Today was my parents' 70th wedding anniversary. :-) They got married in Phoenix, Arizona, this day in 1951. Why they went to the trouble of going out of state to get hitched, I don't know, but Dad also married his first wife in Arizona, so maybe at the time it was a place to go for 'quickie' marriages? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Whatever the reason, it was the third marriage for both of them, and third time's a charm as they say!

The betrothed couple were accompanied to Phoenix by Dad's brother, Bill, and his wife Lila. I know from photos in the family album that they drove there in two separate cars: identical 1951 Fords, in fact, doubtless both purchased from their eldest brother's Ford agency in Ontario.

Strangely, there was no official wedding photo. (At least I never saw one.) There's only this day-after picture of them where they stayed, at the Desert Inn in Phoenix. Perhaps not the most glamorous place to spend their first night, but I suppose it served its purpose.


The newlywed Mr. and Mrs. Edward Shannon by the pool at the Desert Inn, Phoenix, Arizona, October 1, 1951.


The Desert Inn, 950 West Van Buren in Phoenix.

And according to the black-and-white postcard, after the ceremony, they had their wedding dinner Sunday night at the Green Gables Restaurant.


The Green Gables. The verso of the postcard reads (in Mother's hand): "This is where we had our wedding supper, following our wedding Sept 30, 1951, Sun - at 8:30 PM. Bill & Lila Shannon were our witnesses."

I only learned just yesterday that this was one of the earliest-ever 'theme' restaurants: sort of the 'Medieval Times' of its day. Cars were greeted in the parking lot by an armored knight mounted on a horse, and the servers all wore period costumes. (I can imagine my father hated every minute of this, but endured it for the sake of his new Anglophile bride.) The building still stands today at 24th and Thomas Road, but it's an office complex now. (At least it was spared the fate of becoming a Starbuck's.)

All my mother ever told me about her and Dad's honeymoon was that they went to Havana, Cuba, but I now know – also based on dated photos in the family album – that they swung up to Las Vegas on a roundabout way back to LA. There, they stayed at the old Last Frontier, one of the first resort hotels on The Strip. (Long gone, of course.)


Hotel Nacional, Habana, Cuba. It hosted a legendary casino in Batista's time.

Then, I suppose, they returned to LA and got ready to fly to Havana. I know from this telegram that they were at the Hotel Nacional on October 9. It surprised me to learn that this is still in existence; indeed, it appears to be THE place to stay in Havana to this day.


No idea who 'Pat' was - a secretary, I imagine. Couldn't have been my half-brother of that name because he was only 5 at the time.

Not sure how long they stayed in Cuba. Probably just long enough for Dad to gamble his money away in the country's famous pre-Castro casinos.

Anyway, the next 3 years until I came along would be a disaster for my father. He would lose his post-war fortune in a series of bad business deals his partner made with the Federal government, underbidding on contracts they were bound to fulfill, and adding insult to injury, the government also levied a $599,635.00 penalty on the partners: an absolutely crushing debt. (About $6.5 million today.) Those must have been dark days for my parents. I can only guess how dark, because those times were never ever spoken of in our house. (I only know about them because of surviving papers that attest to the circumstances.)

In any case, with Mom's help, Dad did get back on his feet eventually, and they lived happily (more or less) ever after!

PS: Today is also my mother's mother's 105th wedding anniversary!

 

The other day, friend and fellow Covina history buff Randall Smith stumbled upon this 1952 newspaper ad for my father's casket factory. I just about fell out of my chair when I saw it! I wouldn't have believed such a thing could exist. Dad didn't really believe in advertising since we didn't sell direct to the public, so this must have been then-partner Art Simpson's idea.



I think the photo itself probably dates to 1950 when the factory was moved over from Alhambra. I actually don't have any pictures at all of the whole factory- from the outside, anyway- so this is quite a treasure to me. What a find! :D

 

It's been 35 years now since my last real family Christmas. 1983 was the last time I was with both my mom and my dad for the holidays. I didn't go down to visit them in 1984 (which I now deeply regret), and Dad died at Thanksgiving in 1985. Mom was still home for 3 more Christmases, but the fog of dementia had already started to cloud her mind. She and everything else were just never the same after Dad died.

And what of Christmas present? This will almost certainly be the last one I spend with both dogs: my only family now. Actually, my greatest Christmas present this year is that Shadow is still with me. No way I thought he'd make it to the end of 2018. It's really a miracle that he did.

Anyway, this photo was taken on that last family Christmas Day, 1983. I remember how disappointed I was at the time that it turned out blurry. Now I'm just thankful it exists at all. I miss both my folks so much, you can't even imagine, especially at this time of year...

 

I've updated my blog on the West Covina American Little League All-Stars to cover their 1958 post-season. The team didn't advance as far in the playoffs as last year, but there's still lots of interesting local baseball history to be found there!

https://westcovinaallstars.blogspot.com/

 

In the summer of 1957, my father was named manager of the All-Stars of the West Covina American Little League. The team was very successful; moreso, in fact, than any other in the history of the young city. In the coming days, I will be telling the story of the 1957 WCALL All-Stars as they progressed through post-season play to the California State Tournament, as it happened, day-by-day, 60 years ago.

You can read all about it here:

https://westcovinaallstars.blogspot.com/

 

Remembering my father on the day of his birth, 102 years ago.


First portrait, c.1920.

 

Last portrait of him and me together, March, 1985.

I miss you so much, Dad–every single day–and I'll love you always...

–Scott

 

Greatest man I ever knew.

Sixty years ago – in 1957 – my dad began his brief but highly successful career coaching youth baseball. Although I have many pictures of Dad standing alongside his boys in team photos, this is the only solo one I have of him from his coaching days (from his last year, 1964, when he was manager of the Covina Post 790 American Legion ballclub). It's a great portrait, too; probably the best close-up of him that I have.

Anyway, this past week, I scanned this tiny print and made an enlargement of it at one of those self-serve photo kiosks, and the result was definitely suitable for framing. So now, the portrait has taken its place in my family shrine in my living room, next to his trophy for the West Covina American All-Stars' third place finish in the California State Little League Championship Tournament in 1957. (More on that later this summer!)

 

I found these old payroll checks and the address sign amidst the ruins of my father's factory when it was demolished in 1996. Aside from a few other small items that I've held on to from those days, these relics are all that remain of my father's entire life in business.

May not seem like a lot of money, but according to the CPI inflation calculator, these 1948 checks would be roughly equivalent to $450 today.










The same sign can be seen over the door of Dad's office, 60 years ago.

 

Before we begin, some introductions are in order.

 

By far the greatest feeling of comfort and security I ever knew was when my father would cuddle me all safe and warm in his lap.



I miss you, too, Dad...