TIDBITS of my Grandfather (for his great grandchildren):
Harry was raised by several relatives in the San Francisco area and surrounds, after the death of his mother (about age 6). Like all his brothers, Harry was an avid outdoors-man who loved hunting, fishing, and camping regularly with his brothers in/around Forest City, CA. Harry especially loved fishing the local rivers and coastlines, and occasional deep-sea fishing in Santa Cruz. Harry typically hunted deer by sitting in "hides" at the base of trees (because his congenital heart-defect prohibited strenuous activity); meanwhile his brothers stalked their prey. Harry often brought along his beloved dog Rags seen in photos.
Harry attended Gustine Union High School, and after graduation, eloped with his girlfriend Ethel Ross. Together they reared their two daughters, Kitty and Dianne. Harry was employed as a mechanic at Gustine's Pontiac dealership operated by Roy Rider; he also worked part-time, steam-cleaning barns in and around Gustine, CA.
In 1942 as WWII commenced, local Japanese families were being forced into internment camps; sadly Harry was assigned the dreadful task of visiting their farms to buy up their vehicles. It was a very distressing assignment for him since many were friends, and all were good neighbors with splendid, hard-earned farms. Before the families had to abandon everything, Harry tried to support them by purchasing their Japanese dolls and children's wicker furniture for his own girls (a tear jerking memory for my mother, to this day).
As the war ensued, the family moved from Gustine to Stockton so Harry could join the war effort by working in the shipyard as a melt machine operator (welder). His heart defect made him unfit for military service, but he was very patriotic; often spending his pay on War Bonds to support the troops. Meanwhile (unbeknownst to Harry), Ethel worked at the Gulf Red Cedar Pencil Factory to help pay-off the doctor bills from the children's birth (delivered by Dr. Gus of Gustine).
A few years later in July 1945, suddenly Harry died from a heart attack, at home in his sleep. And all their lives suddenly changed again. Harry's cremains were interred in the local Mausoleum.
Decades later, Ethel's final wish was to join both her husbands in the mausoleum resting peacefully, but then came several...
CEMETERY FIASCOS:
First, Harry's niche inside the mausoleum was broken into and left mangled and unsecured for several long years, despite repeated repair requests. When repairs were eventually done, the repairs were slipshod, unsightly and insecure; and very troubling to the family who tried again and again for remedy, to no avail.
Later, a few years before her death, Ethel paid extra for her cremains to be placed with both of her husbands in the dual nich. But shockingly, the cemetery reneged on their agreement, and forced our family to purchase yet another dual niche. Reluctantly, we did so; and now Ethel's ashes reside alongside Fred in a new niche in another wall; sadly, far away from Harry! As a consequence, in the future, Harrys dual niche will be shared with their daughter Dianne Heinitz when she passes and the name plates will be changed accordingly.
(Bio by granddaughter Karen Tucker, 12/2020; from remembrances of my mother Kitty McCoy Tucker)
Harry was raised by several relatives in the San Francisco area and surrounds, after the death of his mother (about age 6). Like all his brothers, Harry was an avid outdoors-man who loved hunting, fishing, and camping regularly with his brothers in/around Forest City, CA. Harry especially loved fishing the local rivers and coastlines, and occasional deep-sea fishing in Santa Cruz. Harry typically hunted deer by sitting in "hides" at the base of trees (because his congenital heart-defect prohibited strenuous activity); meanwhile his brothers stalked their prey. Harry often brought along his beloved dog Rags seen in photos.
Harry attended Gustine Union High School, and after graduation, eloped with his girlfriend Ethel Ross. Together they reared their two daughters, Kitty and Dianne. Harry was employed as a mechanic at Gustine's Pontiac dealership operated by Roy Rider; he also worked part-time, steam-cleaning barns in and around Gustine, CA.
