Disappearance on the Delta

California Delta (J.Rubio)

One warm June evening back in 1980, along the sleepy tributaries of the California Delta, 30 year old Pat Malone of King Island was heading home after finishing up a repair on a houseboat that had been stranded at Snodgrass Slough, when he simply seemed to vanish into thin air.

Pat, who was a private contractor repairman working through the Holiday Flotels Houseboat Rental company on King Island had been dispatched earlier that day around 5 p.m. to repair one of their disabled rentals, but when neither he nor his work boat was seen docked the very next morning, Nita Jackson (owner of Holiday Flotels) knew something wasn't right. It was an employee of the company, Russell Crow, 21, who initially noticed that Pat's maintenance boat was missing so he headed out onto the Delta, retracing the route Malone might have taken back home thinking perhaps Pat's boat might have broken down on the way back the night before. When he discovered the vessel on the the south fork of the Mokelumne River, it was near Hog Slough. As Crow approached the boat, it was clear to see there was no trace of Pat. He immediately notified authorities, and before anyone knew it, Pat Malone's whereabouts were one big mystery.

All initial newspaper reports claimed that the vessel Pat was piloting was found in tact and undamaged. In fact, even the owner of the Holiday Flotels was quoted saying,

“It’s just as if someone reached down and picked him up,” said Holiday Flotels Delta Houseboat Rentals owner Nita Jackson. Malone, a private contractor, was returning from a houseboat repair  mission for the King Island rental firm when he disappeared. "His father and mother are still out there searching,” she said. “It’s such a mysterious situation, with the boat not damaged in any way.  You can’t give up hope. Everybody is in a high emotional state – he’s missing and there’s no evidence of anything.”-- Lodi News-Sentinel (6/21/1980)

When I first began researching this story back in 2014 it was a personal quest to get answers not just for me, but for my dad. You see, Pat Malone was a good friend of my father growing up in Anaheim back in the 1950's and 1960's. I grew up hearing about all the crazy shenanigans that they got into as kids growing up. Although they became adults and moved on in their lives, they both kept in touch every so often to see how each other were doing. I remembered as a kid hearing dad mentioning what happened to Pat, and how the whole thing didn't feel right to him.

Pat lived just down the way on North Street, the same street dad grew up on along with other close friends and fellow school mates. The Malone family's house, just across the street and several houses down from my grandparent's, became like a second home to dad in his younger years.

Dad graduated Anaheim High in '65 with Pat's older brother, Mike, while Pat graduated in '67. It was by chance that I discovered Pat's photo recently after looking through my mom's yearbook. I wasn't going to get my hopes up at first, but as I turned the pages through the Junior year photos, there it was. This person I have been researching for a good 4 years, now I have a face to place the name and the story to.

Back to the story....

"The 20-foot repair craft used by Pat Malone, 30, was found undamaged along the bank of the Mokelumne River’s south fork, near Hog Slough, Friday morning. The boat’s ignition key was on but the motor was not running, the throttle was three-quarters open and there was plenty of fuel in the gasoline tank, according to Sheriff’s reports. Malone’s dog was discovered on a nearby island......Nothing on the deck of the boat, including the pilot’s chair which is not tied to the craft, was disturbed. All the boat’s life preservers were still on board, so apparently Malone was not wearing a life preserver, according to reports. But he has been described as a good swimmer, and as being familiar with the Delta....The boat is not equipped with running lights, and under Holiday Flotels policy, was not supposed to be used after dark."  -- Lodi News- Sentinel (6/21/1980)

According to Pat's fiancee, Gail Skelton, who lived with him on their houseboat on King Island, Pat had called her Thursday night around 7 p.m. to let her know he finished the repair and was heading home. The trip from Snodgrass Slough to King Island by boat was about an hour long, and when Pat didn't come home she began to worry.  The houseboat renters who had seen Pat the night before when he repaired their vessel, mentioned that Pat left around the same time, confirming Gail's story.

One thing that was mentioned twice in the newspaper was that Pat may have stopped by Wimpy's Marina near Walnut Grove. The bartender stated that someone who fit Pat's description was there between 11:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. No one ever confirmed that it was actually Pat, just that someone who fit his physical description was seen there. It was also mentioned that the person seen at Wimpy's "did not appear intoxicated."

A spokesperson for the Sheriff's Department stated several times in the newspapers that followed day by day, that the search was continuing and that they dispatched boat and ground crews in the area, as well as calling in the U.S. Coast Guard air and boat units to aid in their search efforts.

Suddenly by June 25th, the newspapers oddly changed the narrative of what might have happened to Pat. They were now claiming that the boat had been damaged. Remember, for several days each statement given by the owner of the rental company (who owned the boat) and by authorities who had made official statements all said the boat was "in tact" and "undamaged," which was why the mystery behind Pat disappearing was so strange. Initially there was no trace of evidence that anything happened. No accident, no struggle, nothing. He had simply vanished. Now, the story seemed to have changed.

“There was a hole underneath the bow of the boat,” said Sgt. Wilbert Vierra, chief of the Sheriff’s marine division. “It (the craft) did hit something, a rock maybe. He could have been thrown off and hit his head.” The circumstances surrounding Malone’s disappearance remain largely a mystery, but authorities do not suspect foul play.  The search for Malone, a private boat repair contractor, will continue indefinitely, said Vierra. Four men, working two shifts during daylight hours, are dragging the river. The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is aiding the search periodically, he said, and farmers and boaters are being alerted.Vierra said that on Monday he flew over the area in a plane rented by the Sheriff’s Department.  Friday, U.S. Coast Guard air and boat units aided the search. “We get some strange disappearances in the Delta,” said Vierra. --- Lodi News-Sentinel (6/25/1980)

After an 8 day search of combing the Delta, the newspapers reported that the body of Pat Malone was discovered about 200 yards from where his "intact but deserted craft was discovered June 20." The newspaper dated June 28, 1980 claimed that his cause of death was "drowning."

"Everything has been found to be consistent with drowning," said a spokesperson for the Coroner's office. They also mentioned that extensive tests were going to be carried out to determine the exact cause of death. Continuing to go with the later theory that Pat's craft had ran into some obstacle on the river, they also continued to adamantly assert that Pat had to have fell overboard and hit his head in the process.

You have to remember again that the reports showed the vessel had no indication that anything had happened to it. It had no damage to it and nothing seemed out of place on board. It wasn't until later that the theory that the boat suddenly had damage to it, and they believed he was thrown from the craft and drowned came into the picture.

It gets worse, much worse.....

