I sincerely hope that you enjoy the background music on this page. It is Ave Maria, they sang it at my father's funeral.
4. Charles "Lyle" Taylor (Sr.) (enhanced photo) was born on 14 Jun 1911 in Randalia, Center Township, Fayette, IA.(10) He was baptized on 12 Mar 1946 in San Diego, San Diego, CA. (11) He died on 27 Feb 1990 in San Diego, San Diego, CA. (12) He was buried on 2 Mar 1990 in Holy Cross Cemetery, San Diego, CA.(13) He was a Machinist, a grocery store manager, and a Pinkerton Lt.. He had Social Security Number 570-05-9373. (14) In Randalia, Fayette County, Iowa on June 14, 1911, (my father) Charles Lyle TAYLOR was born. Dad was the last of Charles Lewis and Agnes Ida (WOOLSEY) TAYLOR's children to grow to adulthood. The twins came after dad, but died just short of their first birthday.
My father was a good man. He used to tell stories of when he was younger, of how when he wanted to travel, he'd just jump a freight train headed in the correct direction, and ride.
He took us past the homes he grew up in so we could see them. The house they lived in last, the photo of the house where Charles Lewis TAYLOR is standing on the back porch, exists no more. In July 1992, on our trip to Fayette County, we went to Oelwein, and couldn't locate the house. By double checking the address in records, we checked again, and there is now a road where the TAYLOR house used to be at 556 8th Street South West. When we were there the previous time (1965) the building was in a serious state of neglect. It was falling apart and the first floor was rotted almost completely gone. This must have hurt dad's feelings as I know that he still had vivid memories of this house where he'd lived as a child.
Dad got to California on a freight train. In fact he related several times how he "commuted" between Iowa and California via the trains.
Dad was staying with his brother LeRoy Silas (Silas LeRoy) in Long Beach, California when he met my mother. He said he loved her from the first time he laid eyes on her. He made a GOOD choice. They were married in Long Beach, California on 23 April 1940. Shortly there after they moved to San Diego. They lived in an upstairs apartment on Broadway while dad and mom built a house. Mom still lives in that house! And I have a photograph of the apartment building!
I was born March 29, 1944 in Mercy Hospital, San Diego, California. I turned out to be the one and only.
Dad worked hard. For years he was a machinist. He worked at Rohr, and at Langley Corp., where he made fishing reels, and at Consolidated Aircraft. He held the position of lead man. At Rohr and Consolidated he made aircraft parts. He fabricated them from raw stock metal.
He was very determined to provide a living for mom and I. We weren't rich, but we never went hungry, or lived out on the street. We were rich with good health and love. Dad was a grocery store manager for many years and was a Lieutenant for Pinkerton when he was finally forced into retirement. Dad had circulatory problems. He had had a triple by-pass, a new aorta installed, a pace-maker, and a number of other major surguries in the last 15 years of his life.
Dad loved to fish. I can remember numerous times I went with him. Sometimes mom came with us. Sometimes we brought home "the catch." Other times we just brought home the fellowship of having spent a long and happy day out together. I'll treasure those memories forever. In later years mom was his fishing companion.
Dad was wore out. I don't think that in his last 10 years of life that there wasn't a day went by that he wasn't in pain. Somedays it was better and somedays it was worse - but it was always there.
On the night of February 26, 1990 he fell alseep for the night, never to hurt again as he expired just after midnight, on the morning of the 27th.
Dad's pallbearers were: Charles Lyle Taylor III (Grandson) Michael Reginal Taylor (Grandson) Joseph "Joe" Angleton (Died May 31, 2000 - Pneumonia - was 85) William "Bud" Lefebore Gerald "Jerry" Smith John Gomes Burying my father was the MOST difficult thing I've EVER had to do. On March 2, 1990 I watched as they slid my father's casket into the vault at Holy Cross Mausoleum (Cemetery), San Diego, California. A sad day indeed.
