Geraldine Johnson and Courtney Johnson Rowe

Recorded March 29, 2009 Archived March 29, 2009 01:21:11
0:00 / 0:00
Id: SFB000255

Description

Geraldine, 87, talks with her granddaughter Courtney, 30, about her family’s
heritage and the connection with Grass Valley, California.

Subject Log / Time Code

Geraldine met her husband while they both worked at the Corps of Engineers
Geraldine’s childhood was happy with a large extended family.
Geraldine enjoyed the outdoors, fishing and hunting.
Sacramento becomes the home for Geraldine’s family in 1948.
Geraldine is most proud of her many grandchildren.
Courtney is proud of her grandmother’s resilience in continuing her life after

Participants

  • Geraldine Johnson
  • Courtney Johnson Rowe

Transcript

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00:06 My name is Courtney Leilani Johnson row. I am 30 years old. It's March 29th. 2009 San Francisco and I am the maternal granddaughter.

00:20 I'm jeralean a niche.

00:23 Bro. Road, Johnson 87 March 29th, San Francisco and I'm her grandmother. So Grandma, where did you grow up? I was born in my and my grandmother and grandfather's house in Nevada City. But I grew up in Grass Valley California, which is just four miles from Nevada city, which which grandparents. This is my my I was born in my grandmother Jacobs my mom's mom and dad in Nevada City and then we live move to Grass Valley where my father's mother and father lived and he was born and raised so which, you know, I've been to the house in Grass Valley whose house was that the one on a on Buena Vista Street that was on my grandparents property. They had live right on the corner all their lives that had a big lot.

01:23 And in 1934 that divided the lot and my father built a home on that and his brother built a home right next door. So we were sitting in row and what was Great Grandpa's name?

01:40 Your dad my dad was Clifton William Rowe and that to my my brother was his middle name came out from that Kristen and and hits of his it was at his mom's last name was Clifton. Is that right? And it was your dad was the one who works in Empire mine or your dad's dad is my father's dad will was working the Empire Mine. One of the oldest mines in California. And what did he do for the mine bring tendon in Foreman? I hired most of the people that worked on your ground with him and he finding where the veins of gold where and he was working in the mind when they found the richest piece of gold at whatever came out of the Mind by which was back in the night.

02:40 Teen 50s, I believe I remember you telling me about that and the fact that the supervisor in the supervisor turn his back when they found the vein or something. That was my grandfather. Okay, so we have just hit It Rich. She said I'll be gone for a few minutes and you can do what you want. So I get back and so many of them migrated by swallowing it or putting it in places. They thought that they wouldn't be found the basically took what they wanted from. That was pretty generous of him. Yes, because he ended up with not even a nice specimen the gold to give us in later years. What was he the one whose dad didn't want him to work in the mine. That's right. Cuz his father came over from England settled in Grass Valley. Not too far from where the mine is and my grandfather.

03:40 I had to go to work when he was in the mines when he was 9 years old, so he had two sons if he would not let them go underground cuz he didn't want them to have to have the mystery of working underground but one of them ended up going into the mines anyway, so I know he worked on top carry, they would crush up all of the Rock's 8th fine down there and that waste would be brought up to the surface and put cars that was taken out to what they called the waste dump and that's what he did and then his brother cuz they only had there was only the two of us his brother worked on top too, cuz the father would not let them go down under nice and I was my great Grand Valley and everything. That was Underground.

04:40 Oh, yeah. Oh no, that's your grandfather. Cuz your grandfather work for the city. Oh, I didn't know, one that he for the city of Grass Valley in an everything. So that was before he work for the Corps of Engineers was your great-great-grandfather got it your grandfather. Yes, your grandmother work for the Corps of Engineers Federal Government, but you guys worked in Sacramento for the to when World War II broke out. We had gone to a business school in Grass Valley where we had it was a Catholic business school and we had a very good education and one of those people that were from Grass Valley. She had gone there and was working down here and she told him I know where a lot of good secretaries are there in Grass Valley and I can get them here, right?