According to the newspapers later published in January of 1981, it claimed that Pat's cause of death was drowning because of being drunk.

"Malone had a high level of alcohol in his system at the time of his death, according to the coroner's report, and authorities theorize that his drowning was an accident." -- Lodi News Sentinel (1/29/1981)

This is a red flag that there is something terribly wrong with this case. You see, when our bodies die, they naturally start producing ethanol in order to start the process of decomposition. The production of ethanol within the body begins shortly after death. As the hours go by, the bacteria begins to grow within the body and the bacteria itself produces the ethanol by converting it from sugars such as glucose. Another thing to consider is the fact that alcohol distributes itself unevenly through the body after death. Because of the fact that alcohol production in the body after death is the same as that from drinking, the blood-alcohol level alone cannot determine precisely whether or not the deceased was actually intoxicated at the time of death.

Blood plasma has a higher water content than whole blood, therefore it can show as 10 to 15 percent higher in an alcohol level test. The most accurate way to differentiate between the levels of consumed alcohol in the system and the postmortem produced ethanol, would be by testing the vitreous humour (gel-like substance inside the eye.) Testing that part of the body shows to be most accurate due to the fact that the vitreous humour collects little to no postmortem alcohol (the kind the body produces on its own). Still, this must be done within 48 hours after death.

Clearly 8 days would be long past the point of getting an accurate reading, thus it is my own opinion that Pat Malone was not drunk when he died, and there really is no way of proving that he was.

I have written the Sacramento Coroner's Department requesting copies of Pat Malone's coroner's report under the California Public Records Act. I haven't heard back from them yet, but I hope to add another blog in the future with the coroner's report findings.

Pat Malone and Gail Skelton, a couple very much in love, would have been married on St. Patrick's Day that following March, but sadly that never came to be.

So does the story end here? Sorry to tell you the answer is "no."

The Plot Thickens....

 Gail Skelton (Galt High School)

Just three months after Pat was declared dead, and his name disappeared from any further headlines in the papers, another disappearance took place along the Delta. This time it was further south, within San Joaquin County on the Delta at the western end of Eight Mile Road, and it was none other than Pat's fiancee, Gail Skelton.

On September 26, 1980, Gail was attending a party at Herman and Helen's Marina on Empire Tract when she also vanished without a trace, literally, along with her 1978 blue two-door Toyota (which was never found). The few witnesses who had seen her claimed that she was seen in a heated conversation with a man that they had seen earlier in the evening and again just before she went missing.

According to the January 29 issue of the Lodi News-Sentinel, detectives were able to make a break in the case after the last person who had seen Gail underwent hypnosis in order to help produce a composite sketch of the man that was seen arguing with Gail just before she disappeared. Even with the sketch, none of the detectives on the case could seem to identify the man. 

Several times in articles about Pat's disappearance, authorities stated that the cause didn't seem to be from foul play. Although the newspaper managed to bring up in the article about Gail's disappearance that "there was no reason to connect the cases", they admitted the two incidents were "surrounded by a lot of strangeness." (quote by Detective Nancy Sumers.)

 (Unidentified Person of Interest
White male, 25-30 years old,
with dark hair, over 6 feet tall and thin build) 

Gail's family searched tirelessly for years, especially Norma, Gail's mother. She would often spend days searching the river by car and by boat and would use bamboo poles taped together to poke the water hoping to find Gail's car or something that would lead to finding out what happened to Gail. Norma and the detectives on that particular case believed it was possible Gail had lost control of her car and plunged into the water, but since they never found her car or her body, they could never say for sure.

Norma continued searching and hoping that one day her daughter would be found, but eventually a marker at the Galt Cemetery was placed  with Gail's name on it. Although it doesn't actually say she died. It only mentions Gail as "Missing since 1980." I am unsure when this marker was put in, but it might have been around the time Norma passed away in 2013, since they share the marker along with Gail's other sister who is buried there with Norma.

So the question now is "What Happened To Gail?"

There has never been any trace of Gail over the years. No body, no car, nothing. It truly is like she vanished off the face of the earth. Originally when I was looking into Pat's death, I had no idea who Gail was, let alone that she had vanished, too. When I found the case about Gail going missing, it really bothered me a lot. It seems too strange to be a coincidence that both incidents happened 3 months apart to two people who were engaged. Both scenarios didn't fit to me, so I decided to start digging. I emailed the San Joaquin County Sheriff's "Missing Persons" page on Facebook to see if Gail was still missing, and they confirmed that she was. They didn't offer any further information though.

But during my research into her case, I found an oddity,  a public records search that listed a residence in Stockton having Gail's name as a resident there from 1995-2004. Was it possible that it was some sort of clerical error when the information was uploaded into the public records database? Or was it possible that someone was using her identity (since she was never legally declared dead)?

I have since notified the Cold Case Division in San Joaquin County, leaving them a message about this information I have found in the hopes they might do a follow up.

Over the years there have been other rumors or gossip floating around about possible reasons for Pat and Gail's disappearance (and or death) besides Pat accidentally drowning and Gail possibly driving her car into the river. Although there is absolutely no evidence to support these theories I thought I would list them down here for you to see anyway.

1)   DRUGS & ALCOHOL—

One theory thrown out there claims that Pat had been engaged in illegal activities that involved drugs. That he was drunk or under the influence when he fell off the boat, hit his head and drowned. 

*Note: Those who really knew Pat, claimed that he was NOT involved in any drug activity or illegal activities of any kind, and that was a made up excuse to make Pat and Gail look bad.

 2)   MURDERED-

Another theory claims that Pat pissed off some unidentified people in high places and he was silenced. Then possibly later on Gail was threatened by someone and she too disappeared. Bottom line, the theory is that they were murdered. 

3)   WITNESS PROTECTION-

One more theory, although it sounds a tad 'off the wall', was that Pat had some serious dirt on some heavy hitters and that he was going to turn states evidence on them, so in exchange he was offered to be in the witness protection program. It was theorized that Gail’s disappearance just 3 months later was when Pat had sent for her.  (We do not know who these alleged "heavy hitters" were, so there is no person(s) to point the finger at.)

Again, I have to reiterate that these following "theories" are just that. Whether you want to call them rumors or gossip, they are what they are. And although it is always possible that one of them is true, or none of them, as of now there is no way to prove any of them, so they will remain just that, "theories."

Something that I have to mention because it stuck out like a sore thumb to me was that the article about Gail mentioned that Pat and Gail were ardent foes of the Peripheral Canals (the original plan for the Delta Tunnels). Could circumstances surrounding Pat's death and Gail's disappearance have anything to do with their staunch opposition to the tunnel project, and any enemies they might of made because of this?

