"Little Granny"

Father: Hermann J. Saecker
Mother: Mamie Dell Meredith
Married: Martin C. Engel

Old Mojave And The Gold Strike

By Susan Crocoll
Hoofbeats Reporter
Mojave High School
"Assayed your ore," the message read. "Worth $2,700 in silver and $6,000 in gold." Someone had struck it rich once again on Silver Queen Mountain, and it was Mr. Martin Engel who assayed the strike.
Mr. Engel, a Mojave resident, was an assayer when the Silver Queen first began producing gold. As an assayer, he analyzed ore to determine the presence or quantity of a certain element, usually gold or silver.
"Why, I remember when that man first discovered his gold," Mr. Engel said, laughingly. , "He had buttons made out of the gold and silver and put them straight down the front of his vest."
Mr. Engel didn't start his life here in the West assaying. Born in Kansas, he decided in 1921 that assaying was his kind of life, So he moved to Orange, California and then out to the Mojave Desert.
He served as postmaster and assayer in Cantil for 44 years.
For the past two years he and his wife, Carolyn, have lived in Mojave.
He liked living in Cantil. "It was a nice place. The only difference now is that the raw, the desert land has now been converted to farm land."
Mr. and Mrs. Engel both have good memories about life back in Cantil. Carolyn Engel
still remembers when a good meal only cost 35 cents. "With ten dollars, a week's worth of groceries could be easily bought," she added.
"Oh, no, things weren't like in the movies," the assayer said. "The miners wore overalls. Guns were seldom used. Although practically everyone had a gun, not many people wore them."
The couple agree that the thing that has changed most, since Mojave was a gold camp is the people, In those days, there was a "code of honor," If something was borrowed, it (or an object of equal value) was always given back to the lender. Now, people will "rob you blind." They seem to care less about others and are only concerned with themselves the Engels noted.
But they are satisfied with their lives, "wouldn't change anything, even if they could."

Wisconsin State Census
Name Caroline Sacker
Census Date 1 Jun 1905
Residence County Monroe
Residence State Wisconsin
Locality Tomah
Birth Location Wisconsin
Marital Status Single
Gender Female
Estimated Birth Year abt 1904
Race White
Relation Daughter
Father's Name Julius H Sacker
Mother's Name Mamie Sacker

1910 US Census
Name Caroline L Saecker
Age in 1910 5
Birth Year abt 1905
Birthplace Wisconsin
Home in 1910 Bakersfield, Kern, California
Street 15 St
Race White
Gender Female
Relation to Head of House Boarder
Marital Status Single
Father's Birthplace Wisconsin
Mother's Birthplace Ohio
Attended School No
Household Members
Name Age
William J Kingswell 45
Hilda E Kingswell 22
H Julius Saecker 32
Mamie Saecker 30
Caroline L Saecker 5

1920 US Census
Name Caroline Sarker
Age 15
Birth Year abt 1905
Birthplace Wisconsin
Home in 1920 Township 12, Kern, California
Street Rural Distist-Roads Hare No Names
Race White
Gender Female
Relation to Head of House Daughter
Marital Status Single
Father's Name H Julius Sarker
Father's Birthplace Wisconsin
Mother's Name Elizabeth Sarker (Step-mother)
Mother's Birthplace Indiana
Attended School Yes
Household Members
Name Age
H Julius Sarker 42
Elizabeth Sarker 31
Caroline Sarker 15
Edward Sarker 1

CA Death Index
Name Caroline Lyda Engel
Gender Female
Birth Date 23 May 1904
Birth Place Wisconsin
Death Date 12 Nov 1990
Death Place Los Angeles
Mother's Maiden Name Meridith
Father's Surname Saecker

U.S., Appointments of U. S. Postmasters, 1832-1971
Name Mrs Caroline Lyda Engel
Post Office Location Cantil, Kern, California
Appointment Date 26 Sep 1944
Volume # 6
Volume Year Range 1930-1971