05:40 Way, so we all went to the Sacramento to to work for the Army during the Warriors. So did you did you meet Grandpa at the Corps of Engineers? I talked to him on the telephone for many days before I knew who he was and he was walking down the outside of my door and my friend says that's how you talk to all the time. Oh, so then I wanted to get acquainted with her. Why did you think about him when you first when you first saw my first met him it was very friendly and we enjoyed a ways all are we just clicked when we first met one another and where did you guys end up getting married? Then he had been in service for a couple years right after he got out of high school cuz his his mother couldn't support him. So he had joined the army and he was stationed in Hawaii for two years and then he

06:39 They are men came to the United States to start working for the Corps of Engineers in Sacramento. Then we're broke out and he stayed home for quite a while and then all of a sudden he said I just can't stay home any longer. So he re-enlisted and he had gone off and his re-enlistment and all my friends were getting married. So I decided he's gone. I'm going to go and he was in Texas. So I went to Fort Worth Texas to be married in March of 1995 1940s was working in Hawaii. What is he? What did he do for the Army in Hawaii? He was a Radioman. He was one of the

07:32 One of the veins there. Yeah radio communications a long before World War II broke out. They knew that the Japanese were planning to invade because they got this radio messages of all the time. I remember one of the pictures I remember a lot growing up is seeing the picture of Grandpa and his uniform his uniform when he worked in Hawaii still wearing a speedo as uniform and his keys were they would send radio message they have them for when he you know, really? I didn't know that then

08:17 So then he was there when the war ended came back to the United States. I also remember that picture of him because it's so interesting how dark he looks compared to everybody else all of his days out on the beach was a radio. I always thought that it must be them from him that me and Dad and Dad out so dark to the rest of our family line when he was a baby, but very dark later I had dark hair for the Army during World War II was first in the Army was in the radio Division and did he stand in Texas the whole time to Kansas and ironically sister and brother-in-law are stationed in the at the same place in Texas.

09:17 Oh that was afterwards. We had already come home cuz I we came home when he was being discharged and that's what I first had your father and stationed there later. But you you guys stayed friends with Noni. And I remember them coming coming here. When is Jared Grandpa about being a sergeant? Cuz he was he became a Grandpa that he was on there a sergeant when he was in the Army. He was actually grandma grandpa's sister temperaments very very jolly long and then she'd be

10:17 Smoking and drinking and she get irritated by her wig and she would just take it off and put it on the table cuz I don't remember much of Grandpa's other other siblings. Did he have other since he had a brother that was younger than he was. Unfortunately. The wife said he married was not compatible with the family. So we didn't have the relationship that we had with Noni and going back to Grass Valley. What was your childhood like growing up in Grass Valley? It was fabulous really? Cuz of course. I was an only child and I'd only aware there was only two in my grandparents family. I have it at cousin that live right next door. So well.

11:17 Our grandparents was great. And even when I lived a little further away, I went to school right there by my grandparents house. So I'd always stop there on the way home and my grandmother would be in the kitchen baking bread or making saffron buns and I spent a lot of time there. They were great grandparents.

11:41 They travel is not for their age group cuz they went to Chicago to the World's Fair one year. They went to Walla Walla Washington and that was not really done is that time? They were very outgoing grandparents to tell me more about about Grass Valley about grass filler was we of course, I live always live very close to my school. And in the winter time, we always got snow 2 and 3 feet of snow. We had streets and Grass Valley where they would block it off so we could ski we had one area where there was a mountain where they would tie us to the tree and we can get it on the charger and swing out and fall in the snow.

12:33 And

12:36 It was I just a great being in a small-time town and having so many relatives right there. Nothing like being in a smaller town really what made you decide you wanted to leave when you when you came to Sacramento to come on work and I've never regretted it cuz I love Sacramento. Do you think if there hadn't been the war you would have always stayed in Grass Valley? That's a good question cuz I had many many friends are that some of them did stay in Grass Valley, but the biggest percentage of them did move on move to the Bay Area a lot of them worked in the shipyards during the war.

13:27 So it does questionable if I would have found someone to marry I probably would have stayed there because as you well know I spend a lot of time. They're my parents were still there till they passed away and my grandparents and I love Grass Valley and I remember how great I don't know if it was if if great-grandpa best, but I know that Dad and Grandpa, I belong to the Grass Valley Rod & Gun Club. So is it your dad that that first joined the Rod and Gun Club or was it Grandpa his grandpa? He was the first one built by my grandfather and which was your great-grandfather. And what was his name? William Rowe. They were all great hunters at every year. They would go off and Hunt. My dad's brother was not a home.

14:27 Where he didn't have the dolls so my dad always took his dad off on hunting trips. They be gone for a week or two weeks all the time. And it just was all family. We used to go out with my grandfather also built a little Lodge up in the mountains above Grass Valley on the way to Fuller lake is called a deer head Lodge where they would go to go hundred and we would they would have all big family Affairs of their I have some pictures where we had all of the families Lost Hero would always be grandfather was always inviting people everywhere. And now we have big overnight is send my grandmother and my mother and all of the ladies with cook this big deer dangerous and everything. Did you ever make pasties or is venison not something that goes in pasta for the past?