It seemed the Malone family were planning to open a huge resort (costing an upwards of $6 million to construct) on the Stockton channel of the Delta in San Joaquin County and were constantly dealing with opposition of their own. The May 5, 1978 issue of the Lodi News Sentinel stated that a project planned by Bob Malone and his two sons, Pat and Mike, had seen a lot of 'red tape' because of the Delta Advisory Planning Commission. Supervisor Norm Shumway voted against allowing the resort, claiming that it would "upset that fragile (ecological) balance within the Delta."

The proposed resort was to develop the north Headreach and north Tule Islands into a resort.

"Irish Isle” will provide boaters with a two-story-tall marina facility containing a restaurant, bar, dancing and live entertainment, and several shops. Spaces for 20 “boatels” with 100 units, 103 berths for motor boats, 26 houseboat spaces and camping, picnic, and swimming areas are also included in the plans. People who do not own boats will also be able to use the facilities, the Malone’s have said. Arrangements for shuttles to the island from the Port of Stockton are being negotiated and shuttle service from Uncle Bobbie’s Houseboat Haven at the western edge of Eight Mile Road are being planned, Mike Malone said." - Lodi News Sentinel  (5/5/1978)

Unfortunately that plan never made it to fruition. Too much bureaucratic red tape eventually led to the plan being abandoned completely, and the "Irish Isle"project was soon forgotten.

In ending, Pat Malone was born on September 5, 1949, in New Mexico, to parents Bob and Sue Malone. Pat died on June 19, 1980 on the Delta near Hog Slough. Gail Skelton was born on January 28, 1954, to parents Norma and Kenneth Skelton. Gail went missing as of September 26, 1980 and was never seen again.

Although it appears that Pat's death was ruled as an "accidental drowning," I don't know if I believe that. Those who knew him were aware that he was a great swimmer, and the story that he hit an obstacle and was thrown or fell overboard after the reports had originally stated the boat had no damage sounds very sketchy to me. I am simply unsure about it all to be quite honest. When I get a copy of his coroner's report I will post a follow up blog on my findings and any updates I may have then, along with my conclusion of what I believe really happened to him.

I reached out to the San Joaquin County "Cold Cases" Division this week, and left a message about Gail asking if they had looked into her case and if they would follow up on the public records address I found listing her in Stockton between 1995-2004. If I learn anything else I will post about it on another follow-up blog. Until then, we are left here endlessly searching and hoping one day there will be answers to what happened to Gail Skelton that September night at the marina at the Empire Tract.

Pat's parents have long since passed on, just as his brother, Mike. I haven't been able to locate any place of burial for any of the family members, including Pat. Gail's mother, Norma is buried at Galt Cemetery where you can see Gail's name on the marker stating she has been missing since 1980.

I cannot help but keep asking myself:  Was Pat's death truly "accidental"? Was Gail kidnapped and later murdered? Was it possible that she was so distraught by the loss of Pat that after one too many drinks she drove herself into the Delta waters that she and Pat loved so much? Or were both Pat and Gail murdered for reasons that we may probably never know? Too many questions and not enough answers, but it seems to me that Pat's death and Gail's sudden disappearance are related.

With all the talk of the "Delta Tunnels" going on, I often wonder that if that passes (which by the way will spell the end of the Delta and our agriculture in the Valley and Delta region), it will also open up a whole new can of worms when that river bed drains so low that all sorts of secrets that might have been lying at the bottom resurfaces after all these years.

Will we find Gail Skelton's car, and possibly her remains at the bottom of the river?
Will we find others who disappeared over the years, too? We have no choice but to wait and see. Although I hope that the Delta Tunnels don't go through, I do hope one day we find out what happened to Gail.

(Copyright 2018 - J'aime Rubio - www.jaimerubiowriter.com)

Thanks to"Rats" on websleuths.com for reaching out to me about Gail, and for all your efforts trying to research her case as well. Thank you also to "Folieadeuxnola" for finding Gail's high school photo.

Sources:
Lodi News Sentinel Archives:  5/5/1978; 6/21/1980; 6/23/1980; 6/25/1980;
6/27/1980; 6/28/1980; 1/29/1981
Anaheim High School Yearbook, 1966
Galt High School Yearbook, 1972 (c/o folieadeuxnola on websleuths website)
United States Public Records, 1970-2009
Find-a-grave
Lodi Sentinel (7/20/2013)

Scientific Sources:

Alcohol Metabolism After Death 
Forensic Science: Fundamentals and Investigations (2010 update)
Blood Alcohol Scores After Death Can Be "False Positive."
http://www.atlantainjurylawblog.com/uncategorized/blood-alcohol-scores-after-death-can- be-false-positive-up-to-0-2-html
Postmortem Blood Alcohol Concentrations -Are They Reliable?
http://www.wigmoreonalcohol.com/single-post/2013/01/11/Postmortem-Blood-Alcohol-Concentrations-Are-they-Reliable

Death At Lodi Lake

Lodi Lake, Lodi, California

June 8, 1952 was supposed to be a fun filled day at Lodi Lake for a parent sponsored party of 70 people, mostly students from Stockton High School, who were there for a party for their beloved band director, Bruce Hubbard who was leaving to take a new assignment in Monterey. Stockton High School administration had previously refused permission the week prior, so parents took it upon themselves to plan the party and carry it out. 

What should have been a picnic enjoyed by all, turned into a tragedy. Though park officials stated that every person who rented out a boat that day were warned not to get their crafts too close to the dam, it appears some teenagers didn't heed that message. Perhaps the two young men were too preoccupied with impressing their dates who accompanied them on the boat ride, but for whatever reasons, they ventured farther than they were supposed to.

Bud Kilburn (left)
Stockton High Yearbook '52

Bud Kilburn, 15,  Walter Christiansen, 15, Jacquelyn Scott, 14, and Joan Potter, 14, were enjoying their ride across the lake when the boat got too close to the dam at Woodbridge (the area where the fish ladder is), and the swift waters capsized the boat, sending its passengers off into the water. 

The Sheriff's office later explained that Bud Kilburn's statement was that he had been "attempting to turn the outboard-motored craft around when the current caught the boat broadside and dashed it against the concrete dam."

According to the Lodi News-Sentinel dated June 9, 1952, it stated "a six-inch margin made futile the rescue attempt of John Hollis Bible, 49, a vacationist stopping at Payne's Auto Court, Woodbridge. The Niland taxi operator said he was reaching for the black-haired head of the girl believed to be Joanne [SIC] Potter when both were dashed against boarding under the east support of the Woodbridge Road bridge."

