Workday Wednesday - Grandma Annette with her Work Buddies, San Lorenzo, CA - Circa 1956

Here is a photo of my Grandma (on the far left), Annette Roehm Connors, posing with her co-workers at the Kaiser Plant in San Lorenzo, CA. Not only a hard worker, but a mother of 4 children at this time, she still managed to help contribute to bring money in and take care of her 4 small children.

Fearless Females - {Birthday Edition}: Lydia Herr Roehm Murphy - Born March 20th - Part 3

Lydia's life was already so full of good times with friends and family, you would think that nearing 80 years old, she might have said to herself "I think I will take a rest." But, Lydia didn't quite understand what rest meant. I believe her to be a restless soul. Constantly full of many interests and hobbies.

During the 1960's she took up many new hobbies - one was as cake maker and designer. She made many event wedding, birthday, christening/baptism, and various other cakes. She made a lot of her grandchildren's wedding cakes, often very large and opulent ones.

She also became interested in "rock hound" activities, befriending a townswoman in Brentwood who collected rare rocks.

After Bill Murphy's passing in May of 1973, Lydia had even more free time on her hands. Only living on her own on a very large ranch, Lydia lived in her own home until the early '80s, until she moved in with her daughter Annette.

But, between the early 1970s and early 1980s, Lydia and Annette would travel all over the US and even to Hawaii (even though Lydia's motto was always that she thought your feet belonged on the ground, she still took a chance and flew).

Here are some photos during this time:

One of Lydia's big and beautiful cakes at my Aunt Penny's Wedding, circa 1969, at Wiebel Winery.

Lydia, (Aunt) Diane, (Gr. Aunt) Izetta and her daughter Cindee, (my mom) Carole and (step-great grandfather) Bill Murphy, circa 1967

Carole, Bill Murphy and Lydia, at Annette's home in Fremont, CA, circa 1969-70.

Joyce, Izetta, Annette and Lydia cutting a cake at Lydia's house, circa 1968-69

Annette, Lydia and Izetta at Lydia's home, circa 1970-71

Lydia at her daughter Annette's home, circa 1974-75

Lydia and Mrs. Edith Ordway (at Edith's home in San Francisco), circa 1978

Lydia with all of her grandchildren (and great grandchildren) from daughter Annette, circa 1979

Annette, Lydia and Viola Schubert, circa 1981, in Washington state

The 1980's saw Lydia slowing down a little more. In 1981, she was diagnosed with coronary artery disease. Even still, she still made attempts to attend birthdays, weddings, and any other parties. 

On a personal note, I only remember Lydia just a few times. I remember her coming to our house when I was maybe 4 or almost 5. My Grandma was bringing her over to visit, but it was a short visit. Lydia seemed so regal to me. My Grandma would do up her hair into a beautiful bouffant cloud of white hair and would always dress her up nicely. She looked like a queen. She just needed a crown. 

I don't really remember Lydia's passing as I was just about to turn 5 years old when she passed away on May 4th 1987. The details surrounding her death left my Grandma heartbroken. My grandma (Annette) took her to our local hospital because Lydia was having breathing issues. They hospitalized her for a few days and said she had a UTI. The night Lydia passed away, the doctor's assured my grandma that Lydia would make it through the night, so she (and other family members) went home, with a bad feeling in their stomachs. One part I need to confirm is that Lydia either yelled out my Grandma's name as she left or murmured it as she passed away. Lydia's time of death would be 4am on May 4th 1987.

With Lydia's death, there was the strength of a matriarch in our family that was now missing. Her daughter, Annette, has carried on the torch to take care of the ranch and live out the rest of her days there. But, until this day, my Grandma mourns her mother's death, even at the age of 86, she still feels lost without her. 

Thank you, Great Grandma Lydia for being a rock in our family, making wise decisions and for your loving heart. You are not forgotten. 

Lydia and Annette, circa 1985

Lydia at the ranch, circa 1981

Source: Visit Lisa Alzo's great blog, which is the source for the Fearless Female blog prompt, http://www.theaccidentalgenealogist.com/ 

Fearless Females - {Birthday Edition}: Lydia Herr Roehm Murphy - Born March 20th - Part 2

Lydia's life, in retrospect, may have not had a lot of impact in the sense that she won an Academy Award or the Nobel Peace Prize, however, she did impact many people's lives who loved and adored her.

