Preserving Memories ~ My Adorable Grandparents

For several months I've been working on a large family history project. I've been scanning photos, slides, and negatives of various sizes that I inherited from my parents and my maternal grandparents. I've also been scanning photos and negatives from my own collection. 

I finished scanning all of my parents' and grandparents' slides and have lately been focused on scanning photos and negatives.

Some of the images I've scanned from my parents' and maternal grandparents' collections have been new-to-me images. In other words, I don't remember seeing them before. So that has been fun!

Today I'm sharing a new-to-me image of my maternal grandparents, Debs Warren Webster and his second wife, Willis Quillin Webster. I remember Willis very well. She married my grandfather when my mom was a little girl. Debs' first wife, Sarah Vasques Madeira (my mom's mother), passed away when my mom was almost four years old.

This adorable photo of my maternal grandparents was scanned from a medium format negative. It looks like Debs and Willis were on a trip.

The negative envelope did not provide a location for my grandparents trip, but there's a hint on the chalkboard on the building in this photo. The word Crannell is written on the chalkboard. And Crannell is also on the side of the building behind my grandfather, and it's in the sign above the chalkboard. I did a Google search for Crannell and it's a "former settlement in Humboldt County, California" and used to be a "company town for sawmill workers of the Little River Redwood Company."¹

I'm not sure what kind of building this was, but I think it may have been a store. On the side of the building behind my grandfather, I think the word Store is under the word Crannell, but Store is partially hidden by my grandfather. What do you think?

Check out that old phone booth near the entrance of the building and check out my grandparents car! So awesome! I'm not an expert in vintage cars, so I did a Google image search for the car and it looks like it was a Renault Dauphine.

I just love this photo of my grandparents! It looks like it could have been an advertisement in a travel brochure.

I'll share more photos from my scanning project in future posts.

Thanks for stopping by!

Jana

© 2024 Copyright by Jana Iverson Last, All Rights Reserved

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1 Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org), "Crannell, California," rev. 18:33, 29 November 2023. ^↩

When Did My Grandparents Vote In Their First U.S. Presidential Election?

Katherine R. Wilson's recent post titled My Grandparents’ First U.S. Presidential Election caused me to wonder about my own grandparents and when they may have been able to vote for a U.S. president for the first time in their lives too.

While doing research for this post, I found a helpful website called "270 TO WIN." The website includes a "Historical Presidential Elections" feature under the "Presidents" tab. You can see presidential election results from 1789 to 2012.

Arthur Harry Iverson

The first presidential election my paternal grandfather, Arthur Harry Iverson, would have been able to vote in was held in 1936. He was 25 years old at the time and was living in California. The candidates were Franklin D. Roosevelt and Alfred M. Landon.

Ingrid Anna Gillberg

My maternal grandmother, Ingrid Anna Gillberg, would not have been old enough to vote in that election. Her first opportunity to vote in a U.S. presidential election would have been in 1940. At that time she would have been 27 years old and was living in California. The candidates were Franklin D. Roosevelt and Wendell L. Willkie.

Debs Warren Webster

My maternal grandfather, Debs Warren Webster, immigrated to the United States in 1952. He became a U.S. citizen in 1973, so his first chance to vote in a U.S. presidential election was in 1976. Debs would have been 63 years old at the time and was living in California. The candidates were Jimmy Carter and Gerald R. Ford.

Willis Quillin

My maternal grandmother, Willis Quillin, (technically step-grandmother, but she is Grandma to me) immigrated in 1952 along with her husband Debs and their family. She also became a U.S. citizen in 1973. Therefore, her first opportunity to vote in a U.S. presidential election was in 1976. She was 56 years old at the time and was living in California. The candidates were Jimmy Carter and Gerald R. Ford.

Did my grandparents actually vote in these U.S. presidential elections? I don't know. But these are the dates when they were first eligible to vote.

How about your grandparents? When was their first opportunity to vote in a U.S. presidential election?

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2016 Copyright by Jana Iverson Last, All Rights Reserved

A Wonderful Family History Christmas Gift

NOTE: This is a repost from January 2014.

On December 25, 2013, I received a very special Christmas gift. This wonderful gift was given to me by my daughter and son-in-law.



Inside this frame is a map showing the route one of my Webster ancestors took when he left the United States sometime in the early 1900s, and the route that branch of the Webster family took as they returned to the United States in 1952.

My regular readers may already know which of my Webster ancestors left the United States in the early 1900s and which Webster ancestors returned in 1952. But, for those who may be unfamiliar with this story, I'll give you a quick recap.