He concluded that he had seen the bobbing head of one of the girls in the water and he tried to get down stream in order to intercept her. Sadly the currents pulled her faster than he could get to her. He said he could tell she had a bloody nose and above her left eye was an injury but that she kept attempting to keep her head above water until she hit the bridge. 

Stockton High
School Yearbook '53

The currents that day were considered "icy" which were said to have been around 6-8 miles per hour, which swept Joan and Jacquelyn under and sucked them in.  Other rescuers listed were W.L Pruett of Woodbridge who used his cherry harness to pull one of the boys out of the water. Eldon Snodgrass of Woodbridge grabbed the other boy by sticking his legs out into the water so the young man could grab on, which saved his life.

In the end, Bud Kilburn and Walter Christiansen were the only ones pulled out of the water alive. It took days before Sheriff's deputies were able to recover the bodies of Joan and Jacquelyn from the Mokelumne River. 

Jacquelyn Scott's parents were notified first. Mrs. Scott then called Mrs. Potter, Joan's mother, but failed to tell her that her daughter had died as well. Mrs. Potter traveled up to Woodbridge to pick up her daughter, thinking only Jacquelyn had passed away, only to find out that both girls had drowned. According to the newspaper, Mrs. Scott was not aware that Joan had died, and thus the confusion in communication between the parents. 

Jacquelyn Dee Scott was born on September 4, 1937, to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Owens Scott. Mr. Scott was a long time principal at McKinley Elementary School in Stockton.  She is interred at Casa Bonita Mausoleum in Stockton (North Wing, 2nd floor, West Wall).

Joan Potter was born on December 22, 1937, to parents Frederick K. Potter and Ethyle N. Oakes Potter. Joan is buried at Park View Cemetery in Manteca with the rest of her family.

Joan was a member of Mr. Hubbard's band along with band mate, Bud Kilburn.  More than likely Jacquelyn and Walter were their invited guests.  

I was able to get photographs of Jacquelyn, Joan, Walter and Bud because of my amazing fiance' Roland who was able to work his magic and locate the 1952 & 1953 yearbooks for Stockton High School out of his collection.  

According to the 1953 yearbook, Walter went on to graduate from the school, and planned to be a salesman. 

I couldn't find Bud Kilburn anywhere, which made me wonder if he transferred to another high school, given the fact that he was the one manning the boat that crashed and ultimately took the lives of two girls. The school took it pretty hard, and they even wrote a memorial for them in the '53 yearbook. 

Upon further researching into the other yearbooks, it turns out that Bud Kilburn graduated from Stockton High in '52. 

Back then Stockton used the 6-4-2 program where kids went 6 years to elementary, 4 years to middle school and two years (Junior and Senior) at the campus of the University of the Pacific. So Stockton High Students were attending the 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th grades, and Bud Kilburn was a graduate of the 10th grade that summer.

If you ever visit Lodi Lake, besides enjoying the beautiful serenity of the water, the trees and all that surrounds it, please take one second out of  your day and remember what happened to those two young women that day. A day that was supposed to be a warm, sunny summer day at the lake that turned into a day of tragedy for everyone involved.

In Memorium Photo; Stockton High School Yearbook '53

(Copyright, 2018- J'aime Rubio www.jaimerubiowriter.com)

Lodi News Sentinel (6/9/1952)
Stockton High School Yearbooks 1952, 1953 (Roland Boulware)
Find-a-grave

Denver's Mysterious Alonzo Thompson Mansion

In my line of work I have discovered all sorts of interesting stories. From mysterious deaths, suicides and murders to over the top urban legends. But this story I will be sharing with you has proven to be one of the strangest of cases. It isn’t about a murderous villain or even a helpless victim. No. This story is about the history of one, Alonzo Thompson and the peculiar details of his life as well as the history of his home. A home that was purported to be a real “Haunted Mansion.”

One thing that I noticed during my research into this story, is that no one had ever written about Alonzo or his house before, at least nothing online anyway. I could find no trace of any books mentioning it either. So what I am sharing with you is straight from the sources and just as they appeared in the headlines back at the turn of the century (or before).

The house that is situated on Humboldt Street in Denver, looks like any other beautiful, stately mansion, but it’s not just the house itself that intrigued me, but instead what happened inside this home that has pulled me in so much that I was compelled to write about it.  Before getting to all the particulars of the home’s eccentric history, first let me start out with the history of its very first owner, Alonzo Thompson.

Who Was The Original Owner?

Alonzo Thompson was born on February 22, 1832, in the town of Centerville, Illinois to parents Amos and Irene Thompson. The 1850 Census for St. Clair County, Illinois lists Alonzo as a “student” living with his parents along with his brothers and sisters. His father, Amos was listed as a “Farmer” although he was much more than that as I will highlight later on. When Alonzo was just 20 years old his mother Irene passed away. Alonzo graduated from McKendree College in Lebanon, Illinois, and he was one of 16 founders of the Platonian Literary Society.

Alonzo began teaching at a private school in Belleville, Illinois after graduating college, and he traveled to Maryville, Missouri and Louisiana to teach there as well.  His obituary noted that from 1856 to 1861 he took charge of the local Union troops, and later was elected into local Missouri Legislature in 1862. By 1864, he had become the Missouri State Auditor.  He remained in that position for four years, but in that time frame he also found himself in a huge scandal that sullied his name.

In 1865, the newspapers published an anonymous letter claiming that Alonzo had orchestrated a scheme that allowed him to steal money from unsuspecting out-of-state landowners who were being sent notices that they would be heavily fined for not paying their taxes on time. The letter also alleged that Alonzo created a fictitious business that acted as a middle man for the landowners to the State, claiming that if they paid him directly, including his “fee” for acting as their agent, he would make sure it got taken care of on time. In reality he had no right nor authority to collect any sort of taxes, but he used his title as the State Auditor to advertise this service to unsuspecting property owners, and thus he swindled a lot of people out of their hard earned money. ---

By 1868-1867, Alonzo became a real estate entrepreneur in St. Louis, and eventually moved back to Maryville, Missouri. Soon he went on to promote a railroad that went from St. Louis to Omaha, and even later settled in an Indian Reservation, building a beautiful and large home in Fullerton, Nebraska. Census records list him as a Capitalist, or Land Agent (real estate). 

Alonzo was married three times during his life. His first marriage was on December 6, 1857, to Mary Visonhaler.  This union brought forth three children: Hattie, Fannie and Elmer. Fannie died at just four months old. Elmer died when he was 26 years old. His wife, Mary passed away on March 1, 1877.  His daughter, Hattie outlived both her mother and father.

