My Parents: Different Journeys to California

Becoming California residents was not a simple process for either Mom or Dad.  Dad’s journey from Kansas took over a year with a stop in Colorado.  Mom’s journey from Illinois took more than a year with several stops along the way. Once arriving in California each resided in different counties and cities before they met in Orange County.  After they married, Santa Ana became their home.  Their motives for moving to California were certainly different, but their journeys provide a glimpse into their early years and how it affected them later.  

In a sense Dad’s journey started in 1922 when Granddad Price returned to Kansas to take older brother Walter, age 16 years old, to California.  Apparently, some time earlier, Walter had been ill with Rheumatic Fever.  His age at the time of the illness is not known or if recovery was too difficult in Westmoreland climatic conditions.  It was probably decided that a Southern California climate might provide a healthier environment.  It could also have been that his care was beyond the capabilities of Great-Grandmother Huckstadt. Granddad’s return to Kansas for Walter must have been a major family event because there are a number of photos chronicling this occasion in October 1922.   These photos include one the Price’s and Great-Grandmother Huckstadt with Granddad and the boys wearing hats.  Next is a photo of the just the Prices with everyone hatless.

It is interesting to note that facial features of both Walter and Gladys are as I remember them as adults.  However, Dad as a 13 year old seems not to have acquired his adult features--at least to me.  Also, it appears Gladys is taller than Dad who is two years older.  In general girls grow quicker than boys, but uneven ground and whether her shoes have heels could be producing an optical allusion.

Walter’s leaving Kansas must have been a significant event because there is another photo that includes a large number of relatives.

I must admit that besides Granddad Price, Walter, Dad and Gladys I cannot find Great-Grandmother Huckstadt.  Although Gladys is not readily visible, Cousin Carol found her.  Gladys is on the far left sitting behind the child in the front row.  Why Great-Grandmother Huckstadt is not in this photo one can only wonder.

Since Granddad Price lived in Orange, California in 1920, it is assumed Granddad and Walter returned to Orange.  This location was confirmed in a recent conversation with Cousin Carol (Uncle Walter’s daughter). Carol has school records that indicate Walter attended Orange High School in Orange, California and graduated in 1926 at the age of 19.

Dad’s journey to California began in 1926 at the age of 17 when he quit high school after only six weeks into his senior year. He went to Colorado where he was hired as a ranch hand near Pagosa Springs.  Dad spent about a year working as a cowboy and ranch hand on this ranch before leaving for California.  I learned from his Cousin Louise that the ranch owner’s wife was also a cousin, which cousin I do not know.  Dad told me a couple of stories about working on the ranch, which will be told in a later essay.  Before continuing the California saga, there is an interesting story abut this ranch that should be noted.

While as a kid I read the Red Ryder comic books among others.  These Red Ryder comic books had ranch photos on the inside of the back cover.  Dad recognized these ranch photos as the place where he worked and lived during his year in Pagosa Springs.  When Dad saw the photos of the ranch it belonged to Fred Harmon the originator and cartoonist of Red Ryder.  Unfortunately, I have been unable to find any of these ranch photos---maybe some day. The ranch now belongs to Fred Harmon’s son and is a tourist attraction.  I have always wanted to visit Pagosa Springs to visit this ranch, but never made it.  At this point it appears this item will remain on my Bucket List. This ranch was just a temporary stop in Dad’s plan to go to California.

Dad’s main goal seemed to be to re-join his brother Walter and his father.  Thus, after saving enough money to get to California he quit the ranch in 1927, bought a1922 Model T Ford with a 20 HP engine and began the drive California.  It is not clear, but there is a Kansas registration for the Model T, showing it was registered in Garden City, Kansas.  Now questions arise as to how Dad traveled between Kansas and Colorado and why he bought the car in Kansas.    Sure wished I would have known about these Kansas-Colorado trips.  I would have inquired about them, as well as his route and how long it took to reach California.  These trips were never mentioned, Dad only told me about driving to California.

