"Page Pioneer" Melvin Alfred "Frenchie" French was born on July 25, 1943. He, his mother, Lucille Ada (Parkerson) French Mizell and stepfather, Irvin R. Mizell, helped to birth "America's Last Frontier" -- Page, Arizona. He worked as an Iron Worker. Melvin's first wife, friends, and Iron Worker co-workers called him "Frenchie". His family called him Melvin. (His photo posted by his cousin, Richard Pitt, was taken in the last year of his life.)
Frenchie's father, Earl Alvie French, enlisted in the Army in 1944, after his marriage, and died in 1946. He is buried in Bakersfield, CA. Earl did not die in the service of his country, but he was highly decorated. Earl died just after his discharge and was beaten to death by the Bakersfield police for being drunk in public on December 14, 1946.
"Frenchie" had older siblings--two brothers, Virgil Lee French, who worked as miner for 30 years, (also called "Frenchie" by his friends and miner co-workers) (1934-) & Benny Howard "Ben" French (born 1940 – died from a stroke on 7 Feb 2017, Enloe Hospital, Chico, California); and two sisters, Mary Lue Pitt (1939-2007) & Nettie Elizabeth "Beth" (1942-2002).
On April 11, 1974, age 30 years, Frenchie was murdered in Tucson, Pima County, AZ, (Residence: 1837 West Riverview, Tucson, Pima County, AZ 85705, where he had resided for nine years, moving from California) and died of lacerations of heart, lungs, liver and stomach due to multiple gunshot wounds of thorax.
Frenchie was married to, then divorced from Margie Harrison, Page High School Class of 1963. They had a son together, Billy French, born in Page, Coconino County, AZ, in 1962. Billy died in Tucson, AZ in 2005. He was cremated, and his mother had his ashes until she put them on her parents' graves in March 2016. Billy French was survived by his mother and two younger siblings, Mitchum "Mitch" French of Tucson, and his half-sister, Angie Porter, of Shelbyville, TX. (Mitch French passed away on November 30, 2016.)
Frenchie was survived by his wife at the time of his death: Ophelia M. (Mathis) French, of Tucson, AZ 85706. He was buried in Sacramento Memorial, Sacramento, California.
His oldest brother, Virgil Lee French (1934–)
Birth 13 JULY 1934 • Whitefield, OK.
LIVING, of Safford, AZ;
was married to and divorced from: Janet L. Swope French (divorced May 1967, Los Angeles City, CA). He was remarried on December 31, 1969 in Fallon, Nevada to Rosalie Whaley.
His oldest sister, Mary Lue French (1939–2007)
(m. Charles Pitt, 1932–1988)
Birth 23 JAN 1939 • Antioch, California
Death 17 NOV 2007 • Oroville, California
His older brother, Benny Howard French
(May 6, 1940, Visalia, Tulare Co, CA –), age 76, LIVING Oroville, (previously Paradise), California; Irvina Kay French, Jesse Earl French, Ben French
His older sister, age 60, Nettie Elizabeth "Beth" French (1942–2002)
Birth 21 JAN 1942 • Clear Creek, Shasta, California
Death MAY 2002 • Redding, California
His father, Earl Alvie French, was the son of:
Alfred "Alf" French (1868–1939)
&
Elizabeth "Lizzie" Cole (1877–1959)
Frenchie's father, Earl Alvie French, enlisted in the Army in 1944, after his marriage, and died in 1946. He is buried in Bakersfield, CA. Earl did not die in the service of his country, but he was highly decorated. Earl died just after his discharge and was beaten to death by the Bakersfield police for being drunk in public on December 14, 1946.
"Frenchie" had older siblings--two brothers, Virgil Lee French, who worked as miner for 30 years, (also called "Frenchie" by his friends and miner co-workers) (1934-) & Benny Howard "Ben" French (born 1940 – died from a stroke on 7 Feb 2017, Enloe Hospital, Chico, California); and two sisters, Mary Lue Pitt (1939-2007) & Nettie Elizabeth "Beth" (1942-2002).