Moving to California after living 46 years of her life on the Great Plains must have had to have been a big transition. Interestingly, many of her children had already moved to California, presumably for more work. The only child of hers that remained in North Dakota was Doris, who stayed back with her husband and daughter, but would visit California occasionally. At one time, Doris did live out here and had a job working for the Kaiser shipyards as a secretary, but it appears she went back with her husband and child to live in Valley City, ND.

When they traveled to California, Lydia had all of their furniture and large items shipped by train. They then paid a friend $700 to drive them to California. Annette (my grandmother), said she had to leave many items behind when they moved, including one of her favorite dolls.

On their way to California, the car finally gave out in Idaho and they had to get it repaired. Their friend who was driving them, who had little money, looked to George and Lydia to help pay for the cost of repairs, and so they did. Finally, they got to California. They had to live with their daughter Izetta for a few months before their home in Richmond was completed. Once the home was completed, Lydia and George were amazed to have indoor plumbing, a true luxury for those who came from the Great Plains to a metropolitan city. It was a brand new home and Lydia wanted to keep it that way. Annette recalls her father used to get so dirty working in the shipyards, that when he'd take a bath, he'd leave rings in the bathtub and Annette would have to scrub them out.

Making the move more complicated, Lydia was pregnant with her last born. He was born in November 1942, sometime after they came out to California. When James Roehm was born, he had Down Syndrome. Back in those days, this was often misunderstood. Unfortunately many babies born with Down Syndrome were institutionalized. At the doctor's urging, George and Lydia were advised to do just this with their newborn. Lydia refused to put him into an institution and so they took their baby home.

(Grandma) Annette and (Great Grandma) Lydia with brother James Roehm, circa 1942-1943

George Sr with James Roehm, circa 1944-45

George Jr. with James "Jimmy" and (Grandma) Annette, circa 1944-1945

George Jr with James, circa 1944-45

George Sr with James Roehm, circa 1945

George Sr with James Roehm, circa 1945-46, at home in Richmond, CA

George Sr with James Roehm circa 1945-46, at home in Richmond, CA

George and Lydia continued to raise their family, which now only consisted of daughter Annette and James Roehm. Annette left home right after her high school graduation from Richmond Union High School in 1947 and married Frank Connors of El Cerrito, CA, son of Frank Sr and Annie (Bridget), a popular and fun-loving Irish-Catholic family in the El Cerrito/Berkeley/Albany area.

In 1948, George Roehm suffered a heart attack while working in Linden, CA, with his daughter's father in law, Bruce Purviance. His heart attack proved fatal and he died two days after his birthday on October 18th, 1948.

Lydia continued to live in Richmond, but I am sure there was a sense of loneliness inside of her, despite the fact that she was involved in many groups and clubs, especially the Rebekah lodge. Now that her youngest daughter was married and had children of her own, Lydia had to raise James alone.

(Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge - shortly after it's completion in 1936 -  San Francisco is in the forefront, Oakland is in the background, with Mt. Diablo seen hovering over the East Bay)

Sometime after, Lydia started going out again and living a little. She went to some dances in Richmond and Oakland. At these dances, she met a man named Bill Murphy, who was living in Oakland, with his mother, who also had passed on around this time, in 1949. Bill was likely helping take care of his mother, along with his siblings, whom some also lived in the area. Bill was a confirmed bachelor. He never had married (that we are aware of) and did not have any children.

By meeting Bill Murphy, Lydia's life would take on a whole new twist. Not only was Bill Murphy a nice and gentle man, but he also owned lots of land in the town of Brentwood, land that was very valuable to the area. Lydia and Bill were married in 1950. With this marriage, Lydia had to leave behind her home in Richmond and move to the country with Bill. However, Bill let her design her own home and let her have it built custom to her own specifications. The home was completed around the end of 1950 and 1951.

From now on, Lydia was not without want. She was going to be well taken care of, and the kindly Bill Murphy also took on in helping raise James.

With a new home and beautiful land to wake up to everyday, Lydia was not one to keep this to herself. She opened her home to all. She had a basement that was as large as the main house floor, which is where she'd often invite all her children and grandchildren, cousins and nieces and nephews, sisters and brothers - and of course, her lodge friends. Also, as she got more familiar with the area, she quickly became good friends with the locals. There were a few fun eccentrics living nearby her. One was Mrs. Edith Ordway. Mrs. Ordway was a wealthy San Franciscan who purchased land in the Los Vaqueros area (behind the Black Hills of where Lydia lived). However, Mrs. Ordway loved to play cowgirl and shoot off her rifle when she had the chance, you know, just for fun.

