Family Memories ~ A Christmas Visit

My maternal grandparents, Debs Warren Webster and Willis (Quillin) Webster, were from Brazil. In the summer of 1952 their family immigrated to the United States of America. My mom was fourteen years old at the time they immigrated to the USA. They settled in Southern California. To learn more about their immigration story, click the The Debs Webster Family Immigration Story tab at the top of this blog.

When I was growing up, my maternal grandparents lived in Hacienda Heights, California. My family traveled to visit them quite a bit while I was growing up, and my grandparents would travel to visit us. It was fun and interesting when we'd get together. I remember hearing Portuguese spoken all around me. Unfortunately, I was never taught the language.

Since it's almost Christmas, I figured it was the perfect time to share some photos from when our family traveled to spend Christmas with my grandparents at their home in Hacienda Heights in 1969. 

This is a photo of my Grandpa Debs and Grandma Willis Webster at their house in Hacienda Heights, California. Technically, my Grandma Willis was my step-grandma. My mom's mother died when my mom was almost four years old and my Grandpa Debs married Willis when my mom was five years old. Willis was the only maternal grandma I knew. So to me she was just Grandma. And she was a wonderful grandmother!

Here's a photo of my parents, brothers, and myself with my grandparents.

  

After all the festivities it was time for our family to head back home. But before we left, Grandpa Debs took a couple more photos.

The first one is of my grandparents with my brothers and myself. I love what Grandpa Debs wrote on the top margin of this photo: "They Came For Christmas." I like to think that this little statement meant that our Christmas visit meant a lot to him.

Here's a photo of my parents, brothers, and myself posing in front of our little 1964 green Volkswagen Beetle. Again, my Grandpa Debs wrote a little something on the top margin of the photo. This time it was, "Bye Bye."

I miss my grandparents. They were so kind and loving. I also miss my parents, who were also kind and loving.

At this joyous time of year when we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, I'd like to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Thanks for stopping by!

Jana

© 2025 Copyright by Jana Iverson Last, All Rights Reserved

Tombstone Tuesday ~ Carl and Hilda Gillberg

Last month, my husband and I traveled to San Diego, California for vacation. On our way there, we stopped at the cemetery where my paternal great-grandparents, Carl Albert Gillberg and Hilda Maria (Carlsson) Gillberg, are buried. I wanted to visit and take a picture of their grave marker. 



As you can see, Carl and Hilda share the same grave marker. They are buried at Glen Haven & Sholom Memorial Park in Sylmar, California.

Glen Haven Cemetery is located off of Lopez Canyon Road. Here's a Google Map image showing the cemetery.



Carl and Hilda's grave marker is located in the Roselawn Section, Plot 46.  The star in the image below is where the Roselawn Section is located.



And this is a picture of me standing behind Carl and Hilda's grave marker.



Carl and Hilda's grave marker is not too far from a tree and is close to one of the roads in the cemetery.



The links below are for Carl and Hilda's Find A Grave memorial pages.

Carl Albert Gillberg

Hilda Maria (Carlsson) Gillberg

I'm so glad my husband and I stopped to visit my great-grandparents' grave marker on our way to San Diego.

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2014 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Engle Family Postcards ~ From Roses to snow in California - 1905

This vintage postcard, which was made in Germany, was sent to Mrs. R. Engle in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. My regular readers will likely already know who Mrs. R. Engle was. But, for my new readers, I'll give a brief explanation of who she was. Mrs. R. Engle was Sarah Amanda (Waterman) Engle. She was my maternal 2nd great-grandaunt and she was married to Richard Engle, who was a Civil War veteran.

This postcard was sent by Sarah and Richard's son, Charles A. Engle. The previous Engle family postcard I shared here on this blog was also sent by Charles and it was dated June 30, 1905. That postcard showed Avalon on Santa Catalina Island which is near Los Angeles, California.

It looks like Charles was in California for at least a few days during this trip because the postcard I'm sharing today was dated July 2, 1905 and he wrote it while he was in Los Angeles, California.

