Paul was the son of James Trenton "Jim Boone" and Nina Edith (Jones) DePreste. He was married April 5, 1945 at 9 p.m. at the home of his parents west of Miller, in Lawrence County, Missouri to Evalina "Evelyn" Hook of South Greenfield, Dade County, Missouri. They first lived with dad's parents for a short time before purchasing an 80-acre farm not far from them. The farm had been owned by various members of our family for several generations. In the early years of their marriage, dad's occupations included farming, operating a bulldozer, and hauling and trading livestock in and around the Lawrence County area, working nights at a feed mill in Aurora, and in a grocery warehouse in Springfield.
Their first child, son Paul Jr., was born at Dr. Watt O. Cowan's home residence and hospital in Greenfield, Dade County, and their next son Morris, was born at Dr. Cowan's new clinic in Lockwood, Dade County. Both sons were born while their parents were living in the old family homestead farmhouse on an eighty-acre farm just southwest of Miller in neighboring Lawrence County.
~ The Old Family Farm ~
...The farmhouse began as a cabin owned by James Maxfield, then subsequently owned by two of our kinsmen. John H. Jones, a carpenter and younger brother of our direct ancestor Simeon H. Jones (1840-1876), is thought to have made the conversion of the original log cabin into a farmhouse sometime before he sold the property in 1881 and moved to Texas. The farmhouse had been built over the log cabin structure (the cabin being encased within the walls). A kitchen had been added on the west side, and a bedroom added on the north side with stairs leading up to an additional attic bedroom above. It's very unlikely that our direct ancestor John W. Hays (1832-1882) could have made the conversion in the short time he owned the property before his death on April 22, 1882. John Hays died shortly after being hit in the head with a large rock thrown by neighbor Phillip Pennington during an argument over one of John Hays' cows getting into Phillip Pennington's garden. The picture of widowed Emmaline "Emily" Jane (Davis) Hays (1844-1924) and the children was taken in the early 1890's. Their daughter Della Cora (Hays) DePreste, Robb, Garver, was to remain on the farm throughout her lifetime.
...The farmhouse was also well used into the mid 1950's by our own family, then into the mid-1960's by our Granddad "Jim Boone" DePreste. The amenities I remember included a hand pump at the kitchen sink for water and a wood-burning stove for cooking in the kitchen, and a potbellied stove in the living room for heat. Power poles and electric and phone lines were installed in our area when I was about five years old and soon afterwards mom got an electric stove. The worst memory I have about the farm was the outhouse that seemed a long distance away from the house to a little kid who was petrified of the dark on a cold winter's night, and one of the best memories is of my older brothers who often took pity and walked me there and back.
...When the farmhouse was demolished by Marshall Ralph L. Hooker (1906-2001), well known in the southwestern area of Missouri for his handcrafted replicas of the Daniel Boone rifle and a preservationist of all things historical, bought the logs from the original cabin and used them to build the fort structure in the construction of an early period settlement near Phelps on U.S. 66. Marshall Hooker graciously gave Ron, myself and our children a personally guided tour of the compound in 1976. It seemed a most fitting new life for the old family "log cabin" farmhouse. (Sadly, my younger brother Brian told me Marshall Hooker's property was sold and his compound no longer exits.)
...The farm property was sold to Richard King in 1975, re-sold in 1977, then sold again a few years later, and a new home was built farther back from the road.
By 1949, the folks had purchased a home at 3101 West Mt. Vernon on the corner of South Golden Avenue in Springfield, Greene County, where Vicki was born in 1949 at the old St. John's Hospital and four years later, Brian was born at the new St. John's Hospital. After selling their home in Springfield, our family moved back into the farmhouse near Miller. My own memories of living on the farm are limited of course, and are mostly of mom's wonderful cooking, our sweet little brother Brian, and of older brothers Paul and Morris and their shenanigans. The one that stands out is when they tied a wagon to our mare Dander and got a wild ride through the briers and brambles. It looked like a whole lot of fun, until they came walking back covered in scrapes and scratches and mom started cleaning their wounds and applying antiseptic... probably Tincture of Mercurochrome, ouch! I was always wary of ole Dander after she had knocked me off her back by running me under a low tree branch which had knocked the breath out of me. Dad and possibly mom were the only ones who could really handle the old she devil.
