Howard Mirrasoul was the youngest of six children, and the only son of Peter and his wife Wilhelmina or "Minnie" (as she was affectionally known as) Mirrasoul, both of whom had immigrated to America in the late 1800's. Peter was a native of France, and Wilhelmina was a native of Bohemia.
Howard was born on 20 February 1917, in what was then known as Marshfield, located in Coos County, Oregon. Later, the town of Marshfield would be renamed Coos Bay, which is still located in Coos County, Oregon.
Howard was just two months shy of turning 3 years old, when the 1920 United States Federal Census was enumerated in Marshfield, Coos County, Oregon. The family was living on Commercial Avenue. His eldest sister, Blanche was 16 years old at the time; Frances was 14; Edna was 13, and Grace was 12. A baby girl (born after Grace) had died shortly after birth and was interred in the Pioneer Cemetery,located in Coos Bay.
Howard spent his early childhood years growing up in Marshfield. His sister's recalled Howard would pull his wagon and deliver newspapers in his neighborhood. He also enlisted his older sisters to help pull the wagon for him!
Howard's family had returned to their beloved City by the Bay, (San Francisco, California) by April 1930. Howard's father established a florist shop. The family resided on Geary Street, and at the time of the census enumeration, family members included: Howard's father and mother; sisters, Blanche and Grace, and Howard, who was 12 years old, and attended school. His other sisters (Frances and Edna) had married and were no longer living at the family residence.
After graduating from Polytechnical High School, in San Francisco, Howard worked for Western Electric both in the City and later in Sacramento, California. It was while working in Sacramento that he met his future wife, Agnes Reilly.
Howard and Agnes were married on the 22nd of March 1941, in Reno, Nevada. World War II was underway, when Agnes gave birth to their first child two years later, in August of 1943.
Howard joined the United States Navy, on the 24th of March 1944, and trained in Oceanside, California. Upon completing bootcamp, Howard was assigned to the U.S.S. Lavaca, APA180. His Muster Date was: 17 Dec 1944. He spent the next two years aboard ship serving in the South Pacific Theater. He was honorably discharged from service on the 10th of January 1946. After the war, Howard began his career with Pacific Bell Telephone, in San Francisco. working as a PBX Repairman.
Their second child, a son, was born in October of 1946. The years following were filled with family gatherings and good times! This was possible because most all the family resided in San Francisco!
Howard and Agnes purchased a new home, about 36 miles south of San Francisco, during the summer of 1949, and moved in shortly thereafter. At the time, Palo Alto was just a small sleepy town, and home to Stanford University, which was often affectionately referred to as "The Farm".
Howard would commute to and from work daily from Palo Alto to San Francisco via the Southern Pacific Commute train. He enjoyed growing vegetables and fruit in his backyard garden, and shared the bounty of his labor with family and friends. Chickens,rabbits, along with a duck or two were also raised in the backyard throughout the years. Along with two beloved family dogs.
A third child, a baby girl, was born to Howard and Agnes, in November of 1951. The family was finally complete! What a joyous occasion that was!
The following years were filled with daily work to and from San Francisco, and woodworking projects that Howard found time to build himself. He was a talented carpenter and enjoyed working with his hands. One of his first projects involved enclosing a covered patio in order to add a third bedroom, and then expanded the kitchen to provide additional dining space for his growing family!
Vacation times were spent taking the family camping to far off places, like the Redwood Forest, in Northern California; or the Sierra Mountains, and exploring the ghost towns of Nevada. There were also trips to Oregon, Washington, and Victoria Island,B.C., Canada. Then there were other trips to Southern California, Arizona and Mexico! During the school year, weekend day trips included trips to the San Francisco Zoo, Chinatown, and Golden Gate Park and hiking at Big Basin, or Fremont Peak. Trips to local beaches were often in store for his family, just to collect seashells along the shoreline and explore the tide pools.
Later, Howard would design and build a kidney shape in-ground swimming pool that he dug out by hand, only using a shovel and wheel barrow to haul the dirt from the backyard to the side front yard! The pool was 24'x24', and sloped to 8 foot deep at the deep end! Many happy times were spent around the pool in the years following its completion!