Here's Charles' message to his mother:

Los Angeles
July 2, 1905
One of the many ?? here.
Chas. A. E.

It looks like he added another quick message the day he mailed the postcard:

We go to Frisco tomorrow July 4th

You'll notice I put two question marks in the first part of Charles' message. I cannot figure out what those two words are. Or are they two words? Is it really one word continued onto the next line? I don't know. If any of my readers have any idea what Charles wrote, please let me know. I'd appreciate it very much.

Also, I wonder who Charles was referring to when he wrote "we." Did his brother, William, accompany him on this trip to California? I wonder what the trip was for. And why were they going to San Francisco?

Were they in California to find a place for the Engle family to live or were they there on vacation? Charles' mother, Sarah, moved to Los Angeles sometime before or around 1909. Her husband joined her later, and so did her sons, William and Charles.

These Engle family postcards are so fascinating. They give an interesting glimpse into the lives of the Engle family in the early 1900's.

Thanks for stopping by!

Jana

© 2014 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Engle Family Postcards ~ Avalon, Santa Catalina Island, Cal. – 1905

It's time to share another postcard from the Engle family vintage postcard collection.

This postcard was addressed to Mrs. R. Engle, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Mrs. R. Engle was Sarah Amanda (Waterman) Engle. Her husband was Richard Engle. Sarah was my maternal 2nd great-grandaunt.

The writing on the front of the postcard says 6-30-05 and Chas. A. Engle.

Chas. A. Engle is short for Charles A. Engle. And Charles A. is short for Charles Albert.  You may remember Charles from a previous 52 Ancestors post I shared here on my blog. Charles was one of Sarah and Richard Engle's sons.

On June 30, 1905, Charles sent this postcard to his mother, Sarah.

Richard and Sarah Engle lived in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for many years. In 1909, Sarah moved to California. Richard joined her in California a few years later. Richard, who was a Civil War veteran, was living in a U.S. National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in Sioux Falls from 1908-1909. I found Richard in the 1910 U.S. Federal Census living in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.¹ He was 78 years old at the time and was listed as one of the many lodgers living in a home on Main Street. Perhaps he was recuperating before he moved to California to join his wife.

I'm not sure when Charles A. Engle moved to California. I know he was still living in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 1900, because that's where he is listed in the 1900 U.S. Federal Census.² I found him living in South Pasadena, California in the 1920 U.S. Federal Census.³ But, I haven't found him in the 1910 census yet. Perhaps he came to California ahead of his parents and sent this postcard to his mother.

This beautiful postcard is a 1903 postcard by the Detroit Photographic Co. It shows Avalon, which is a city on Santa Catalina Island. Santa Catalina Island is off the coast of California near Los Angeles.

Unfortunately, Charles didn't write any message to his mom that would give us a clue about why he was in California in June of 1905. But the postcard he sent to his mom is interesting and gives us a special glimpse into what Avalon looked like in the early 1900s.

This photo of Avalon was taken in 2004, about 100 years after the image of Avalon in the postcard above was published.

Avalon Bay in Santa Catalina California
Photo by Aaron Logan - Wikimedia Commons

Thanks for stopping by!

Jana

© 2014 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

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1 Year: 1910; Census Place: Sioux Falls Ward 2, Minnehaha, South Dakota; Roll: T624_1485; Page: 8B. Line 58; Enumeration District: 0334; FHL microfilm: 1375498.^↩

2 Year: 1900; Census Place: Sioux Falls Ward 6, Minnehaha, South Dakota; Roll: 1553; Page: 12A; Enumeration District: 0265; FHL microfilm: 1241553. Line 15.^↩

3 Year: 1920; Census Place: South Pasadena, Los Angeles, California; Roll: T625_119; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 614; Image: 975. Line 47.^↩

William Barker Engle's Death Certificate

Yesterday I introduced you to William Barker Engle. He and his brother, Charles, were bachelors all of their lives. And they lived in the same house together for about 20 years at 1308 Marengo Avenue in South Pasadena, California. Charles passed away in their home in 1946. William passed away four years later in 1950. But, he did not pass away at his home. How do I know this? Because of the valuable document I'm sharing with you today. It's William's death certificate.



