Happy Birthday Jack

Jack left some undeveloped negatives.  Here is one with him and his two brothers.  In honor of his birthday I have posted a number of them on Jan. 21.

Harold and Margaret Leddy   Balboa Island?

Jack (upper left), Don (glasses), Jim and Albert Leddy

Oil Well in Bakersfield 1930s?

Harold Leddy on left as one of the oil well owners?

Same oil well and some owners?

Jack and friends as life-guards at the Bakersfield Inn

Jack Leddy (to right?) was a life guard at a Bakersfield hotel.  See previous post on how he saved Johnny Weismuller's life

Andrew Leddy who fought for the North in the Civil War

According to a letter written by Harold Leddy, his grandfather was an Andrew Leddy who lived in New York City and died right after the Civil War from his wounds.  Until recently I knew nothing more about Andrew Leddy than was in that letter.  However I have found this entry in a book:  Annual Report of the Adjudant-General of the State of New York for the year 1901, Registers of the Sixty-ninth, Seventieth, Seventy-first,Seventy-second, Seventy-third and Seventyfourth Regiments of Infantry. TRANSMITTED TO THE LEGISLATURE JANUARY 7, 1902. SERIAL No. 28., ALBANY, J. B. LYON COMPANY, STATE PRINTERS 1902, pg. 1031.  

The gist of the entry is that an Andrew Leddy enlisted at age 37 July 12, 1861 in Staten Island as a private, was in Co. F., 73rd Infantry of New York, transferred to Co. H. Sept. 1, 1861, was wounded (no date), and mustered out on Aug. 2, 1864.  This gives him time to die of his wounds in the following year. 

If he was 37 in 1861, the date of enlistment, he would have been born in 1824.  It is not clear whether he was born in the U.S. or in Ireland.  Chances are he was born in Ireland and came over during the Potato Famine between 1845 and 1849.  The letter below mentions the Potato Famine and, although it does not directly say that Andrew came over during it, this is likely.  That would have meant that he would come over to the U.S. when he was about 25.   

Harold Leddy's father, John T. Leddy, was born in 1857 and died in 1935.  John T. was married to Mary Amanda Murray.  According to Harold's letter the sister of Andrew Leddy was a Jennie Snee of New York.  I am re-posting the letter here:

Harold Leddy on his ancestors: letter from approximately May, 1967 to my father John B. Leddy before we [Jack, Jane,  Tom, Robin, Bill, John] took our first trip to Europe as a family.

"I wish I could give you some good leads on the Leddy geneology (?)  Msgr. Leddy [he was no relation, but was in Bakersfield and married Jack and Jane Leddy, first name Patrick] thinks we came from County Clare or Cavin,  They kept no passenger lists of the Irish who came over at the time of the potato famine (1848 et sec [sic])  There is a paper in Belfast that used to print a list of family names and trace them back to some early king or saint.  I'm sure we would be included and probably could boast a coat of arms.  All I know is that my father was born in New York; that his father (whose name I believe was Andrew Leddy) served in the civil war.  That he died from wounds tho not on the battlefield.  That Papa was raised by an uncle named Daley or Daley who operated a shoe blacking factory near the waterfront in Philadelphia.  Helen says there is a A Snee living in New York or Brooklyn;  Jennie Snee was Papa's sister.  They operated a ship chandlers business and made a lot of money converting passenger ships to troop ships in W.W.I. and vice versa.

Some day you might carry on my research.  On my mothers side Anna Breen has the complete dope (or thinks she has)   She wanted to belong to the D.A.R. and for a price the experts produced a long line of ancestors which went beyond the Revolution and an ancestor is buried in Old Swedes churchyard in Phila. 

As to Mother's ancestry you have all the information needed.  At least you have living Scottish relations.

Have a Happy Trip and tell the boys [Tom, Bill and John, children of John B. Leddy] to watch out for those French girls. 

 Love Dad [Harold Leddy]"

Elza Perkins and J. E. Leddy "House of Kuppenheimer's Clothing"

I discovered this in the Pasadena City Directory for 1918:

Perkins and Leddy  Elza Perkins and J. E. Leddy "House of Kuppenheimer's Clothing" Hats and Men's Furnishings, 16 E. Colorado.   The building is now described as 14-16 East Colorado.  It was built in 1892 in Spanish Colonial Revival style with a frame with pilasters and scrolls. 