Dad told me two stories about this trip to California.  First, most of the roads were not paved, but were graded dirt roads.  Of course, there were sections that were like a  “washboard” which result in a very rough car ride.  (Some of you young whippersnappers may not know about washboards.  Washboards could be considered one of the first washing machines.  Washboards consist of a rippled metal sheet encased in wooden frame. The washboard was placed in a large tub and clothes were laundered by rubbing them back and forth on the ripples.) His solution to driving these sections was to go as fast as possible.   Dad’s theory was that going as fast as possible, the car would ride on the “top” of the washboard ripples thereby smoothing out the ride.  He claimed it worked.  Guess I never drove fast enough on washboard roads.

His second story about the trip illustrates his ability to make the best of a situation.  Along the way he offered a ride to a young teenage boy.  Remember, Dad was himself a teenager of about 18 years old.  Dad probably considered himself a mature adult, since he was on his own and the owner of a car.  Dad and his rider stopped near Flagstaff, Arizona for the night.  Flagstaff is at about 7,000 feet altitude and can get cold at night.  Dad started a fire for cooking and to take the nip out of the air.  While eating Dad said a coyote howled nearby.  The teenager asked, “What was that?”  Dad quickly told him it was a mountain lion.  The teenager then asked, “Will it come into our camp tonight?”  Dad told him:  “No, if the fire is kept burning”.  The teenager kept the fire burning all night and Dad slept very cozy and warm.  

After reaching California it is assumed he lived in and around Orange for a while, but I do not know if he lived with Granddad Price and Walter.  I know that at some point Dad and Walter moved to Riverside, California because they are listed in the 1930 Federal Census as boarders in that city.  While living in Riverside Dad returned to school and earned his high school diploma from Riverside Polytechnic High School in 1930 at the age of 21.  The California journey did not end with his arrival in California.  It continued with another round trip to Kansas and back.

I learned from Dad’s Cousin Louise that Dad returned to Kansas to bring sister Gladys to California.  I believe it was in either 1929 or early 1930, because Gladys is listed in the 1930 Federal Census in Santa Ana, California, as a boarder in a Bramley family household.  Finding her in this household is interesting because her first husband was a Bramley.  There were three Bramley boys in the family, but only one near Gladys’ age, William A. Bramley.  I do not know if William is the one she married, but she later named a son William.  Her marriage produced two children, Donna Louise born in 1931 and William (Billy) Bunny born in 1933. My two cousins were born in Santa Ana.  A reasonable question is why did he return to Kansas to bring Gladys to California?

Based upon how Dad, Walter and Gladys arrived in California, stories told to me by Mom, events while growing up and my own observations, I’ve developed an insight into Dad’s character.  Dad, Walter and Gladys grew up in a father-less home for a considerable part of their childhood.  For whatever reason, as kids Dad became the “protector” of his older brother and younger sister.  Mom told me Dad carried a metal lunchbox to school and would use it to fight other boys that were picking on his big brother.  I suspect Walter’s bout with Rheumatic Fever took its toll and he was subjected to teasing or bullying by other boys.  I look at Dad’s return to Kansas to bring Gladys to California as an attempt to bring the family together.  Sadly, in the long run this attempt did not come to pass.  

 As everyone reached adulthood, Dad’s role as protector morphed into the “glue” between the Price siblings.  To me it is easy to see one possible reason why this change from “protector” to “glue” occurred.  Granddad Price committed suicide in 1935.   According to Mom, Granddad Price disinherited his Kansas children and she further believed Step Grandmother Opal was the instigator of this disinheritance.  Granddad’s suicide occurred after Dad, Walter and Gladys were married and had established families and then discovered they had been disinherited.  Dad had a strong bond between his brother and sister.  Now they were no longer a family unit, broken as it was, and the desire to maintain their relationships was an absolute necessity for him.  I’m sure Walter and Gladys shared this belief, but I do not know anything other than visiting was always welcomed.

Based on my own experience and observations I came to believe Dad was the “glue” between the families.  I developed this view over the years, because Dad was always taking his family and traveling to visit Uncle Walter’s family and Aunt Gladys’ family on a regular basis.  While I’ve considered Dad the “glue” holding the Price kids together for many decades, connecting Mom’s stories about Dad and the California journey process has enabled this picture of Dad’s character to crystalize in my mind.  