His final big project was building a 24 foot cabin cruiser! He named his boat "QED". It had an inboard marine engine, galley, head, and sleeping quarters for six. The deck and wood trim was finished in mahogany. The boat was docked at the Palo Alto Yacht Harbor for many years. Later, it was moved to the Redwood City Yacht harbor. It was a beautiful cruiser and Howard enjoyed numerous ocean Salmon fishing trips with family and friends, along with weekends on the San Francisco Bay, and summers cruising in the Delta, aboard his beloved "QED" (Latin for "That which is finished").
As the years went by, Howard was promoted to the position of Foreman and later to Plant Staff Assistant, for Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company, in San Francisco, California. Howard retired from Pacific Telephone,and became a life time member of the Telephone Pioneers of America.
Howard and Agnes had celebrated over 53 years of marriage, when Agnes passed away on July 28, 1994.
Following the death of his devoted wife Agnes, Howard was moved to Grants Pass, Josephine County, Oregon, a few years later. There he resided with his youngest daughter, until his death, in February of 2003. Howard was survived by his three children and their spouses,seven grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Howard was born on 20 February 1917, in what was then known as Marshfield, located in Coos County, Oregon. Later, the town of Marshfield would be renamed Coos Bay, which is still located in Coos County, Oregon.
Howard was just two months shy of turning 3 years old, when the 1920 United States Federal Census was enumerated in Marshfield, Coos County, Oregon. The family was living on Commercial Avenue. His eldest sister, Blanche was 16 years old at the time; Frances was 14; Edna was 13, and Grace was 12. A baby girl (born after Grace) had died shortly after birth and was interred in the Pioneer Cemetery,located in Coos Bay.
Howard spent his early childhood years growing up in Marshfield. His sister's recalled Howard would pull his wagon and deliver newspapers in his neighborhood. He also enlisted his older sisters to help pull the wagon for him!
Howard's family had returned to their beloved City by the Bay, (San Francisco, California) by April 1930. Howard's father established a florist shop. The family resided on Geary Street, and at the time of the census enumeration, family members included: Howard's father and mother; sisters, Blanche and Grace, and Howard, who was 12 years old, and attended school. His other sisters (Frances and Edna) had married and were no longer living at the family residence.
After graduating from Polytechnical High School, in San Francisco, Howard worked for Western Electric both in the City and later in Sacramento, California. It was while working in Sacramento that he met his future wife, Agnes Reilly.
Howard and Agnes were married on the 22nd of March 1941, in Reno, Nevada. World War II was underway, when Agnes gave birth to their first child two years later, in August of 1943.
Howard joined the United States Navy, on the 24th of March 1944, and trained in Oceanside, California. Upon completing bootcamp, Howard was assigned to the U.S.S. Lavaca, APA180. His Muster Date was: 17 Dec 1944. He spent the next two years aboard ship serving in the South Pacific Theater. He was honorably discharged from service on the 10th of January 1946. After the war, Howard began his career with Pacific Bell Telephone, in San Francisco. working as a PBX Repairman.
Their second child, a son, was born in October of 1946. The years following were filled with family gatherings and good times! This was possible because most all the family resided in San Francisco!
Howard and Agnes purchased a new home, about 36 miles south of San Francisco, during the summer of 1949, and moved in shortly thereafter. At the time, Palo Alto was just a small sleepy town, and home to Stanford University, which was often affectionately referred to as "The Farm".
Howard would commute to and from work daily from Palo Alto to San Francisco via the Southern Pacific Commute train. He enjoyed growing vegetables and fruit in his backyard garden, and shared the bounty of his labor with family and friends. Chickens,rabbits, along with a duck or two were also raised in the backyard throughout the years. Along with two beloved family dogs.
A third child, a baby girl, was born to Howard and Agnes, in November of 1951. The family was finally complete! What a joyous occasion that was!
The following years were filled with daily work to and from San Francisco, and woodworking projects that Howard found time to build himself. He was a talented carpenter and enjoyed working with his hands. One of his first projects involved enclosing a covered patio in order to add a third bedroom, and then expanded the kitchen to provide additional dining space for his growing family!
