Catherine Sevenau

Opener of doors, teller of tales, family scribe.

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Archives for January 2018

1.90 Larry’s Diary, Misc Entries 1953

January 31, 2018 By Catherine Sevenau

1953 • Larry’s diary (age 19) Jan  Took Marian to movies many times Jan  Night class, square dance. Church orchestra. Montalvo (private artist retreat) in Saratoga with Marian, May, and Jim for Rudolf Serkin piano concert. Feb  Took Marian to Santa Clara University concert, dance, … [Read more...]

1.89 Pick-Up Stix, Sep 1953

January 28, 2018 By Catherine Sevenau

Sep 1953 • Tuolumne ~ Our family scattered like a drop of Pick-Up Stix. Mom was now living in San Jose. Larry returned to college. Carleen, Chuck, and the baby would soon leave Sonora and move to Southern California. Claudia stayed with her best friend JoAnn Davis to begin the eighth grade. … [Read more...]

1.88 From Betty’s Best Friend

January 25, 2018 By Catherine Sevenau

Letter to me from Lorna Harrington, Mar 18, 2005 Dear Cathy: When we last talked you were surprised when I said that Betty didn’t have other friends that I was aware of. While trying to give you an idea of what our (Betty’s and mine) lives were like during our Sonora grammar school days I didn’t … [Read more...]

1.87 Summer 1953, Minnesota

January 22, 2018 By Catherine Sevenau

July 1953 • Pinecrest ~ At the end of July, Chuck and Carleen (who was nearly eight months pregnant) took us three girls to Pinecrest for the day in Dad's new car. It was good to get away and have a picnic of potato salad and ham sandwiches, to hike and be in the sun. I have pictures from that … [Read more...]

1.86 Summer Solstice, 1953 (2)

January 19, 2018 By Catherine Sevenau

June 22-23 1953 • Sonora (part 2) ~ For the next few hours they drove around in the isolated hills and did things to my sister she would not want spoken of again. Ray intended to kill her but Wiley stopped him; he had a sister her age and pleaded to let Betty go. In the dead of night after sobering … [Read more...]

1.85 Summer Solstice, 1953 (1)

January 16, 2018 By Catherine Sevenau

June 22, 1953 • Sonora (part 1) ~ It was a summer solstice evening. Betty, and two younger boys who were a year behind her in school, headed home down the hill at dusk after the Monday high school baseball game. The three paid no attention to the dirty 1940s sedan with the black undercoat and a … [Read more...]

1.84 A Wedding and Graduation, 1953

January 13, 2018 By Catherine Sevenau

March 1953 • Sonora ~ During Mom's return she didn’t cook or clean, didn’t wash dishes or clothes or windows, she didn’t do anything. But she didn't do much before she left home, other than fixing dinner and sewing our clothes. Dad did the laundry, stripped the beds, and mopped the kitchen … [Read more...]

1.83 Mom’s Letter to Nellie, Mar 1953

January 10, 2018 By Catherine Sevenau

1953 • Letter from my mother to her mother in Chico Postmarked Sonora, Mar 9, 1953 Monday: Dear Mom, I think you are entitled to the whole story. When I came home I did the best I could here, but it hasn’t worked. All the time I was here Carleen had just had everything her own way, all the money she … [Read more...]

1.82 Carleen & Chuck, 1952-53

January 7, 2018 By Catherine Sevenau

1952-53 • Sonora ~ Carleen met Chuck at the end of her junior year when she was seventeen. He'd graduated four years ahead of her at Sonora High and was 21 and pumping gas on the corner at Paneros 76 station when he took a shine to her. In April of her senior year, he told her he loved her and asked … [Read more...]

1.81 Larry’s Diary, Dec 1952

January 4, 2018 By Catherine Sevenau

1952 • Larry’s diary (age 18) Dec 1 - 4  (misc. entries) Dec 5  Played tuba and bass drum for Fresno basketball game. We won again. After the game Marian McLellan and I took Cathy to Alum Rock Park and Santa Clara Dec 6  Took Lois Parkinson to semi-formal dance, gave Rosie corsage … [Read more...]

1.80 Larry’s Diary, Oct-Nov 1952

January 1, 2018 By Catherine Sevenau

1952 • Larry’s diary (age 18) Oct 1 - 6  (typical entries about classes, band, dating, friends, and work) Oct 7  Band marched, rehearsal. I'm on inter-departmental commission, $9 dues. Then did Harmony, over 6 hours on one paper, 10 to 4 A.M. Big smile from Gail at school in morn. Didn't … [Read more...]

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