In 1955, mom and dad bought a new 8' x 40' (single wide) Spartan Trailer and we moved out of the farmhouse into the trailer. They also bought a beautiful new blue International Pickup and our first television. (A small black and white that mostly displayed a test pattern screen during the day with scant programs broadcast in the late afternoon and early evening. The only program I seem to remember was The Ed Sullivan Show.) When Miller Elementary School let out in early summer, dad hitched up the trailer and we moved to Texas. (Paul and Morris' teacher was Wauneta Berta (Dilday) Edwards who was a first cousin to our our dad, but my siblings and I called her "Aunt" Wauneta. She was my older brothers' teacher in a combined class of several grades in the Miller Elementary School in the early 1950's.) Miller didn't have a kindergarten class that year so I started school in Miss Gage's first grade class in Texas.
After we moved to Texas, Granddad "Jim Boone" DePreste moved his belongings into the old farmhouse and called it his "bachelor's quarters" until the mid 1960's when he was incapacitated by a stroke and entered a care facility in Ash Grove. (See Granddad's Find-A-Grave Memorial for more information about where else he also stayed a good part of the time. It's a great comfort to me knowing he had such a wonderful and caring friendship after we moved away.)
We moved first to Big Spring for a few weeks where dad reconnected with Thomas and Alma Reed (Reed Oil Co., Inc., formerly of Springfield, Missouri), then moved west to Odessa for a short time, then west again to Pecos where he managed a Reed Oil Gas Station, and lastly back east to Midland where he worked for the Bush Drilling Company (later the 41st U.S. President George Herbert Walker Bush).
In the late summer or early fall of 1956, the family moved to Livermore in Alameda County, California. We first lived in Ball's Trailer Park on the northwest edge of town between the Livermore Airport and Highway 50 (now 580). Our younger sister Joyce was born in 1957 at Saint Paul's Hospital while we were living in the trailer park. I was so excited about my little baby sister that I constantly checked on her (sometimes waking her up), that mom finally forbid me to check on her without asking first. Though I still relentlessly chased behind Paul and Morris, Brian was becoming a real little buddy as well and loved having me read (and reread) his favorite story, "The Three Billy Goats Gruff."
In 1958, we moved into an old house up on a hillside on Happy Valley Road in a rural area a few miles south of Pleasanton. I don't know why we moved there but for the most part, Paul, Morris and I had an okay time exploring the hills and countryside trying out their transistor radios and such, and we never tired of dragging an old inverted car hood up the hill, jumping inside and riding it back down, bumping and screeching over rocks and tall grass to the bottom. Brian was only five that summer but he might have taken a few rides down that hill with us as well. Probably the worst part of living there for me was the long bus ride to and from Alisal Elementary as it was on the far north side of Pleasanton and my bus also picked up and dropped off the elementary school children from Castlewood as well. We didn't have a phone there and mom didn't have a car for awhile so the day I missed the bus after school was a two hour walk home. I knew if I followed the train tracks it would take me to Happy Valley Road, but it was starting to get dark and mom was pretty worried by the time I made it home. (I have a slight memory of dad having an accident and I think he was probably using mom's car to commute to work during that time.)
In the summer of 1959, we moved back to Livermore into a tiny house (cottage) on College Avenue for about a year or so. The two memories that stand out while living there are Brian having an acute appendicitis attack and having to have an appendectomy that scared the heck out of the whole family, and I only recently discovered that the same horrid bantam rooster that terrorized me had also regularly attacked Brian as well!!
