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| Florence Weiss Laura Mulder Ferrier Arthur Ferrier Tillie Rhea |
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| Long Beach California "Pike" 1924 |
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| Laura Ferrier, Esther (left), John, Elsie 1908 |
This photo of Laura and the three children was taken in 1908 just prior to the family's move to Los Angeles. Once they arrived Arthur discovered that obtaining architect jobs was difficult. Finances became tough and they ended up putting their three children in an orphanage. Both Arthur and Laura worked doing anything they could to bring in an income. They visited their children weekly and after a year or so, when they were more stable, the children came back home. The family remained in Los Angeles for the remainder of their lives. (The little girl on the left, Esther, was my Grandmother.) *I know this information because I spent time with my grand aunt Edith Capen Ferrier who shared family history stories with me. Edith lived to be 100 years before she passed.
My great grandparents came a long way... beginning in Nebraska, moving to California, not able to find work, to becoming stable and enjoying at day at the Pike!
Warm Regards,
Wow! How sad that they had to put their children in an orphanage. I can't even imagine how difficult that must have been.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful and interesting post. I am so glad that they were able to bring their kids home after a year. It is funny, but right before I stopped by to visit you, I added on a snippet of an old SS post to my blog post about the fairgrounds, and it had to do with The Pike!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your family memories.
Kathy M.
After the life they had they earned their day at the Pike.
ReplyDeleteHi Jana, Kathy and Bob ... It makes one realize how difficult the times were then and what a family had to endure to stay afloat .. let alone get ahead. I often wonder how many of us would be able to manage what the average family had to during those times. .. and Yes.. they absolutely deserved a day at the Pike .. and much more :)
ReplyDeleteWarm Regards,
Liz
How terrible and tough things must have been to put their children into an orphanage. The anguish the mother must have felt! However knowing her children were being fed and were warm would possibly have given some comfort. It was great to hear that the children were able to rejoin their parents later. An enjoyable post.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post. Such a big story told in so few words and photos. This was a gem for this weeks theme.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised that it was so hard to find work in California in 1908, also that they were able to put their children in an orphanage and get them back.
ReplyDeleteA fine story and what a nice family photo. I've known about such parents, that because of financial necessity, were forced to place their children into an institution, but yours is the first family history I've read. Many of these orphanages had bands so I collect their photos, and it is amazing how many orphanages there were in the first decades of the 20th Cent. Most big cities had dozens supported by various religious and fraternal groups, but even smaller towns had them too.
ReplyDeleteHello, I wasn't sure how to contact you, so I'm using this comment box. Just wanted to let you know your blog is on my Fab Finds list for today, June 29, 2012 at
ReplyDeletehttp://janasgenealogyandfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2012/06/follow-fridayfab-finds-june-29-2012.html
Have a lovely weekend,
Jana
Thanks Jana! That was sure sweet of you. :) I find your blog interesting as well ...and I'm now following it! Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteWarm regards,
Liz
Mike, I found my Grandmother and her sister and brother in the orphanage by accident. It was ancestry that located them and I immediately knew it was them because they were all together and the ages were right. They had all passed away but the wife of that brother was still alive. So I asked her! She wondered how I found out about it as she said the family never talked about it. I let her know it was through my genealogical research. Thats when she told me the story of their parents (my great grandparents) not having enough money to care for them so they were put in the orphanage temporarily. She said it wasn't uncommon during those times. She assured me she loved them, visited them weekly and had them back in about a year when they were more financially stable. Thanks goodness I had someone alive that was able to tell me the reason. I might have never known.. and always wondered.
ReplyDeleteWarm regards,
Liz
Hi, possibly because of all the comments on this post, my comment on your June 25 post went unnoticed. Would appreciate your reaction. Thanks.
ReplyDelete