LIFE STORY OF ELIZABETH CHARLOT MOZOLAN HOEVEL On October 7, 1911 in Findlay Ohio Hancock County I joined my three brothers and two sisters. I was the ninth child of Julia Farkas Mozolan and Gabor Mozolan. Up until that time my parents had lost three children. I do not know when I was baptized but I know it was in a Catholic Church somewhere in Findlay Ohio. My Dad came to the United States from Hungary in 1899 and stayed awhile.(actual year 1902) He went back to get Mother, Louis and Joe.(Actual year 1904) Her Mother came to the States alone and lived a couple of years. Joe Gabor was born August 2, 1896 and Louis Anthony was born December 18, 1897 in Hungary. In the United States the following children were born: Anna October 21, 1904; Mary Louise December 7, 1907; Charles July 15, 1910; Elizabeth Charlot October 7, 1911; Rose December 8, 1912; Margaret August 3, 1914; Laura 1918; a boy stillborn June 1922.(Could be a discrepancy in Laura’s birth and the stillborn boys birth years) There were thirteen children in our family. At this writing there are only five of us living—October 1979. Joe died December 3, 1975; Anna died 1923; Mary died October 9, 1968; Laura died 1919; Dad died October 12, 1936; Mother died November 21, 1961. I made my first Holy Communion and was confirmed the same year 1923 in St. Philips Church, Pasadena, California. My Grandmother Farkas came to the United States shortly after Mother arrived. Dad and Mother settled in Easton Pennsylvania for awhile until he decided to go to Norfork (Norfolk) Virginia then to Knoxville Tennessee. Mother lost a child in Norfork,(Norfolk) Virginia. Mary and Charles were born there—Knoxville, Tennessee. Then they decided to go to Ohio where I was born. From there they moved to Alabama where Rose and Margaret were born in Montgomery. Again, they decided to move, this time to Lafayette, Indiana. I was five years old when Laura was born. Mother sent Rose, Margaret and I out of doors and said the stork was going to bring us a new baby. I tried to swing as high as I could to see if the Stork was flying over the house. Laura lived only a short time she was not a well baby. I remember that she had a large head. We were living in West Lafayette, Indiana when Laura died on Solsbury Street. While we were traveling to Montgomery, Alabama Mother was pregnant with Rose and a passenger on the train asked Mother if she would give me to her so she could raise me as her own child. She told Mother that she could not have any children. We moved from Solsbury Street to State Street where Dad had his own Tailor Shop. We lived on the second floor for a short time. Then we moved to a two story house that was in the back of the shop on the same property. Mother had borders to help with the income. She also helped Dad in the Shop. Our house was on a hill. In the winter we would enjoy a sled ride through the neighbors back yards. We had a neighbor who made the best butterscotch candy. Her name was Mrs. Kerfet. My first pair of roller skates, the wheels were made of wood. We would skate across the bridge over the Wabash River. We always had a Christmas tree. Louis would light the candles and leave them on for a few minutes. An apple and orange and a few pieces of candy I did enjoy to find in my stocking. I was nicknamed Lizzie and that stuck with me for years. Finally it was shortened to Liz. I started to go to school at the age of 6 at St. Boniface. It was in Lafayette, Indiana at that time we were living in West Lafayette. It is located near the Wabash River. I went there for a year then one of the neighbors said to Mother that she thought our going to the Catholic school was too far for us to walk. I was sent to the Morton Public school for three years. I had Mrs. Springam for first grade; Mrs. Peacock for second and I think Mrs. Jones for third. I was nine years old when we came to California in 1921. Anna became ill so the Doctor told my parents that California was a good place for Anna to live. I went to the Emerson school and Columbia school in Pasadena, California—Elementary. In Junior High I attended John Muir also in Pasadena. Eleanor Hotaling, Buela Roberts, Hazel Rankel were close friends of mine. Oh yes the teacher I was fond of at Emerson was Miss Cros and Columbia it was Mrs. Trumen. Now in Junior High it was Mr. Williams and Miss Estas. I liked sports. I was in most of them all through my school days. Miss Estas was my Art teacher. When I went to High school I had a choice to go to Pasadena High or John Muir Tech High. I went to John Muir Tech High only because Mrs. Estas was being transferred there. My heart was set on becoming a commercial artist. I made posters for the Operetta; worked on the stage and