On April 11, 1974, age 30 years, Frenchie was murdered in Tucson, Pima County, AZ, (Residence: 1837 West Riverview, Tucson, Pima County, AZ 85705, where he had resided for nine years, moving from California) and died of lacerations of heart, lungs, liver and stomach due to multiple gunshot wounds of thorax.
Frenchie was married to, then divorced from Margie Harrison, Page High School Class of 1963. They had a son together, Billy French, born in Page, Coconino County, AZ, in 1962. Billy died in Tucson, AZ in 2005. He was cremated, and his mother had his ashes until she put them on her parents' graves in March 2016. Billy French was survived by his mother and two younger siblings, Mitchum "Mitch" French of Tucson, and his half-sister, Angie Porter, of Shelbyville, TX. (Mitch French passed away on November 30, 2016.)
Frenchie was survived by his wife at the time of his death: Ophelia M. (Mathis) French, of Tucson, AZ 85706. He was buried in Sacramento Memorial, Sacramento, California.
His oldest brother, Virgil Lee French (1934–)
Birth 13 JULY 1934 • Whitefield, OK.
LIVING, of Safford, AZ;
was married to and divorced from: Janet L. Swope French (divorced May 1967, Los Angeles City, CA). He was remarried on December 31, 1969 in Fallon, Nevada to Rosalie Whaley.
His oldest sister, Mary Lue French (1939–2007)
(m. Charles Pitt, 1932–1988)
Birth 23 JAN 1939 • Antioch, California
Death 17 NOV 2007 • Oroville, California
His older brother, Benny Howard French
(May 6, 1940, Visalia, Tulare Co, CA –), age 76, LIVING Oroville, (previously Paradise), California; Irvina Kay French, Jesse Earl French, Ben French
His older sister, age 60, Nettie Elizabeth "Beth" French (1942–2002)
Birth 21 JAN 1942 • Clear Creek, Shasta, California
Death MAY 2002 • Redding, California
His father, Earl Alvie French, was the son of:
Alfred "Alf" French (1868–1939)
&
Elizabeth "Lizzie" Cole (1877–1959)
"Page Pioneer" Melvin Alfred "Frenchie" French was born on July 25, 1943. He, his mother, Lucille Ada (Parkerson) French Mizell and stepfather, Irvin R. Mizell, helped to birth "America's Last Frontier" -- Page, Arizona. He worked as an Iron Worker. Melvin's first wife, friends, and Iron Worker co-workers called him "Frenchie". His family called him Melvin. (His photo posted by his cousin, Richard Pitt, was taken in the last year of his life.)
Frenchie's father, Earl Alvie French, enlisted in the Army in 1944, after his marriage, and died in 1946. He is buried in Bakersfield, CA. Earl did not die in the service of his country, but he was highly decorated. Earl died just after his discharge and was beaten to death by the Bakersfield police for being drunk in public on December 14, 1946.
"Frenchie" had older siblings--two brothers, Virgil Lee French, who worked as miner for 30 years, (also called "Frenchie" by his friends and miner co-workers) (1934-) & Benny Howard "Ben" French (born 1940 – died from a stroke on 7 Feb 2017, Enloe Hospital, Chico, California); and two sisters, Mary Lue Pitt (1939-2007) & Nettie Elizabeth "Beth" (1942-2002).
On April 11, 1974, age 30 years, Frenchie was murdered in Tucson, Pima County, AZ, (Residence: 1837 West Riverview, Tucson, Pima County, AZ 85705, where he had resided for nine years, moving from California) and died of lacerations of heart, lungs, liver and stomach due to multiple gunshot wounds of thorax.
Frenchie was married to, then divorced from Margie Harrison, Page High School Class of 1963. They had a son together, Billy French, born in Page, Coconino County, AZ, in 1962. Billy died in Tucson, AZ in 2005. He was cremated, and his mother had his ashes until she put them on her parents' graves in March 2016. Billy French was survived by his mother and two younger siblings, Mitchum "Mitch" French of Tucson, and his half-sister, Angie Porter, of Shelbyville, TX. (Mitch French passed away on November 30, 2016.)