But, before I share the information contained in this document, I want to make the point that the information contained in this document is only as accurate as the person providing the information for it. For instance, who was the informant? Were they a close family member? Or was it someone unfamiliar with William's family history?

With that in mind, let's see what information we can glean from William's death certificate.

1. Full Name: William Barker Engle
2. Date of Death: June 1, 1950 at 4:30 AM
3. Sex: Male
4. Color or Race: Caucasian
5. Married, Never Married, Widowed, Divorced: Never Married
6. Date of Birth: September 23, 1867
7. Age: 82
8. Usual Occupation: Agent, Life Ins
9. Kind of Business or Industry: Life Insurance
10. Birthplace: (Unknown) Ohio
11. Citizen of What Country: USA
12. Name of Father & Birthplace: Richard Engle, Plymouth, Ohio
13. Maiden Name of Mother & Birthplace: Sarah Amanda Watreman (should be Waterman, probably a typo), Coolville, Ohio
14. Name of Spouse: None
15. Was Deceased Ever in U.S. Armed Forces: No
16. Social Security Number: None
17. Informant: Mrs. Ella Gray (Sister)
18. Place of Death
1. City or Town: Rural Puente
2. Length of Stay (In This Place): 4 Months
3. County: Los Angeles
4. Full Name and Address of Hospital Or Institution: El Encanto Rest Home, 15400 East Valley Blvd.
19. Usual Residence
1. Street Address: 1308 Marengo Ave.
2. City or Town: South Pasadena
3. County: Los Angeles
4. State: Calif.
20. Cause of Death
1. Disease or Condition Directly Leading to Death: Cerebral Arteriosclerosis prior to 11/28/49
2. Other Significant Conditions: General Arteriosclerosis prior to 11/28/? (Having a difficult time deciphering the year.)
21. Autopsy: NO
22. Burial Date: June 6, 1950
23. Cemetery: Mountain View Cemetery, Altadena

The informant for William's death was his sister, Ella Eliza (Engle) Gray.

It's interesting that only four years after Charles Engle's death, the California death certificate form had changed. William's death certificate was different from his brother Charles' death certificate.

Also interesting to note is that William's occupation was listed as a life insurance agent at the time of his death. In the 1940 census, he was listed as a real estate salesman. But, he had been a life insurance agent for many years before that.

William passed away at El Encanto Rest Home in Puente, California. And he was there for four months before he died. In the 1940 census, William and his brother Charles had two lodgers living with them. I wonder if William had lodgers living with him after his brother Charles passed away in 1946. And if he did, I wonder if these lodgers stayed at his home after William went to live at the rest home. Also, what happened to this home after his death? Did it stay in the family or was it sold?

I checked on Zillow.com and according to this website, the Engle's home at 1308 Marengo Avenue in South Pasadena was built in 1910 and was last remodeled in 1912. The last time it was sold was in 1979. Unfortunately, it didn't show sales data prior to 1979. It would have been very interesting to see when William's mother, Sarah, bought the house. I know she and her sons, Charles and William, were living there by 1920, because 1308 Marengo Avenue was their address in the 1920 census.

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2014 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Carl Albert Gillberg's Two Declarations of Intention

For some reason, my paternal great-grandfather, Carl Albert Gillberg, filled out two separate Declarations of Intention to become a United States citizen – one in 1924 and the other in 1939.

I thought it would be interesting to compare the two documents. I've highlighted these differences in bold.

