had been praying when the water got high and the van was still going. I became even more frightened especially when the van stopped.
John jumped out of the truck and got behind the van and started pushing it toward high ground.
A tow truck came up in back of me and told John he would push the van. He pushed the van to higher ground and went back and pushed the truck along side of the van. He went back and pushed Les' car up near the van.
John got the truck started and I got out of the van to drive the truck out. The water was up to my knees.
John said the water was up to his thighs when he got out of the truck to help me.
Les had water flooding into his car when he opened the door to get out the water was up to the seats.
A man appeared out of nowhere and walked along side of me as I drove the truck very slowly up the Street and over to the intersection. We had to stop for the Street lights to turn green so we could cross. This seemed so odd at the time. I drove into Denny's parking lot.
The tow truck pushed the van and John parked it alongside of the truck.
I kept the truck running.
The tow truck went back for Les and his car and pushed it to Denny's parking lot.
The car and the van would not start.
We looked at Petaluma Boulevard intersection to go over the freeway and it was flooded.
We decided to go over the freeway and go to a motel. The tow truck watched to make sure we made it onto the overpass.
It was good we went when we did because the area was flooded a little later so no one could get through.
We had reserved rooms earlier in case we had to stay out of the park.
We checked in and John was soaked clear through.
I had put emergency clothing, etc. in the van and we had transferred them to the truck, Les had a suitcase.
John took a shower but I had left his slacks and my underwear out of the suitcases.
We dried John's pants the best we could.
It was about 7 p.m by now.
We had dinner at I-HOP across the Street. Later that area flooded so when we got back to the motel we were in for the night.
We didn't get much sleep and watched the weather news on T.V. and listened to the radio.
It was a bad storm.
We could see they had closed the overpass to Petaluma Blvd. North and North McDowell was flooded. They closed all the business in the area.
Assistant Manager Bud worked all day along with John and Les. Then they told him to go with his wife, Ruby and son, Mike and Diane to the K.O.A. campgrounds across the road. They had called and said people could stay there for free.
People who stayed in were, McAffee's, Machado, Miles, Lorraine, Stevens and Brians.
People who called to help were the Bishop, the Lake's and Brother Moss.
Michelle Lallatin and Brother Leese came by after Sacrament was canceled and ask if we needed help.
The 101 freeway between Petaluma and Novato was closed at San Antonio Creek.
Petaluma opened a shelter and people from Leisure Lake went there.
33 people from Vineyard Valley Mobile home Park in St. Helena were evacuated.
9,000 people in Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties were without power, including Rohnert Park's Rancho Verde mobile Home park.
Jan 9th, Monday
We got up around 3 a.m. and checked the streets. We could get to Petaluma Blvd North.
We went back to the motel and called Les around 6 a.m.
We went to the motel office and got some orange juice and milk and I got a pastry and Les got a muffin.
We went to Denny's parking lot and they tried to start the car and van. They would not start.
We went to Leisure Lake. The lake was up, and Willow Brook Creek up almost over its banks. They made sure the pump was working.
We called a tow truck service and had the van and car towed to the Toyota dealership.
We went back to Leisure Lake.
We called several pump services and finally found one who brought out two pumps. Another one called back and brought out a large pump the size of a car. They ran a large hose up to the creek.
The creek was down some by then and the pumps got the lake down by late afternoon but we had to keep all the pumps working.
We found out the van had $200.00 work to get it started and they said it had $500.00 damage to the rugs. Les's car was a total loss. We felt so bad.
Some people came back including our grand nephew Mark Hammock and Joe. They worked all day along with John and Les on the lake.
Joe got in the lake and cleaned out the hole where the water is pumped out by our plump.
Bud worked hard on the lake, too.
Mark and Joe were on channel 7 T.V. tonight.
We found out four trucks had tried to come in the park last night to loot. The police had arrested one and turned back the others. One had gotten clear onto the 200 block of the park. The Coast Guard helped for a while.
Some more people came back in.
The mail lady called and didn't want to deliver mail and ask if I would say it was alright, I said it was o.k.
More thunder and lightening and downpour.
Mark said he was staying in and would man the pumps all night. Joe said he would help and then go to a motel.
We left in the evening and went to a motel again.
The police called and left messages to be ready to leave, but no one had to leave.
We stayed at the Best Western Motel.
We got our van at the Toyota and Les drove the truck to the motel.
John was soaked thru so he took a shower and changed to dry clothes.
We went to dinner a Carrows Restaurant. Didn't sleep well so listened to radio or t.v.
Jan 10th Tuesday
Up at 5 a.m. Les called at 6. We left and went back to Leisure Lake.
Lake was down so the pumps were working.
Les decided to leave on the airporter bus a 9 a.m. John took him to the bus.
Mail was delivered at noon.
Channel 7 t.v. came in again and they spoke to me, Don, Helen Cook and Mrs Kelly and we were on t.v. tonight.
The creek is going down some, and the lake too. Watched all day and into the night. Mark helped and so did Joe.
Stayed here in the village at our mobile home.
Jan 11th Wed.
The lake is way down, we still have two pumps on standby and had the big pump removed as it was needed elsewhere.
Channel 7 t.v. was here again at the pumps and talked to Joe and Alfreda. But I don't think they were on t.v.
