Part 2

Here's my follow up, but it won't make sense if you have not read Rozier Drama, first.

So after my Uncle Irving told his cousin Clair Tatton in high school
about his real mother Rowena.....things were not good between
Archie (Clair's Dad) and the Rozier family. 

This caused quite the stir in the family.

Then I learned something last week when I found this 
obituary about my grandmother Leonie, Romeo's wife in 1937...
This was March of 1937. 

Notice how it says the Romeo and Leonie Rozier had only been in Fresno for 5 months. 
That means they moved to Fresno in October of 1936. 
Irving and Clair were in high school in Stockton together in 1936. 
So I am making the assumption here that the big reveal may have been
what caused Romeo and his family to leave Rozier Avenue
and make a new start for his family in Fresno.

Then again, it could have been a coincidence.

So this morning Dennis and I decided to go see if the house Grandma Leonie died in was still there.
It was and here it is. 


Google said it was built in 1922. 
So the house was 15 years old when Romeo moved his family there.
 Just 2 bedrooms and 1 bath for a family of 8.
I think it's a cute. Amazing to think my Dad lived in this house 76 years ago!

Grandpa Romeo's niece, Marnie, wrote in two of her letters:

"It was a heartbreaking situation for Grandma Rozier to raise the baby for over 2 years and then have him snatched away by Archie with the declaration that Rowena was dead and his son was a Tatton, not a Rozier. Up until this time Romeo and Archie owned a tire shop together in Stockton, but Archie pulled out of this when he took Clair back. He never told Clair about the grandparents or the Rozier family. It was a shock when both he and Romeo's son, Irving, were going to Stockton High and Irving informed him that they were cousins. Clair had no idea that his real mother was a Rozier. Of course being of high school age, Clair had to hear the truth. However, he was never allowed to contact the family. As time passed, however, he did get in contact with family members.  Of course, Grandma and Grandpa Rozier were both gone by then and never had the joy of being reunited with him. ....

He was thrilled to know about his family and was in touch with several of the cousins.
Clair worked in the juevinille Div of the Bay Area Police Dept. for years and was also a high school teacher and principal for years before his retirement. He and I corresponded for years, and always at Christmas time. He never married, but was devoted to teaching. About 4 or 5 years ago the Christmas cards stopped coming (note: Marnie wrote this letter in 2008) and my cards were returned so I felt he must have passed away."

"

4 comments:

Scrapally said...

wow...that is incredible. So of course now you will locate his obituary. of have you already? What a shock for all involved that he grew up not knowing who his real mother was. so sad.

Grandma Honey said...

Yes I am looking for Clair's obituary. So far nothing, but it has to come up someday.

Richard said...

You're quite the sleuth, great work. Now I want to visit Rozier Avenue and see what all that is about...

grandmapeg said...

That is very sad that he went all of those years without knowing who is real mother and her family were. Richard is right, you are quite the sleuth :-)

Look what happened last night

  Just a little pre-graduating gathering for our DIL Amy.... Not everyday a Mom of 7 and a Grandma of 7, graduates from college. It was not ...