Declaration of Intention - Dated May 5, 1924¹



Information gleaned from the May 5, 1924 Declaration of Intention -

1. Name: Carl Albert Gilbert (Gilbert instead of Gillberg)
2. Age: 42
3. Color:  White
4. Complexion:  Light
5. Height: 5 feet 7 inches
6. Weight:  178 lbs.
7. Color of Hair:  Blonde
8. Color of Eyes:  Gray
9. Other Visible Distinctive Marks:  Left Forefinger Off
10. Place of Birth:  Stockholm, Sweden
11. Date of Birth:  8 January 1882
12. Current Residence:  142 Hawthorn Avenue, Salt Lake City, Utah
13. Emigrated to the U.S.A. from: Eskilstuna, Sweden
14. Name of Vessel:  S.S. Canada
15. Last Foreign Residence:  Eskilstuna, Sweden
16. Marital Status:  Married
17. Name of Spouse:  Hilda Maria Carlson
18. Spouse's Place of Birth:  Eskilstuna, Sweden
19. Spouse's Current Residence:  142 Hawthorn Avenue, Salt Lake City, Utah
20. Port of Arrival:  Chicago, Illinois
21. Date of Arrival:  18 September 1909

Declaration of Intention - Dated July 24, 1939 ²


 
Information gleaned from the July 24, 1939 Declaration of Intention -

1. Name:  Carl Albert Gillberg
2. Current Residence:  4810 St. Elmo Drive, Los Angeles, California
3. Current Occupation:  At Home
4. Age:  57
5. Sex:  Male
6. Color:  White
7. Complexion:  Light
8. Color of Eyes:  Gray
9. Color of Hair:  Blonde
10. Height:  5 feet 8 inches
11. Weight:  188 lbs.
12. Other Visible Distinctive Marks:  Left Forefinger Off
13. Race:  Scandinavian
14. Nationality: Swedish
15. Place of Birth:  Stockholm, Sweden
16. Date of Birth:  8 January 1882
17. Marital Status:  Married
18. Spouse's Name:  Hilda M.
19. Date of Marriage:  3 April 1901
20. Place of Marriage:  Eskilstuna, Sweden
21. Spouse's Place of Birth:  Eskilstuna, Sweden
22. Spouse's Date of Birth:  17 February 1878
23. Spouse Immigration Information:
    1. Entered the United States at:  Salt Lake, Utah
    2. Date of Entrance:  9 July 1910
    3. Current Residence:  Los Angeles, California
24. Number of Children:  Eight
25. Children's Names, Dates and Places of Birth:
    1. Margit – 20 July 1902 in Sweden
    2. Maimi – 4 October 1907 in Sweden
    3. Ruth C. – 17 June 1911 in Salt Lake, Utah
    4. Ingrid A. – 5 November 1913 in Salt Lake, Utah
    5. Helen A. – 4 September 1915 in Salt Lake, Utah
    6. Ida M. – 26 October 1916 in Salt Lake, Utah 
    7. Edith E. – 26 October 1916 in Salt Lake, Utah
    8. Ruby H. A. – 15 July 1920 in Salt Lake, Utah
26. Current Residences of Children:  Los Angeles, California
27. Previous Declaration of Intention:  About 1924 at Salt Lake City, Utah
28. Last Foreign Residence:  Eskilstuna, Sweden
29. Emigrated to the U.S.A. from:  Eskilstuna, Sweden; Quebec, Canada
30. Lawful Entry in the United States:  Port of Entry Not Shown
31. Name at Entry:  Carl A. Gillberg
32. Date of Entry:  17 September 1909
33. Name of Vessel:  Canada

As you can see, there are definite differences in the amount of information provided in each of these declarations.

Obviously, the 1939 Declaration of Intention provides a lot more information, including the marriage date and place for Carl and Hilda and a list of their children with each child's date and place of birth. How great is that?

If you find a Declaration of Intention for an immigrant ancestor, congratulations! That's awesome! But don't stop there. Check to see if your immigrant ancestor filled out additional Declarations of Intention. Your immigrant ancestor may be like my great-grandfather Carl, who filled out more than one.