CNN talked to me and my voice was on t.v.
Some of Stony Point Boulevard North of us is flooded.
We had heavy rain again tonight.
Jan 12th Thurs.
John read the electrical meters at each mobile home as usual. We had light rain on and off.
Don Hoefs complained to the Postoffice about the mail not being delivered and said it was illegal that I told the mail lady not to deliver the mail. I spoke to the man from the post office. They said I did no wrong in telling the mail person she did not have to deliver the mail.
Did our monthly page for mobile home park in the local mobile home parks magazine.
There was heavy rain this evening.
Jan 13rh Friday
I faxed the bills to Park Billing.
There were heavy rains again and the park pump and rented one were not taking the lake down, so we got the second pump back.
The creek and lake are up. The second pump help in taking down the water.
Jan 14th Saturday
There is heavy rain and the creek us up, but the lake is down from the second plump.
We moved the office furniture back into the office. We left a lot of things onstage.
We used the pumps till 2:11 p.m. and the lake is down.
Jan 15th Sunday
There were showers on and off all day and it rained heavy in between 9 and 11 a.m.
The creek is up some so stayed home to watch things and the lake went down by evening.
There was heavy rain for 2 hours late this evening.
Jan 16th Monday
Holiday
The lake and creek are down.
Called to have the two pumps and hoses removed. Maus worked on our pump.
Jan 17th Tuesday
The Pumps and hosed were picked up.
We feel the worse is over.
We feel by keeping the lake pumped down we stopped the park from flooding.
Hope there won't be another storm like that for a long time.
=====================
There were more flooding episodes after this and evacuations finally before the year 2004 they dredged Willow Brook Creek that was next door the the park so that there was no more flooding. Evacuations did happen such as one in January 2015. Mom was not there when that happened as she was living at the care center.
That same flood year I lived on Howard street which had an incline down from Washington Street. The rain was rolling down the street like a river.
This was not Mom and Dad's first flood in Petaluma.
In 1985 about we lived on 6th street and the Petaluma river flooded that year, too. Our street was like a river and the water came up the driveway about halfway to our house which was set back 20 yards from the street so we did not flood. Many houses were flooded that year and we were stuck a few days at the house. Mom and Dad were living in the apartment behind our house.
PHOTOS
1949 Me and Mom
Mom as a teenager in the early 1940's
Mom with her niece in 1959
Mom and Dad 1961
Left is Mom [Ethel is on the extreme left but was cut off on the photo print.] right is me and front is my youngest daughter 1974
Mom with my 2nd daughter 1977 - my oldest daughter is in the shadow
Mom in 1979
Mom Dad Mike and Sherry 1989
Mom kept her hair in the tight curls for about 15 years. Then she did not get perms after 2005.
Mom and Dad's 50th Wedding Anniversary 1997
1999 Back left is Mom, Sherry and Sherry's husband Larry Front is Dad holding Sherry's youngest daughter, and Mike
Dad, Mom and my youngest daughter and my son in 2000
Mom and Dad's 55th Wedding Anniversary 2001
This is the last photo I have of them together
Mom 2002 with her last dog Silver
The last photo of all of us in April 2014
Back right is my oldest daughter, then my Mom, my youngest daughter, Me, my sister in law and my brother Mike. Front bottom my oldest, youngest and middle granddaughters.
Mom in 2014
Retirement years:
Mom lived at the Leisure Lake in Petaluma until July of 2014 when she had fallen and cracked a vertebrae in her back. Mom is now living at a care center in Petaluma.
Here is a poem her sister Geri wrote about her back in the 1960's.
POEM © BY GERI DIGIRORNO
SISTER NUMBER SEVEN
I've got seven of em
Sister five has a Mansfield Beatwith better looks and smaller feet
money's owe'd her she's got a list
well studied and many interest
when it comes to religion
she knows in a jiff
when it comes to a back yard
her's has a cliff.
Someday when I'm older
and brave and less weak
I'll ask her if I can
repel off it's peak
She's a champion card sender
a friendly book lender
in a talk telethon
She's place first on the phone
with me as a partner (of course)
She'd never do it alone.
A splendid sock maker
who knits in a house
situated upon 3/4 acre's
of shrubs, trees and lawn
when hubby John off to
work has been kissed
and Sherry and Mike
shov'd off with a fist
this girl changes
moods and changes herself
into a hard working
Genealogist.
^*^*^*^
My friend poet Marilyn I Lott wrote this poem about the 1930's
Those Terrible Dust Bowl Days
It took place back in the 1930s
And it was called the dust bowl days
Folks tried to scrape out a living
As dust storms left their world in a haze.
There was a drought in Oklahoma
Dust storms took over their home
No food or jobs could be found
They had to pack up and begin to roam.
They couldn’t seal their homes enough
The dust continued to sift through
Can you just imagine what it would be like
If this were to happen to you?
Some starved and froze in the winter
Folks lost new babies in the cold
It was a nightmarish time
Such sad stories later were told.
It is almost impossible to imagine
It continues today to amaze
Thinking about what folks went through
In those terrible dust bowl days!
© Marilyn Lott
9-19-08
If you do a google search on this poem you will find it in many web sites. I even found it in the Library of Congress, because of that spot in history.