In 1960, we moved into a much larger house on the same ten-acre property on the corner of College and South Livermore Avenues. The house was high off the ground and had a veranda around two sides with steps at both ends. There was a fair sized old barn that dad used as a workshop, a fenced in area where we raised chickens, and a big area along another fence where the folks put in a large garden. There were two huge Elm trees in the back yard (one with a rope swing) that was perfect for us kids in the summer. The folks kept us plenty busy with various chores but we enjoyed having the big back yard for goofing off when we had free time. Our youngest brother James was born at Saint Paul's Hospital while living there in 1961, and we all adored our youngest and last little sibling.
I became more aware of dad's abilities and talents while we were living in Livermore. He was quite adept at building, modifying and repairing wooden structures and could repair almost anything mechanical or electrical (bicycles, cars, lawnmowers, radios, and televisions, etc.). I think all my brothers were mechanically inclined to some degree and honed their skills by often helping dad repair and maintain yard equipment and the family vehicles. He also had a natural talent for freehand drawing (he especially liked drawing caricatures) and had been offered a scholarship to art school as a senior in high school, which he had declined. He was also musically gifted (guitar and harmonica), and he had a good singing voice. Once-in-awhile when he had time and was so inclined, he would put on his harmonica neck holder, grab his guitar and play and sing old songs. Two of my favorites were "Hear the Wind Blow" (Flatt and Scruggs) and "Filipino Baby." (Earnest Tubb). All of us enjoyed his musical talents and it's a much treasured memory of our multi-faceted father. And also like dad, Paul and Morris seemed to be musically inclined as they played trumpets in the school band, both in Texas and in Livermore. I tried playing the violin in 5th grade but after torturing myself and the family for a few months I took pity on everyone and gave it up. Dad didn't really watch much television (he called it an idiot box) and the only shows I remember him watching were 'Have Gun - Will Travel' (1957-1963) and 'Gunsmoke' (1955-1975). The whole family actually enjoyed the western television shows and it's a special memory of our shared family time together.
In California, dad's skill as a mechanic led to his lifetime vocation; first at Lamson Mobilelift Corporation in Berkeley, and later at Thomas A. Short Company in Emeryville, both of which were located in the East Bay area of Alameda County. After the school year ended in the summer of 1969, mom and dad and the three younger children returned to the farm property west of Miller, and dad continued to work as a mechanic. I think they might have first lived in the town of Miller for a short time before purchasing a nice mobile home and moving back to the farm property, with dad commuting to Joplin where he worked as a mechanic for United Machinery Supply Company (UMS).
In late May of 1970, my daughter Debbie and I caught a flight out of San Francisco to Kansas City, Missouri and rode all night on a bus over hilly winding roads for a quick one-week trip to see the family. The weather was perfect and our visit on the farm stands out as one of my best memories. Debbie was in wonderland being on the farm with her grandparents, Uncles Brian and James, and Aunt Joyce (who had grown taller than I in one year and had become quite a strikingly pretty young woman). The family came to visit us older children in California that December and we all had a wonderful reunion together in Hayward.
In 1972, my husband Ron and I bought a new Chevrolet pickup for our trip to Missouri in August. The family had moved into the town of Miller after being hit by a tornado on the farm. The roof had been torn off their mobile home and one of the side walls had collapsed in on them. Dad had braced his back against the wall and moved it enough for the family to crawl to the door, which Joyce was able to kick open. They had lost everything, but miraculously they weren't seriously injured. Gotta hand it to sister Joyce; her determination and strength of will had enabled her to kick open a jammed door and lead the way out for the family. Once outside she ran and got down in the ditch along the road. Just wow, Joyce!! Ron and I and the children made several more trips to visit the family in Missouri through the years, and were enriched by seeing many great sights on both the northern and southern routes.
Notes:
..The tombstone photo was taken and shared by Brian & Donita (Rutledge) DePreste. The tombstone reflects Paul and Evelyn's lifetime enjoyment of fishing, camping, and of being outdoors.