My great-grandfather, Watson Emory (Frederick) Webster, who I affectionately refer to as "The Traveling Dentist" in my blog, was born in Coolville, Athens, Ohio on February 14, 1864. He became a dentist and was awarded a Doctor of Dental Surgery Diploma on April 2, 1896. I have that amazing document and shared it in my blog. If you'd like to see it, click HERE. At some point during his life, Watson changed his name to Frederick. So, when you see the diploma, that's why the name "Fred E. Webster" is on his diploma.

Apparently, my great-grandfather, Frederick, liked to travel. And during those travels, he practiced dentistry. He even practiced dentistry from his Dental Boat at Natchez, Mississippi, and at Lake Charles, Louisiana. Later, Frederick traveled to Mexico and married a beautiful girl named Esther Matus Villatoro. She was my great-grandmother. They moved to Brazil, and that's where four of their five children were born. Their first child was born in Mexico. Esther and Frederick passed away in Brazil.



My grandfather, Debs Warren Webster, was one of their children who was born in Brazil. He later married a beautiful Portuguese woman named Sarah Vasques Madeira. They were the parents of my mom, who was also born in Brazil. Tragically, Sarah passed away suddenly when my mom was only four years old. My grandfather, Debs, remarried a lovely woman named Willis Quillin. They had a son together and then adopted another boy.

In 1950 and 1951, the family joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Then, in 1952, the family emigrated from Brazil to the United States. So, there we have it! This branch of the Webster family came back to the United States.

I've written several blog posts about my "Traveling Dentist" great-grandfather, Watson Emory (Frederick) Webster. There's a landing page called "The Traveling Dentist" at the top of my blog dedicated to him. If you'd like to check it out, click HERE.

I've also written about the immigration story of my grandfather, Debs Warren Webster, and his family. They arrived in the United States in the summer of 1952. The ship docked in New York, the family bought a car and some camping equipment, and they set off on a cross-country adventure. The family bought postcards and took pictures along their way toward California, which was their final destination. I also have a landing page dedicated to their story at the top of my blog. It's called "The Debs Webster Family Immigration Story." If you'd like to check it out, click HERE.



The photo below is a close-up of this map. My daughter hand-stitched the route onto the map. Isn't it awesome?! I love it!



This hand-stitched map is such a thoughtful gift. And it is truly a family history treasure. Thank you my dear, sweet daughter and son-in-law for this amazing Christmas gift.

UPDATE: This wonderful gift hangs on a wall in our home and has proven to be a great family history discussion starter. I love it!

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2014 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

52 Ancestors: #17 ~ Happy 100th Birthday Grandpa Debs! We Miss You!

This is part of the "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" Challenge begun by Amy Johnson Crow, author of the blog No Story Too Small.

Yesterday my maternal grandfather, Debs Warren Webster, would have turned 100 years old. In August of this year it will be 20 years since he passed away. I've written about him a lot on my blog in the past. Specifically, about his family's immigration story. Today, I'm going to share a little about him personally.

Debs Warren Webster

Debs Warren Webster was born on 27 April 1914 in Santos, Sao Paulo, Brazil to his parents Watson (Frederick) Emory Webster and Esther Matus Villatoro. Debs was the third of five children born to Frederick and Esther.

You may have noticed that I referred to Debs' father as Frederick instead of Watson. That's because Watson changed his name to Frederick at some point in his life. My regular readers may also recognize his name because he is known as "The Traveling Dentist" here on my blog.

Yes, Debs' father traveled a great deal during his life. And that meant that Debs did too. I really don't know how Debs attended school when he was young. But, he was very smart and spoke three languages – Spanish, Portuguese, and English. He also became a dentist in two different countries – Brazil and the United States.

Debs met his first wife, Sarah Vasques Madeira, in Brazil. They fell in love and were married on 4 April 1936 in Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Sarah Vasques Madeira and Debs Warren Webster

They were so very happy. Their happiness increased with the birth of their first and only child, a daughter (my mom).

Tragically, only six years after Debs and Sarah were married, Sarah passed away. She died on 15 July 1942 in Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil. My mom was only four years old at the time of her mom's death.

Debs was left a widower with a small child. He hadn't completed his college degree yet. He was working and going to dental school. How was he going to take care of his little daughter? Thankfully, family members helped him. My mom was taken care of by a couple of her mom's sisters, Isabel and Lucia, and then by her father's Aunt Crecenciana.

