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People we remember
Biographies are where we share about family & friends to connect with others who remember them.
Pam Marks:
Frank was an entrepreneur and businessman. He had a good start early on in his career working for General Mills.
Note from Kathy Pinna - When my father graduated from San Jose State, he was sent a few telegrams offering him a job. I don't have the telegrams but I've seen them.
In any case, I was told that he was weighing an offer from San Jose State to be a professor (in the philosophy dept?) and also from General Mills. He went to work for General Mills in their corporate office in San Francisco, as a buyer for the west coast.
Per an article in the San Francisco Examiner, Saturday, December 22, 1956:
"Here are the results of the course, which holds its last session next week:
One man, Frank E. Kroetch, an ingredient buyer for General Mills, has his reading speed up to 988 words per minute. That means he would be able to read better than two columns of this length in less than a minute.
The average reading speed of the men when they started this course was about 250 words a minute. They have boosted the average to 360 words per minute now.
Robert Conlin, the man who suggested the course and got $25 for the idea, started the sessions and then dropped out. Reason: He got promoted to general flour salesman midway through the course and had to concentrate on his new duties."
My mother, sister, and I used to take him to the train in Sunnyvale every day - we lived in Cupertino at the time and it was the fastest and easiest way for him to commute. As I recall, he worked there for a few years and I was told that he was the fastest rising executive at the time. He rose to the grain manager for the West Coast in that short time and he was told that no one had ever been promoted so quickly. They said that he would be president of General Mills within 20 years.
Well, Dad thought that 20 years was too far away so he quit! My memory of those days were the perks - we were sent "food baskets", in those days food boxes of General Mills products and we were able to purchase General Mills products through a employee catalogue. I saved up my allowance - I was about 8 and it was 10 cents a week - to buy a Tiny Tears doll. I loved it when he worked at General Mills.
He had a very sharp mind and knew how to see possibilities and opportunities in front of him. As a result, he was involved in numerous industries and owned many businesses over the years.
In 1960 he was the President of his company, Data Services Corporation.
In 1961, he and his brother Fred were supporters of a new magazine to be called "Northwest" that would use color photos to promote Washington tourism.
Frank also started a car rental service called "Letz Rent-a Car" in the early 1960's
He had a business in Idaho, owning a lodge at Coeur 'd Alene and was involved in many California businesses:
President of Golden Bear Land Company in Salinas (incorporated in Nevada)
Western Inns, Incorporated
Travel Lodge in San Jose
Several 'fast-food' restaurants
Later in life, he owned a few restaurants in Washington State.
Frank was also an author - having written a few short stories, one of which was a science fiction take on The Night Before Christmas.
(Note from Kathy: Dad always wanted to be a writer. He would write on yellow legal pads - remember, this was the 1950s and 1960s - and started books on such things as his theory about who the "real" Shakespeare was. My theory is that he just couldn't sit still long enough to write an entire book. But there were lots of starts on books. He also wanted to be a lawyer and even applied to - and was accepted by - San Francisco University Law School. We ended up moving to Seattle, however, and he never went to law school.)
Mary Neeley:
"Where have all the flowers gone? The most BEAUTIFUL flowers in the garden are always picked first. Death leaves a heartache no one can heal. Love is a memory no one can steal. You were the GREATEST singer/songwriter of the 21st century. Others will come and go but no one will EVER have your style. Rest in peace, Dear Amy Jade Winehouse. You have touched so many."
Curtis Beitans:
The Upper Murray and Mitta Herald. 2nd October 1941.
The death occurred in Melbourne on Sunday last, after a short
illness, of Mrs. Emily Braybrook, wife of Mr. L. Braybrook.
Deceased, who was aged 52 years, was the third daughter
of the late Samuel and Mary Barber, and was a native of
Mitta Mitta, her brothers are Charles ( Myrtleford ),
Clem ( Melbourne ), and Steve and Jim ( Tallangatta ),
Mrs. Peck ( Tallangatta ), Mrs. Chestnut ( Shepparton )
and Mrs. O'Farrell ( Fernvale ) are sisters, another sister
Mrs. D. Wylie, passed away only a few months ago.