Edith Ordway in 1938 at Ordway Ranch

(Source: http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/9924285) 

Another family she also befriended were the Cakebread family. The Cakebreads owned land near Lydia and became close to her as well.

The following photos demonstrate that parties were even happening before the house was finished, circa 1951 (note the plaster on the drywall and unfinished windows).

 Ross Sr, Ross Jr., Alberta Roehm, Bud Wolf, Diane Connors, Frank Connors, Penny Connors, Annette Connors. Front: Ronnie Wolf and Vernette.

 Bill Murphy, Lenora Roehm, Lydia Roehm, Hank Wolf, Alwin Roehm, Frank Connors (standing), Ross Sr (smoking) and Penny Connors with Vernette Roehm.

Hank Wolf with Ronnie Wolf, Bill Murphy, Doris Jean Wolf with Diane Connors, Joyce Wolf, Annette Roehm and Bud Wolf.

The Ranch almond trees, looking towards what is now Round Valley Regional Park, circa 1950's.

When Bill and Lydia lived on the ranch together, Bill took care of the Ranch, using the tractors and corralling cattle, keeping chickens in the coops, maintaining the old big Barn, the tack house, bunk house and various other duties of the land. Lydia settled into a somewhat retirement, taking up new and enjoyable hobbies - learning to cook and design complicated cakes and decorating them herself. Her wedding cakes were used in both my Aunt's and mother's weddings. They were some of the most elaborate wedding cakes I ever saw. Lydia also enjoyed selling greeting card sets that she mail ordered. She hung onto many of the sets that never got sold.

During this time, Lydia also started to travel outside of California more. She went back to North Dakota several times to visit with her family and her daughter, Doris, who had recently been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Doris would pass on in 1963, at the young age of 48.

Lydia is second from right (with Sister Sophie next to her). Sophie's family is pictured here in North Dakota. Christina Herr is standing with scarf on, circa 1959.

 Visiting Doris in Valley City, North Dakota, having a picnic, July 1959. Lydia is second from right.

Lydia is in the background, in white, with her oldest daughter Doris to the left of her. Annette Roehm (now Purviance), looking at camera in front. Daughter Penny is behind her. Valley City, North Dakota, 1959.

While on this trip, Lydia and the family stopped into Montana to visit some of the Roehms, who were living there at the time. When visiting with them, they were deciding if they should stay or leave, but Lydia was adamant they stayed, having some kind of premonition that the alternative would not be good. So, they stayed overnight with cousin Arlys [Roehm] Hunt to have a large earthquake wake them up at 12:30 am. It ended up being a very large earthquake in Hebgen Lake, MT which put homes underwater and killed over 20 people. Lydia and the others were very surprised, because they would have been traveling right through that route if they had not stayed the night. Many believed Lydia had a sixth sense due to this. This wasn't the only time she had such a premonition. There were to be more.

When not traveling, Lydia was highly involved with the Byron and Rio Vista Rebekah lodge orders. Even her children would get involved, but she was the most involved of them all - and she had a strong group of friends because of this.

Lydia is second from right. Lenora Roehm (her daughter in law) - Mrs. George Roehm is behind Lydia and Carol Roehm, was also her daughter in law - Mrs. Alwin Roehm, is first from front left)

George Roehm Jr., Lydia Roehm and Alwin Roehm.

Lydia is in the front, second from right, circa 1962.

Lydia, circa 1962, age 66.

Lydia is second from left on the top photo, circa 1962.

You'd think that by now, well into her 60's, Lydia would have slowed down a bit, but she was just revving up. The late 1960s and most of the 1970s, she'd spend more time on the road than at home. She went and saw many family members, most who'd she see for the last time. 

Part 3 of this installment on this incredible "Fearless Female" will look into Lydia's many travels with her youngest daughter Annette (my grandma) and Lydia's last days here on earth.

Source: Visit Lisa Alzo's great blog, which is the source for the Fearless Female blog prompt, http://www.theaccidentalgenealogist.com/ 

Thankful Thursday - The Ranch

Today, I honor the ranch that has brought our family together over the last near 70 years and has given us grandkids, great grandkids and now great-great grandkids countless and unforgettable memories of hiking the beautiful hills, dunking our feet into the cool creek waters during the late Spring months, playing baseball on the property land, perusing the old chicken coops and barns, and many more wonderful memories- this was and still is - the Murphy Ranch in Brentwood, CA.

