The Life Story of Grandma Freitas

2

President ’s Corner

3

Membership Renewals In Memory of

4

MEMORIAL GIFTS 5

Phyllis Abram New Board Member

6

List of Board of directors

7

Museum Info

8

WHAT’S INSIDE

AUGUST 2019 - VOL. 31, ISSUE 8

THE MANTECA HISTORICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

THE MUSEUM

Museum Hours: Wed. & Thurs., 1- 3pm; Sat. & Sun., 1- 4pm - Call (209)825-3021 for Info. - Admission is Free

Upcoming Dates:

All events are at the

Museum, unless indicated.

Exec. Committee Meeting

Wed. Aug. 13, 2019 3:30pm

Reminisce Group Tues. Aug. 20, 2019

1:00 pm

Board Meeting Thurs. Aug. 22, 2019

6:30pm

Fall Social Sun. Sept. 22, 2019

1pm - 4 pm

See us online:

themantecamuseum.org Info.mantecamuseum@gmail.com

DEDICATED TO THE PRESERVATION OF MANTECA AREA HISTORY

Reminisce From Afar

I am living in Texas with my daughter so I cannot come to the Tues-day meeting to reminisce, but I thought I would write this letter in-stead.

I can remember two of your last honorees; Tom Brockman & Joshua Cowell. I was born in 1930 in Manteca although Manteca Hospital was closed at the time, so my mother went to San Joaquin General in French Camp where her sister, Nora Knight was in training to be-come an R.N. However, Frances Webb Fagan was born at the Mante-ca Hospital. At that time, it looked more like someone’s house. I can see it in my minds eye, I graduated from Manteca High School as valedictorian in 1942. Three of my friends were; Betty June Jessee Farrell, Kay Malberg, and LaReatha Goodwin Browne. My father owned Webb’s Market and my mother was a teacher who went on to become principal of Summer Home School. I can remember Manteca in 1936, at that time I went to kindergarten at Lindbergh Elementary School. I would walk home after school and admire the empty lots covered with California Poppies, so pretty. I can understand why it became the state flower. Lindbergh, at that time, had a small merry-go-round in the kindergarten. I was sorry to see it go. By the time my children went there, it had been taken out. I had married Chris Peters of the El Rey Theatre. When I was about 5, I was not allowed to cross the street to Webb’s Market, my dad’s grocery store. He would look out the window and motion me to come across when it was safe. He would always give me a frankfurter. Now days they call them hot dogs. I can remember the big sides of beef hanging from hooks in the cold room. He would age the beef himself. Even though I moved away, Manteca is always in my heart.

To all my friends at the Manteca Historical Society newsletter, I read all the goings on in Manteca. I lived there for over 40 years and re-member Manteca fondly.

Sincerely,

Janice Webb Peters Akin

PAGE 2 THE MUSEUM

The Life Story of Grandma Freitas

I was born Adelaide Lucy Silveira on October 10, 1898. I was born in Moraga, California. My father’s name was Thomas Souza Silveira. He was born in Pico, Azores in 1868. My father died on November 16, 1942. My mother’s name was Maria de Gloria Silveira. She was also born in Pico, Azores in 1866. My mother died on April 30, 1936. They knew each other in the Azores, but did not marry un-til they arrived in the United States. It took 17 days traveling by sea to arrive in the United States. My father worked at a lumber mill in Ukiah before moving to Mora-ga, California. My parents rented 1200 acres from Burgess Company and owned a dairy with over 100 cows. They also grew oat hay to feed the cows. I am the third born of nine children. The oldest was Joseph Souza Silveira born January 12, 1894 in Santa Rita. He died in May 1964. Mary was born August 15, 1896 in Santa Rita. She died in 1969. John was born in 1900 in Moraga. He died in 1934. Evelyn was born August 18, 1902 in Moraga. She died in 1950. Frank was born January 30, 1904 in Moraga. He died in 1978. Thomas was born in 1905 in Moraga. He died at age 5 1/2 months from typhoid fever. William was born on January 28, 1907 in Moraga. He died in 1967. Helen was born in 1910 in Moraga. She died at age 8 months due to a bowel disorder. I worked on the farm with my family. We milked a total of 100 cows. I milked 10 cows twice a day and I fed the calves before I walked to school over the hill and through the fields. I used to know all the cows. Once day, I told my dad there was a cow missing, but he did not believe me. I took my dog, Fanny, with me and I spotted the cow. I told Fanny “Look!” and she saw the cow and brought it home. My dad said he did not believe there was a cow missing, but now he believed it. We wore men’s shoes and in the winter time, we got very wet and stayed wet all day in school. We were Portuguese speaking and had to learn English as school. I started school when I was six or seven years old and went to the 7th grade. I had six months to finish school, but my foot was bothering me so I quit. My teachers names were Annie Johnson, my first teacher, then Mrs. Christiansen, a German la-dy, Mrs. Hagenman, Mrs. Molkay, Mrs. Sweeney, and another Mrs. Molkay. I also took cream in three 10-gallon cans in a cart with one horse, called Fanny, to Moraga every three days. I took the cans off of the cart and put it on the depot plat-form and the train took the cream on to Oakland. My sister, Mary, and I used to take dressed calves and hogs to Berkeley 12 miles away in a cart drawn by two horses. It took approximately three hours to get there. One day, when we went to Berkeley, my sister Mary (who was then 20 years old) and I (who was 18 years old), decided to have our picture taken using some of our father’s money from the butchered animals. ...continued in September newsletter

PAGE 3 AUGUST 2019

FOR REAL CLEAN

WINDOWS Quentin & Lucas Bassett

(209)823-1492

For Excellent Service!