Joe E. and his wife Mabel lived at 899 N. Chester Ave., Pasadena.  Built in 1910 this is a charming bungalow even today.

Wikipedia says that "Kuppenheimer, was a men's clothing manufacturing and retail operation based in Chicago, Illinois and later Atlanta, Georgia."   


Not surprisingly Joe was a member of the Chamber of  Commerce for Pasadena in 1918 according to the Pasadena Star News.

New Information about Harold D. Leddy

Bridge worked on by Harold D. Leddy's battalion, Nevers, France, from the National WW Museum and Memorial web site

Harold D. Leddy dog tags

Richard Gilliam contacted me and it turns out that his grandfather was in the same battalion in WW1 as mine, Harold D. Leddy.  Richard has done a lot of research on the battalion and the regiment.  He has graciously allowed me to post material from his letters to me.  My father, John B. Leddy, had told me that the regiment was all-black.  Gilliam's research contradicts this family story, although apparently after initial deployment in France there were in fact African Americans in the regiment.  

"According to a Regimental Roster, 23rd Engineers printed in 1920, there was a Harold D. Leddy of Company F living at 3020 Kansas Ave., Los Angeles, Cal. listed. My grandfather served in Company F, 23rd Engineers from Washington State where I live."

I was unaware of the 3020 Kansas Ave. address.  That address now sports a very modern looking grammar school.  Gilliam goes on in a later letter to say:

"The 23rd Engineer was an all white regiment consisting of technical Companies A thru L (4 battalions, 3 companies each), 10 Truck companies 1 thru 10 and 5 Wagon companies 1 thru 5. My grandfather and yours served in company F, 2nd Battalion which embarked Hoboken NJ for France aboard the USS George Washington on March 30, 1918 and arrived Brest on April 13, 1918. They debarked Brest, France aboard USS Plattsburg on June 7, 1919 and arrived Hoboken NJ on June 16, 1919. My grandfather received final pay and discharged at Camp Lewis, Tacoma, Washington on June 27, 1919.

   The 23rd Engineers in the early days of their arrival had no support regiments so most of the work done was with pick, shovel wheel barrels. Later on, they were supplemented by colored service regiments, Vietnamese, Chinese, French and POWs. The technical, Truck and Wagon companies were spread throughout France not only building, repairing, maintaining roads but building bridges, barracks, rail roads, work and storage buildings, dams and other miscellaneous jobs as required.

   I have to say that I learned quite a bit about grandfathers regiment and history. I started with just his dog tags and a few stories that my father told me. Grandpa passed away in 1941 when my father was 15. Father claims that his death was early due to grandfather's exposure to gas at the forward zone. I believe that I found supporting documentation for that in my research."

My grandfather also suffered from exposure to gas throughout his life.  Mr. Gilliam also provided me with a copy of the two page Company F's commanding officers Experience report.  From that I determined that in April 1918 the Company was working on the bridge in Nevers, France, on the Loire.  This corresponds to the photograph at the beginning of this post.  The construction of the bridge is further described in the Historical Report of the Chief Engineer, Including All Operations of the Engineer Department, American Expeditionary Forces, 1917-1919
United States. Army. American Expeditionary Forces. Engineer Dept, January 1, 1919, U.S. Government Printing Office, pp. 283-4  which is available through Google Books here   It was the longest bridge which the Engineers of the American force built in France.

Mr. Gilliam also sent me the ship manifest port of embarkation Hoboken, NY  which shows Harold's residence as 18 East Colorado.  This was right next to Perkins and Leddy's Furnishings at 16 East Colorado.   [Could he just have been using the store address as his home address?]

I also learned from Mr. Gilliam that on Oct. 28, 1918 a cloudy and cold day, Company F moved into the northern French town of Charpentry.  They were shelled and several were wounded.  This was reported in a history of Company A.  Also, earlier, back in the U.S. on Jan 9 it was very cold and Company F arrived in Laurel [Deleware?] and moved into the mill there.    This information can be found here.   You have to search under "F." 

Wikipedia informs us that "At the beginning of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive (26 September – 11 November 1918), the 79th US Infantry Division captured Charpentry"  

Also there was a publication of Company F in which Harold D. Leddy is listed as a member.  The Squeek, 1930.   His address there is 181 N. Lake Ave., Pasadena.  This area is no longer residential.