15:27 Courtney is a past eight and that is definitely on the English side of the family my grandmother wrote and they may passage cuz of men in the mind someone came up with the idea of making these little kind of like a little pie with meat potatoes and onions in that and putting them in there because some men would put their tea in these canisters to take underground and that she would keep their pasty a little bit warm. So when they ate they have a decent meal otherwise, they took cold stuff growing up at least. I remember having pasties, you know outside of that contacts though, like one of the first things I remember was the Grass Valley Rod & Gun Club the women's auxiliary did the really big Pasty

16:27 Money for the lodge this large. Of course, you remember had a big Lodge up at four wheeler Lake and we spent many happy moments. I remember going fishing with you and Dad and the three of us. Are we go out with me and dad and my cousin Daphne and a dad would have to sit there and beat the lines the whole time while the three of us all we did was catch fish and he never caught the one time I was with my two friends up there. And in those days we were allowed to eat cash 25k. Well, they didn't like to put the worms on the hook and they didn't like to take them off at the hook. So I had to do that for those two in myself. So that meant that weekend I put worms on 75 Hooks and tipped off 75.

17:27 But I never cleaned them. I made your dad do that for your grandpa do that. Yeah, so did Grandpa grow up fishing independently or did he start hunting and fishing when he met your dad but then when he when he married me and got with my dad, they were great companions to go fishing and hunting together so that they always did your parents like Grandpa right from the start or you can take them because he was very it was very congenial and always helped. It was always was so good to them. He was very good to them. And like you said your grandpa and your Grandpa got along very well together. Remember when when Abby madeya my cousin have you made the the photos for your 80th birthday? There's some great pictures of you all decked out in hunting gear in the in the forties. And I think it's interesting if you think that

18:27 Does your dad didn't have any sons it was something that he just said guess what Jerry you're going to do this to him a lot. Even before I was married and he had your grandpa to go out fishing with Haywood take me along and shoot a gun which people just can't believe that I did this. Yeah, cuz he was just I used to hike up to the mine from the house just to take a ride with my my dad on that little Charlie he had it cuz it was like riding on a little train and I used to love to go to the mine just walk up there, especially when it was payday, cuz them in all got

19:23 Paid with money, then there was no checks or anything in those days. They got paid with money and I would go to the office where my where my grandpa your great-grandpa was.

19:37 The Federalist would if they have nickels or dimes they would give them to me because I was a cute little girl and I was the pharmacist that was supportment. I love being so it when you when you get all that money, would you what would you guys go do with it to go to a candy store Pickler want him to go to the show so I can get to go to the show with my own money. Is there one of the stories I remember from great-grandpa is that there was an ice cream place in Grass Valley that she really really liked that or did I make that up ice cream parlors?

20:22 Great part of our Lives because we had two or three ice cream parlor ice cream parlor right around Easter this time that they would always make these beautiful Easter eggs and decorating with our names and things on them. So that was a big treat a place called Cornucopia ice cream for ice cream cones and Grandma your great-grandma can what should we go for a cornucopia Cornucopia? What is a cornucopia? Will that was the corn part of the ice cream cone? That was the old name for Cornucopia. You're probably the only one that remembers that they were called the Portico people. I remember it cuz I remember that's one of the only stories Great Grandpa would tell me was about how the place on the corner had really good ice cream, and it was called cornucopia.

21:21 Of course, you know I was maybe five so I don't know that I remember the story ride to remember. I think that's wonderful. I remember his mom every single time. Someone would tell a story over and over again. She was a cornucopia your great-grandfather used to always tell me about Cornucopia ice cream always remembered cornucopias parents have an ice cream shop in Nevada City at one time when she was very young and I can't remember great grandma's. Maiden name. What was great. Grandma's maiden name your mom's maiden name Jacobs Jacobs. That's right. That was thinking about that earlier from very large family. She had five brothers and sisters and one brother and she was right in the middle of most all of them. She had

22:22 As we grow older sisters and one just one brother. So what else do you remember about your Jacob family with her older sister. I had a family of 20 children in 10 girls are single burst switch with that every year when the state fair came along they were always in the paper about the family being taken to the state fair cuz all my

22:53 Call a lot of my toes were hand-me-downs to that family because 20 children raised cousins around your same age. Did you grow up playing with Farm? Because they raised almost all over their own food and everything and they have enough kids to play with Aiden later on. I became very close to Summer which one's Rosalie was one that I was very very close to she was five years younger than I was and

23:43 Then my I think you've heard me talk about ali. She was one of the old it was she was like a second mother to me. She was it was a wonder. They were a family that was raised very well, even though there were 20 sure there were none of them that ever got into trouble. So your aunt Mariette was sheer your Downs. That was my mother's sister, but not the one with toning kit know. Her name was Jenny named after the mother. Your great-great-grandmother was Jenny.