painted the scenery, etc.; also posters for the Biology class. I didn’t graduate from High school. In my last year in high school Mother sent me to Pasadena Business College. On my 18th birthday I quit school. The depression came along and I knew it was hard for Mother to scrape up the tuition for me. So I got a job as a nursemaid. I worked in a grocery store while in high school. My first job with pay was babysitting for the Sibley’s. They lived on Stanford where we lived when we first came to Pasadena. I got $ .50 for an afternoon. I thought that was great; now I could contribute to the family in a little way. I was nine years old. I shall go back about nine years. We left West Lafayette, Indiana in May 1921. It took us about a month to make the trip. We had lots of rain. We had our share of flat tires and broken axel. We rode in an Oldsmobile Touring car. The roads were so muddy, that the car would slide from one side of the road to another. It frightened us, so we would get out of the car and walk. Louis drove all the way. He didn’t have a map to go by. All he had was the Santa Fe railroad. That is what he followed. We came through Old Route 66 around Oatman, Arizona which now goes through Golden Shores where we live at this writing. We camped out most of the time except when it rained. Mother came with us until we reached Flagstaff I believe. Louis put her on a train. She was pregnant with her thirteenth child which she lost at Pasadena Hospital which is now called Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, California. Dad had arrived in California before us. He got a job and sent for us. He was working for Eleanor Hotaling’s Father. We lived in Los Angeles a short time until we moved to Pasadena on Stanford Avenue which is now San Marino Avenue. That is where Mary and Herbie meet. He moved next door to us. Herbert Ellis’s folks built a home which is now on the corner of Del Mar and San Marino Avenue. The house we lived in would have been in the middle of the street today. We lived on Stanford for a couple of years. We then moved to Locust Street where Uncle Louis and Auntie Madge Mozolan live in Pasadena. After Herbert’s father died he came and lived with us. I was twelve years old when Norma Fenton moved next door to us on Locust Street. She was pregnant with Harry. That was the year that Anna died from tuberculosis. I helped her take care of Harry and do things for her such as washing dishes. She would call to us children “Anyone want to earn a nickel?” She taught me how to iron linens; clean silver; clean the house and many other things. A couple of years later Shirley came into the world. Harry and Shirley were beautiful children. I was still in my teens when Norma moved to Victoria Drive in Pasadena. Her husband left her after seven years of marriage. I felt sorry for her and stayed by her side to help her over the first years of being alone. She is and was one of my best friends. I shall never forget her and what she has done for me and my family. As I am writing this story I am thinking one forgets the good someone does for them but always remembers the petty things about a person. I have so many things around me that Norma gave me to enjoy; things that she gave me while she is living. She has been a true friend. Uncle Louis was more of a father to me then my own Dad. He would take us to the mountains, beach, dessert, etc. Also helped support the family. Dad never learned to drive a car. When I was about sixteen we joined the Saint Stephens Junior Club in Los Angeles. That is where I learned to dance. At first we would meet at the different homes of the club members until Saint Stephens had their own church and recreation hall. Father Mathias Lani served Mass in Hungarian and German language. He also married Ed and I. I first met my future husband Ed J. Hoevel at my home on Locust Street, Pasadena. Uncle Charles Mozolan and I were looking through the paper to see what movie we were going to attend. It was in July 1933 Ed came by to see if my sister Margaret Mozolan Agardy was at home. He was at that time going with her. I was 21 years old. Ed too was the same age. The first thing I noticed about him was his beautiful teeth; also being a blond. He and my sister Margaret work at Ralphs grocery store in Pasadena. At that time I was working for the Blisses in San Marino. I went with the Blisses to their cabin in the High Sierra’s at Gull Lake for a month. After I got back Margaret said, “ Eddie at the store wants to take you to see Bing Crosby on the stage in Los Angeles. We double dated with Howard Gray or Gary and his date. From then on we started going together and enjoying each others company. We would take drives and go to dances