This view of Dad has only been brought into focus while researching the family history and preparing this blog.  I knew most everything mentioned above, but I had not considered their possible meaning.  Only when you attempt to “connect the dots” is it possible to arrive at an understanding the “why” things happened as they did.  Perhaps now I know more about who my Dad was and can appreciate him even more.  Maybe Mom’s journey to California will lead to a better understanding of who she was.

Mom’s journey to California has a totally different history and was only truly comprehended in the last couple of months.  Needless to say, Mom’s real story on traveling to California has been a real shock for me in any number of ways.  When I ask Mom about settling in Santa Ana, California, the story I was told was that Grandmother Graham and Mom arrived there alone.  She said Grandfather Graham joined them some time later but did not indicate how long before he arrived.  My first shock came with the 1920 Federal Census:  Grandfather Graham, Grandmother Graham and Mom are listed together as a family in Pomona, California.   There were more shocks and some anomalies that appeared as I looked through a couple of my folk’s boxes.

A number of old photos were found from her early childhood in Aledo, Illinois.  One of the most interesting was Mom sitting on a tall fence post with some sort of hat on her head.  .  Either Grandmother or Granddad Graham must have put her on top of the post.  No date is shown on the photo, but she looks about three to four years old.

There is also a photo of Mom as a flower girl for an Aledo couple at the time of their wedding.  Mom is almost five years old in this photo, which was taken in March 1915.

Finally, there is a photo I believe is Grandmother Graham and Mom sitting on a backyard bench.  Mom appears to be about three to four years old.

Searching through these boxes I discovered some of Mom’s school records and her high school annual.  These records were a surprise and indicated Mom attended several different schools in different towns.  At this point I called my sister, Roberta, to see whether she was aware of these various moves.  Roberta did not know of any of the moves, only what Mom told her about why they moved.  Well, Mom told Roberta they moved to California due to Mom’s health--another surprise.  Roberta seems to remember Rheumatic Fever being mentioned along with other childhood illnesses---some of them twice.  Mom also told Roberta that her head was shaved twice due to one of the diseases, forcing her to wear a bandana for protection.  Mom had not related any of these stories to me and was a real surprise to me.  Especially since I do not remember Mom being sick at any time.

Based upon what Mom had told me, Granddad Graham had been involved in some sort of scandal at the Aledo Police Department.  I always surmised this scandal was the reason Granddad arrived in Santa Ana after Grandmother and Mom.  Validity of this assumption is certainly questionable.  Granddad had indicated to me he worked as one of the jail guards but never revealed any details.  I remember Granddad had a solid oak cane with a copper tip, he indicated it was used to control the prisoners.  Mom’s story is surely true because I do not believe she would make up the tale.  Based upon the school records I found, plus some other stories about Granddad, I believe all of Mom’s stories are accurate accounts as to why she came to California.

Tracing Mom’s California journey using her school records leaves one wondering: What was really happening?  These records indicate there were several different schools in different towns!  Mom’s school records for 1917-18 shows she attended First Grade in Iola, Kansas.  Why would they go to Iola, Kansas?  I discovered during my family research that Grandmother Graham’s brother, Burton, lived with his wife in Iola.  Although I discovered Burton and Lucille Graham in the 1910 Federal Census in Iola, I was not sure that this was Grandmother’s brother. Burton’s postcard to Great-Grandmother Clifford was postmarked Iola, Kansas, thus, confirming he was Grandmother’s brother.  Therefore, it is obvious that the journey to California had begun and some of the Graham family settled in Iola, hence Mom’s school records from Iola.  I discovered a photo of Grandmother Graham and Mom with Iola written on the photo.  It is not a great photo, but shows Mom at about eight years of age.  

Since Burton and Lucille had no children, it may be a safe assumption that at least Grandmother Graham and Mom lived with Burton and Lucille. This assumption is further supported by the fact that Grandmother Graham signed Mom’s report cards.  There are no records for the 1918-19 school year, but the next records are for a California school.