24:14 Phillips was her name and Aunt Mary. It was the third oldest in that family and she was very close. I was very close to her. She was so close to my mom and she did she was a wonderful solar and and

24:35 Just tell me what it what else do you remember about her just as she was a great cook the rest of us, you know with having that many nieces and nephews around she

24:54 She was good to all of us who she was very good to all of us and she had a really from what I remember. She had a really big house in Nevada City really big pretty white house. And that's the house and she had the dining-room said that your father and them has at Old Oak set the one that mom had her the one when they don't have it and then your Dad and Kathy Kathy have it that was at Mariah said and it was said you would come around the horn years ago feeling on a boat and then will they also had the brass bed. That was my grandmother Rose, but the dining room set was quite something that old Oaks that they they told your dad and your mom.

25:46 Is that an apparently it was a father and a son that did it because of the way they carved the chairs in that out told him that that that's how they did it in those days. Does Hanson do you still have any of the Antiques from your family or does she know I don't think she does she was never into that. That's funny and I'm just afraid your dad's going to get rid of that old set to cuz he's got your Aunt Cindy's big dining room set now, so I don't know what's going to happen to the old folks at the place you live now. How long have you lived in your house in Sacramento?

26:28 Well, since I sent you where your dad was born and then when your Aunt Cindy was born in 1948 that she was born in February and we moved into that house in July how much my birthday present for your dad house? And it's not selling for about $365,000 that what we did add a bedroom and a bathroom on it because we had the boy and the girl and and so I added on to it but $8,500 every time I tell anybody how much we paid for it. They cannot believe that that's $8,500.

27:18 Live there and your dad and your aunt go to switch to school from there and went to grammar school to high school to college and I'm still there. What are your some of your best memories of living in the house on 60th?

27:36 Bringing up your dad and Aunt Cindy and all the friendships. We have gained. I was I was very busy in PGA at was president of PTA and gained so many friends that I'm still still friends with and I think that's very important at my age. That's why I've stayed there so many people move into Care Homes, but I like being where are you know, and do you see an end? When do you see them now? Like what's the ones that are called Callaway and their son?

28:23 Was in Boy Scouts race your dad and their daughter was in camper girls with your Aunt Cindy. So they're very good friends and then my friend Gayle her sandwich in scallops with your dad.

28:42 Let's just say that's the the relationship was the ones in Scouts and and PGA days that I have stayed with for 30 40 50 years. Yeah. So what are what are some of your most memorable moments of raising my father?

29:03 Where Ham in your grandfather or at your dad at your grandfather was really delighted to have a boy and they did it up by ball together. He told him to play ball and your father became a very good ball player. And Little Egg Factory was on the all stars 1 year and

29:30 They just did a lot together golf. He was one that started him and golf and that's what your dad sent you now your grandfather was.

29:39 Tremendous he did Beauty. He was painted just like your aunt does painted the house. I would just have to say I'd like to have this or something done to the house and he was doing it. He did all the cement work around the house. She and he helped your dad rebuild his house and he was just think you so one of the one of the stories that I always remember and tell people off of dad and and Anthony growing up is and I love to hear you tell it is help people didn't think that Dad was your son?

30:17 First moved into that house and we didn't know so I was taking Cindy and Oscar down to the store one day and have them in the wagon and Iowa. Is your dad out in the sun? And he was pretty dark and so the sister was visiting and she went in and she said you have black people live in here.

30:46 And she said no she said was look at that little boy. She said was he's just naturally that way. She pushed him out in the sun. And she said you ought to see his father. He's even darker than that would so funny cuz Aunt Cindy is so so blond and so different and so different in in in an attitude and behavior and what not to so what's one of your most memorable moments with raising Aunt Cindy any anything that you remember particularly very easy little girl and was ahead of herself in most everything I said, she was coming out of the crib before your brother or your father was and she was always into arts and everything. She's very because you know, it's very artistic now and she would spend hours just playing with her dolls, but when she first went to start the school

31:47 School teacher called me in kindergarten. Call me over one day and she said I don't know. What's the matter with Cindy but she won't she won't play with in the houses with a little girls. And I think that's because she has a brother and there's always boards around and she plays boys say she doesn't know how to play girls. So what do you most proud of in your whole life?