and as long as we were together we were happy. We went together for a month and Ed purposed to me. I finally gave him his answer in two weeks. I felt very comfortable with him at all times. We were engaged on his birthday-November 30th and I received my engagement ring on Christmas Day. On Christmas Eve he played Ave Maria on the violin at Midnight Mass at Saint Rita’s Catholic Church in Sierra Madre, California. We were married July 22, 1934 at Saint Stephen’s Catholic Church in Los Angeles, California. It was a nice wedding. Uncle Louis drove me to the church and drove Ed and I back to Pasadena where we had a reception at home. We had about one hundred quests. I made our wedding cake. It was on a Sunday during Mass so we had the whole congregation there too. Mother put on a banquet. Barbara Mozolan helped fry all the chicken. We had rice and chicken and all kinds of sweet breads and rolls, relishes, etc. Mother raised her own chickens. Uncle Dick Hoevel was Ed’s best man and Auntie Margaret Agardy was my maid of honor. Auntie Mary Jo Hoevel Tromble was a bridesmaid and Uncle Charles Mozolan was an usher. We left for San Francisco about nine o’clock p.m. and spent our first night in Santa Barbara. We took some pictures of the Great Basin and San Francisco. We lived at home with my parents until December 1934 and moved into an apartment across the street from Pasadena Junior College until March 1935 where we rented a duplex on Villa Street, Pasadena. We were married almost two years when we were blessed by our first child Patricia Julia Hoevel. She was a good baby. When Pat was three years old we moved to South Catalina Avenue, Pasadena and rented again. It was during the World War II and it was hard to find a place to rent with children. The landlady’s son fell in love with Pat and that was the way we got the house. When Pat was seven years and three months old Kenneth Edward Hoevel was born on July 31, 1943. Oh, yes I forgot, Pat was born April 24, 1936 at Saint Luke’s Hospital in Pasadena, California. Ken was born at Altadena Community Hospital in Altadena, California. I was Mother’s ninth child and presented her with her first granddaughter and first grandson. Pat’s first playmate was Mary Gonzales who lived across the street on South Catalina Avenue. She and Mary took piano lessons together. They both attended Saint Philip’s Catholic School. Pat went through the seventh grade at Saint Philips and in her eighth grade we had moved to Monrovia where she graduated from Holy Angels Catholic School in Arcadia, California. Then she attended Monrovia Arcadia Duarte High School and graduated. After that she attended Pasadena City College. She was a good student all through school. Pat did some babysitting; worked at Averys; at a bank and at Bekins Van and Storage Company. This was during her school years. She was married to Michael Crappa III in 1956 on April 28th. She met Mike at the Pasadena Winter Gardens. They are blessed with five children. Robin Elaine born February 22, 1957; Dana Michelle born December 30, 1958; Scott Michael born July 26, 1962; Todd Patrick born July 17, 1964 and Patrick Michael born January 29, 1971. When Ken was two months old we bought the house next door to us on South Catalina Avenue. There were two houses on the place. The rent from one of the houses helped with our payments. Mr. Nepel who owned the houses told us to save up for three months and that would be our down payment on the houses. We lived in the neighborhood for nine years. In 1942 Ed went to work for North American Aviation in Pasadena during World War II. During that time we had a girl living with us; her Dad was working with Ed. They were building a new home and where they lived there was no room for her. Auntie Margaret Mozolan Agardy lived with us for a year while Uncle Martin was working in Africa. Auntie Margaret Hoevel Boone also lived with us. After North American Aviation in 1945 Ed went to work for Latis Steel that is where Herbert Ellis worked as a welder. From there he went to work for Vinnell Construction Company and then to Hardy Scales which was his last employment until 1975 when he retired and moved to Golden Shores, Topock, Arizona. In 1948 we bought our home on Fairgreen Avenue, Monrovia, California. Ken was five years old and Pat was twelve. Ken attended Holy Angels School for a year. Then we had to attend Annunciation Church in Arcadia. He then would have to go to Temple City to a Catholic school. We then decided to send him to a Public school. He went to Santa Fe for a couple of years and then they built a new Public school Plymouth where he attended until the sixth grade. In Junior High he went to Clifton for the seventh and eighth grades. In