The remains were interred at Springvale Cemetery.
Irene Muzet:
Uncle Phil, ( my father's brother, there were 10 siblings) lived with my Muset family for awhile. Before that time when I was a small child I remember him being married to Aunt Jeanie and living farther down Rt 36, not sure which town after Hazlet but before Earle N.Depot. After they divorced he so missed his daughter's terribly, us Muset kids tried to cheer him up but I think it saddened him more, Betty Ann, Victory, and Kim were missed by me too. Betty Ann is my age now 73 or 74. They moved to California. When I was a teenager, Uncle Phil fell asleep alone driving and went under a tractor trailer. His tongue was almost cut in half and was sewn back together. As a teenager I was the one who irrigated his tongue for him at home. I remember when he lived in an apartment in Keyport NJ. I remember my Dad and Uncle Phil arguing over if they were all Ukrainian descent or part Polish too. I was told my grandparents met on the ship coming over, true I don't know.
Dennis Askwith:
b 12/1888; d 4/20/1975
A hard worker, provided for all of his wives and daughters, loved his religion and his Brooklyn shul.
In my childhood, when his oldest daughter Rose was not doing well, I was happy for his weekly visits to us on Lenox Rd.
He took two buses, shlepping groceries and danish from Shlukers. I whined to him about the raisins, but he never said a word when I would pull them out of the cake part!
He smoked Camel cigarettes, but cut them in half to gradually & successfully quit, obeying his doctor.
Grandpa had a quiet dignity about him. He was always well dressed in a suit in tie.
In his later years daughter MIRIAM /MIMI arranged for him to move from DeKalb Ave to a Retirement Residence on the boardwalk in Long Beach, NY. Visits to him there with Charlie, Rose and the girls was when I first saw him in a short sleeve shirt!
He left us with strong values of responsibility to family and community.
Thank Gd he came to this country, labored hard for years to bring his family here. So now we remember him. He brought all of us over!
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Madeline Park Dreifus
Sara Lobato:
My father worked there in the 1930s - My father, Emmanuel J. Lobato, was born in Alamosa. He tended cattle at 12 and when he was five he took care of one cow or bull that used to get lose. He earned $1 a month, and when it got lose he had to pay $1, which happened a number of times.
He worked at the hardware store when he was about 18 years old. He was born December 31, 1918, and his family came from Spain about 400-500 years earlier and married the Martinez family. I actually lived in Pueblo West years ago and a young man came to my door who looked like my nephew. I almost died. He was a Martinez.
The story I was told by my oldest brother who is 80 years old, said that my father worked very hard for Mr. Husung. Mr. Husung had hopes that one day my father would manage the store, but my father had higher dreams than staying in Alamosa.
He went to the Naval Academy, became a Lt. Commander, was in over 30 major battles, and 13 battle stars, and went on to become one of the top international attorneys in the world.
He visited Alamosa a number of times during and after the war. I have no idea if he visited the store and said hello to Mr. Husung, but since I do things like that and take after him in many ways, I would like to think that he did at least one time. He was written up in the local paper since he had many accomplishments in the navy.
I like to think that Mr. Husung most likely read about him.
George Dunne:
A true patriot - Helen Irene Dunne Heinz was one of 13 children born to an Army family at Fort Riley in Kansas. She along with her older brother ( my father ) and younger sister were sent to live with their maternal grandmother in New Jersey to ease the strain on the family. She attended nursing school in New Jersey and was a roommate with a woman who eventually became my mother. Helen served as an enlisted officer along with her surgeon husband in the Korean campaign's MASH units. She was a stunningly beautiful woman and as our family rumors have it, she was the prototype for the character of Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on the TV show M.A.S.H.
Rosa Mendoza:
Mrs. Stella Sevier was a great educator. - Mrs. Sevier was a great teacher at Ascarate School in El Paso. All her students learned and enjoyed her as a teacher for first grade students. Stella was very a very fun and educated woman, we all learned something new from her. I enjoyed working with her and learned a lot from her. Stella was a great cook also for her family and church members. She is missed greatly. May she rest in peace. 😭
Shelley Cardiel:
updated the profile photo of Edward Tessey to Edward John Tessey.