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Robert Cowing (1965)

My aunt and uncle, Thais and Mel McGowan, were close friends with Dr. O'Hara ("Johnny"). Shortly after my dad died, my aunt and uncle arranged through Dr. O'Hara for me and my aunt and uncle to fly down and back to Disneyland in Howard Hughes'  North American B-25C Mitchell, N3968C.   Apparently Dr. OHara was either a friend of or was Noah Dietrick's doctor.  Noah Dietrick was Howard Hughes' private secretary, among other responsibilities.

Although I was only 5-6 years old at the time, I remember it was a thrilling night ride.  I may have the plane type wrong but it looked very similar to the B-25C Mitchel.  Noah Dietrick used it mostly for his business trips.

The Woodland Clinic, while situated on 3rd Street as well as its new location on Cottonwood Street was rated the best  hospital in Pacific Northwest.  All the Casino mogels as well wealthy and important individuals in the Las Vegas area had doctors at the Woodland Clinic.

Eugene Boyd (1966)

Robert  

From what I remember, one of the reasons while all the casino moguls etc came to the "Mayo Clinic of the West" was due not only to its one time high rating but also to the fact that Noah Dietrick used to live in Woodland.

Robert Cowing (1965)

Criag Mayfield - you are correct about Noah's spelling of his last name which should be "Dietrich." Thanks.  

No first Class in the plane Craig.  Two pilots, all the alchohol you could want and 4 bunks just behind the pilots.  I slept the last 1/3 of the trip. As a a 5 year old, the trip was not scarey or fear inducing. No recall of my auntt and uncle saying anything negative about the flight.

No confirmatory knowledge of any Mafia bosses or soldiers coming to the Woodland Clinic.

Where did you learn that Noah Dietrich was Dr. O'Hara's father-in-law?

Eugene Boyd - Do you know or does anyone know where Noah Dietrich lived in Woodland?

Vern Larson (1960)

 

July 1, at Woodland Memorial Hospital after a brief battle with cancer. John was born in Santa Monica, (where his father was stationed at the beginning of WWII) to John and Janice (Baird) Monroe. The family returned to Woodland a year later. John was the oldest of four children born to Janice and John Monroe. 

John was preceded in death by his mother, Janice and father, John R. Monroe, Sr. 

He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Robin Monroe of Woodland; siblings, William and his wife Diane (Carrion) of Southlake, TX; brother, Thomas of Santa Cruz; sister, Barbara Gallagher and her husband Robert of Woodland; cousin, Dan Best II; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews. 

John was a Vietnam era veteran of the United States Army. He attended Woodland schools and graduated from Sacramento State with a master's degree. In his later years, John pursued his interest in watercolor painting and his paintings have been collected by individuals and businesses across the United States and Canada. John will be remembered as a loving, devoted, and gentle husband, as a steadfast and loyal friend, and as a faithful follower of his Lord Jesus Christ. Memorial donations may be made in his honor to the Cancer Research Institute www.cancerresearch.org. 

A private Celebration of Life will be held at later date.  

 

Published in Daily Democrat on July 9, 2015

- See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dailydemocrat/obituary.aspx?n=john-r-monroe&pid=175251775#sthash.I2AXJRvW.dpuf

Robert Cowing (1965)

To see some of John's art work, go to . . .

www.drybrushwetstudiios.com       AND

www.drybrushwet.com          AND

www.fineartamerica.com/profiles/john-monroe.html

Robert Cowing (1965)

Craig Mayfield - Craig you said: "...couple Google clicks got me to an abreviated Texas newspaper article (1962) about Dr. O'hara's daughter (and Noah Dietrich's granddaughter) marrying a cadet...according to the article Doc O'hara had passed on before the wedding...and the plane trip...just a Hughes (bad) joke...

Can you give me the web site address so I can read the article you referred to? Thanks.

Duane Jackson (1965)

Want to inform all members of the Class of 1966.............Davola (Jackson) Wilkendorf has passed today at 8:50PM at the Davis Sutter Hospital...............I will miss her dearly.........................