Dad is the main reason I started this genealogy research. He never seemed to know a lot about his ancestors. I was curious. I still am. He was married to "Arlene" Rose Klukas on 23 Apr 1940 in Long Beach, Los Angeles, CA.(15)
5. "Arlene" Rose Klukas (photo) was born in West Bend, Washington, WI. She was baptized in West Bend, Washington, WI.(16) She has purchased a crypt at Holy Cross Cemetery, San Diego, CA. (17) and will be buried there with dad when she is dead. She is a Bird Breeder. Her Social Security Number is private.(18)
!BIRTH WEIGHED 10lbs 0oz at birth. !RANDOM NOTES (This is a transcript of the "jottings" made by my mother (Arlene Rose Klukas) that covers a 40 or 50 year period. Most of this is recorded candidly, some- what unorganized, but bears recording here for all to know. Nothing here has been changed from the original copy in my file. Some of the information has since been proven or found out to be a bit different, but it still is note worthy for this genealogy study.) "My paternal grandparents were born in Germany. My grandfather Wilhelm Klukas was born 1851, on November 8, he died on January 13, 1936. Age 85 years of age. My grandmother Louise (Mitzner) Klukas was born May 10, 1857 and died on January 26, 1929 at the age of 72. Grandfather was a tailor in Germany, and a farmer in Minnesota. He raised his own tobacco, and the day he died had carried water to his plants as the weather was so hot and the plants were dying. He died of heat stroke. They were married on December 23, 1877, in Germany. They had 13 children four of them died as small children. Grandmother died of Diabetes. They are buried in the Home Cemetery at Balaton, Minnesota. We have a great number of relatives buried in that cemtery. They arrived at Ellis Island and then went to Milwaukee Wis. From there they traveled to Minnesota in covered wagon. A whole relation of people, some of the names - Hazes [Haase], Breening, Toifel [Teufel], Molkey [Mahlke]. Most of the people in Balaton are relatives to us. My maternal grandparents. Grandfather was born in Germany and grandmother's parents were born in Germany. Grandfather, Andrew Niedermeyer was born November 16, 1856 and died on September 6, 1926 of creeping paralysis. It was probably caused from his work. He owned his own print shop, and in later years now it seems like he probably got poisoned from the ink. He was 72. Grandmother Louise (Pfeifer/Pfieffer) Niedermeyer was born January 2, 1861, and died on May 14, 1901. She was 40 years old. She died when the baby she was carrying died in her. She was almost due to give birth in a couple of months. They were married on April 23, but I don't know the year. I understand that Aunt Rose their oldest child was born on December [scratched and changed to February] 12, 1884. They had 8 children. I understand they are buried in Calvary Cemetery in Milwaukee. All of the women on both sides of the family were handy with doing all kinds of crafts. Louise Niedermeyer made flowers from human hair. I never saw any of the flowers but they must have been beautiful, because the city of Milwaukee hired her to make them for parade floats. She also played the guitar. We had two of her guitars until we moved to California. The Klukas children's names: Sophie, Ida, Frederick, Pauline, Hugo, Albert, Ella, Elizabeth, Ludwig, and I don't know the names of the ones that died as little children I think one was Edward and one was Selma. The names of the Niedermeyer children: Rose, Paul, Anna, Theresa, Mike (died when he fell from the highchair and injured his head), Catherine, William (he drowned in the Milwaukee River) at age 21. Then they named the unborn baby Louise. Mom [Theresa Niedermeyer Klukas] said she could remember they laid the baby in the coffin next to their [her] mother. [Theresa was 11 years old]. Arlene's parents: Frederick William Klukas was born May 23, 1864 in Milwaukee Wis. Died July 19, 1943 and is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery San Diego, Cal. Theresa (Niedermeyer) Klukas was born January 14, 1890 and died on March 4, 1988. Was also born in Milwaukee and is buried in Holy Cross. They were married on September 18, 1912. The family history of the Taylor family, births and deaths are recorded in a book, which I have. Additional history is scarce. Charles Lewis Taylor had at least one brother. His name was Ed. They came from Indiana and were raised by people, named Ashby. I don't know why. Agnes (Grandma) (Woolsey) Taylor was from Wisconsin. Daddy [Charles Lyle Taylor] often mentioned Lyons, and Delavan Wisconsin. They are buried in the cemetery, near the town of Randalia. [Handwritten Dunham Grove]. Uncle John Bloom, and Aunt Alma will be buried there too. Agnes was married to George Whitbeck and had uncle Arlo before she married Charles Taylor. He [George] died not too long after the marriage. I would like to add some additional sidelights to the other page of information. My Grandfather Wilhelm Klukas was born in Posen Germany which at one time was Poland. With all the wars the boundries keep changing so I don't know where that would be now. He and Louise were married in