High school he attended Monrovia Duarte. Arcadia had built their own high school. He went to Pasadena City College. He went to Long Beach State College for a year; then he enlisted in the Army for three years. He finished his education back to Long Beach State after he was out of the service. Ken was a good student when he wanted to be. During his school years he worked. His first job was a paper boy. He worked at the Pasadena Winter Gardens; also at Ralph’s Grocery in San Marino. He also worked at Hardy Scale during the summer. After graduating from Long Beach State he went to work for Unitek in Monrovia. In 1975 Ken and Kay Roseberry were married in Claremont California at the Church of Religious Science. Gregor McKay lived next door and he was Ken’s first playmate and to this day they are good friends. Ken took trumpet lessons while in grammar school. It did help strengthen his lungs. As I said before my first job was taking care of Sonny Sibley. I was nine years old. I babysat for the Fenton children –Harry and Shirley. I helped Norma Fenton with domestic work. I worked at Kresses dime store; grocery store in South Pasadena, California; also at a restaurant. I was a nursemaid for the Ridgeways in South Pasadena and a second maid for Mrs. Albert Sherman Hoyt in South Pasadena and for L.E. Bliss in San Marino, California. I also was a cook, etc. And also our next door neighbor, the Housmans. I did some domestic work for them. Pat was a baby at that time and I would take her with me and put her in her playpen. I did some personal maid work for a few months for Mrs. Grasselli. And at that time Norma Fenton took care of Pat for me. I did help Mrs. Dietzel, Norma’s Aunt Nel when she came home from the hospital for a month. She was in a car accident and her husband was killed. Norma took care of Pat again. When Pat was about two years old we took our first vacation. Ken Morse a friend of Eds who worked at Ralph’s Grocery loaned us a tent, stove and we went to Sequoia National Park. I just remember that when Pat was about three or four months old we took a trip to Gull Lake. The Blisses said we could use their cabin. Mother, Louis, Ed and I and Pat went together and spent only one night. Mothers heart started to palpitate and Pat got diarrhea. Ed and Louis took the rest of their vacation and spent it up at Big Bear Lake. I stayed at Normas. When World War II came along our vacations stopped as gas was rationed. We took a trip with the Ellis’s on vacations before gas rationing to Yosemite and with Norma Fenton, Harry and Shirley to the High Sierras. Went to Oregon with the Ellis’s to spend some time on Herberts brother’s farm. We have been through all the western states to Canada twice and I was happy to go back to Indiana in 1961. That was my first trip since I left in 1921. I went back to the house where I had lived before coming to California. We have visited many of the National Parks. We took a trip to Colorado and Pat, Mike and girls were with us. Robin was 2 ½ years old and Dana about 8 months. We pulled a box trailer for 20 years; a 15 foot house trailer for 5 years; a slide in camper for 2 years and a motor home that was on a one ton truck for 7 years. Then we traded our motor home in for a double mobile home in 1969 which we are living in now as of this writing. We rented our Fairgreen house to Ken when we moved to Golden Shores. When he and Kay were married they lived there too and finally bought our home from us. They sold the Fairgreen house and bought themselves a home up near the foothills in Monrovia. In 1976 we bought a used house trailer 20 feet so we could leave here at Golden Shores for part of the summer months. We have enjoyed it. We spent some time with Harry and Kathy in Twin Falls, Idaho; Colton, Oregon with Elvera and Lee Lundmar; also with our neighbors here they too live at Golden Shores in the winter. They have a home up at Bend, Oregon. They are Kathy and Cres Harnoise. This past summer we spent some time with friends at Pine Top Arizona—Ruby and Glenn Smith. Ed loves to travel. We would have our vacations each year at Golden Shores and that was the only trip we would take from 1969 until 1974 when we decided to travel again. On one of our trips when I was 16 Louis took us all to Clear Lake Highland, California. Louis made a radio with a speaker on it; we took it along with us. We could get on the radio Pasadena Star News. At that time the radio station was at Pasadena Star News. That was in 1927. Mother had bought a couple of lots there. It was writtened up in the newspaper. I had the usual childhood diseases; chicken pox, measles, whooping cough; mumps. I also had my share of surgeries—tonsillectomy, hemorrhoidectomy; hysterectomy, thyroidectomy. Had