Debs found happiness again when he met and married Willis Quillin. They were married on 16 March 1944 in Dobrada, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Willis Quillin Webster

They had one child together, a son. They also adopted a little boy in Brazil. Now they were a family of five – my mom, from Debs' first marriage, and two sons.

Almost a year after Debs married Willis, he received his dental diploma. Debs received his diploma on 13 February 1945 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Debs Warren Webster

In the early 1950s, Debs and his family joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They decided to move to the United States. In July of 1952, they boarded the ocean liner S.S. Brazil and sailed to a new country and a new life. They took this family photo on 10 June 1952, about a month before they left Brazil.



Debs thought he was going to be able to practice dentistry in the United States. But he later found out that he wasn't allowed to practice here because he hadn't graduated from a United States college. So, Debs went back to school and eventually became a dentist here in the United States. What an accomplishment! And how difficult this must have been for him and his family.

Debs was a very hard worker and was also very kind and generous. Over the years he opened his home to family members who also immigrated to the United States from Brazil. They were welcome to stay at his home until they were able to get on their feet and become acclimated to their new country.

Debs didn't like his first name and legally changed it after arriving in the United States. He then went by Warren Debs Webster. He passed away on 15 August 1994 in Petaluma, Sonoma, California at 80 years of age. He is buried at Oakmont Memorial Park in Lafayette, Contra Costa, California.



I began researching our family history after my Grandpa Debs passed away. When my mom and I were going through some of my grandpa's personal belongings, we found a photo of his great-grandfather, Ebenezer Perry Carlisle Webster, who was a Civil War veteran. I had never seen that photo before and had no idea who Ebenezer was or that we had any ancestry connected with the Civil War.

I don't remember my grandfather talking about his childhood or his family history. I think he had a difficult childhood and didn't want to talk about it. It must have been painful for him. His mother died when he was a boy and three of his four siblings didn't survive to adulthood. I wish I had started my family history research before my Grandpa Debs had passed away. There are so many questions I wish I could ask him now.

My Grandpa Debs was a wonderful and loving grandpa. We miss him.

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2014 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

A Special Family History Christmas Gift

On December 25, 2013, I received a very special Christmas gift. This wonderful gift was given to me by my daughter and son-in-law.



Inside this frame is a map showing the possible route one of my Webster ancestors took when he left the United States sometime in the early 1900s, and the route that branch of the Webster family took as they returned to the United States in 1952.

My regular readers may already know which of my Webster ancestors left the United States in the early 1900s and which Webster ancestors returned in 1952. But, for those who may be unfamiliar with this story, I'll give you a quick recap.

My great-grandfather, Watson Emory (Frederick) Webster, who I affectionately refer to as "The Traveling Dentist" in my blog, was born in Coolville, Athens, Ohio on February 14, 1864. He became a dentist and was awarded a Doctor of Dental Surgery Diploma on April 2, 1896. I have that amazing document and shared it in my blog. If you'd like to see it, click HERE. At some point during his life, Watson changed his name to Frederick. So, when you see the diploma, that's why the name "Fred E. Webster" is on his diploma.

Apparently, my great-grandfather, Frederick, liked to travel. And during those travels, he practiced dentistry. He even practiced dentistry from his Dental Boat at Natchez, Mississippi, and at Lake Charles, Louisiana. Later, Frederick traveled to Mexico and married a beautiful girl named Esther Matus Villatoro. She was my great-grandmother. They moved to Brazil, and that's where four of their five children were born. Their first child was born in Mexico. Esther and Frederick passed away in Brazil.



My grandfather, Debs Warren Webster, was one of their children who was born in Brazil. He later married a beautiful Portuguese woman named Sarah Vasques Madeira. They were the parents of my mom, who was also born in Brazil. Tragically, Sarah passed away suddenly when my mom was only four years old. My grandfather, Debs, remarried a lovely woman named Willis Quillin. They had a son together and then adopted another boy.

In 1950 and 1951, the family joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Then, in 1952, the family emigrated from Brazil to the United States. So, there we have it! This branch of the Webster family came back to the United States.

I've written several blog posts about my "Traveling Dentist" great-grandfather, Watson Emory (Frederick) Webster. There's a landing page called "The Traveling Dentist" at the top of my blog dedicated to him. If you'd like to check it out, click HERE.

I've also written about the immigration story of my grandfather, Debs Warren Webster, and his family. They arrived in the United States in the summer of 1952. The ship docked in New York, the family bought a car and some camping equipment, and they set off on a cross-country adventure. The family bought postcards and took pictures along their way toward California, which was their final destination. I also have a landing page dedicated to their story at the top of my blog. It's called "The Debs Webster Family Immigration Story." If you'd like to check it out, click HERE.