James W. Winter (1888-1972)

Written by Helene Winter in 1972.  First Posted by Karen Brewer 4/18/2016 [thanks Karen]  

Obituary & Eulogy of James Wright Winter....

James Wright Winter, son of William and Margaret Winter, was born in Sibley, Iowa, January 21, 1888, and entered into rest, April 17, 1972, at the age of 84 years.

He attended Osceola High School, after which he taught school for several years. He took his first year of veterinary medical training at Chicago Veterinary College, Chicago, Illinois and finished the remaining years of his training at Kansas City Veterinary College, Kansas City, Missouri, where he received his degree in veterinary medicine in May of 1916. As a senior student, he spent his summer of 1915 helping in and around Norwalk and locating here permanently in the summer of 1916, to practice more than 50 years in the town and surrounding territory.

When he was 15 years old his family moved from northern, Iowa, to a farm south of Truro, Iowa. His love of the farm and his veterinary practice went hand in hand, as he owned and occupied a farmstead on the west edge of Norwalk, where for many years he raised Short-horn cattle.He is survived by his wife, Helene; a daughter, Mrs. Jane Leddy of San Mateo, California; a sister, Miss Margaret Winter of Truro, Iowa; a brother, Dr. Malcolm Winter, Sr. of Miles City, Montana; and four grandchildren.

During Dr. Winter's long practice in Norwalk and vicinity, it was obvious he enjoyed every minute of it. Children delightedly exchanged good-natured banter with him as they trailed him around the lots, helping out. He did many kind things above and beyond the line of duty and would respond to a call whatever the hour or the weather. He knew veterinary medicine in its' earlier days as well as modern methods. He knew it when animals were often treated in cold and blizzard under make-shift protection or when they were bedded down in a warm stall.

He was a confidant of his clients as well as a friend...a man who held the esteem and affection of several generations of those whom he served.

He liked flowers and busy though he was, could now and then be seen weeding in the flower beds or in the garden. He enjoyed art and books and was an avid reader in his leisure moments. Vacation periods were spent visiting many areas of the continental United States, Canada and Mexico.

Dr. Winter's mortal life is ended, but his memory lives on in the hearts and minds of many.

Written by Dr. Winter's wife, Helene. 

This letter was attended by a note to Margaret L. Winter from Pastor Earl E. Swigart of First Baptist Church, 607 Mafred Ave., Norwalk Iowa.  

Jane's Birth Announcement

Letter from Norwalk, Iowa, July 10, 1933

letter from Edna Winter to Jane Ann Winter in Truro, Iowa.  

My Dear Big Girl:

I am sitting in the old seat in the west lawn up by your swing. Bruce is resting here beside me and the cats are tumbling about playing and fighting and trying to nurse Shorty.

We have had such a nice rain the lawn is beginning to look green once more.  Daddy [James Winter] is in the country.  He has been quite busy today. I went to S.S. and Church Sunday.  Eula Jean was there.  My class was all boys we had a great time and after we had read the story we made soldier hats out of the S.S. paper.   I promised to teach them to make a boat next Sunday.  

I heard Mr. and Mrs. F-  had a baby boy born July 2.  I also heard they were disappointed for they had both counted on a curly haired girl baby.  

How I have hooked on the big old rug.  Tomorrow I will finish the border and all the leaves.  Then I'll have the inside left.  After I get it out of the frames I'll shear it.  Do you know where the large scissors are?  You surely didn't put them in your bag.  Grandma [Winter] said you might give the pantomime.  When and Where? You will need quite a bit of space to make it look right.  Don't think of doing it without practicing several times.  Be slow and deliberate and know what comes next.  You see its been over a month since children's day and I expect you to be prepared before you perform. This is Tuesday  Your letter will be mailed out this afternoon.  We went up to the Millers last night about 9:30 A business call. Helen asked for you.  She has a little brother 4 years old.  It was 10:30 when we got home and they hadn't milked their cows yet.  I hoed some in the garden this morning.  Worked until the water begin to drip off my chin.  Then I picked some cherries for sauce.  We don't eat much.  I made a cake for Daddy Sunday he still has enough to last until tomorrow.  I have the missionary meeting here Fri. afternoon.  Don't you think Daddy had better come for our Thurs. or Fri. Evening?  So far I have nos surprise.  There might be a tiny one by the time you would get home.

I want to write to Grandma Robins now and take a bath.

Love to my dear Little (Big) Girl  Jane Ann.