His second marriage was on April 12, 1880, to Mary Adams. She died exactly one year and a day later on April 13, 1881. They had no children together. His third and final marriage, to which he would later regret was to one Annie Elizabeth (Heard) Jones, on October 30, 1881, only six months after his second wife had passed.  The couple had one son together, Alonzo Thompson, Jr.

Third Time Wasn’t A Charm

So, Alonzo’s story really doesn’t take a turn for the strange and mysterious until he married his third wife, Annie, which was a huge mistake on his part.  It was during a séance with a medium known as Mrs. Lively in 1881, Alonzo was told to marry Annie, the divorced wife of Knox Jones. In another séance he was warned not to marry her, and later he claimed that was the one and only time he “disobeyed” advice from the spirit world.  You see, Alonzo was a spiritualist and had been dabbling in that field ever since the death of his mother in 1852. In the book “What Converted Me To Spiritualism,” Alonzo was given an entire chapter that tells his account of his original skepticism of life after death and what convinced him to believe otherwise.

(You can read that account here: https://archive.org/stream/cihm_78875#page/n39/mode/2up/search/+Thompson)

When he met Annie, she too was also involved in spiritualism. As years went on though Alonzo realized that she had been playing games with him, and he believed she had deceived him completely from the very beginning, pretending to be truly interested in his other worldly interests in order to entice or trap him by “appealing to the spirits in which the widower believed thoroughly to be the first aid to cupid.” She also gave him hundreds of letters that were purported to have been scribed by the spirits of his dead loved ones. Later on he stated that he felt all those letters were completely fabricated to make him believe she somehow had a direct line to those he missed. He also admitted that Annie managed to use her “connection” with the dead to “induce him to part with large sums of money.” Basically she was a gold digger.

After building a beautiful home in Fullerton, Nebraska and living there for a good twenty years or so, they just up and left, moving this time to Denver, where he would construct his magnificent 9 bedroom, 6 bathroom home on Humboldt Street in 1905, after purchasing four adjoining lots from Mr. Moffat.  It appeared that by the turn of the century Alonzo and his family went from doing so-so to living a moderately wealthy lifestyle. The question was how? What changed?

Courtesy of the Denver Public Library (Digital Collection)

Courtesy of the Denver Public Library (Digital Collection)

In 1901, Alonzo’s father passed away. Already being involved deeply in spiritualism for a good 49 years, he admitted that his real success finally came when he started communicating with the spirit of his dead father. Allegedly he started immediately holding séances where he would ask his father for advice on all matters of business. Once he built his mansion, he had a secret chamber or hidden room constructed, that was strictly for his communication with his father’s ghost. He claimed that every night like clockwork his father’s ghost would visit him at his home and join him in his secret room. It was reported that Alonzo would “never engage in any transactions or business dealings without consulting with him.”

The secret room that is hidden within the home was so secret even his own wife and son were never allowed to enter. To this day no one has ever written about the home besides what we find in archived newspaper clippings from 1912, so there is no way to know if the room was discovered by future owners down the line or if it remains still, a hidden room.

Courtesy of the Denver Public Library (Digital Collection)

Back to the Story

By 1912, Alonzo had just about enough of his marriage to Annie and filed for divorce, seeking not only to keep his newly made millions from her grasp but also to disinherit his son, too. But why?

Well, according to the newspapers of the time, Alonzo claimed that his wife and son were conspiring against him and that they intended to have him committed. According to Alonzo, they had been following him all over, even from state to state where he owned several properties, seeking to have the authorities arrest him and lock him up in an asylum. He was convinced that they wanted to take all control over his estate, and were going to use his “spiritualism” as an excuse to claim he was senile.

Alonzo stated that his father’s ghost had warned him that this was going to take place, and so he preemptively made the first move. Using his attorney, James A. Harris, Alonzo transferred or converted over $500,000 worth of property into cash that his wife and son could not get their hands on. He also changed his will, leaving his wife out and making conditions that his son could not inherit a dime of his estate unless he proved over a length of time that he could “be a man” and support himself. He felt his son was spoiled and needed to learn how to earn a living, instead of riding on the back of daddy’s coattails for the rest of his life. Once Alonzo filed his petition for divorce, Annie filed a counter claim, ultimately spilling the beans on her husband's licentious dalliances.

The Scandal Is Out

According to Annie Thompson, her husband had been unfaithful to her for many years, even going as far back to their time in Fullerton, Nebraska. It seems that their decision to just up and move to Denver was because of the fallout from an extra marital affair he had with another “medium” named Margaret Helsley, who also happened to be married.  Annie claimed that the affair caused such a “drain on them they had to move to another state.”

It didn’t stop there.  Annie went on to make the most surprising and humorous claim that Alonzo was also having dinner with the spirits of dead women. Of course you can imagine that the newspapers had a field day with this accusation, even going so far as to have the newspaper sketch artist draw up some sensationalized drawings of Mr. Thompson sitting in his “secret chamber” dining separately with the ghost of Cleopatra and Dido. Her list also included such names as: Sappho, Nell Gwynn and Juliette Recamier. But it wasn’t just his “dead affairs” Mrs. Thompson was worried about.

You see, moving to Denver didn’t seem to stop Alonzo’s wavering eye, and soon he caught sight of yet another woman. This time it was Mrs. Noyes, who lived on Lincoln Street.  Apparently, Annie started to notice that every time Mrs. Noyes would go on long trips out of town, so would her husband, so she decided to start following them and found that they were having an affair.  

“Cleopatra is not demanding a new motor boat, Queen Elizabeth is not pouting for a new castle, Marie Antoinette does not sign for a chateau to add to her collection….but the living “soul mate” or some other charmer still in the flesh, is alleged to be drawing extensively on the aged man’s plentiful finds.”

According to Annie, her husband became obsessed with Mrs. Noyes, who claimed to have some power to use her body to communicate with his dead father. It appeared that Annie was no longer manipulating her husband, and now he had a new love interest who was sinking her claws into Alonzo’s back, and his pocket book.

His Side of the Story

Alonzo’s quoted statements tell a different side of the story:

 “I want to see my wife humiliated so that she may realize what I have done for her, and I want to see my son, who has posed as the ‘best dressed man in Denver’ for years, at my expense earn his own living.”

“I don’t object to my wife and son living in my home, but I do mean to see Alonzo (Jr.) works for a living and supports his mother….I want to see my wife suffer for the suffering she has caused me. Perhaps she will then realize what I have done for her.”

