Thursday, May 19, 2011

CHRISTENSEN FAMILY REUNION SCHEDULE

Feron and Elma Christensen Family Reunion
Saturday June 18 2011
Doheny State Beach
Picnic Area 11

Area 11 is near the top center of the map above. (click on it to enlarge)
Visit dohenystatebeach.org for a map and driving directions.
Area 11 has 6 picnic tables, 4 pedestal BBQs and a fire ring all on a concrete pad. Lots of grass and of course the beach. 
Doheny State Beach is open 6am - 10pm.
Parking is $15 per car for the day.
RSVP to John by May 18th: john-christensen@verizon.net 
or via the comment box connected with this post. (Dinner will be provided for the group, hence the need for RSVP)

SCHEDULE FOR THE DAY:

6am  The park opens. Please come as early as you would like and stake out day use areas adjacent to Area 11.

9am  John and Margaret plan on being there to secure day use area east of Area 11 to set up display items. 

LUNCH  Each family please bring their own lunches and beach equipment.

AFTER LUNCH  Get acquainted, fun, games, large grassy area and adjacent beach.

4pm  FAMILY GATHERING  Presentation on Grandpa Feron's life.*

5pm  DINNER will be provided. Please bring a dessert to share for after dinner.

AFTER DINNER  Fire ring and enjoy the evening together. 

10pm  Park closes

*If you have any fond memories, photos or input on his life we would appreciate it if you would send them or notify us as soon as possible. john-christensen@verizon.net, kc@kentchristensen.com

Visit us on Facebook: CHRISTENSEN FAMILY REUNION

SEE YOU ON SATURDAY THE 18TH!

Monday, May 2, 2011

Feron & Elma and their Family 1934-1970


Elma and Feron
around 1934

This was taken around the time they were married. They are standing in front of Elma's home at 29 South 3rd West in Brigham City. He was 26 and she was 24 years old.




Feron
around 1934
Brigham City




Feron and Elma were married on January 8th 1934, the day after Feron's 26th birthday, in the Salt Lake Temple.



Elma and John
1937 or 38
Los Angeles

John was born in February of 1936 at the old hospital on Forest Street in Brigham City.  Feron went to Los Angeles in late 1936 to find work. Shortly after that he found a job (as a Fuller Brush man) and a place to live.  He sent for Elma and John, who took the train and were settled into their home on Beswick in East Los Angeles by John's first birthday. 




Elma, Feron and John
1939




John and Feron
1940




Elma, Feron, John and Brent
1940

Brent was born in March of 1940. 




John and Elsa with their grandchildren
1940

John and Brent are in the front. 
Charlene Just, Camille and Chuck's daughter, is with grandpa and Natalie Knudson, daughter of Blanche and Jack Knudson is between grandma and grandpa.




Elma, Feron and John
around 1940




Feron and Brent, Elma and John
at the cemetery with the 1934 Plymouth




John and Brent
1941




Feron with his sons
John, Brent and Paul
1942

Paul was born in November of 1941.




Feron with Luann, Paul, John and Brent
1943

Luann was born in December of 1942. This was taken on Randolph Street in Huntington Park. There was a vacant lot between the fence and the building (a pattern shop) where Feron grew a garden. John remembers it being a fun place to play as well.




John, Brent and Luann
1943




Elma and Luann
1944




John, Brent, Paul and Luann with friend Joe True
1944




John, Brent, Paul and Luann
about 1944




John, Luann, Brent and Paul
late 1940s
Taken in the back yard of E. 60th Street




The back yard of 3530 East 60th Street in Huntington Park.
1950's

The garage is to the left, and the structure in the rear was originally the neighbor's garage, which grandpa moved and turned sideways to create an additional workspace.





John and the '46 Plymouth
East 60th Street
1950s




Luann and Paul with friend Wendell Waite in the back room addition Feron built on East 60th Street.
1950s



Brent
age 11
1951




Feron and Elma
June 8th 1956
At John and Margaret's wedding reception at the Maywood Ward chapel.





Four generations of eldest sons:
Feron, John S. holding Kent, John
1957

Kent was born in March of 1957. He was the first grandchild of Feron and Elma and the first great-grandchild of John and Elsa. By this time John and Elsa had moved to Huntington Park from Brigham City.




Feron and Kent
1958




At home on East 60th Street, 1959.

Feron and Elma with their children: Luann, Paul and Brent and grandchildren: Kent and Kevin.
Grandpa is with Kevin, who was born in January of that year and Brent is with Kent, age 2.




On East 60th Street in Huntington Park, 1963
Clockwise from left: John, Kevin, Kent, Margaret, Kerry, Elma, Kirk, Feron, LuAnn, Tony, Paul




Elma & Feron in the living room on East 60th Street
around 1966



Christmas morning, 1966




Michelle, Paul and Feron at Aunt Lois' apartment in ParkLaBrea
about 1967




Feron, Tony and Keith D'Antuono and Jack Knudson




Passport photos, 1967




In Taiwan with Brent and Pauline
1968



Feron reading the Signal at home in Huntington Park



With Karl, Kathleen and Derek
1970




Elma & Feron
3530 East 60th Street
Huntington Park
November 1969






Feron's Career

The trees that line Main Street in Brigham City were planted and watered by Feron when he worked for the city during the early 1930s.




Feron and the Swaps statue
1958
Hollywood Park

Feron fabricated this bronze statue of the racehorse Swaps, winner of the 1955 Kentucky Derby, at A. J. Bayer, the ornamental Iron and Bronze foundry where he worked for many years.




1958 article from the Huntington Park Signal written by Feron's brother-in-law, Jack Knudson (Blanche's husband) about the Swaps statue.




Article from the Brigham City paper - probably 1951. This is the first mention of Feron's work as foreman at A.J. Bayer in Los Angeles. Feron was also involved in fabricating the bronze plaques at the entrance to the Los Angeles Colosseum and the bronze bases of the flagpoles at the Los Angeles County Courthouse.




Feron cast the bronze statue of General Douglas MacArthur in MacArthur Park, Los Angeles.



Bronze statues at Home Savings and Loan 
mid-1960s





Feron at the Hawaii state capitol
1968





Karl, Tammi and Lainey Christensen under the bronze seal at the 
Hawaii state capitol building in 2003,
34 years after its official unveiling in 1969 - on the 10th anniversary of Hawaii's statehood.