Vacation times were spent taking the family camping to far off places, like the Redwood Forest, in Northern California; or the Sierra Mountains, and exploring the ghost towns of Nevada. There were also trips to Oregon, Washington, and Victoria Island,B.C., Canada. Then there were other trips to Southern California, Arizona and Mexico! During the school year, weekend day trips included trips to the San Francisco Zoo, Chinatown, and Golden Gate Park and hiking at Big Basin, or Fremont Peak. Trips to local beaches were often in store for his family, just to collect seashells along the shoreline and explore the tide pools.
Later, Howard would design and build a kidney shape in-ground swimming pool that he dug out by hand, only using a shovel and wheel barrow to haul the dirt from the backyard to the side front yard! The pool was 24'x24', and sloped to 8 foot deep at the deep end! Many happy times were spent around the pool in the years following its completion!
His final big project was building a 24 foot cabin cruiser! He named his boat "QED". It had an inboard marine engine, galley, head, and sleeping quarters for six. The deck and wood trim was finished in mahogany. The boat was docked at the Palo Alto Yacht Harbor for many years. Later, it was moved to the Redwood City Yacht harbor. It was a beautiful cruiser and Howard enjoyed numerous ocean Salmon fishing trips with family and friends, along with weekends on the San Francisco Bay, and summers cruising in the Delta, aboard his beloved "QED" (Latin for "That which is finished").
As the years went by, Howard was promoted to the position of Foreman and later to Plant Staff Assistant, for Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company, in San Francisco, California. Howard retired from Pacific Telephone,and became a life time member of the Telephone Pioneers of America.
Howard and Agnes had celebrated over 53 years of marriage, when Agnes passed away on July 28, 1994.
Following the death of his devoted wife Agnes, Howard was moved to Grants Pass, Josephine County, Oregon, a few years later. There he resided with his youngest daughter, until his death, in February of 2003. Howard was survived by his three children and their spouses,seven grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Howard Mirrasoul was the youngest of six children, and the only son of Peter and his wife Wilhelmina or "Minnie" (as she was affectionally known as) Mirrasoul, both of whom had immigrated to America in the late 1800's. Peter was a native of France, and Wilhelmina was a native of Bohemia.
Howard was born on 20 February 1917, in what was then known as Marshfield, located in Coos County, Oregon. Later, the town of Marshfield would be renamed Coos Bay, which is still located in Coos County, Oregon.
Howard was just two months shy of turning 3 years old, when the 1920 United States Federal Census was enumerated in Marshfield, Coos County, Oregon. The family was living on Commercial Avenue. His eldest sister, Blanche was 16 years old at the time; Frances was 14; Edna was 13, and Grace was 12. A baby girl (born after Grace) had died shortly after birth and was interred in the Pioneer Cemetery,located in Coos Bay.
Howard spent his early childhood years growing up in Marshfield. His sister's recalled Howard would pull his wagon and deliver newspapers in his neighborhood. He also enlisted his older sisters to help pull the wagon for him!
Howard's family had returned to their beloved City by the Bay, (San Francisco, California) by April 1930. Howard's father established a florist shop. The family resided on Geary Street, and at the time of the census enumeration, family members included: Howard's father and mother; sisters, Blanche and Grace, and Howard, who was 12 years old, and attended school. His other sisters (Frances and Edna) had married and were no longer living at the family residence.
After graduating from Polytechnical High School, in San Francisco, Howard worked for Western Electric both in the City and later in Sacramento, California. It was while working in Sacramento that he met his future wife, Agnes Reilly.
Howard and Agnes were married on the 22nd of March 1941, in Reno, Nevada. World War II was underway, when Agnes gave birth to their first child two years later, in August of 1943.
Howard joined the United States Navy, on the 24th of March 1944, and trained in Oceanside, California. Upon completing bootcamp, Howard was assigned to the U.S.S. Lavaca, APA180. His Muster Date was: 17 Dec 1944. He spent the next two years aboard ship serving in the South Pacific Theater. He was honorably discharged from service on the 10th of January 1946. After the war, Howard began his career with Pacific Bell Telephone, in San Francisco. working as a PBX Repairman.
