Randy Seaver has a new challenge up for this week’s Saturday Night Genealogy Fun. This week the focus is ancestor occupations. I’ll start with my parents like Randy did and work back to my great great grandparents. After that the information on occupations is limited.
My Dad (1927-2010)
1958-1989 Safeway bakery line worker and roofing company truck servicer both in SF Bay Area)
1950s Auto Repair Shop Owner in Oakland, CA
1940s Bicycle repairman for bicycle shop in Oakland, CA
1930s (as a child) delivery person for his grandmother’s French laundry in Oakland, CA
My Mom (all in SF Bay Area)
1990ish to 2006 Bookkeeper (retired)
Late 1980s Bookkeeper for florist
Mid 1980s Secretary for dry cleaners
1969-1982 Secretary for roofing company
1957-1969 Housewife/Mom
1955-1956 Secretary for Safeway
early 1950s Clerk for jewelry store
Jean Lassalle (1888, France – 1973, Oakland, CA)
1943 to retirement Baker for FB&Co. in Oakland, CA
1918-1942 Baker for City French Bakery in Oakland, CA
ca 1910 Vat cleaner for winery in California
1907 (year before immigration) Miller in Ogeu les bains, France
Anna (Mazeres) Lassalle (1897, San Francisco – 1984, San Leandro, CA)
1940 Laundress at family laundry in Oakland, CA
1921 Seamstress in Oakland, CA
1920 Dressmaker in Oakland, CA
Joao Pacheco Smith (1907 at sea – 1957, San Francisco)
1957 Custodian for St. Paul of Shipwreck School in San Francisco, CA
Mid 1940s Grave digger in Oakland, CA
1940 Laborer for Westinghouse in Oakland, CA
1937 Home Gardener in Spreckels, CA
1930 Machine Operator in Oakland, CA
1929 Employee at Electrical Co. in Oakland, CA
Anna (Jackson) Shellabarger (1912, Oakland – 2006, Hayward, CA)
1970-1973 Supply Clerk for Naval Air Station in Chula Vista, CA
1968-1969 Supply Clerk for Naval Air Station in Alameda, CA
ca 1950 Ediphone Operator and Credit Clerk for Yellow MFG Acceptance Corp. in Oakland, CA
1949 Ediphone Operator and Credit Clerk for Mail Order House in Oakland, CA
1938-1940 Housekeeper in Spreckels, CA
1931-1937 Helper at Beauty Salon in Spreckels, CA
Pierre Lassalle (1861-1925 France)
1880-1925 Miller (Meunier) in Ogeu les bains, France
Charles Mazeres dit Salanave (1868, France – 1926, Oakland, CA)
1910-1926 Owner of various French Laundries in Oakland, CA
1905 Employee French laundry in San Francisco, CA
1901 Owner of French Laundry in Modesto, CA
1887 Employee Meat Company in San Francisco, CA
Brigitte (Breilh) Mazeres (1871, France – 1959, San Leandro, CA)
1910-1926 Laundress at Husband’s French Laundry in Oakland, CA
1926-ca 1945 Owner of French Laundry in Oakland, CA
Theodoro Pacheco (aka Theodore P. Smith) (1877, Azores – 1914, Oakland, CA)
1908-1914 Laborer in Oakland, CA
1895-1907 Laborer on Kilauea Sugar Plantation, Kilauea, Kauai, HI
Harry Kenneth Jackson (ca1869, England – 1950, Oakland, CA)
1940 Oiler on Ferry Boats in Oakland, CA
1933-1940 Fireman for Key Systems in Oakland, CA
1918-1932 Oiler for Key Systems in Oakland, CA
1905-1917 Marine Fireman in San Francisco, CA
ca 1885-1900 Sailor in the oceans around the world
Marguerite “Margaret” (Jones) Jackson (1880, San Francisco – 1965, Santa Clara, CA)
1930s Japaner in San Francisco, CA (According to my great aunt, Julie, this had something to do with painting china)
1900 Daliswoman or Saleswoman? in San Francisco, CA
Jean Lassalle (1825-1898, France)
1854 to retirement Miller (he was known as Mouli Lassalle and was the Master Miller of his village) in Ogeu les bains, CA
Pierre Charles Segalas (1817-Unknown, France)
1857 Forgeron (Blacksmith) in Ogeu les bains, France
1860 Cultivateur (Farmer) in Ogeu les bains, France
Martha (Labourdette) Segalas (1830-1860, France)
1857 Cultivatrice (Farmer) in Ogeu les bains, France
Jean Mazeres dit Salanave (1824-1893, France)
1850s Cultivateur (Farmer) in Ogeu les bains, France
Marie Anne (Lacrouts) Mazeres (1835-1891, France)
1850s Cultivatrice (Farmer) in Ogeu les bains, France
Jean Breilh (1845, France – 1921, Oakland, CA)
1866-1888 Meunier (Miller) in Ogeu les bains, France
1912-1914 Laundry Worker (California) in Oakland, CA
Mathilde (Laplange Maucor) Breilh (1848, France – 1910, Oakland, CA)
1866-1888 Coutureire (Dressmaker) in Ogeu les bains, France
Jacinto Pacheco (1834-ca 1882, Azores)
Sapateiro (shoemaker) in Fenais da Vera Cruz and Achada, Sao Miguel Island, Azores
Jozimas de Braga (1849, Azores – 1922, Oakland, CA)
1910 Odd Jobs in Oakland, CA
1882-1905 Laborer on Sugar Plantations on Kauai (Kealia Sugar Plantation and Kilauea Sugar Plantation) on Kauai, HI
1875 Campones (Laborer) in Maia, Sao Miguel Island, Azores
Maria (de Mello) de Braga (1845, Azores – 1903, Hawaii)
1882-1883 Laborer Kealia Sugar Plantation in Kealia, Kauai, HI
Thomas Augustine Jones (1850, Australia – 1923, San Francisco) All occupations in San Francisco
1907-1913 Blacksmith for HM Black and Co.
1872-1905 Carriagesmith and Blacksmith for HM Black and Co. (originally called Henry M. Black and Co.)
1869 Blacksmith for Black and Miller
1868 Blacksmith for P. Burns
1867 Blacksmith for H. Casebolt & Co., Car and Carriage Manufacturers
Looking at my list, I am surprised that I know so much about Thomas Augustine Jones. City directories were incredibly helpful in getting the names of his employers. I also know that I am missing information on my Grandma Shellabarger. She worked in several places, but I haven’t rooted them all out. Most of these came from an insurance policy that she had filled out in the 1950s.
I found that I could not find a definition for a “daliswoman” or japaner, two of my great grandmother’s occupations. Google and Bing were most unhelpful. No, I am not looking for “daily sodium intake” or “Dali’s women”. Try a search on japaner and all you get is, well, Japanese. Sigh… Perhaps a guide to occupations might lead to a definition.
I think it is a little more challenging for me to find specifics on something like an occupation because more of my some of my a 1 “grands”, most of my “greats” and all of my “great greats” were born outside the US.
A side note on occupations for women, I found the French records list occupations for women well into the early 1800s but the Azorean records barely give them notice. American records are iffy. I have a feeling there was tremendous under reporting of female occupations before the 1950s in the US.
Thanks for this interesting challenge, Randy!