Suzanne Johnson

Sally Mendes

Mark your calendars! Plans are being made for the 27th Annual Autumn Social to be held on Sunday, September 22, 2019. We will gather “on the green” at the M.R.P.S. Social Hall and enjoy a BBQ lunch catered by Hats & Boots BBQ. We are hoping to have a large turnout this year, so ask your friends, relatives, and neighbors to join in on the fun. Tickets will be available soon. Thank you to Janice Webb Peters Akin for writ-ing to us and sharing her memories of growing up in Manteca. You can read her thoughts in this newsletter. I encourage all members to share with us either by letter or email, this is what keeps our history alive. Everyone has a story to tell, so please share with us. I would also like to thank Shirley Sanchez Sadler of Manteca for sharing the story of her

Grandma Freitas. It certainly give’s a look into the lives of the early residents of Manteca and surrounding areas.

President’s Corner

Museum Gift Shop

New items are available in the gift shop in-cluding canvas tote bags, plant stakes, note-

pads, and stickers. T-shirts are 50% off, while supplies last. More jewelry has been added, so

come in and see the new inventory.

Members receive a 10% discount on items.

PAGE 4

THE MUSEUM

Don & Kim Widmer Family

Caroline & Bruce Wolfe

In Memory of

Museum Members

Joanne Wood

PAGE 5 AUGUST 2019

MEMORIALS & HONOR’S PROGRAM

This is a very special way to remember those who have passed away, or to honor one for a special event, or tribute. All gifts directly benefit the museum. Gifts are typically tax deductible, and the names of those remembered are then inscribed in the ”Honor Roll Book”, which is on permanent display at the museum. Memorial Gift Forms are available at the museum docent desk, or by calling at (209) 825-3021 office (leave message) and we will be happy to mail a Memorials form(s) to you. Many thanks to past and present contributors for remembering friends and loved ones with a gift to the Manteca Mu-seum. The Manteca Historical Society & Museum is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Thank you!

In Memory of Donna Garcia

Karen Cambra

In Memory of Michael Hahn

Karen Cambra

In Memory of Brenna Rice McCleary

William Sarina Ray & Chris Mendes

In Memory of Richard Percival

Beverly Percival Hall

In Memory of Billie Hooper Corder

Jerry Elliott Ray & Chris Mendes

Julie Linden Vicki James

In Memory of Carolyn Pacheco

Sally Mendes Class ‘66 MUHS

MEMORIAL GIFTS Received June 24, 2019 - July 29, 2019

Meet Our New Board Member

Meet new board member, Richard Benavides - Rich is originally from Se-quin, Texas, but resided in California for many years moving to Manteca

in 1977 after being discharged from the service. In 1992, I met Ken Hafer and he invited me and my band to play for the Summer Social...and the rest is history...27 years! He served in the Navy and completed three tours of Vietnam. Rich is active in the local VF along with his wife, Tommie, who recently served as president of the Manteca Historical Society and manages the gift shop. Rich retired after 42 years of service for PG&E where he was a construction foreman. He has been a docent for three years and says that “I still get a thrill to just be in the museum.”

We welcome him to the board of directors.

THE MUSEUM PAGE 6

Phyllis Abram

Congratulations to Phyllis for being elected President of the Manteca Lathrop Boys & Girls Club where she previously served as treasurer.

She is also one of our faithful docents at the museum where she and her husband, Mark,

have been long time members.

We wish her much success!

“The challenge of histo-ry is to recover the past and introduce it to the

present.”

- David Thelen

Tuff Boy Sales & Tuff Boy Leasing

Bus: 209-239-1361 Bus: 209-858-4131

Fax: 209-239-7086 Fax: 209-858-2835

5151 E. Almondwood Dr. 3870 W. Yosemite Ave.

Manteca, CA 95337 Lathrop, CA 95330

GNARLY Wine Tasting

4 miles North of Manteca

Highway 99 at French Camp Road

(209)824-3500 - Daily 9:00am—5:30pm

www.dfvtastingroom.com

Our Goal is to Achieve Your Goal. Free consultation for buyers or sellers!

Cynthia & Dave Winegarden

REALTORS® Lic. # 00828836; 01885247

Cynthia 209-814-3014 cell Cwinegarden@GoGrupe.com

Dave 209-275-7651 cell Dwinegarden@GoGrupe.com

AUGUST 2019 PAGE 7

Board Members 2019

Sally Mendes, President 923-7915

Kristin Founts, 1st VP 601-0602

Vicki Miller, 2nd VP 823-4327

Mark Abram, Co- Treasurer 239-0744

Artemis Vourakis, Co-Treasurer 471-2724

Leon Sucht, Parlimentarian 239-0288

Mike Brockman, Sgt at Arms 815-3636

Cleve Stafford, Director 823-4800

Donna Shannon, Director 815-8395

Maria Gully , Director 823-1276

Tommie Benavides, Director 275-7392

Richard Benavides 406-8950

August 2019 Docent

Schedule

If you are a docent please refer to the Cal-endar at the front desk.

Museum address: 600 W. Yosemite Ave. Mailing address: P.O. Box 907

Manteca, CA 95336

MANTECA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

& MUSEUM

MANTECA

New Museum Hours: Wed. &.Thurs. 1-3pm; Sat. & Sun. 1-4pm

Website: www.themantecamuseum.org

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August 2019

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