Shirley Anne Blaisdell Garcia
1928–2008
Shirley's life story—1928 to 1933
Mildred's memories of early motherhood included little recollection
of her father and mother. The couple and children (Leonard Arthur was
born in 1930) lived with Leonard Gordon's mother. Mildred remembered a
male companion of LG's mother, but Shirley did not remember him.
Probably, Arthur and Elizabeth moved elsewhere from Casper, perhaps even
before Leonard Arthur was born.
The Great Depression began in 1929, and by 1931 it is likely that both
Arthur and Leonard Gordon had lost their jobs. Mildred's memory was that
at some point Arthur "threw Leonard Gordon out" of the house, but
whatever actually happened, Mildred and her two children joined with her
father and mother, the entire group moving in with Arthur's son George,
who lived in Michigan. This probably occurred in 1931.
Leonard Arthur thinks that the party of five probably left Michigan for
California in 1933. They settled in Watsonville, for no known reason.
Aside from one famous exception, Arthur was not known to work again
after 1931, not odd considering his age (70, in 1935).
As the Second World War moved toward the involvement of the United States (it had consumed Great Britain since 1939, but the US wouldn't join until late 1941), Arthur evidently saw an opportunity to work again. Defense industries were common on the West Coast, and in fact many people moved from the Midwest to California for wartime jobs. Arthur Edwin needed to prove his citizenship, to get work, and although he was only two years old when his mother brought George and him to join the previously immigrated father, he had no proof of United States citizenship. We have the documents to show his naturalization effective as of 1942. A newspaper article in 1943 suggested that, at 78, he might be the oldest person working in a shipyard!
Shirley and her dad
Although she has little memory of her father, a couple pictures remain of their brief time together.
Born in June, this photograph must have been taken in her birth year, 1928.
Audio interview
Photos
- Mildred and baby Shirley
- Shirley, if 3, in 1931
- Shirley and Leonard, 1932, probably in Michigan
- Arthur takes his grandkids to the lake, 1933