my varicose veins stripped. Yes I do have a few hobbies. After Ken went into the Service I started to knit. Elvera Lundmark took me to the Oregon Mills and if you like yarn and sewing, hobbies, crafts, you will drool when you go there. Elvera got me a couple of books to start me out. She used to teach knitting. I also crochet. I have worked with tin lids and made Christmas Trees from them; paper flowers; needle point. I also like anything of a piece of art, painting, ink , pencil, etc. Now I am interested in taking pictures. Ken and Kay gave me a Vivitar 600 camera for Christmas 1977 which I have enjoyed. My first, camera, I have had. After Ed and I were married for many years we would have Christmas Eve with Norma Fenton, Harry and Shirley. We would help trim her Christmas tree. She always had a beautiful tree. Ed would play Santa Claus for Harry and Shirley. One funny incident comes to my mind. When Scott was about two years old I was taking care of him while Pat was at pre-school with Robin and Dana. I was dusting the furniture and Scott helped too. He also dusted the bottom of the coffee table. He had to see what it looked like underneath. When Patrick was visiting us here at Golden Shores he came out of the bathroom and said, “Grandma, do you use toilet paper?” What had happened, he was too short to see the toilet paper which was above his head. I had a box of Kleenex also in the bathroom. I am proud of Pat and Ken, that they are able to support themselves. I am proud of Pat and Mike to have raised a lovely family. I know it was not easy. All I have asked from my children is Love and Respect. I had the privilege of taking care of them when Pat came home from the Hospital after they were born. That is the greatest thrill a grandparent can experience. They have given me a lot of pleasure and still do. I really do not have any plans for the future. Love each day to the fullest. Let each day take care of itself. Forget about the past if it isn’t pleasant. We have been married 45 years and have been blessed with a happy marriage. One has to work at a good marriage it just doesn’t happen. You have to give and you have to take. I am proud of Robin for being independent. I am proud of Dana for being independent. I am proud of Scott he has learned to control himself-temper. I am proud of Todd for just being Todd. I am proud of Patrick knowing it is hard not to have his Mother at home at an early age and has learned to be a good boy. I hope this makes sense, to me it does, and that’s all that matters. Robin has lived away from home for about 2 ½ years. She became engaged to Larry November 25, 1979. They plan to get married in June 20, 1980. (Actually they married April 11, 1980) Dana is working up at Lake Arrowhead, California for the Forestry. We enjoyed having our grandchildren spend some time with us here at the desert. Grandpa Ed would take them fishing. We are five miles from the Colorado River and two miles from the Topock Slough. We have plenty of water around us—two lakes too. My father, Gabor Mozolan was born August 19, 1871 in Veszprem, Mega, Hungary. (Actual birth 15 August 1868) I don’t know the names of his Father or Mother. He was an orphan and was raised by the Missionaries. They wanted him to become a Priest. He joined the Hungarian Army. He was in the Cavalry (Hausoar). When he came to the United States he first worked in a steel mill and later he became a tailor. He was an excellent tailor. He was a heavy drinker and sometimes made life for Mother unbearable also for his children. He loved canary birds. He loved animals of all kinds. He and Mother were married November 11, 1895. Dad had a nice personality when he was sober. When we lived back east in West Lafayette, Indiana besides Mother helping him with his tailoring, Joe helped too. He did a lot of work for the men in the service. I remember seeing a lot of uniforms hanging in Dad’s Shop. This was during World War I. Dad and Mother raised all kinds of animals, ducks, rabbits, chickens, goats. My one job I hated as a child was stripping the duck feathers. Mother would use the feathers for pillows. When we all sat at the dining room table we had to be quiet during our meals. All Dad would have to do is look at us and we knew what he meant. Dad died at the age of 65. (actually 68) of cirrhosis of the liver. He died the year Pat was born. He would move from one job to another when he didn’t get along with his fellow workers; that was one of the reasons we moved so often. My Mother Julia Farkas Mozolan was born February 16, 1875. I believe in Veszprem, Mega, Hungary. Her fathers name was Frank. (actually his name was Mihaly) My Grandmother married my Grandfather