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2013 Copyright by Jana Last

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1 Utah State Archives and Records Service; Salt Lake City, Utah; County: Salt Lake; Record Group: Salt Lake County, Third District Court Declarations of Intention Record Books, 1896-1959; Series: 85108. Ancestry.com. Utah, Naturalization and Citizenship Records, 1858-1959 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.^↩

2 National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.; Naturalization Records of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, Central Division (Los Angeles), 1887-1940; Microfilm Serial: M1524; Microfilm Roll: 54. Ancestry.com. U.S., Naturalization Records - Original Documents, 1795-1972 (World Archives Project) [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. ^↩

Fearless Females: March 9 ~ Hilda's Declaration of Intention

Lisa Alzo, author of The Accidental Genealogist blog, has once again presented us with the opportunity to honor our "fearless female" ancestors by providing 31 blogging prompts for the month of March.

Blogging Prompt for March 9 — Take a family document (baptismal certificate, passenger list, naturalization petition, etc.) and write a brief narrative using the information.

Hilda Maria Carlsson Gillberg

On August 12, 1939 in Los Angeles, California, my great-grandmother, Hilda Maria (Carlsson) Gillberg, signed a Declaration of Intention¹ to become a United States citizen.  According to this document, Hilda was born in Eskilstuna, Sweden on February 17, 1878.  She and her husband, Carl Albert Gillberg, were married on April 3, 1901 in Eskilstuna, Sweden.  Carl was born in Stockholm, Sweden on January 8, 1882.

Hilda Gillberg's Declaration of Intention
From Ancestry.com
(See Footnote)

Hilda and her mother, Karin Johnsson Carlsson joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Sweden.  They decided to come to America.  Carl agreed.  Karen emigrated from Sweden to the United States several years before Carl and Hilda.  The 1910 census states Karen's year of immigration as 1891.

Carl, along with two of Hilda and Carl's three daughters, emigrated from Sweden to the United States next.  Hilda and Naomi, the youngest daughter, stayed behind in Sweden.  Carl entered the United States at Chicago, Illinois on September 18, 1909.  Karen, Hilda, and Carl all worked to earn the money needed for Hilda and Naomi to immigrate to America.

This document states that Hilda entered the United States at Sault St. Marie, Michigan on July 4, 1910 on the Canadian Pacific Railway.  At last, the family could be together again!

On the date this Declaration was signed, Hilda was residing in Los Angeles, California.  The document also states that Hilda had eight children and provides the names, birth dates and birthplaces for each of them.  Also mentioned is that these children were all residing in Los Angeles, California at the time this document was signed by Hilda in 1939.

1. Margaret Gillberg –  Born July 20, 1902 in Sweden
2. Naomi Gillberg – Born October 4, 1907 in Sweden
3. Ruth Gillberg – Born June 17, 1911 in Salt Lake City, Utah
4. Ingrid Gillberg – Born November 5, 1913 in Salt Lake City, Utah (my grandmother)
5. Helen – Born September 4, 1915 in Salt Lake City, Utah
6. Ida – Born October 26, 1916 in Salt Lake City, Utah
7. Edith – Born October 26, 1916 in Salt Lake City, Utah
8. Ruby – Born July 15, 1910 in Salt Lake City, Utah

Hilda actually had ten children.  She didn't list the other two, Judith Maria and Carl Martin.  Judith was the oldest child and died in 1914 in Salt Lake City, Utah and Carl died in Sweden when he was only a little over a year old.  Hilda must have only listed her eight surviving children.

Hilda became a United States citizen on November 20, 1942.  I have her Certificate of Naturalization which is contained in one of my Grandma Ingrid's Books of Remembrance.

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2013 Copyright by Jana Last 
 

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1 National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.; Naturalization Records of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, Central Division (Los Angeles), 1887-1940; Microfilm Serial: M1524; Microfilm Roll: 55. Ancestry.com. U.S., Naturalization Records - Original Documents, 1795-1972 (World Archives Project) [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010.^↩

Those Places Thursday ~ A New House In A New Country

This is part of a series of posts dedicated to the immigration story of Debs Webster and his family.

About seven to nine months after my Grandpa Debs and his family arrived in Glendora, California, they bought a new house.  It turned out that their Sponsor, Mr. West, was a home developer.  Debs and his wife Willis bought a home in one of Mr. West's housing tracts in Pomona, California.
 