The next school record for Mom was in Pomona, California in the 1919-20 school year.  This suggests they may have arrived in Pomona in either 1918 or 1919.  Definitely they were in Pomona to be in the 1920 Federal Census.  Mom was registered in Third Grade.    Was the Second Grade spent in Pomona or Iola or Aledo?  Either Iola or Pomona is entirely possible and there is really no information available to assume one over the other.  Mom had told me she was nine or ten when she arrived in California.  On that basis, Mom could have arrived in 1918 or 1919.  In either case, Mom and Grandmother Graham could have arrived in 1919 without Granddad Graham and he joined them in time for the 1920 Census.  In any event, where was Mom for the Second Grade?  After completing Third Grade Mom changed town and schools again before starting Fourth Grade.

In 1920-21 Mom’s records indicate she attended the Fourth Grade in a Long Beach, California school.  Her report card stated promotion to the Fifth Grade.  Once again Grandmother Graham signed the report cards.  There is no record I’ve found where they lived in Long Beach, nor if the entire family lived there.  Neither Roberta nor I ever had any hint that Mom lived in Long Beach. Further, we have no knowledge as to why the move to Long Beach.  It is possible the move to Long Beach came about because Granddad Graham found a job in that city.  The records for the 1921-22 school year yielded another surprise.

The 1921-22 school year was spent in Aledo, Illinois. A report card from an Aledo school indicates Mom was in the Fifth Grade during this year.  Mom received a Perfect Attendance certificate from the Aledo School in May 1922.  This certificate plus the attendance recorded on her report card confirms she was in the Aledo school the entire school year. This record raises some very interesting questions.  Why the return to Illinois? Where is Grandfather Graham living, Illinois or California? It should be noted that Grandmother Graham signed all Mom’s report cards.  Now things get crazy again.

Mom is registered in a Pomona school again for the 1922-23 school year in the Sixth Grade.  Attendance records indicate she only went to the school until about the third week in October.  What happened is certainly unknown.  Why did she stop attending?  Was it illness or did they move again?  No records for the 1923-24 school year were found.  It seems likely they moved to Santa Ana, because the records begin again in Santa Ana.

  These school records show Mom attending Santa Ana Junior High for the 1924-25, 1925-26 and 1926-27 school years.  What grades these years cover is not shown on the report cards.  Her 1927-28 school year report cards show she attended Santa Ana High School.  This school year is the only one for which there are report cards.  Now for the final shock concerning Mom’s schooling.

The high school annual found in my folk’s boxes is assumed to be for Mom’s senior year.  Surprise, the annual is for the year 1931, which indicates Mom was 21 when she graduated.  Just something else she never mentioned to either Roberta or me.  The annual is for Santa Ana High School, which I knew she attended.  Mom told me she set the school record for the girls’ 100-yard dash.  There are a lot of “Best Wishes” notes from friends in the annual, which seemed natural enough.  However, there is neither a senior photo of Mom nor a listing of her as a senior.  Another mystery!  Mom’s story of health issues causing the family to move to California adds credence to her graduating at age 21.  Her school records indicate attendance in lower grades that would be considered normal for her age at the time.  Mom’s unusual journey to California can be seen in the following  table, which summarizes her school history.

School Year	School	Grade	Age
1917-18	Iola, Kansas	First Grade	7-8
1918-19	Iola? Pomona, CA?	Second Grade?	8-9
1919-20	Pomona, CA	Third Grade	9-10
1920-21	Long Beach, CA	Four Grade	10-11
1921-22	Aledo, Illinois	Fifth Grade	11-12
1922-23	Pomona-Only 60 days	Sixth Grade	12-13
1923-24	?	?	13-14
1924-25	Santa Ana Jr. High	Seventh Grade?	14-15
1925-26	Santa Ana Jr. High	Eight Grade?	15-16
1926-27	Santa Ana Jr. High	Ninth Grade?	16-17
1927-28	Santa Ana High School	Sophomore?	17-18
1929-29	Santa Ana High School	Sophomore?	18-19
1929-30	Santa Ana High School	Junior?	19-20
1930-31	Santa Ana High School	Senior?	20-21

