My grandma and grandpa had to uproot their family during the Depression in hopes of finding work. When they moved from Oakland to Salinas, my grandmother was like a fish out of water. She found friendship in her sister-in-law’s sister, Eva Nunes. The young mothers found common cause. There was a 40 year gap in…
Category: California Genealogy
The Smiling Bride
I have several favorite photographs. But, a wedding photo from the early 1900s, has captivated my interest ever since the day it fell into my hands Not Your Usual Dour Turn of the Century Wedding Photo You ever notice that no one seems particularly happy in old wedding photos? It seems that the gravityy of…
A Fresh Start in Oakland: The House at 1935 E. 25th Street
I’ve written many times about how my great grandfather fled Hawaii when he was diagnosed with leprosy. They had a fresh start in Oakland, California, but what kind of a fresh start was it really? I found many details about the home they lived in when they first arrived. At the end of the article,…
Are These the Dolans I’ve Been Looking For?
If you’re a regular reader of my blog you know that I’m on what seems like a neverending quest to figure out who the Dolan’s in Patrick Dolan’s reinstated probate file were. The quest has sent me in circles like a crazed character in a Looney Tunes cartoon. A Little Background Patrick Dolan died in…
Frederick Joseph Meincke: From First Family Graduate to the California State Assembly
Do you know who the first graduate in your family tree is? I got to thinking about this. I know that my mom was the first person in my direct line to graduate from high school. Who was the first person in my extended family to do so? Frederick J. Meincke Jr., San Francisco Native…