“Mrs. Thompson says that my spiritualistic studies have unbalanced my mind. I wonder if she remembers that we were poor until I finally established communications with my father, whose advice has given me the fortune that my wife and son now seek to rob me of.”

Alonzo Thompson’s estate comprised of his stately mansion, and a combined worth of millions of dollars of property that spanned from Denver, Tennessee, Nebraska, Missouri and North Dakota.

In the end he did leave a share of his estate to his son, “provided that he makes a man of himself within a reasonable time.” The rest of his estate he bequeathed to charity and “benevolent institutions” to the promotion of spiritualism.

Salida Record (4/11/1913)

Alonzo’s Death

On April 10, 1913, Alonzo passed away at the age of 81 after battling a long illness. The newspapers claimed he had boasted that he had been told by the "other side" he would live to be 96, but obviously that was not to be.  Shortly after his death, his body was taken from Denver and buried at Green Mount Protestant Cemetery in Belleville, Illinois. 

But this story is far from over. 

According to the November 26, 1913 issue of the San Francisco Call, it states that according to the keepers of the property, a “ghost” made an appearance every evening in the home. Now of course the newspaper assumed it was Alonzo, given the fact he had just passed away seven months prior, but if you recall, it was Alonzo who claimed that his father’s ghost would visit nightly like clockwork to visit with him in his hidden room. So who or what was creating such a stir in the home? Unfortunately, no more could be found about the home or its “haunted history” after that one article.

Recently, I reached out to the current owners of the home but I have yet to receive a response back from them. I was hoping I could speak to them firsthand to hear what they have to say about the mansion, whether or not they know about this secret room, and whether they feel it’s a “haunted mansion” or not. Unfortunately, I have yet to communicate with the owners of the home to see if they have something to add to this story so I cannot give you a definitive answer.

Still, Alonzo Thompson’s personal story alone is one built on a lot of secrets, scandals and ultimately superstition.  Was his home ever truly haunted, or was that a farce all along? Did he really communicate with the other side, or was he just a very clever con-man?

Who told the truth between his or his wife’s stories, or was the truth found somewhere in between?  And lastly, was Alonzo Thompson insane as his wife and son claimed, or were they just after his money the whole time?

So many questions that we may never find all the answers to.

HAPPY HISTORY HUNTING!

---Note: The Alonzo Thompson Mansion is a historical home, but it also is a private residence. I am asking everyone reading this blog PLEASE DO NOT DISTURB the current owners/residents of the home. I cannot stress this enough. History is wonderful, and it’s nice to drive by a home that has a fantastic story behind it, but it is still someone’s home, and we MUST show respect and not disturb them. Thank you! --

(Copyright 2018 – J’aime Rubio – www.jaimerubiowriter.com)

A special thanks to Coi Drummond-Gehrig at the Denver Public Library for photo permissions!

and a big thanks also to  John Marshall for added research!

Sources:

Denver Public Library (Digital Collection)

St. Louis Post Dispatch (7/28/1912)

Springfield Missouri Republican (7/21/1912)

Denver Post (7/21/1912)

San Francisco Call (4/21/1913)

Herald Democrat (4/10/1913)

Salida Record (4/11/1913)

San Francisco Call (11/26/1913)

The Engineers Record, Volume 51

The Day Book, Chicago, (7/22/1912)

St. Louis Daily Missouri (c/o Columbia Daily Tribune)

Acts of the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, Jan. 3, 1883

United States Census (1850, 1880, 1900, 1910)

“What Converted Me To Spiritualism- 100 Testimonies,” (pg 33-34) Circa 1901.

Genealogical and Family History of the State of Maine – (Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1909).

Ettie Humphreys And Her Forgotten Headstone

Mina Etta "Ettie" Russell Humphreys (photo: J. Rubio)

Ione, California is famously known for its archaic structure that towers above the small town, up on the top of the hillside known as Preston Castle. Years ago, I wrote a book on some of the famous and infamous events that took place at that castle as well as early history that had been long forgotten.

Well, it turns out that the castle isn't the only thing in town made from that dark red sandstone, which is the same color of the red clay hills that surround the area. There is one headstone in the Ione Public Cemetery that bears the same color and stone, too,  which Preston Castle is best known for.

The stone was a mystery to many who would visit the cemetery. At first glance it appears that either time and the elements had washed away grooves into the stone, wiping the name and dates etched in the marker. It also appears that this could have been done by a person, too, but I hope that was not the case. Nevertheless, the identity of this grave had elluded many searching for it.

It was a hard thing, the first letters of the first name appear to be "ET" while the last letters of the last name read "WS" (or so we thought!) One thing clearly visible was the year of death, 1906.  I searched the death records for Amador County based on the year, to no avail. I even did a search in the Find-a-grave database for the cemetery and the cemetery index for any person whose name matched those letters, in both first and last names. Still nothing.

It was after posting the photo above on Facebook that a few of my friends got involved to help me figure out this  mystery.  Robert Mitchell, who is a historical researcher out of Louisville, was able to figure out that her name was Ettie Humphreys (although the cemetery had it under the name Humphries).

I almost kicked myself when I saw the name, as I had come across that memorial on Find-a-grave during my initial search and disregarded it based on her last name not matching the letters on the headstone and because there was no biography posted about her. (If you visit her memorial now you will see that the contributor has since added a bio for her, which was after I posted my blog.) 

Upon further research into the archived newspapers, the May 11, 1906 edition of the Amador Ledger reveals her tragic story.

Amador Ledger, 5/11/1906

Mina Etta "Ettie" Russell was born on February 21, 1870, in Ohio. When she was just a baby, her parents moved to California, near Buena Vista. Later they moved to Chico and remained until 1880, when her mother passed away.  After the death of her mother, nine-year-old Ettie was moved from home to home, first living with Mrs. William Cook in Buena Vista, and then Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Norris, where she remained until she was married.

Ettie married George Humphreys in Amador County on February 23, 1890. She was 19 years old and he was 31. George had two sons from his previous marriage, Miles and Jimmy, (both were born in 1882 and 1884). By 1900, the Humphreys' were living in the Consumnes Township of El Dorado County, and her legal name was stated as "Nina E. Humphreys."  It is unknown when she moved back to Amador County.

According to the Amador Ledger article, Ettie was a "noble woman, always ready and willing to led a helping hand to those in need, and a loving mother, her first thought being of her boys."  This is very telling, especially since the two boys were not her biological children. Her heart must have been extremely loving and open, because she died on her way to help those who were affected in the Great Earthquake of 1906. In fact, it was only three days after the earthquake that left the bay area devastated with destruction, that she was determined to go and help locate friends and family who were displaced after their homes were destroyed.