Their second child, a son, was born in October of 1946. The years following were filled with family gatherings and good times! This was possible because most all the family resided in San Francisco!
Howard and Agnes purchased a new home, about 36 miles south of San Francisco, during the summer of 1949, and moved in shortly thereafter. At the time, Palo Alto was just a small sleepy town, and home to Stanford University, which was often affectionately referred to as "The Farm".
Howard would commute to and from work daily from Palo Alto to San Francisco via the Southern Pacific Commute train. He enjoyed growing vegetables and fruit in his backyard garden, and shared the bounty of his labor with family and friends. Chickens,rabbits, along with a duck or two were also raised in the backyard throughout the years. Along with two beloved family dogs.
A third child, a baby girl, was born to Howard and Agnes, in November of 1951. The family was finally complete! What a joyous occasion that was!
The following years were filled with daily work to and from San Francisco, and woodworking projects that Howard found time to build himself. He was a talented carpenter and enjoyed working with his hands. One of his first projects involved enclosing a covered patio in order to add a third bedroom, and then expanded the kitchen to provide additional dining space for his growing family!
Vacation times were spent taking the family camping to far off places, like the Redwood Forest, in Northern California; or the Sierra Mountains, and exploring the ghost towns of Nevada. There were also trips to Oregon, Washington, and Victoria Island,B.C., Canada. Then there were other trips to Southern California, Arizona and Mexico! During the school year, weekend day trips included trips to the San Francisco Zoo, Chinatown, and Golden Gate Park and hiking at Big Basin, or Fremont Peak. Trips to local beaches were often in store for his family, just to collect seashells along the shoreline and explore the tide pools.
Later, Howard would design and build a kidney shape in-ground swimming pool that he dug out by hand, only using a shovel and wheel barrow to haul the dirt from the backyard to the side front yard! The pool was 24'x24', and sloped to 8 foot deep at the deep end! Many happy times were spent around the pool in the years following its completion!
His final big project was building a 24 foot cabin cruiser! He named his boat "QED". It had an inboard marine engine, galley, head, and sleeping quarters for six. The deck and wood trim was finished in mahogany. The boat was docked at the Palo Alto Yacht Harbor for many years. Later, it was moved to the Redwood City Yacht harbor. It was a beautiful cruiser and Howard enjoyed numerous ocean Salmon fishing trips with family and friends, along with weekends on the San Francisco Bay, and summers cruising in the Delta, aboard his beloved "QED" (Latin for "That which is finished").
As the years went by, Howard was promoted to the position of Foreman and later to Plant Staff Assistant, for Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company, in San Francisco, California. Howard retired from Pacific Telephone,and became a life time member of the Telephone Pioneers of America.
Howard and Agnes had celebrated over 53 years of marriage, when Agnes passed away on July 28, 1994.
Following the death of his devoted wife Agnes, Howard was moved to Grants Pass, Josephine County, Oregon, a few years later. There he resided with his youngest daughter, until his death, in February of 2003. Howard was survived by his three children and their spouses,seven grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Howard was born on 20 February 1917, in what was then known as Marshfield, located in Coos County, Oregon. Later, the town of Marshfield would be renamed Coos Bay, which is still located in Coos County, Oregon.
Howard was just two months shy of turning 3 years old, when the 1920 United States Federal Census was enumerated in Marshfield, Coos County, Oregon. The family was living on Commercial Avenue. His eldest sister, Blanche was 16 years old at the time; Frances was 14; Edna was 13, and Grace was 12. A baby girl (born after Grace) had died shortly after birth and was interred in the Pioneer Cemetery,located in Coos Bay.
Howard spent his early childhood years growing up in Marshfield. His sister's recalled Howard would pull his wagon and deliver newspapers in his neighborhood. He also enlisted his older sisters to help pull the wagon for him!