This beautiful land was inherited into our family when my Great Grandmother, Lydia Roehm, remarried in 1950 to William "Bill" Murphy, a few years after her first husband, George Roehm, had passed away in 1948. Bill had never married up until this point. My Grandmother has told me that Bill met Lydia at a dance hall in Oakland.

Bill Murphy was living with his mother in Oakland at the time of meeting Lydia. The Murphy's still owned their large family home in downtown Brentwood and also many acres of land on the outer skirts of Brentwood, which was being shared between Bill and his siblings. Bill owned the portion that had many of the almond trees, the barns and the creek running behind the nice little valley, with an old tannery building made of stone across the creek-  it once had a wood door and roof, which has since caved in and has now been overrun with cottontail bunnies.

Here is a little photographic tribute with narration:

The Murphy children, Arthur, Katie, William and Esther Murphy, circa 1900

Esther Murphy, circa 1903-04, age 8-9

Katie (age 13-14) and Esther Murphy, circa 1903-04

 Katie Murphy with possibly younger sister, Esther, circa 1898-1899 

Esther Murphy in front of Murpy Home, circa 1896-1897

Mrs. (Christiana Braun &) William Murphy, circa  mid-1880's, San Jose, CA.

Christiana Braun was from a well-to family from San Jose, CA. She graduated High School and also went to college - a rarity for women in her time. 

  

Here is Bill Murphy as a young boy, a teen and a little older as a young man, in the late 1890's through the early 1900s. (click on each picture to enlarge)

Bill Murphy as a teenager, about 14-15 years old, circa 1906-1907

Bill Murphy entered the fight in World War I, and fought for his country, as seen below.

My grandmother, mother, Aunt Penny, Uncle Terry (on horse), Aunt Diane and Grandfather, with my Grandma's youngest brother, Jimmy Roehm, on the Murphy Ranch almond tree orchard, circa 1955.

My Aunt Diane and Penny, uncle Terry, Bill and Lydia Murphy, Joyce Wolf with son and Jimmy Roehm, at Bill and Lydia's home on the Ranch, built in 1951 by my grandfather and my Grandma's brothers. This picture is from around 1959-1960.

A family gathering on the ranch, with hills in the background. My mother is the little girl next to her Aunt Doris who was in a wheelchair - Lydia is kneeling down to the right of Doris, and my Grandma and grandpa are next to Lydia, circa 1955-56.

Same family gathering, circa 1955-56 (Bill Murphy is man standing, back row, 4th from left)

Same family gathering, circa 1955-56 (Aunt Diane in front, pretending to a take a picture)

Murphy home being built, circa 1950-51 (It still stands today)

My cousin Ross Jr. (Izetta and Ross Sr's son), circa early 1958-59, age 15-16, standing on a foggy day in an almond orchard.

Althought not a photo of the ranch, this is a photo of Bill and Lydia together with my Aunts Diane and Penny, with a family member, circa 1956-57

Some years later, my grandfather Vibert, being caught on camera on a typical sunny day at the ranch, circa 1993.

My cousin Melissa with my grandparent's dog, Bozo, along the banks of Marsh Creek, circa 1993.

My cousin Tiffany poses for her mother on the ranch, near Marsh creek, on a lovely Spring or Fall day (our Summers never have grassy fields - by the time late May/early June arrive, our green fields have turned golden brown.

Aerial views of the ranch in the 1980's

Second part of the aerial view, 1980s

My Uncle using a very old tractor to till the land, circa 2014

Springtime at the ranch, circa 2013

Surprisingly, this is sometime in November, as California hadn't had hardly any rain in months, and the earth was very dry and parched, circa 2014.

 Such a difference - 1st barn photo was taken in October of 2014, and the 2nd barn photo was taken in April of 2014. California only really has two seasons - Hot and Dry and Wet and Green

And, taken from Marsh Creek, a view of the hills up against the creek and land, as driving into the driveway, the beauty never ceases to amaze me with each visit, circa 2014.

This land is truly a treasure and I will do everything I can to try and keep it in our family during my lifetime, maybe even getting to live out here and experience life on a ranch someday. Who knows! This is the one place I can still come back to and feel like time has stood still. I no longer have my childhood homes to return to, so to me, this is home - our one last surviving home in our whole family that remains a constant.

I feel so fortunate that we've inherited this land and each time I drive up to it, I feel luckier and luckier.