In 1942 as WWII commenced, local Japanese families were being forced into internment camps; sadly Harry was assigned the dreadful task of visiting their farms to buy up their vehicles. It was a very distressing assignment for him since many were friends, and all were good neighbors with splendid, hard-earned farms. Before the families had to abandon everything, Harry tried to support them by purchasing their Japanese dolls and children's wicker furniture for his own girls (a tear jerking memory for my mother, to this day).
As the war ensued, the family moved from Gustine to Stockton so Harry could join the war effort by working in the shipyard as a melt machine operator (welder). His heart defect made him unfit for military service, but he was very patriotic; often spending his pay on War Bonds to support the troops. Meanwhile (unbeknownst to Harry), Ethel worked at the Gulf Red Cedar Pencil Factory to help pay-off the doctor bills from the children's birth (delivered by Dr. Gus of Gustine).
A few years later in July 1945, suddenly Harry died from a heart attack, at home in his sleep. And all their lives suddenly changed again. Harry's cremains were interred in the local Mausoleum.
Decades later, Ethel's final wish was to join both her husbands in the mausoleum resting peacefully, but then came several...
CEMETERY FIASCOS:
First, Harry's niche inside the mausoleum was broken into and left mangled and unsecured for several long years, despite repeated repair requests. When repairs were eventually done, the repairs were slipshod, unsightly and insecure; and very troubling to the family who tried again and again for remedy, to no avail.
Later, a few years before her death, Ethel paid extra for her cremains to be placed with both of her husbands in the dual nich. But shockingly, the cemetery reneged on their agreement, and forced our family to purchase yet another dual niche. Reluctantly, we did so; and now Ethel's ashes reside alongside Fred in a new niche in another wall; sadly, far away from Harry! As a consequence, in the future, Harrys dual niche will be shared with their daughter Dianne Heinitz when she passes and the name plates will be changed accordingly.
(Bio by granddaughter Karen Tucker, 12/2020; from remembrances of my mother Kitty McCoy Tucker)
TIDBITS of my Grandfather (for his great grandchildren):
Harry was raised by several relatives in the San Francisco area and surrounds, after the death of his mother (about age 6). Like all his brothers, Harry was an avid outdoors-man who loved hunting, fishing, and camping regularly with his brothers in/around Forest City, CA. Harry especially loved fishing the local rivers and coastlines, and occasional deep-sea fishing in Santa Cruz. Harry typically hunted deer by sitting in "hides" at the base of trees (because his congenital heart-defect prohibited strenuous activity); meanwhile his brothers stalked their prey. Harry often brought along his beloved dog Rags seen in photos.
Harry attended Gustine Union High School, and after graduation, eloped with his girlfriend Ethel Ross. Together they reared their two daughters, Kitty and Dianne. Harry was employed as a mechanic at Gustine's Pontiac dealership operated by Roy Rider; he also worked part-time, steam-cleaning barns in and around Gustine, CA.
In 1942 as WWII commenced, local Japanese families were being forced into internment camps; sadly Harry was assigned the dreadful task of visiting their farms to buy up their vehicles. It was a very distressing assignment for him since many were friends, and all were good neighbors with splendid, hard-earned farms. Before the families had to abandon everything, Harry tried to support them by purchasing their Japanese dolls and children's wicker furniture for his own girls (a tear jerking memory for my mother, to this day).
As the war ensued, the family moved from Gustine to Stockton so Harry could join the war effort by working in the shipyard as a melt machine operator (welder). His heart defect made him unfit for military service, but he was very patriotic; often spending his pay on War Bonds to support the troops. Meanwhile (unbeknownst to Harry), Ethel worked at the Gulf Red Cedar Pencil Factory to help pay-off the doctor bills from the children's birth (delivered by Dr. Gus of Gustine).
A few years later in July 1945, suddenly Harry died from a heart attack, at home in his sleep. And all their lives suddenly changed again. Harry's cremains were interred in the local Mausoleum.
Decades later, Ethel's final wish was to join both her husbands in the mausoleum resting peacefully, but then came several...
