Agnes Rose 1920, Bobby 1922
Dolf's first orange ranch
On the right is their first ranch, with Leo walking with Agnes, Aunt Tillie holding Bobby and Leo and Agnes. Agnes said they would love it when Leo came to the ranch because he did a lot of tricks for them and he was so much fun. Agnes adored Leo.
Later they bought the property in Santa Ana Canyon. Every time we went there we would be greeted by Pal, a beautiful Collie, who would run alongside the car up the long driveway to the house, where there was always someone there waiting for us. We loved going to the ranch.
Bobby would give us rides thru the orange grove on the big tractor. He would give the chickens a little bit of wine and they would get drunk and stagger all over in the barn. We thought he was hilarious.
I remember one time, Carol and I were rocking back and forth, rather enthusiastically, in the rocking chair in the sun room. And, we tipped back and broke a pane in one of the French doors. Well, we told Aunt Dora, because we could whisper to her. But she told us we had to "tell Uncle Dolf" Well, this was rather difficult because Uncle Dolf was very hard of hearing. Have you ever had to yell out your guilt? But he just smiled at us and said to be careful. Carol and I lost gallons of sweat over that.
I loved to visit there because we all sat around the big table in the breakfast room and we could just listen to the grown-ups talk. And talk they did. Daddy was very interested in everything that went on and Dolph and Ag and Bobby filled him in on all the goings-on. We always had a little wine and something sweet. Or Aunt Dora cooked spaghetti with dried mushrooms. I had never had it that way before. And I remember the water tumbler on the table that always had teaspoons in it for the coffee. There always was coffee. There was a doorway that led out of the kitchen.; About once a year Carol and I stood with our backs straight against the wood jamb so our heights could be recorded, along with those of Agnes and Bob. When the room was re-painted, the measurements were written down first. When the paint was dry they were written back onto the freshly painted doorway.
I have many memories of the ranch. I remember staying at the ranch in summer during the war. Agnes and her girl friends, would go to the USO. The USO was set up so the servicemen would have a place to come to in town where they could sit around and talk with people, ..... girls ..... dance, socialize. I remember Ag coming home at night once, so indignant because "some hick boys don't even know enough to escort their dance partner off the floor at the end of the dance!"
There was a herd of cattle next door and Agnes said, "now, there's 100s of T-bone steaks on the hoof just over the fence"
We would hike to the top of the hill on the back side of the ranch and look down at the canyon of cacti below. They were beautiful when they were in bloom.
I remember writing Bobby V-mail during the war. I wonder how exciting the mail of an 8th grader was to a soldier on an airfield in England! Bob was on the field when an airplane crashed and a piece of metal tore off part of his butt. It was a very bad wound, but, thankfully it wasn't life-threatening.
At this time, all artists' charcoal was imported from France but when the war (WWII) started we weren't able to import it. So Uncle Dolf planted willow trees in the bed of the Santa Ana River and grew his own wood to make his own charcoal. During this time he was the only manufacturer of charcoal in the United States. During the war gasoline was rationed. Since the ranch was allotted more gasoline than a family, Uncle Dolph always filled Daddy's car up when we left. I remember driving down the long drive to the highway, Carol and I on our knees on the back seat, looking out thru the rear window of the car, waving to Uncle Dolph and Aunt Dora and Agnes and Bobby until they were out of sight.
Agnes and Parker Markle
Rosemary 1956, Dana Jose',1957 Paul Christian,1961
Rosemary and David Sissons
John Jose` 1989
Dana Jose` and Alice Claire Eckerson
Clay Thomas 1983, Bonnie Rose 1985
Bob d. and Pauline Sampo
James,1948 Vincent, 1951
After high school, Jim joined the Army and Vince entered St. John's Seminary in Camarillo. After his discharge, James came home and married Vivian. When Vince came home, he met and married Michelle.
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