"On the evening of her death, Ettie, as she was known by all her friends, was accompanying a friend to East Oakland that they might obtain a pass to San Francisco, to locate relatives who had lost their homes during the disaster, but as she neared her destination she rose from her seat on the outside of the car while in motion, and was thrown to the sidewalk, striking her head on the pavement, which resulted in almost instant death."--

The "car" as it is mentioned must have been a street car or trolley of some sort. The article goes on the state that her body was brought to Ione, California for interment to be next to her mother, Eliza Jane Russell.  The Rev. Hinkson of the Presbyterian Church conducted the services.

Visiting Ettie's grave

What is really neat about Ettie's grave, despite the fact that it is worn so badly you cannot read it, is that hers is the only red sandstone marker in the entire cemetery. Not only that, but in all the years I have been roaming cemeteries I have never come across a red sandstone marker like hers. That alone is a truly unique thing!

In ending, let us remember Mrs. Ettie Humphreys, a kind and caring woman who died on her way to help others. She was only 36 years old, and a mother of two boys. After learning of her life and death, I felt that I could relate to her in many ways, as I am about her age and also a mother of two boys. I can only imagine that her last thoughts were of her husband and those two boys.

To Ettie Humphreys, may you never be forgotten ever again!

Ettie is buried next to her mother, Eliza Jane Russell (photo: J. Rubio)

(Copyright 9/14/2016-- J'aime Rubio, www.jaimerubiowriter.com
Originally published on Sept. 14, 2016 on my Dreaming Casually Blog,
republished 4/20/2018).


Thank you Rob Mitchell for all your help!

Sources:
1870 Census, Ohio
1900 Census, Amador County
Amador Ledger, May 11, 1906
California, Amador County Marriages 1850-1952
Family Search.com

Flora Somerton - Nob Hill's Famously False Urban Legend

Last Halloween, when I was driving my son home from work, and happened to be switching radio stations, I heard the mention of a "lady in white" frequently sighted in Nob Hill, San Francisco. The name of this alleged specter was presumed to be Flora Somerton.

The story relayed over the airwaves was brief but mentioned that the young lady mysteriously disappeared from a ball one night in 1876, only to be discovered 50 years later, dead in the same dress she had been seen wearing the night she vanished. The DJ was not very clear about what had happened to Flora during those 50 years. Was she dead all that time and they only discovered her body 50 years later? Or did she die 50 years later? I was intrigued by this story, even the just the small tidbits I heard over the radio, so I decided to go home and see if there was any truth to this story or not.

First, I searched her name and every variation of it: Flora Somerton, Flora Sommerton and Flora Summerton. Besides the many links to websites mentioning the story in almost a scripted, (copied and pasted) regurgitation of the same story, there was not one website that cited any concrete sources of where they got their information. It appears that each person copied from the other person, and so on, leaving the internet inundated with sites mentioning her story, but not really detailing facts.

Several "paranormal" authors mention her story as fact in their books, claiming that she was a real person who really disappeared in 1876. They go on to state that she was engaged to be married to someone her parents set up (basically betrothed), and that at her "coming out" ball she took off and disappeared. Several writers claim that her family were socialites in San Francisco's high society and that they offered large rewards for any information leading to Flora. There are mentions of $250,000.00 being offered as a reward from her family, as well as noting that the newspapers all over the country published this mystery.  Then the story goes on that nearly 50 years later, an indigent woman going by the name "Mrs. Butler" dies in Butte, Montana, and that when her body is discovered, she is found with the dress and newspaper clippings about Flora's disappearance in 1876. Allegedly the authorities put two-and-two together, leading to the conclusion Mrs. Butler is actually Flora Somerton and she is brought back to her family plot to be buried.

The ghost story surrounding Flora claims that she haunts California Street, between Jones and Powell Streets, where she once lived. This is close to the Fairmount Hotel. She is known as the "Ghost Bride of Nob Hill" or the "Lady in White."

In theory the alleged history of this woman's story sounds interesting, but I could not find any facts to substantiate any of these claims. Although these previous writers claim there were newspaper articles laying out the entire story from her disappearance to the discovery of her body half a century later, none of these writers ever cite the sources they used to base their conclusions on.

I diligently searched every archive database I could find and came up with no newspaper articles of that time period showing that any woman named Flora Somerton had been missing, nor were there any records in Butte, Montana, showing her death, or the death of this "Mrs. Butler," in 1926.

In reality, it appears that there was no Flora Somerton (spelled any way you try)....and if there had been, she did not live in San Francisco. There are no records of birth, death, census records, voting registries, nothing with Flora's name or anything that remotely comes close to it. The only newspapers that mention her at all are ones that mention the legend, the ghost stories, not the events that supposedly took place in 1876.

In my research I did find one family with that name, although they spelled their last name as Summerton. They also lived in San Francisco. The 1880 Census shows the father's name was George Summerton, and his wife, Matilda. George had two daughters from his first wife, Susan. Their names were Amelia and Elizabeth; however, neither one of the daughters disappeared. Another thing to note, the family did live in Nob Hill, but not on California Street. The Summerton's residence was located at 1417 Hyde Street, in between Jackson and Washington Streets, but again, these young ladies did not go missing.

I hate to rain on anyone's parade but there are no records or documented facts that prove Nob Hill's infamous "lady in white" was this woman Flora Somerton. Again, it is highly unlikely this woman "Flora" ever existed at all.  The "lady in white" stories go back centuries, leading us back into ancient folklore from Europe, such as France's "Les Dames Blanches." This tale is among the most popular in urban legend folklore that I have found in my research and writing. It appears every region has their own story of a mysterious "lady in white."

So in ending....whatever is roaming California Street in the dark of night and whatever you choose to believe it to be, one thing is for sure: it isn't Flora Somerton.


(Copyright 2016 -- J'aime Rubio  www.jaimerubiowriter.com)
Originally published on the blog, Dreaming Casually (10/15/2016)
Republished on 4/8/2018

Georgia Fisher's Monument of Love

Monument for Georgia Fisher (J.Rubio)

This monument sits at one of the higher points of the Historic Sacramento City Cemetery. Facing east on the northern section close to the Broadway entrance, it's ornate tile design is what caught my eye the very first time I walked by it.  The sheer beauty of the monument is equally matched with the sudden feeling of sadness upon closer examination. It isn't just a sadness solely because of the tragic back story of the grave itself, but also the painful realization knowing how horribly this grave has been treated over the years. If we could have only seen the monument in its full splendor back when it was constructed, then we would be able to fully realize the love and craftsmanship -- literally blood, sweat and tears, it took to create such a masterpiece.