Janice Bell (Killian) (1966)

Liz Geer (Sullivan) (1964)

Robert, I really enjoyed your post about the plane ride and Noal Dieterich, etc.  For Craig too:

I spoke to my friend Les Leonard and he told me that Dr. John O'Hara was Noal Dieterich's son-in-law.  John O'Hara was married to Katie Dieterich O'Hara.  I know that they had one daughter, Liz O'Hara.  Don't know if she went to WHS...perhaps she went to a private school?  A little more trivia....Noal D had 3 children and 2 step children.  One of his step daughter's was named Susan Brewer and she was Dennis Hopper's first wife.  Now let's keep this investigation going!

On another subject, the Gibson Rd house (311), my parents bought it in about 1958...they bought it from a Mrs. Thompson.  I guess Mrs. Thompson was a meanie and would not let anyone walk through the yard to get to Gibson school.  When my parents bought the house, they made it a point to tell the principal at Gibson school that the kids were welcome to cut through the yard.  And so there were tons of kids walking through on school days.  We never thought anything about this...it was just the kids going to school!

Now Claude, I hate to disappoint you but my mother never had a mink coat...the Bobbie story about the Davy Crockett hat is urban legend.  But I was thinking about what you said when you mentioned that Bobby said he cut up the coat....Bobby was amazing!  what a mind to make such a comment!!

Cathy Avilla, when someone mentioned the back porch room, I could picture it completely!!  I remember being there with you and Chris Crawford.  And let's not forget another Buena Tierra Drive neighbor, John Hopkins and his sister, Harriet.  And also Harriet Shamshonian.

So that's about it for now....Robert and Craig...we've got to dig deeper!

Hope all is well with everyone.

Liz

Robert Cowing (1965)

Liz --  . . . 

Craig  -  According to The Liberty Vindicator of May 03, 1962, page 3 “June Wedding”, which you sited:

1. Elizabeth O’Hara is the daughter of Mrs. John G. O’Hara and the late Dr. O’Hara who died in 1958.
2. Elizabeth O’Hara is the granddaughter of Noah Dietrich.
3. Elizabeth O’Hara married William Garth Christopher a cadet of the U.S. Military Academy, West Point.

Noah Dietrich (February 28, 1889 – February 15, 1982)

He was married 3 times and had 5 children and 2 step children including Peter Fonda's first wife Susan Brewer. Bridget Fonda is the daughter of Susan Brewer.

1.    With his first wife he has two daughters , Mrs. Elizabeth Jewell and Mrs. John G. O’Hara.

2.    Mr. Dietrich married Carol Hoyt on May 23, 1936; children: John, Anthony Paul and Caroline Susan. 

3.  His 3rd wife was Mary Sweet (2) 

THE QUESTION IS - What is the name of Mrs. John G O'Hara's mother, Noah Dietrich's first wife?

1. Source: Eminent Californians 1953, by Lee E. Johnson & C. W. Taylor.  Page 157, C. W. Taylor Publ., Palo Alto, California, 1953.
2. www.mtv.com/artists/bridget-fonda/
3. Wikipedia

Joan Richter (Lucchesi) (1960)

Liz Geer,  thanks for telling us the "real" story about the mink coat.  Really just want to let you know how much I loved being around your mom. I didn't know her as a kid but met her as an adult. She was so much fun.

Don Murdoch (1962)

Robert,   Read Ben Pullman's obit more closely.  Tough to be in the Class of '66 when he was born 11 years later.   He was in the Class of '96.

Cathy Avilla (McCartney) (1965)

Sorry, Robert, just saw that you did mention the Fisks.  They will feel very popular being mentioned twice!!

Tom Fisk (1963)

Liz, I seem to remember a group of boys and girls on the top floor of that old house playing spin the bottle or maybe "post office". But don't remember who they were.

and Cathy A, I remember double dating.  RIP SS and BH.

Robert Cowing (1965)

Don  Murdock - Yikes ! . . . I should read a little more closely and buy better reading glasses. Ha!  Thanks.

Paul Lieberum (1968)

And don't forget Susan and Rick Potter ( I took over his paper route in that area) just up from the Fisks and Cindy Smith (we made forts on her lot before their house was built) on the corner of Buena Terra and College. I lived over the back fence from the Fisks on Gibson- across the street where wide open fields I spent may happy hours running around in.

Vern Larson (1960)

Sueie Cranston lived next to the Longee's on the East side and Everett Parson lived next door on the East from Craig Mayfield all on Casa Linda.  