Howard's family had returned to their beloved City by the Bay, (San Francisco, California) by April 1930. Howard's father established a florist shop. The family resided on Geary Street, and at the time of the census enumeration, family members included: Howard's father and mother; sisters, Blanche and Grace, and Howard, who was 12 years old, and attended school. His other sisters (Frances and Edna) had married and were no longer living at the family residence.
After graduating from Polytechnical High School, in San Francisco, Howard worked for Western Electric both in the City and later in Sacramento, California. It was while working in Sacramento that he met his future wife, Agnes Reilly.
Howard and Agnes were married on the 22nd of March 1941, in Reno, Nevada. World War II was underway, when Agnes gave birth to their first child two years later, in August of 1943.
Howard joined the United States Navy, on the 24th of March 1944, and trained in Oceanside, California. Upon completing bootcamp, Howard was assigned to the U.S.S. Lavaca, APA180. His Muster Date was: 17 Dec 1944. He spent the next two years aboard ship serving in the South Pacific Theater. He was honorably discharged from service on the 10th of January 1946. After the war, Howard began his career with Pacific Bell Telephone, in San Francisco. working as a PBX Repairman.
Their second child, a son, was born in October of 1946. The years following were filled with family gatherings and good times! This was possible because most all the family resided in San Francisco!
Howard and Agnes purchased a new home, about 36 miles south of San Francisco, during the summer of 1949, and moved in shortly thereafter. At the time, Palo Alto was just a small sleepy town, and home to Stanford University, which was often affectionately referred to as "The Farm".
Howard would commute to and from work daily from Palo Alto to San Francisco via the Southern Pacific Commute train. He enjoyed growing vegetables and fruit in his backyard garden, and shared the bounty of his labor with family and friends. Chickens,rabbits, along with a duck or two were also raised in the backyard throughout the years. Along with two beloved family dogs.
A third child, a baby girl, was born to Howard and Agnes, in November of 1951. The family was finally complete! What a joyous occasion that was!
The following years were filled with daily work to and from San Francisco, and woodworking projects that Howard found time to build himself. He was a talented carpenter and enjoyed working with his hands. One of his first projects involved enclosing a covered patio in order to add a third bedroom, and then expanded the kitchen to provide additional dining space for his growing family!
Vacation times were spent taking the family camping to far off places, like the Redwood Forest, in Northern California; or the Sierra Mountains, and exploring the ghost towns of Nevada. There were also trips to Oregon, Washington, and Victoria Island,B.C., Canada. Then there were other trips to Southern California, Arizona and Mexico! During the school year, weekend day trips included trips to the San Francisco Zoo, Chinatown, and Golden Gate Park and hiking at Big Basin, or Fremont Peak. Trips to local beaches were often in store for his family, just to collect seashells along the shoreline and explore the tide pools.
Later, Howard would design and build a kidney shape in-ground swimming pool that he dug out by hand, only using a shovel and wheel barrow to haul the dirt from the backyard to the side front yard! The pool was 24'x24', and sloped to 8 foot deep at the deep end! Many happy times were spent around the pool in the years following its completion!
His final big project was building a 24 foot cabin cruiser! He named his boat "QED". It had an inboard marine engine, galley, head, and sleeping quarters for six. The deck and wood trim was finished in mahogany. The boat was docked at the Palo Alto Yacht Harbor for many years. Later, it was moved to the Redwood City Yacht harbor. It was a beautiful cruiser and Howard enjoyed numerous ocean Salmon fishing trips with family and friends, along with weekends on the San Francisco Bay, and summers cruising in the Delta, aboard his beloved "QED" (Latin for "That which is finished").
As the years went by, Howard was promoted to the position of Foreman and later to Plant Staff Assistant, for Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company, in San Francisco, California. Howard retired from Pacific Telephone,and became a life time member of the Telephone Pioneers of America.
Howard and Agnes had celebrated over 53 years of marriage, when Agnes passed away on July 28, 1994.
Following the death of his devoted wife Agnes, Howard was moved to Grants Pass, Josephine County, Oregon, a few years later. There he resided with his youngest daughter, until his death, in February of 2003. Howard was survived by his three children and their spouses,seven grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