Germany and aunt Sophie was born there. The married names of the women that married are Sophie Haack, Pauline Jensen, and Elizabeth Olson. The others never married. Uncle Hugo stayed single too. Grandfather Andrew Niedermeyer was born in Aden by Achbar in Germany. It was Austria at one time. The married names of the women that married are, Rose Ewens, Anna Westenberger Theresa Klukas, and Catherine Franke. My dad Fred W. Klukas went to barber school and cut hair in a barber shop at one time. Then he delivered milk (milkman) at one time. He played first violin in the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra at one time. He was a lover of classical music. He was brakeman on the railroad in Milwaukee, and was almost killed. In those days the cars were coupled by hand. The engine was backing toward the stopped car. It came too fast and he was crushed in between. The other man was killed and dad was crushed to a four inch space. He was packed in ice for three months and in the hospital for nine months. The ice was to keep down the internal bleeding. He was sick from this all his life. Used to get such awful migrane headaches that his whole body would cramp. This happened before he met mom. He had them all his life. He died of uremic poisoning caused during the second world war. He worked in the aircraft experimental department of Convair in San Diego. There was a sabotage and an explosion took place and two men were killed and dad was thrown against a wall under a work table with his back against the wall. This started up the kidney bleeding, which he suffered from for years after the train accident. Mom Theresa Klukas did many things for many people during her 98 years plus. I remember her going a mile in the middle of the night to help with the delivery of a baby. She and the husband delivered it, and cleaned it. Then I also remember when she imbalmed a neighbors baby girl. It died of pneumonia, and they were too poor to get an undertaker. Mom prepared the baby and laid it in the coffin. Another time she stayed with a family over night while the sick husband died. These are only a few of the many outstanding memories I have, this all in addition to careing for a sick husband. Here in California she taught religion in both St. John of the Cross and then later at Santa Sophia for a total of 13 years. She did mission work most of her life. Made holy pictures out of old Christmas cards. Made thousands of them and sent them all over the world. She also made vestments that are used at Mass. The missioneries were very happy to get them. When I was about three years old, I remember my dad going out across the road to a neighbors place in the middle of the night during a terrible thunder storm. The farmers silo had blown over on to his cattle and they were dying. My dad said every time it would lightning he would be knocked down to his knees. They were using steel crowbars to pry up the boards to get the cattle out. I don't remember if they were able to save any. Mom had us praying all the time this was going on. My grandmother Peiffer lived to be 103 years old. I should have said great grandmother. When we moved from Minnesota to South Dakota dad and mom and we three kids drove the 80 miles in a model T Ford. It took a whole day. The cattle, horses and wagons had to be driven. It took a whole week. They had to stop to feed the animals and rest them as the walking tired them. This was on the 7th of December I think. I am sure, it was in December 1927. You can imagine the load of feed the men had to start out with, in order to have enough to last a whole week. The car we rode in also had household items also beside all of us." (THIS CONCLUDES THE DOCUMENTED MEMORIES) ****************************************************************************** Time-Line for Arlene Rose KLUKAS TAYLOR Sept. 13, 1917 Born West Bend, Washington County, Wisconsin 1917-1919 Lived in West Bend, Wisconsin 1919 Moved to Russell, Lyon County, Minnesota 1919-1923 Lived in the Russell, Lyon County, Minnesota area 1923-1927 Lived in the Balaton, Lyon County, Minnesota area 1927 Moved to Strandburg, Grant County, South Dakota 1927-1937 Lived in the Strandburg, Grant County, South Dakota area 1937 Moved to Long Beach, Los Angeles County, California April 23, 1940 Married Charles Lyle Taylor in Long Beach, CA 1937-1941 Lived in the Long Beach, Los Angeles Co., CA area 1941/2 Moved to San Diego, San Diego, California area 1942-1946 Lived in San Diego at 9th & Broadway in an upstairs apt. July 23, 1943 Buried her father, Frederick William Klukas. Mar. 29, 1944 Gave birth to only son, Charles Lyle Taylor Jr. 1946 Moved to Spring Valley, CA into the house that they built 1946-Present (Still) Lives in the house that they built in Spring Valley, California. March 7, 1988 Buried her mother, Theresa Rose Niedermeyer Klukas. Oct. 18, 1988 Buried her brother, Frederick Andrew Klukas. March 2, 1990 Buried her husband, Charles Lyle Taylor. ****************************************************************************** Only child is: 2 i. Charles Lyle "Chuck" Taylor Jr..
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