Bellflower Years: 1944 - 1951
I was born in Long Beach on November 30, 1944, just before the Battle of the Bulge. My mother, Helen, the former “ Dolly” Scherer, had been fighting her own battle of the bulge for nine months and, I am sure, was anxious for relief. My father, Arthur, took some time off work from the airplane factory, to be with my mom and me. I was baptized shortly after at Saint Bernard Church in Bellflower. My Godparents, John and Marie Kummer (my dad's employers when he worked at their dairy), put on a special celebration after the ceremony. I found out many years later that my wife, Barbara, was born (January 28, 1945) on the day I was baptized.
Once out of the hospital, I joined my parents and sisters, Zoe and Joyce, in a new tract home in Bellflower (now Lakewood). Dad could afford the $50.00 per month payment, and Mom could stay home with the kids.
Mom maintained a scrapbook for each of us children which included a detailed log of our growth and original Christmas and birthday cards, War ration applications, tickets, etc. 1945:
Scrapbook log: ten months old
Joyce, Cousin Joan, Aunt Evelyn holding Jim, Zoe, Tanzy
November 1946
Mom knew everyone in this neighborhood that was exploding with soldiers, wives, and kids at the end of World War II. She was always a 'best neighbor' helping anyone in need or planning another neighborhood party for all the kids in the neighborhood.
The latest party: Julia Norton with Mom and me
"March 11, 1947 Zoe, my bike, Anne Blakemore, Joy & Me"
"Jim & Anne in Anne's buggy...it came all the way from England"
Easter 1947: Zoe and Joyce back row with curls; Jim front row right
1947
On Sundays after church, we usually went for drives. We piled into “the Graham” for adventures to the mountains, the beach, a local airport to watch planes take off, or most frequently to Grandma and Grandpa Scherer’s home in Temple City. We loved to explore the ranch that Grandpa had created from the dry riverbed, a wonderland of horses, chickens, rabbits, ducks, an enormous garden, and fruit trees. While we explored, Grandma made Missouri fried chicken for dinner. Every visit was a special adventure. Grandpa Scherer would put me on Toby, his favorite horse, as we would wander around the ranch. Then he would tell me stories about how he made lots of money years ago, share the latest get rich quick scheme, or show me one of his fancy cars.
Posing with Grandpa's 16 cylinder Cadillac limousine
I thought Toby was my best friend, so I crawled under the fence into the corral when Grandpa was gone. Toby reared up and was ready to trample me when his mother, Dolly, shielded me from him just as Grandpa returned. I never felt safe around horses after that.
Our home became a magnet for the neighbors when my dad bought the first television on the block. Even the test pattern was a source of amazement on the tiny round screen. We watched all the new TV shows together. It wasn't long before I received the Troopers Honor Scroll in the mail. Now I had two heroes: Grandpa and Hopalong Cassidy.
Our home was about a mile from St. Bernard Catholic Church. An on-fire convert, Mom made sure that we attended Sunday Mass and received our first sacraments. My sisters and I attended the school adjoining the church where we first encountered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange. See Joyce and Zoe with a friend in school uniforms (below) before I joined them.
Jim, Joyce, friend, Zoe
Mom started her life-long volunteer efforts by helping the nuns in the classroom. Dad taught us how to ride our bikes so that Zoe could lead us to school safely each morning.
I started first grade in 1950, skipping kindergarten, since it wasn't offered by the Catholic school. Zoe led Joyce and me on our bikes to St. Bernard's. Sister Tarcisius got me off to a great start. Sister Consuelo followed for the first half of second grade. Around Christmas break, Dad was transferred to Fresno by North American Aviation to work on the new F-86 fighter. Also motivating the move was my sister, Joyce, who had developed terrible asthma and would be better off, we were told, in dryer climate. Our home went on the market for $9,250 for the lucky buyer who could afford $2,150 down. The Redfin estimate today for the three bedroom, one bath, 1,022 sq. ft. home is: $727,996. Good luck making mortgage payments on that for most workers today.
1951
2021
When I posed with Joyce and Zoe in late 1951, we didn't look too happy to be leaving Bellflower. We would miss our friends and parties. I would miss running around the neighborhood in my wagon, chasing the ice truck, the Good Humor ice cream truck, or waiting for the milkman to arrive, helping Mom put on parties, going to visit Grandma and Grandpa most Sundays. A new school, church, and neighborhood awaited us in Fresno. I figured it would be okay.
Close in height and age, sometimes mistaken for triplets
I must have been in a better mood for my school picture. I have always welcomed new adventures and figured Fresno couldn't be all that bad.
Next: Fresno and Santa Clara Years