when he was sixty years old. He had children from his first marriage. How many I do not know. My Mother was an only child. My Grandfather died while eating mushrooms which he thought they were, but not. They were toad stools. He had a violent death. Before Dad and Mother were married Dad promised Mother that my Grandmother could come and live with them if she would marry him. Her marriage was not a pleasant one. She was a religious person. She would say that’s the way the Lord wanted it. She worked hard trying to keep the family together by keeping boarders. Uncle Louis too helped keep us altogether. We enjoyed the player piano that our folks bought us. I was about five years old. My Mother and Dad enjoyed music. We had a Victor Phonograph with the horn on it. Dad and Mother loved to dance the Hungarian Czardas dances. Mother was generous in so many ways and hospitable to all our friends. She loved children. She was a proud woman. In no way you could have had made her sign up for Old Age Pension. She would sew all our clothes. Mother died at the age of 86 of Pneumonia. She fell and cracked her pelvic bone as far as I know it never healed. When she was 80 years old she would go to Saint Stephens Church in Los Angeles to Mass every Sunday to hear the Mass in Hungarian. She would go on the Street Car or Red Car as they ran by electricity. Mother lived for 25 years after Dad died. After we were married Mother would have us all home for all the Holidays. When each of us had our families and it grew too big for her to have us all each one of us would take turns entertaining on the different holidays. After Mother died we all went our ways and did our own entertaining with our children and grandchildren. I had to share with the Hoevel families too. They too would take turns entertaining. I do miss the family gatherings that we use to have. I would like to say a few words about my brothers and sisters. Joe married Barbara Lorenz April 28, 1934. Barbara had lost her first husband when her children Mary and Frank were very young. The children were grown when she and Joe were married. They never had any children of their own. Louis married Madge Sneddon October 8, 1938. Louis was an electrician. They had one daughter Helen. Annie got Tuberculosis at the age of 16 and died at 19. Mary married Herbert Ellis and they had one daughter Edie. They were married December 7, 1929 on Mary’s birthday. (actual date December 7, 1932) Charles was a Gardener and he married Jeannie Wozniak on October 10, 1937. Rose married Frank Wurtz. They have two daughters, Dorthea and Linda. They were married June 17, 1934. Margaret married Martin Agardy November 26, 1936. They don’t have any children. We are all retired now. I forgot Jeannie and Charles have two children Andy and Sharon. I never knew what it was to have Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles or Cousins until I was married. Mother and Dad’s family lived in Europe and I had never met them. We all spoke Hungarian with our parents. I never learned to write Hungarian or read it; which I have many times regretted it. Mother’s relations would write and after Mother died Louis would go to a friend and have him translate it. Mr. Ritie was his name. He was a Pharmacist in Pasadena that is where Mother met him. He and Louis would go deer hunting together. I started to date at the age of 16 with friends of the family. These men were a little older then I. I had my first proposal at the age of 16 but that was too young for me to think of marriage. I did enjoy my dating years. We would go to the Hungarian picnics and dress up in our Hungarian costumes. We would go in groups to the beach, mountain. I had a happy childhood. We were never bored or lonely. When I came home from school Mother was always there. I feel lucky not to have had a fractured bone for 68 years. Suzy our German-Shepherd dog accidentally knocked me down. At this writing I am recovering from it. In 1965 July 6th Ken enlisted in the USA Army for Military Intelligence. He got his Basic training at Fort Ord in California. We had a family get together before he left on July 5th. The day he left was a sad day for us. After Basic training he came home and had two weeks to get back to Baltimore, Maryland where he went to school for further training. We were lucky to have him with us his first Christmas while in the Service. He also spent a year in Vietnam. He then came back to USA and finished his Service here in New York. If I wrote about everything I could remember it would become a book. I also left out some things on purpose. As I look back on my life I have been grateful. I thank God for all he has given me; all he has taken from me; and all he has left me.