CEMETERY FIASCOS:
First, Harry's niche inside the mausoleum was broken into and left mangled and unsecured for several long years, despite repeated repair requests. When repairs were eventually done, the repairs were slipshod, unsightly and insecure; and very troubling to the family who tried again and again for remedy, to no avail.
Later, a few years before her death, Ethel paid extra for her cremains to be placed with both of her husbands in the dual nich. But shockingly, the cemetery reneged on their agreement, and forced our family to purchase yet another dual niche. Reluctantly, we did so; and now Ethel's ashes reside alongside Fred in a new niche in another wall; sadly, far away from Harry! As a consequence, in the future, Harrys dual niche will be shared with their daughter Dianne Heinitz when she passes and the name plates will be changed accordingly.
(Bio by granddaughter Karen Tucker, 12/2020; from remembrances of my mother Kitty McCoy Tucker)
Harry was raised by several relatives in the San Francisco area and surrounds, after the death of his mother (about age 6). Like all his brothers, Harry was an avid outdoors-man who loved hunting, fishing, and camping regularly with his brothers in/around Forest City, CA. Harry especially loved fishing the local rivers and coastlines, and occasional deep-sea fishing in Santa Cruz. Harry typically hunted deer by sitting in "hides" at the base of trees (because his congenital heart-defect prohibited strenuous activity); meanwhile his brothers stalked their prey. Harry often brought along his beloved dog Rags seen in photos.
Harry attended Gustine Union High School, and after graduation, eloped with his girlfriend Ethel Ross. Together they reared their two daughters, Kitty and Dianne. Harry was employed as a mechanic at Gustine's Pontiac dealership operated by Roy Rider; he also worked part-time, steam-cleaning barns in and around Gustine, CA.
In 1942 as WWII commenced, local Japanese families were being forced into internment camps; sadly Harry was assigned the dreadful task of visiting their farms to buy up their vehicles. It was a very distressing assignment for him since many were friends, and all were good neighbors with splendid, hard-earned farms. Before the families had to abandon everything, Harry tried to support them by purchasing their Japanese dolls and children's wicker furniture for his own girls (a tear jerking memory for my mother, to this day).
As the war ensued, the family moved from Gustine to Stockton so Harry could join the war effort by working in the shipyard as a melt machine operator (welder). His heart defect made him unfit for military service, but he was very patriotic; often spending his pay on War Bonds to support the troops. Meanwhile (unbeknownst to Harry), Ethel worked at the Gulf Red Cedar Pencil Factory to help pay-off the doctor bills from the children's birth (delivered by Dr. Gus of Gustine).
A few years later in July 1945, suddenly Harry died from a heart attack, at home in his sleep. And all their lives suddenly changed again. Harry's cremains were interred in the local Mausoleum.
Decades later, Ethel's final wish was to join both her husbands in the mausoleum resting peacefully, but then came several...
CEMETERY FIASCOS:
First, Harry's niche inside the mausoleum was broken into and left mangled and unsecured for several long years, despite repeated repair requests. When repairs were eventually done, the repairs were slipshod, unsightly and insecure; and very troubling to the family who tried again and again for remedy, to no avail.
Later, a few years before her death, Ethel paid extra for her cremains to be placed with both of her husbands in the dual nich. But shockingly, the cemetery reneged on their agreement, and forced our family to purchase yet another dual niche. Reluctantly, we did so; and now Ethel's ashes reside alongside Fred in a new niche in another wall; sadly, far away from Harry! As a consequence, in the future, Harrys dual niche will be shared with their daughter Dianne Heinitz when she passes and the name plates will be changed accordingly.
(Bio by granddaughter Karen Tucker, 12/2020; from remembrances of my mother Kitty McCoy Tucker)
Gravesite Details
Mausoleum: main corridor, right side, Wall Z. Harry is in a dual niche (but Fred Clements has moved!). In the future, Harry's niche will be shared with his daughter Dianne McCoy Heinitz when she passes. and the name plates will be changed then.
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