My grandfather, Shirley Greene Triplett on my mother's side, was born 16 December 1889, in Little Falls, Morrison County, Minnesota.
His mother was Ida Greene Triplett. His father was Lewis Golson Triplett.
He would say that he remembered the day vividly because it was snowing and his parents
would not let him go out and play.
Grandpa was named after his mother's younger brother, Shirley Greene. This little boy was lived for 11 months old. I do not know his diagnosis, but his father Pulaski died from tuberculosis 6 months later.
2 years after Grandpa's birth he was joined by his brother, Harry Golson Triplett. Uncle Harry was also born at home in Little Falls.
Grandpa was pulled out of school by his father when he was in grade eight. His father wanted to teach him how to be a contractor and build houses. Grandpa was not happy about that and I think he regretted it most of his life.
The family lived in Little Falls until before 1910. Between 1905 and 1910, the family moved to California. I am thinking that they moved to California after the 1906 earthquake. Grandpa's father, Lewis was a General Contractor in Minnesota. I believe that Lewis came to California to help rebuild. I found my grandfather in the 1910 US Federal Census in Stockton. He was employed by - possibly Santa Fe Railroad - as his occupation was listed as "Signalman". The rest of the family in 1910 was in Los Angeles.
In 1911 Grandpa married Grace Hortence Rippey. I believe they were 3rd or 4th cousins. Grace is in Los Angeles for the 1910 US Federal Census. The rumor was that the marriage was arranged by the parents. Their daughter Shirley Cora Triplett, was born in Los Angeles in 1913.
Little Shirley looks like she might have had Down's syndrome. I believe that she lived with my grandparents, Grandpa and my grandmother Lenoir Inez [Bobbie] until the mid 1930s. At that time she was placed in a "home" in Stockton. She lived there until 1987.
The family lived in Fresno and then Madera California, and is in the California voter registration and 1920 US census.
In 1924, my grandfather drove Grace to to Burbank California for an undiagnosed illness. I believe she had abdominal pain possibly caused by a tear in her stomach or intestines, or maybe even cancer. She was 34 years old at the time.
In August of 1925, Grandpa married Lenoir Inez Leonard, also known as
Bobbie". She was my biological Grandmother.
In 1927, my mother, Lorna Lee Triplett was born at home in Madera.
After a few years my mother started to pick up "bad habits" from Little Shirley - I have no idea what that means. It necessitated placement of Little Shirley in a home in Stockton for the rest of her life. She apparently helped the nursing staff-I doubt she was employed.
In the 1930's my Grandfather made her a ward of the State of California. That didn't stop my Grandmother Bobbie from sending her home made birthday cakes on the Greyhound Bus to Little Shirley every year.
After a failed business venture called "The Madera Auto Service" Grandpa moved his family to Fresno where he worked at Fortier's prior to Electric Lab.
In 1949, while living at the Illinois Street house in Fresno, my Grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age on 45. She died on New Year's Eve, 15 minutes before midnight, surrounded by her family.
In July of 1950, Grandpa married Hildegarde Olga Teuber Starr. [I think I am missing possibly 2 marriages in there!] Grandma also worked at Electric Lab or Fortier's I do not remember at this point in time. The wedding was attended by Grandma's [Hildegarde] sister and brother in law, and that was it. They settled down at the Illinois Street house in Fresno.
In at least the 60's Grandma and Grandpa would make trips through the Midwest, visiting Grandma's relatives. I know that they flew once to the Midwest and back.
I think they were happily married. On Saturdays we would go to their house on Illinois street. They came to our house on Sundays, and I think we all had dinner together..
Grandpa and Grandma took their last trip to the Midwest in 1971. I think they came back early. From the picture I have Grandma looks tired and thin. I think she was in Congestive Heart Failure, possibly after a heart attack. She was at Fresno Community Hospital and I visited her in the ICU. It was fairly low tech then. They developed ICUs to keep the sicker patients together to keep a better "eye" on them.
I got to go in and see her. I told her that when she got home we could make macrame hangers for some potted plants. I don't think she believed she was going to come home to the Illinois Street house.
One or two days later, she fell into a coma. My Mom thought she was waiting for her son to come. Paul did come - I think he was out of town - and shortly after he left she died - 5 July 1971.
The funeral was graveside. My Dad's mom stood behind me as if I was going to turn around and say something like "Oh Granny! I love you!" Grandma is buried in a family plot at Belmont Memorial Cemetery.
On December 21, 1971, my Grandfather married for the fourth and last time.to a longtime friend, Margaret Helen Walkinshaw Keiser. She and Grandpa had known each other at Fortier's as she had been the nurse there. Her husband had died a few years before, and Grandpa and Grandma would visit her at her home in Miramonte, California. Her only child, named Robert Walkinshaw Keiser, had committed suicide with his girlfriend in 1950. Helen would admit the both she and her husband were drunk for the year after the accident. Actually she was still drinking after marrying my Grandfather.
Grandpa retired from Electric Lab only after he had a heart attack. My mother took away his car keys, saying "You just retired!" Not only did he have a heart attack but, we realized that he couldn't see "worth beans"! When I called him in the hospital, we had a great conversation. My Mom said that he hadn't been talking to anyone before I called. I don't think he even talked to anyone after the call.
Grandpa and Helen moved from the Illinois house to a "modular home" in a "modular home park" in Clovis California.
When Grandpa was 92 he passed away at his home in Clovis. He and Helen had been watching a special National Geographic program. At one point there snakes on the screen. Helen said "I am not watching that! Tell me when the snakes aren't there!"
She turned her head away from the tv and heard Grandpa sigh. She looked at him and he had passed at that moment. She called 911 and tried to put oxygen on him. The Paramedics came and did CPR and tried to defibrillate him which didn't bring him back.
By that time my parents were there and it was decided not to continue. They went home and called us. Brian answered the phone and they told him what had happened. He came into our bedroom with the phone and my parents told me Grandpa had died......
He was my "Grandpa" and I was his only "Grandchild". We loved each other very much and I miss him to this day.
He is buried at Belmont Memorial Park, in Fresno, Fresno County California, next to the Grandmother I never knew. I love them all so very much.
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