Brenda Valencia (Arteche) (1969)

Wow!  Glad to read the 411 on Bobby making a Favy Crokett hat out of the coat his Mom didn't have !  Lol!!

Tuni Gravink (House) (1964)

Everyone has memories of Buenna Teirra, and Casa Linda, and the other streets. We all at sometime played to gether. I still have a picture of Tom Fisk on his bike with a small dog there too.  Harriet Shamshoian was at our house alot. Harriet and i stay in touch still to this day. Cindy , Chris and the other kids on the block and surrounding streets played Rawhide all the time. In our backyard most of the time (Cathy A. the house you lived in tht my dad and his father built).We would be cowboys, act out cows being branded, and Cuck Winters and i actually did a branding , not knowing that the piece of rebar in the incenerator my folks had in the back yard, was still hot from burning. Man, my sister made the best cow being branded ever! We all thought she played the part so real. Chris C, and Cindy were horses, and Bill A. were cowboys. Of course we were only 6 years old then too.  It was the best area for kids, and Liz your folks were really nice , they did let us cut through the yard to go to school as did the O'Hara's.  I mean i still remember being in the work shop next to and old garage (when O'Hara's had the house) and just like in the movie the birds , flew at us. One time they took my bike hid it, and shut me in there, and would not let me out ( the block kids, we had all been riding our bikes, and we stopped there to get a drink of water out of the hose, which they let us do) , then all those birds started flying , and they were going everywhere in that small workshop. I was screaming let me out, and banging on the door. Finally someone let me out, and i asked where is my bike and i had to go look for it. It was way around on the Casa Linda side.

Liz i did not get too know your family that well, as we moved to the other side of Casa Linda across of West Street. But i do remember they were nice and waved at us at times when we cut through your property to go to school. I remember being in the house a couple of times after your folks bought it. Your mom was always very nice to all of us. By the names mentioned of all the students we all played at some time or another together. Some of the kids lived by my grandparents on Mc Kinnely and Casa Linda.  Many of the students lived also on the other side of Casa Linda across College St. were up at our end playing too. Bike groups would ride together and explore the areas, and such.

Yes that area over by the school was very open and i think many of us grew up in a very free area, and could explore , and ride our bikes safely, and besides in those days everyone knew everyones kids, and they out of neighborhood loyality kept and eye out for each others kids. It is not quite like that anymore.  It was just a safe time, and playing was fun, and safe. I tapped danced so much on that Bar in the back room of the Buenna Tierra house, and could scoot in my bedroom window when my folks would say are you dancing on that bar again? If it was not for that window, i would have been busted every time! It was a great room, and house. Big back yard.

Vern Larson (1960)

Bill Larner, class of 61, lived over by that oak tree on Casa Linda. I just went to Street View on Google Earth and the giant oak tree has a curb curving out into the street around the tree. I'm plesantly surprised the city let the tree grow in the street like that.

Cathy Avilla (McCartney) (1965)

Yes, Tom Fisk, I do remember double dating way back when.  Who would have thought they would be gone so soon.  Lots of good times! 

Joan Richter (Lucchesi) (1960)

Robert -  Shelly Burns older brothers were Tom and Mike.

Robert Cowing (1965)

Craig - Did the Jacks live on Casa Linda west of West street?  I remember their home in a culda-sac off of West Street?

Also, did not the Tuckers have a Buena Tierra Drive address rather than Casa Linda Drive address?  Can never figure out the city planners.  It used to depend upon what street your front door faced or it did not matter, decided on plot location . . . don't know for sure.  When I lived on the corner of College St and Bartlett Ave, the address was 901 College St.

Vern - The "old-oak-tree" droped a 1,000 lb limb plus on the house south of it twice in my memory, both times no casualties! Sounded like a cannon going off or a bolt of lightening striking the ground.

Aileen Jull (Martinez) (1964)

Don't forget Phil Rosasco lived on College Street between Buena Tierra and Gibson and the Popes--Chuck and Bill lived a few houses down Buena Tierra on the southside of the street.  How about Shelly Hawk Larson?  She and her sisters--Mimi and ? lived on Jimeno, I think.

Joan Richter (Lucchesi) (1960)

The Hawks lived on Viento Lane, JoAnn is the oldest sister.