GoogleMaps

Debs and his family moved into their new house in early 1953.  The house was brand new.  Grandpa kept this photo postcard of their new house.






I really don't know the particulars regarding this photo postcard that was sent to my grandparents.  And I don't know who Ernie Kearns and Bill Tillman were.  An interesting thing about this photo is that it looks like it was taken after my grandparents moved in.  Upon closer examination of this photo I noticed two little boys sitting on the front lawn.  They're my two uncles.




This house wasn't very large.  It was a 1,008 sq. ft., 2 bedroom, 1 bath home.   I found the home listed on Trulia.com.



Within the walls of this modest 1,008 sq. ft. home lived six people - Grandpa and Grandma Webster, Helena Quillin (Grandma Willis' mother), my mom, who was fourteen at the time, and my two uncles.  Remember, there were only 2 bedrooms.  I'm sure Grandpa and Grandma Webster got the master bedroom.  So, who got the second bedroom?  My mom thinks she may have shared it with her Grandma Helena.  I guess my two uncles must have slept in the living room.

My Grandpa Debs was a very generous and kind man.  He helped his relatives a great deal.  A year or two after my Grandpa and his family immigrated to the United States, other family members emigrated from Brazil as well.  These were my Grandma Willis' relatives.  Where did they stay?  At this very house.  My mom remembers that at one time there were eleven people living in this modest little home.  I really can't imagine eleven people living in this 2 bedroom, 1 bath home!  I'm not sure how long they stayed at my grandparents' home.  Probably long enough to get themselves established in the United States.

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2013 Copyright by Jana Last

Sepia Saturday 159 ~ A Trip to Sunset Beach

Sepia Saturday provides an opportunity for genealogy bloggers to share their family history through photographs.

This is part of a series of posts dedicated to the immigration story of Debs Webster and his family.

Today's Sepia Saturday photo prompt (at end of post) provides the perfect opportunity to share two photos from my Grandpa Debs Webster's 1952 photo album.  I would describe this album as a photographic travelogue about his family's emigration from Brazil to the United States.

The previous installment of the Debs Webster Family Immigration Story showed that Debs and his family had safely arrived in Glendora, California.  This is the city where their Sponsor, Mr. West and his family lived.  Mr. West kindly allowed Debs and his family to live in a house on his property.

It turns out that Mr. West also owned a beach house.  It was located on Sunset Beach, which is in Huntington Beach, California.  The two photos below show this beach house during an outing which included both the West and Webster families.

 




I asked my mom about these photos.  She couldn't remember exactly when this outing took place.  But, since the next photo in my Grandpa Debs' 1952 photo album shows the family at Thanksgiving, I think it's safe to assume they went sometime before school started for the kids.

The Webster family arrived in Glendora in August of 1952 and my mom started school that fall, so perhaps they had a little beach getaway sometime in August or on Labor Day weekend.  No matter when the trip occurred, it must have been so fun!

For those unfamiliar with Southern California, this map shows where both Glendora and Huntington Beach are located.

Googlemaps.com

Below is a photo from Wikimedia Commons showing Sunset Beach in 2009.

Sunset Beach 2009
Wikimedia Commons
Photographer - Regular Daddy

If you'd like to take a virtual trip to the beach, be sure to check out what the other Sepia Saturday participants have written by clicking HERE.


 


Thanks for reading!

Jana


Copyright © Jana Last 2013

Those Places Thursday–Webster Family Road Trip: California ~ A New Home

This is part of a series of posts dedicated to the immigration story of Debs Webster and his family.

It's been a few weeks since the last installment of my Grandpa Debs Webster's Immigration Story.  In that post, I shared my uncle's memories of traveling across the country in a crowded unairconditioned car in the middle of summer.  I also shared some photos of an interesting early air conditioning system that some people were lucky enough to have on their cars.

During this long trip, Grandpa Debs Webster and his family had many exciting experiences and visited some very interesting places as they immigrated to the United States from Brazil.  It was really quite an adventure!