32:13 I'm tired of your of the grandchildren. They've given me you are one of my proudest possession and then course your two cousins Daft and and and Abby have given me a nice little great girls and I'm just proud that. I'm still able to do everything that I do. I've tried to keep going and hope that my family doesn't have to be burdened with me. I'm sure it's hard as you get older watching some of your friends pass that is very hard. And I have two good friends right now that are on the brink pendants.

32:55 Like all the groups I belong to you know that I play a lot of cards and go on a lot of things and some of our groups we had as many as 9 and 10 that we got together now, we're down to four and five then some of them even less than that. So, you know, they're going and in that same vein. I remember when cuz my grandmother my mother and father are they live two pretty good ages and I can remember my father's picking up the paper and it start to cry cuz he was very sentimental answer was matter daddy. So another one's gone. And that is that's very hard. And when you knows one of your good friends is sick, it's hard to know that you're you don't know. I made it seven and

33:47 Losing those close friends is very hard thing about you that I'm most proud of is that you know, grandpa has been dead for a number of years now and you had an entire second life after after he died, you know, you guys traveled a lot together, but since then, I mean you traveled with my mom and it's Grandma and all over the place and I'm sure that had to be hard especially for someone in your generation. It was but thank God I had your grandfather who was when we said it would like to do this we would do it and we did and that is one of the most thankful things in my life that we travel so much cuz we went every country in Europe. We went we went through Panama Canal. We went to South Dakota to the

34:47 The United States all up and down the Mexican.

34:53 Riviera Riviera, very very very wonderful life

35:01 And you is a great.

35:04 Step Great Chow. So what why are you proud of me?

35:08 Because you are doing exactly what I would like to have done. You're a free spirit. If you do the things you want to do and you're very good at everything that you do to your wonderful granddaughter. So in terms of what I do, if you if you could have picked a profession do you think you would have picked mine?

35:29 I would have done something Outdoors like you I think I'd like to been in or would probably have liked to have been in the floristry business where I did something with flowers.

35:42 That would be in my first I think my very first choice would have been something on the den with flowers. I like arranging flowers and growing them but basically something outside basically outside. Yes. I'm very proud of the fact that you are Outdoors. What's right interesting to me cuz I think that if you had been someone of my generation that you would have been able to do all of those things and it wouldn't have seemed to you. I think that if you had grown up with me, you would have been a rock climber and a kayak feel felt when he when he asked if I would go on that rafting Google talks about is taking I guess you're a grandma to him cuz he doesn't

36:43 Able to do a lot of things she did some amazing things. Thank you so much for coming to do this grandma.

36:52 Hopefully he got through it. All right. Yeah.

36:58 SSI long you still have over 2 and 1/2 minutes. If you have a few more things should like if anything else.

37:07 Sir, farrara for Abby's kids or Daphne's kids something you want to tell them to remember about you or or you want to pass on to them? Hope that they listen to this and realize and look back maybe keeping interested in the family room and everything. It's just like I should have looked up a lot of your father. Your grandfather was a Mormon and he never practice tomorrow and afterwards but the price for a very very good influence on that family because his mother was giving birth to

37:52 Your grandpa's brother.

37:58 When the father died and she had three children to raise and if it hadn't been for the Mormons, it would have been very hard on it. They took very good care of her and all of the Mormon families cuz they had to watch as a z or able to help her until she was able to work and and move to Sacramento cuz they lived in Colusa when the father died. He was giving birth in one bedroom while the father died in the other and that's that was, brown, brown this and that was she had a very difficult life, but the Mormons that was a very good religion for them to have your grandpa never practice, and I tried to become a Mormon, but I had been brought up a Methodist and that my grandmother was very into the messages church as I was growing up, so I just couldn't change.

38:58 I know and it's funny how it's not necessarily and an issue with with Dad or Aunt Cindy both of never understood this to sir and your dad and then it was a they've answered they tried to go into some other relationship but she is and things went wrong lyrics to unfortunately. So is there anything else that you want to tell your great-great grandkids call in and and Daphne's daughters? I'm just sorry that they didn't know their grandfather and great-grandfather. I should say it because he was

39:46 I think that he would have loved them and enjoy them and they would have enjoyed him all the outdoor stuff especially calling and calling with him. He loved being playing ball was calling and taking him fishing in things and of all the things you've done in your life. What's the one thing that you hope they remember about your life?

40:08 Can I enjoy doing everything I did?

40:14 That's good. Thank you again, for doing this. I love you very much. Very happy that we did this. He does the things that I would like to have Dennis a girl of her age.