Carmen Edith Glabe

Narrative:

     Carmen Edith Glabe was born on 14 Apr 1908 in Chafee, Missouri.^10,11,12 She was baptized on 23 Aug 1908 in First German Methodist Episcopal Church, Peoria, Illinois.⁴
     Carmen's given name was unsettled for years. Her baptismal certificate, in 1908, clearly shows it as Carmen Edith. On the 1910 census it is reported as Corrine E., apparently after her father's sister, suggesting that name was used for a while. But later records use the original name. Her middle name, Edith, is after her mother's sister, Edith Laura Watson. For a period she went by Edith, rather than Carmen, and many of her relatives in Illinois used that name when corresponding with her years later.^1,16,2

Living in Peoria --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

She appeared on the 1910 Federal Census of Peoria, Peoria Co., Illinois, in the household of her parents, William Frederick Glabe and Estella Pearl Watson.⁷
     She appeared on the 1920 Federal Census of Peoria, Peoria Co., Illinois, in the household of her parents.⁵ This home was in a pleasant residential section of Peoria about a block away from her mother's sister and her husband, Minnie and Edwin Lehman.^17,18,19
     Her mother died when she was 16, and her father re-married a year and half later.^20,21
     After graduating from Peoria High School she attended Bradley College.²² While she was in high school, she learned to drive her Uncle Edwin's car. He was involved in a number of businesses, and allowed her to drive him around town to his business appointments. She was impressed, because her father would not allow her to drive his car, but Uncle Ed allowed both her and her cousin Joe Prenger, Jr. to drive his.¹⁶ She obtained one of the first Illinois driver's licenses, and her Social Security number was issued the first year Social Security numbers were issued.¹⁶
     She was working as a stenographer at Illinois Underwriters Corp in 1928, at age 20.²³ She appeared on the 1930 Federal Census of Peoria, Peoria Co., Illinois, in the household of her father and stepmother, Marie Belle Neiphagen.⁶
     She was worked in a law office, then in 1930 was working as a stenographer at Commercial Credit Trust Co., where she continued until about 1932.^24,25,26 She was a stenographer with Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Co. in 1933, becoming a bookeeper there the next year, and a cashier by 1936 in 1933.²⁷ She was working as a stenographer at Central City Loan and Homestead Association by 1937, and continued there until she moved to California.^28,22 She active in Delta Theta Tau, a national philanthropic sorority, becoming president of the Peoria affiliate.²² When Jessie finished her training, she and Carmen went to Chico also. Jessie left a boyfriend in Peoria, and broke up with him after being in Chico a while.¹⁶

The First Trip to California --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     She first came to California when she drove with her stepmother, Marie, and sister, Jessie, from Peoria to Pasadena to see her father who was then working there in a cottage cheese business. Carmen recalled this was the first time she had driven in the mountains. At one point she "gave up", and told her step-mother that "if we're going any further you will have to drive." She did. After a vacation, she returned to Peoria to her job. When the cheese business failed, her parents and younger sister returned to Peoria briefly, and her parents then moved to Chico, California to operate a tractor dealership.¹⁶

Returning to California --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Carmen remained in Peoria until Jessie finished her nurse's training, when both of them went to Chico about Apr 1940. Carmen had a "good job" in Peoria, which she left with the expectation that she would return, and both she and Jessie had boyfriends there. Carmen recalled that she had many friends that were moving to California, and that she had "loved" California on her first visit, to Pasadena. She was attracted by the beaches, and the romance of Hollywood.^16,29
     She met her future husband when he was working in the equipment repair shop of the tractor dealership. She says she "watched" the guys working there, and "chased him." She said they went to a show a couple of times. She had known him about 3 months when he was transferred to Willows, California to demonstrate and sell tractors at branch office of the dealership there. So they got married. She recalled he had $100, and she had spent all her savings on vacation trips after coming to California. About this time her boyfriend in Peoria sent her money for a return ticket there, and she responded that she was getting married.¹⁶
     Carmen married Vernon Howard Reigel, son of Frank William Reigel and Emma Sophia Gapsch, on 29 Dec 1940 at the Reno Methodist Parsonage, Reno, Nevada, pastor William Case officiating. Her father and stepmother in were there, and they were attended by her sister Jessie and his friend Norval Martin.^13,14
     After their marriage they lived briefly in Willows, Glenn Co., where Vernon managed a branch of the Tractor Company.^16,30,31

Buying and Selling Homes --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Vernon and Carmen bought their first house, at 1024 Palm Ave., Chico, on 25 Jun 1941, with a $100 down payment. They purchased it at the urging of her father, William Glabe. They moved in shortly before their first son was born. Vernon started working at the Chico Army airbase as an airplane mechanic when they moved from Willows to Chico.^32,33
     They sold that home after buying another home on Burnap Ave. on 12 Apr 1943. That property included five acres of land. Their second was born while they lived there. About this time, Vernon's good friend Granville Wilson and his girlfriend from Orland stayed overnight at Richardson Springs, and she stopped by to borrow Carmen's fur wrap for the occasion. He left for the Army shortly after that, where he was killed in action.^34,35,33
     Vernon brought home lugs of peaches to can, and he helped can them while the baby was in his buggy. They grew hay on the land, and Carmen's father suffered his first heart attack after helping cut the hay. Their third son was born shortly before they sold that home. Carmen recalled feeling that every time she came home from the hospital with a new baby she would find that Vernon had sold the house.³³      They sold that property on 6 Apr 1945, and bought a house in town on 2 May 1945, a few blocks from her parents' home. The family lived there for several months before moving to the farm. Their toddler slept in a crib and the new baby in a basket. They had a garden in the backyard.^36,37,33
     They sold the house in town less than two months later, on 21 May 1945, but apparently continued to live there briefly. They bought the 80-acre farm on Guynn Ave. (now called Tokay Ranch Rd.) in two transactions, on 7 Aug 1945 and 25 Sep 1945. Carmen recalled the deal was some sort of trade for the house in town, and involved one family moving out the back door while the other moved in the front of each house. Carmen recalled pulling up old carpeting and pulling down layers of old wallpaper in this house.^38,39,40,33 Vernon owned a Lafayette car when they were married, which sometimes had to be pushed to start it. She once got on a Farmall tractor to push the car.³³
     Carmen and Vernon appeared on the 1950 Federal Census of Chico, Butte Co., California, at Tokay Ave., enumerated 29 Apr 1950, reporting they lived on a farm. Their four childrenwere listed as living with them.⁴¹
     Carmen and Vernon purchased the 30 acres on which they would build their new home on 1 May 1951. In 1953 they built there a large home, with a family room, office, and bedrooms for each of their four children.⁴²
     Her husband died on 23 Feb 1963 in Hamilton City, Glenn Co., California.^43,44 After Vernon's death Carmen sold the 30 acres with the house, on 10 Nov 1965.⁴⁵ On 7 May 1971 she sold the western half of the original 80-acre farm.⁴⁶ On 1 Oct 1984 she sold the remainder of the original farm.⁴⁷
     Carmen died on 2 Nov 2005 in Sacramento, Sacramento Co., California, at age 97.¹⁵