But it was probably a bit sad as well.  They had to say goodbye to the only home most members of the family had ever known.   That must have been very difficult.  But, they said their goodbyes and looked forward to whatever adventures awaited them.

As it turned out, these adventures included:  a port of call in Trinidad on their voyage to America, arriving in New York City in July, and staying in an unairconditioned upper floor hotel room, buying a car and camping equipment in New York in preparation for their cross-country trip to California, and foraging for watercress to add to their picnic meals. 

After about a month's travel time by ship and automobile, Grandpa Webster and his family finally arrived at their destination in Glendora, California.

When my Grandpa Debs Webster and his family emigrated from Brazil to the United States, they had a Sponsor named Mr. West.  He and his family lived in Glendora, California along Historic Route 66.  Mr. West graciously let my Grandparents and their family live in a house on his property.

The photos below are some of the last ones in my Grandpa Debs' 1952 Photo Album.  I'm so glad he put this album together which photographically documented their immigration trip.

See the house behind the shed?  (The shed is the building in the foreground next to the huge tree.)  That house is where my Grandparents' family lived until they bought a house of their own.

I think this photo is especially fun because it shows my uncles learning the All-American sport of Baseball.

  
See the car parked next to the shed in the photo below?  That's the 1951 Chevrolet Sedan Grandpa Debs bought in New York before their cross-country trek to California.

  
After arriving in California, it was time for the Webster family to see the sites in their new home state.  Here they are visiting the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  My two uncles are the little boys in the photo and my Grandma Willis is to the left of them.

 

I hope you've enjoyed reading the Debs Webster Family Immigration Story as much as I've enjoyed sharing it.

Thanks for reading!

Jana


Copyright © Jana Last 2013

Thanksgiving in San Diego ~ 1952

This is part of a series of posts dedicated to the immigration story of Debs Webster and his family.


This is the last photo in my Grandpa Debs Webster’s 1952 photo album, which holds the photos documenting their immigration from Brazil to the United States.  I suppose you could call this photo album a "photo travelogue" of their immigration story.  Ya, it’s pretty cool that Grandpa put this together!

Thankfully, my Grandpa Debs wrote something around the edges of this photo to tell us a bit about it.  At the top he wrote, "Thanksgiving 1952."  And at the bottom he wrote, "San Diego  Casa do Jay" which means Jay’s House in Portuguese.  Jay was related to Grandma Willis by marriage.  He was an in-law to one of Willis' sisters.

Grandpa Debs and his family arrived in the United States on July 7, 1952.  So, this would be their very first Thanksgiving in America.

I can't say for sure if this was my Grandpa Debs' first Thanksgiving in America though, as he was the son of my "Traveling Dentist" Great-Grandpa Frederick Webster.  For all I know, Frederick and his family happened to be in America during Thanksgiving at some time.

Thanksgiving in San Diego, California - 1952

Click to Enlarge

I don't know the names of everyone in this photo, so I’ll just tell you who the people are that I do know.  Grandpa Debs is standing.  In front of him is my uncle.  Then, left to right is Grandma Willis, Helena Rohwedder Quillen, my uncle, and my mom shielding her eyes from the sun.

I’m sure my Grandpa and his family had a lot to be thankful for on that Thanksgiving Day in 1952, as our family does 60 years later in 2012.

Little Pilgrim

ClipartPal.com

And now I’d like to wish all of you, my wonderful readers, a very Happy Thanksgiving filled with fun, family, and delicious food!

Thanks for reading!

Jana


Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Sepia Saturday 152 ~ “What’s In The News?”

Sepia Saturday provides an opportunity for genealogy bloggers to share their family history through photographs.

Today’s Sepia Saturday photo prompt (at end of post) shows a library full of studious young men reading books. The photo I am sharing today doesn’t show a group of young men in a library.  Instead it is a photo of an older gentleman, casually dressed, sitting outside. It is a photo of my paternal Great-Grandfather, Carl Albert Gillberg. Why this photo was taken and who took it, I can’t say.  What I can say is that I’m glad the photo was taken. I found this special photo in one of my Grandmother Ingrid’s Books of Remembrance.

