Sixth Annual Family Picnic and Reunion June 14, 2014

Family of Doris came together to visit, eat, swim and play volleyball for several hours at Holbrook in balmy 89* weather. Twenty took the time to join us and have a fine day together.

Don's family: goose egg
Richard's family: Richard, Kellie, Ron, Terrah, Kim, Marty, Brett, Evon, Tayland, Richard S., Brittany, Mikey
Phillip's family: Phillip
Joyce's family: Joy, Erin, Chad Jr., Jack, Ava
Olivetta's family: Olie, Adam
Rose's family: goose egg

Phil is moving to Oklahoma to live with his daughter's family as he missed his granddaughters and it is great that he took the time to come say goodbye.

Highlights of the food are the home-grown turkey from Marty, Kim's green salad, Ron's gigantic and delicious potato salad, my vegetable dish Ron loves, my tree apricots, and a huge coconut sheet cake made by April for the occasion. I love sitting in a circle on the grass in our lawn chairs and visiting. Thank you to all who chose to come and celebrate family together. All who wanted went home with a grab-bag prize.

She raised six children in Vallejo, she died in Vallejo

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=43215482

I found this unexpectedly. The last time I visited a few years ago I just sat and cried. It's right across from the Vallejo Auto Movies where we all went as a family when I was growing up.

Fifth Annual Summer Picnic and Reunion June 15, 2013

Three out of six of Mother's children were present for this year's picnic and reunion: Richard's, Joyce's and Olivetta's, even though there are more families in the Bay Area. Richard's 80th birthday was two days later and a great reason to sing Happy Birthday and have chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream after pot luck. The day was mild, 80 degrees and breezy, wonderful for visiting in lawn chairs, playing volleyball, basketball and baseball at Baldwin Park in Concord. I was forced to move our usual Holbrook location due to the area still being under construction. I was there by 9:20 to set up after going early in the morning to stake our claim for a table and area near the dog run. I tidied up and had all my games and balls ready for play. I gathered nice prizes all year and before anyone needed to leave all were invited to choose a gift and receive a Giants cup. By 4:03 I was driving home with all the tables and games. My sons and daughter-in-law came this year and Paul surprised me by showing up Friday morning at the house. There were 21 family members and three friends this year. It's my pleasure to host this annual reunion to get to know one another better and celebrate our Mother's family.

Composite images designed by Christine Poyner

Fourth Annual Family Picnic June 9, 2012

Twenty family members made it to the picnic held at Holbrook Pool on a nice 83* slightly breezy spring day. Patrick and Nicole arrived by 2:30 after his work and missed being in the group picture. For the first time it was mild enough to set up the volleyball net and there were some rousing games and lots of hooplah and fun. Magnetic darts, table pool, beanbag toss, bowling, drop clothespins in the can, golf, sidewalk chalking and swimming were popular with prizes for all during the drawings including Giants cups. Potluck was varied and delicious with lots of visiting and playing at the playground to enjoy. Chad's family made it even after getting in late the night before from their vacation. A special thank you to all who were able to come this year and you're invited next year as well.

Olie C.
Ron S.
Terrah S.
Richard D.
Marty M.
Kim M.
Brett W.
Marshae W.
Evon M.
Tay J.
Joy C.
Chad C.
Erin C.
Chad Jr.
Jack C.
Ava C.
Richard S.
Chaz B.
Patrick D.
Nicole D.

Third Annual Family Reunion June 11, 2011

I am very pleased with our picnic Saturday. Here is the list of attendees:
Olie Chavez
Richard Davis
Kellie Davis Showers
Joy Cassady
Erin Cassady
Chad Cassady Jr.
Jack Cassady
Ava Cassady
Lee Ann Davis Small
David Small
Elizabeth Small
Eva Davis
Nicole Davis
Kim Davis Meckler
Marty Meckler
Evon Meckler
Tayland Jolly
Richard and Kellie arrived first and I had a chance to talk to my brother about our mother Doris and The Chick Box, The Blue Room and the houses she lived in. He still drives by The Chick Box which has remained vacant many years and is still standing amazingly as well as Renida Street. Mother had an apartment adjacent to The Blue Room where she could open a window and look inside. Rose and I were babies when Mother got out of the bar and grill business. She had a large cast iron skillet pot with lid her husband Lee Davis had made on Mare Island. She'd put the leftovers from dinner in, add some vegetables and make a soup. She bought the house at 415 Woodrow Avenue where I was born, assisted by my father and brother Don. There were chickens, ducks, rabbits and a garden. She bought the York Street house and lived there about a year but lost it. If this is the proper sequence I was unaware that I lived there. She bought the house at 135 Renida Street for $5,000. When she died the house was sold to Lee and Richard moved in, jacked it up, poured a foundation, sheetrocked the interior and fixed it up. About this time more family began arriving at the picnic and soon it was time to welcome everyone, sing Happy Birthday to each other and offer a blessing on the food at noon. I've been asking different families and this year Joy agreed to pray. The food was plentiful and delicious with bags of chicken, a ham Marty's family raised themselves, turkey wraps, a huge bowl of ambrosia, watermelon, yam fries, cookies, chips, popcorn, cinnamon streudel cupcakes, juice boxes, etc., etc. Weather being only 72* the hottest part of the day with a brisk wind only the young ones and Eva braved the waters, playing and jumping off the diving board. At the first water break at 12:45 we had the prize drawings and everyone chose when their number was drawn by Jack. Bean toss was encouraged for more smaller prizes. Mini pool was played on the card table by Tayland, Evon and Elizabeth, various ball games and Marty was pressed into service to put Chad's winning prize together, a kite, and Joy and Chad tried in earnest to get it aloft. The playground was enjoyed and Ava got in the baby pool with the help of Erin. Lots of visiting was done by the adults in a circle of lawn chairs in the sun. By the next water break at 1:45 it was time for the family picture. Luckily Lee Ann brought her digital camera and did a fine job of capturing special moments and asking someone to take our picture. I was there exactly six hours setting up and being ready for the start at 11 a.m. and all was packed up by 3:10. With the help of the Mecklers and Smalls all the gear was brought to my side yard up the street from the pool and they got a tour of my house for the first time. A big thank you to all the family members who were able to join us this year as we get to know each other better, reminisce, and the cousins have fun playing together.

Death Claims Mrs. Conklin

Click image to enlarge.

Rose and I were living with Don and Bev and their two daughters, Linda and Gail, at 515 Bonita Court. Don came into our bedroom (which was really Linda and Gail's) and in the darkened room he wept as he told us our mother had died. I scrambled out of bed to meet his opened arms and embrace. I cannot think of this without crying. I have no idea whether she died alone which haunts me if I let myself go there. With six children it's very sad if she was alone. Some time later Don instructed his wife to start looking for a bigger house. Our 135 Renida Street home was sold to Don's father. Our '55 Chevy was sold. Our sleeper trailer Mother bought for our 1960 48-state trip was sold to a family at the bottom of our hill on Warren Avenue. I lived with Don and Bev's family until I graduated from high school and got a job in San Francisco at Continental Insurance Company in the financial district. I moved to 280 10th Avenue and shared a furnished two-bedroom apartment with childhood friends Solita, Sandy and Pam at age 17 and they threw a surprise birthday party for me for my 18th. It had been very difficult living with Don's family and I can only imagine how hard it was on all of them to take in two teenagers used to a free-spirited, adventurous mother.