Frenchie was survived by his wife at the time of his death: Ophelia M. (Mathis) French, of Tucson, AZ 85706. He was buried in Sacramento Memorial, Sacramento, California.
His oldest brother, Virgil Lee French (1934–)
Birth 13 JULY 1934 • Whitefield, OK.
LIVING, of Safford, AZ;
was married to and divorced from: Janet L. Swope French (divorced May 1967, Los Angeles City, CA). He was remarried on December 31, 1969 in Fallon, Nevada to Rosalie Whaley.
His oldest sister, Mary Lue French (1939–2007)
(m. Charles Pitt, 1932–1988)
Birth 23 JAN 1939 • Antioch, California
Death 17 NOV 2007 • Oroville, California
His older brother, Benny Howard French
(May 6, 1940, Visalia, Tulare Co, CA –), age 76, LIVING Oroville, (previously Paradise), California; Irvina Kay French, Jesse Earl French, Ben French
His older sister, age 60, Nettie Elizabeth "Beth" French (1942–2002)
Birth 21 JAN 1942 • Clear Creek, Shasta, California
Death MAY 2002 • Redding, California
His father, Earl Alvie French, was the son of:
Alfred "Alf" French (1868–1939)
&
Elizabeth "Lizzie" Cole (1877–1959)
Frenchie's father, Earl Alvie French, enlisted in the Army in 1944, after his marriage, and died in 1946. He is buried in Bakersfield, CA. Earl did not die in the service of his country, but he was highly decorated. Earl died just after his discharge and was beaten to death by the Bakersfield police for being drunk in public on December 14, 1946.
"Frenchie" had older siblings--two brothers, Virgil Lee French, who worked as miner for 30 years, (also called "Frenchie" by his friends and miner co-workers) (1934-) & Benny Howard "Ben" French (born 1940 – died from a stroke on 7 Feb 2017, Enloe Hospital, Chico, California); and two sisters, Mary Lue Pitt (1939-2007) & Nettie Elizabeth "Beth" (1942-2002).
On April 11, 1974, age 30 years, Frenchie was murdered in Tucson, Pima County, AZ, (Residence: 1837 West Riverview, Tucson, Pima County, AZ 85705, where he had resided for nine years, moving from California) and died of lacerations of heart, lungs, liver and stomach due to multiple gunshot wounds of thorax.
Frenchie was married to, then divorced from Margie Harrison, Page High School Class of 1963. They had a son together, Billy French, born in Page, Coconino County, AZ, in 1962. Billy died in Tucson, AZ in 2005. He was cremated, and his mother had his ashes until she put them on her parents' graves in March 2016. Billy French was survived by his mother and two younger siblings, Mitchum "Mitch" French of Tucson, and his half-sister, Angie Porter, of Shelbyville, TX. (Mitch French passed away on November 30, 2016.)
Frenchie was survived by his wife at the time of his death: Ophelia M. (Mathis) French, of Tucson, AZ 85706. He was buried in Sacramento Memorial, Sacramento, California.
His oldest brother, Virgil Lee French (1934–)
Birth 13 JULY 1934 • Whitefield, OK.
LIVING, of Safford, AZ;
was married to and divorced from: Janet L. Swope French (divorced May 1967, Los Angeles City, CA). He was remarried on December 31, 1969 in Fallon, Nevada to Rosalie Whaley.
His oldest sister, Mary Lue French (1939–2007)
(m. Charles Pitt, 1932–1988)
Birth 23 JAN 1939 • Antioch, California
Death 17 NOV 2007 • Oroville, California
His older brother, Benny Howard French
(May 6, 1940, Visalia, Tulare Co, CA –), age 76, LIVING Oroville, (previously Paradise), California; Irvina Kay French, Jesse Earl French, Ben French
His older sister, age 60, Nettie Elizabeth "Beth" French (1942–2002)
Birth 21 JAN 1942 • Clear Creek, Shasta, California
Death MAY 2002 • Redding, California
His father, Earl Alvie French, was the son of:
Alfred "Alf" French (1868–1939)
&
Elizabeth "Lizzie" Cole (1877–1959)
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