Carl Albert Gillberg
in Salt Lake City, Utah

Carl looks like he’s reading a newspaper. Wouldn’t it be fun to know what he was reading about? Unfortunately, there is no date for this photo. But there is a handwritten note underneath it, written by my Grandmother Ingrid Gillberg (Carl’s daughter). She wrote, “My Dad, sitting on the steps of our home on Grand Ave in Salt Lake City, Utah.”

I’m wondering if my Grandma was mistaken about this home being on Grand Avenue, because when I looked for Grand Avenue on Googlemaps, the only Grand Avenue in Salt Lake City is inside a cemetery.

(Since writing this post, Wendy Mathias of Jollett etc., informed me that there is a Grand Street in Salt Lake City. After checking this out on Googlemaps, this looks to be the likely candidate for where this photo was taken.  Thanks Wendy!)

This photo must have been taken sometime between 1909 and 1930. I surmise this because Carl immigrated to the United States from Sweden in 1909 and by the 1930 census he and his family were living in Los Angeles, California. Both the 1910 census and the 1920 census show Carl and his family living in Salt Lake City, Utah. So, sometime between 1920 and 1930, Carl and his family moved to California.

Carl was born in Stockholm, Sweden on January 8, 1882. He passed away in West Covina, California on May 3, 1963 at 81 years of age. He was a hard-working family man, and did his best to provide for his family. As part of my research, I compiled a list showing Carl’s known occupations.

Occupations for Carl Albert Gillberg:

Before 1909 - According to Canadian Passenger List - Tinsmith in Sweden
1910 Census - Laborer - Tending Mason
1920 Census - Baker at Bakery Company
1930 Census - Baker at Bakery
1940 Census - Vegetable Peddler - Private Truck

That last occupation in 1940 somehow makes me sad for Carl. But, this was during "The Great Depression" so times were hard for most everyone. According to the 1940 Census, Carl was engaged in Public Emergency Work, and was seeking employment. I wrote a previous post about finding Carl and his family in the 1940 census.

While Carl worked as a baker in Utah, he was able to bring home flour sacks which his wife, Hilda, used to make clothing for their children and quilts for the family. I wrote a previous post about this. If you’d like, you can read it HERE. These were humble immigrants who did the best they could to provide for their family.

This is a photo of Carl Albert Gillberg taken in La Puente, California in 1962, the year before Carl passed away.

Carl Albert Gillberg
1962

If you’d like to see “what’s in the news” with other Sepia Saturday participants, just click HERE.




Thanks for reading!

Jana


Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Tombstone Tuesday ~ Ella Eliza Engle Gray

In a previous post, I introduced you to Sarah Amanda Waterman, my 2nd great- grandaunt, who lived to be 103 years old.  She was married to Richard Engle, a Civil War soldier.

Today, I’d like to introduce you to one of Sarah and Richard’s daughters, Ella Eliza Engle.

Ella Eliza Engle Gray

Photo Courtesy of Norma Gardiner

Ella was the first of seven children born to Sarah and Richard Engle.  She was born on June 16, 1858 in Plymouth, Ohio.  Ella married John O. Gray on April 7, 1880 in Blackhawk County, Iowa.  They were the parents of five children:

1. Baby Boy – born in 1881
2. Carl William Gray – (1883-1935)
3. Earl Gray – (1883-before 1900)
4. Mary Luella Gray – (1886-1969)
5. Harold Edwin Gray – (1891-1973)

Ella’s death certificate states she was a retired school teacher.  And according to the obituary for her mother, Sarah, in the South Pasadena Review newspaper, Ella was also the principal of the Marengo School in South Pasadena.

Ella passed away on December 10, 1951 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.  She was 93 years old at the time of her death.  Ella’s grave is located at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California.



If you’d like to view Ella’s FindaGrave.com memorial page, just click HERE.

Thanks for reading!

Jana

Copyright © Jana Last 2012