The photo below is a close-up of this map. My daughter hand-stitched the route onto the map. Isn't it awesome?! I love it!



This hand-stitched map is such a thoughtful gift. And it is truly a family history treasure. Thank you my dear, sweet daughter and son-in-law for this amazing Christmas gift.

Thanks for reading!

Jana

© 2012 - 2014 Copyright by Jana Last, All Rights Reserved

Sepia Saturday 145–Preparing to Leave

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

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



This week’s Sepia Saturday photo prompt shows a group of boys with sports gear in tow.  Something’s missing though…yep, you guessed it.  It’s their feet.  According to Alan, feet, or the absence of feet, is the theme this week.

The photo below fits perfectly with this week’s theme.  This is my Grandma Willis Webster.  Well, technically, she was my step-grandma.  But in every way, she was my grandma because she’s the only grandma I ever knew on my mom’s side.

My regular readers may remember that my mom’s mother, Sarah Vasques Madeira, passed away when my mom was very young.  Later, my Grandpa Debs Webster met and married Willis Quillin.


Willis Quillin Webster
with Suitcase and Large Trunk
Click to Enlarge

I love how my Grandpa Debs wrote on the edges of this photograph.  Since it’s a little bit hard to read, I’ll tell you what he wrote:

Top ~ She Is Getting

Bottom ~ Ready For The Trip

Left Side ~ In Sao Paulo July 1952

Right Side ~  Casa De Lucy

So, what trip is Grandma Willis getting ready for and who is Lucy?  Again, my regular readers my already be familiar with the trip my Grandma Willis was getting ready for.

In July of 1952 my Grandpa Debs Webster and his family, including my mom, immigrated to the U.S.A. from Brazil.  I started a series of posts recounting their actual journey HERE.

I also wrote a series of posts about how this branch of the Webster family (my Grandpa Debs and his family), who were living in Brazil at the time, made contact again with a relative in the U.S.A.  You can read about that HERE.

So, just who is Lucy?  She was one of my Grandma Willis’ sisters.  The photo above shows Grandma Willis at Lucy’s home in July 1952, the same month the Webster family immigrated to the U.S.A.  They stopped there for a visit.

I’m sure it was wonderful for my Grandma Willis and the rest of the Webster family to visit Willis’ sister Lucy before they immigrated to the U.S.A.  It must have been a very difficult thing for the two sisters to say goodbye.  Willis did make a visit to Brazil later and my mom thinks that Lucy made a trip to the U.S.A. for a visit as well.  Lucy’s mom, Helena, was also immigrating with Grandma Willis and her family.  So that must have been even more difficult for Lucy.

Moving far away from family is difficult even in today’s world of email, Facebook, Skype, etc.   I can’t imagine how unbearable it must have been back then without all of our modern technological conveniences.

To see what other Sepia Saturday participants have written this week, click HERE.

Thanks for reading!

Jana


Copyright © Jana Last 2012

Wedding Wednesday–Debs Warren Webster Finds Happiness Again

At the age of 28, my maternal grandfather, Debs Warren Webster, became a widower with a small child (my mom) to care for.  In a previous post I recounted the tragic death of his first wife Sarah Vasques Madeira.

Happily, Debs found love again.  He met a wonderful woman named Willis Quillin.  They were married on March 16, 1944 in Dobrada, Sao Paulo, Brazil.  In my mom's photo album, Willis is referred to as her “second mother."  I remember her as a loving grandmother.

Willis Quillin was born on July 22, 1921 in Dobrada, Sao Paulo, Brazil.  She was the daughter of Max Quillin and Helena Rubinger Rohwedder.  Willis passed away on March 31, 1991 in St. Helena, Napa, California.

Willis Quillin

Willis Quillin and Debs Webster - November 25, 1943

Debs and Willis were the parents of one son.  They then adopted a young boy while still living in Brazil.

The family continued living in Brazil until 1952, when they immigrated to the United States.

In previous posts I have begun to share the story of how this branch of the Webster family came full circle from the U.S.A. to Brazil and then back again to the U.S.A.  The next installment of this story will find Debs and his family on The S.S. Brazil heading to America.  I have many vintage postcards from Debs' scrapbook that were purchased along the way, which I'm excited to share with you.


Thanks for reading!


Copyright © Jana Last 2012