Note there is only one report card year for Mom at Santa Ana High School, 1927-28.   It does seem unusual to spend 3 years in Junior High and 4 years in High School.  There could be two reasons that explain this amount of time in High School. First, I would conjecture that the extra years in High School were spent taking remedial courses to make up for time “lost” due to the early illness and moving from school to school all over the country.  Second, it is also possible Mom was still dealing with health concerns and she did not attend one or more semesters thereby delaying graduation.

Mom’s school records provide an insight as to her journey to California, but also raise some questions.  Why did Mom tell us different reasons for moving to California?  Why did Mom not tell us about her schooling delays?  There are conceivable answers to these questions, but really no way to verify their correctness.  It is probable that both stories are correct for a couple of reasons.

It certainly appears her health is definitely possible based upon her school records.  Since Grandmother Graham signed all her report cards, it is entirely possible that they were separated from Grandfather Graham much of the time during Mom’s schooling.  Then again, why the story about arriving without Granddad?  I suppose our ages may have been a reason not to explain in detail.  In my case, her answer was probably satisfactory at the time and I did not inquire further.  There are perhaps a couple of possibilities, but these are in the realm of pure supposition.

Mom could have been embarrassed about the slowness of her education due to so many moves and illness.  I mention this possibility because I believe Mom was always concerned about appearances. As a result, she could have believed the length of time to complete her education might reflect on her learning abilities.  However, progress and grades on the report cards were primarily Bs and Cs.  Plus, I considered Mom to be above average in her knowledge about the world, thinking and reasoning.  Perhaps Mom was attempting to forget her childhood for any number of reasons.  One of the reasons could be Granddad.

It is possible telling me about Granddad’s scandal was an attempt to warn me.  While I have memories of both Granddad and Grandmother Graham, my time with Grandmother was only about three or four years.  Since Granddad lived with us, my time around Granddad was about 18 or 19 years.  Based on my relationship with him, my opinion of Granddad was a positive one.  Mom blamed him for Grandmother’s death along with a diversion or mishandling of some insurance money. Therefore, she believed he could not be trusted and I should be wary.  In Roberta’s situation, she believed Granddad did not like her as well and more than likely expressed these feelings with Mom.  Thus, Mom would not have to warn her about trusting Granddad.  All of this is wild speculation, but could be an explanation of why we were told different stories.   

Mom’s childhood was as traumatic as Dad’s, but in a totally different manner.  I believe Mom and Grandmother Graham had a very close bond.  So many of Mom’s early photos are only with Grandmother Graham, very few with Granddad.  Grandmother seems to have been intimately involved in Mom’s schooling.  Then when Grandmother died, Mom’s anchor was gone.  Being an only child there was no sibling for support and since she blamed Granddad, her only support was Dad.  At this time I wonder whether Mom and Granddad ever had a positive relationship.  As a result, Mom placed all her energy into providing a warm loving environment for Roberta and me and raising us to the best of her ability.  Her goal was to provide the family environment she missed--and she succeeded!!

It is interesting to note that writing this essay has provided me with further insight about Dad.  This insight came about by putting all the stories and information together into a complete picture of Dad’s early life from childhood to early adult.  Assembling a more complete picture of Mom has been more difficult.  Based on her school records, it appears her childhood was quite traumatic.  In reality, Mom’s life did not become anywhere “normal” until age 14 when the family finally settled in Santa Ana.  Whatever the reason for all the moves, the impact on a person during these formative years has an impact on who you are as an adult.  To her credit, Mom was a fine mother who had a very positive impact on me, but I suspect she may have been attempting to forget the negative aspects of her growing up and did not want to burden us with her memories.

The next period to cover is the period of Mom’s and Dad’s life from the time they settled in California until 1935.  Most of this time period will be stories about Dad since much of this time Mom was attending  school.   After this time period Mom and Dad will appear in following essays because of their involvement and influence on my life.