The monument was built for Georgia Fisher, a young lady, only 19 years old at the time of her death. The man who built her beautiful memorial was none other than her devastated groom-to be, Martin Bergman. The couple were to be wed on New Year's Day in 1876, but Georgia passed away just days before the wedding, on December 27, 1875.

Georgia's Story

Georgia Fisher, or "Georgie" as she was sometimes called, was the only daughter of George Fisher and Narcissus Tucker. Born on February 25, 1856, in Louisiana, it appears that Narcissus brought Georgia with her to Arkansas at some point shortly after her birth, as the Tucker family: William Tucker and Paulina Adelina Humphrey-Tucker (Narcissus' parents), all traveled together in an ox-team of settlers across the plains from Arkansas to California around 1857-1858. Although I could find no records of a divorce or death, I believe George Fisher more than likely died, leaving Narcissus a young widow.

It was after getting to California that Narcissus, a young single parent with an infant child to raise, married Thomas Kirtlan, a Blacksmith by trade. Their marriage date is estimated at around 1858, when Georgia was 2 years old. Kirtlan had originally been born in England, but came to the United States with his parents across the Atlantic as an infant. He was raised in Ohio, and there he learned his trade. By the time he was 19 years old, he traveled to California, via the Isthmus of Panama and settled in Jenny Lind (Calaveras County). He would remain there until 1869, when he moved his family to Sacramento to set up his new shop on Twelfth and K Streets. Eventually the family moved again, this time to Freeport, just south of Sacramento, along the Delta, near the other small towns of Clarksburg, Locke and Walnut Grove.

Georgia was the eldest half sister of nine children born between Narcissus and Thomas Kirtlan. Around the age of 17 (1873-74), Georgia left home and went to work as a hired domestic for the Bergman family in Sacramento. Other records state that she had only been in the employ of the Bergman's for five months before her death, which would mean she came to work at the household at the age of 19. It is uncertain the exact date that she came to be employed in the Bergman household, but the fact remains that by 1875, she was working there.

The Bergman sons, Johann and Martin, had came to California from their native Sweden in the late 1860s, after having been so impressed by a sample of California clay they had seen in Stockholm. The two potters were convinced that their future was in America, so they left everything behind to start a new life. The journey was long, crossing the Atlantic and then walking the Isthmus only to board another steamer to San Francisco, but their determination was unshakable.

After settling in Sacramento, the two brothers set out to buy out their competition, Sacramento Pottery. The Bergman's began prospecting, not for gold, but for clay, finding a rich deep pocket of the best clay at Michigan Bar and Cook's Bar in Sacramento County (near Rancho Murieta). In fact, according to The History of Sacramento County, California, by G. Walter Reed, Michigan Bar was thought to be "the best bank of clay for pottery" in the entire state. The Bergman brothers became so successful that they paid for their parents and siblings come to California from Sweden.

Georgia Fisher and Martin Bergman 

The monument as it looked Circa 1930

Their Love Story

According to an article from the Sacramento City Cemetery's website,  Georgia was hired by Mrs. Bergman, Martin's mother. Their home was located at 30th and N. Streets in Sacramento.  It appeared that Martin Bergman fell for the young lady while she worked in their household, and although he was much older than her, Georgia reciprocated the feelings.  According to a quote within the article, from a Bergman descendant, Pat Pors, it appeared that the family was quite happy with the union of the two, and they were preparing for the holidays and the upcoming nuptials said to have been scheduled at the Presbyterian Church (13th & N Streets) on New Year's Day.

At some point during the hustle and bustle of getting so much done to prepare for the festivities, Georgia fell ill. Some say she died from typhoid pneumonia, while another genealogical report by Charles Wm. Berberich, another Bergman descendant, listed her cause of death as diphtheria or brain congestion/meningitis.  I could not find any death record for Georgia, so I am undecided on which cause of death is certain. Either way, we know she fell ill and passed on December 27, 1875.

Martin was devastated at the loss of his beloved Georgia, and so in his final act of everlasting love, he chose to construct for her the finest monument, made from the best materials, by his own hand. It was said that he worked tirelessly with tears streaming down his face to create a memorial worthy of Georgia, who undoubtedly was the love of his life.

The plaque erected by the Old City Cemetery Committee in 2010, sits in front of the monument and summarizes the tragic love story for passersby to learn while strolling through the cemetery.

According to the plaque, "Shortly after Georgia's death, Martin, together with his father and brother, created this monument on her grave site. Martin, a Swedish immigrant sculptor, constructed the ornately tiled base. His father, John Bergman, added a statue of the angel Gabriel. Martin's brother, John, created an equally beautiful column. Together, they built an ornamented clay pedestal fence around the plot. 

Georgia's picture, in repose, was placed on the monument beneath the angel. Over the years, vandalism, theft and natural forces have taken their toll on the monument, leaving only a shadow of its original beauty."---

 According to the online records posted by Charles Wm. Berberich, he quotes a letter that Georgia had written but never had a chance to send that described Martin in her own words, "a gentleman in every shape and manner...honest and of good principles....He is in business with his brother and another man, but it is good business and pays pretty good. It is the pottery business...he is not rich neither is he well off but he has good health and understands his trade well. He is about 31 years of age and his name is Martin L. Bergman. He weighs about 160 lbs and has long dark beard and dark hair and blue eyes." ---

Martin waited nearly 20 years before allowing himself to marry, in the 1890s. But even so, it appears that he and his wife became estranged over the years. When Martin died in Spokane, Washington, in 1920, he left all his estate to his only daughter, and nothing to his wife. Martin Bergman was a very prominent potter and sculptor who truly made a name for himself in his lifetime.

To date, the only known photo of Georgia Fisher is the one that was taken after her death.


Rest In Peace, Georgia.

(Copyright 2017, J'aime Rubio- www.jaimerubiowriter.com)
Originally posted on blog, Dreaming Casually 1/15/2017, republished on 4/8/2018.

Photos at cemetery by: J'aime Rubio
Sketch by: J'aime Rubio
Photos of Martin Bergman and Georgia Fisher and monument from the Sacramento City Cemetery plaque.
Sources:
"A Monumental Love Story" by Marilyn Demas -(Published June 2005)
via Sacramento City Cemetery website;
Find-a-grave;
Rootsweb post by Helen Fingado (2004)
History of Sacramento County, G. Walter Reed;
Individual Report for Martin Laurentius Bergman, by Charles Wm. Berberich.