..Thank you Larry Boyd for sharing the photo from the obituary at Fossett Mosher Funeral Home.
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Paul Trenton DePreste
Paul Trenton DePreste, 86, Springfield. Arrangements Morris-Leiman-Mosher Funeral Home, Miller. [The Latest Death Notices for the Springfield Area, 2:11 PM, Jan. 16, 2011. News-Leader.com]
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Paul Trenton DePreste
February 7, 1924 - January 16, 2011
..Paul Trenton DePreste, age 86, of Springfield, Missouri, passed away at 5:05 a.m. on Sunday, January 16, 2011, at the Jordan Creek Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Springfield. He was born on February 7, 1924, in Lawrence County, the son of James T. and Nina Edith (Jones) DePreste. Paul was a 1942 graduate of Central High School in Springfield and worked as a mechanic for United Machinery Supply Company in Joplin.
..Those surviving include: four sons, Paul Trenton (Linda) DePreste, Jr. of Livermore, California, Morris (Debbie) DePreste of Hayward, California, Brian (Donita) DePreste of Springfield, James (Pam) DePreste of Joplin; two daughters, Vicki (Ron) Peterson of Clovis, California, Joyce DePreste of Monett, Missouri, the mother of his children, Evelyn DePreste of Springfield; 16 grandchildren, and 32 great grandchildren.
..His parents and two brothers, J.B. and Victor DePreste preceded him in death.
..A graveside service, under the direction of the Morris-Leiman-Mosher Funeral Home, Miller, Missouri, will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, January 21, 2011, at Miller Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the Miller Memorial Gardens Cemetery in care of the funeral home. Online condolences may be shared at this website. [http://www.fossettmosherfuneralhome.com/obituary.phpFossett - Mosher Funeral Home 1/17/2011]
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Paul T. DePreste
..Springfield, MO - Paul Trenton DePreste, 86, a mechanic for United Machinery Suppply Company, passed away Sunday, Jan. 16, 2011.
..Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Miller Memoral Gardens Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Morris-Leiman-Mosher Funeral Home, Miller, Mo. [The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO, 117 E. Fourth Street, Joplin, Missouri 64801 1/18/2011]
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PAUL TRENTON DePRESTE
..Paul Trenton DePreste, 86, Springfield, died at 5:05 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 16, 2011, at the Jordan Creek Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Springfield. He was born Feb. 7, 1924, in Lawrence County to James T. and Nina Edith (Jones) DePreste. He was a 1942 graduate of Central High School in Springfield and worked as a mechanic for United Machinery Supply Company in Joplin.
..Survivors include four sons, Paul Trenton DePreste Jr., Livermore, Calif., Morris DePreste, Hayward, Calif., Brian DePreste, Springfield, and James DePreste, Joplin; two daughters, Vicky Peterson, Clovis, Calif., and Joyce DePreste, Monett; the mother of his children, Evelyn DePreste, Springfield; 16 grandchildren; and 32 great-grandchildren.
..He was preceded in death by two brothers, J.B. and Victor DePreste.
..Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 21, at Miller Memorial Gardens, Miller, under the direction of Morris-Leiman-Mosher Funeral Home, Miller.
..Memorial donations may be made to the Miller Memorial Gardens Cemetery, in care of the funeral home. [Lawrence County Record, Mt. Vernon, MO 1/19/2011]
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Paul DePreste
Paul Trenton DePreste, age 86, of Springfield, died at 5:05 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 16 at the Jordan Creek Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Springfield. A graveside service, under the direction of the Morris-Leiman-Mosher Funeral Home in Miller, will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 21, at Miller Memorial Gardens Cemetery. [The Monett Times - Obituaries - Wednesday, January 19, 2001]
Their first child, son Paul Jr., was born at Dr. Watt O. Cowan's home residence and hospital in Greenfield, Dade County, and their next son Morris, was born at Dr. Cowan's new clinic in Lockwood, Dade County. Both sons were born while their parents were living in the old family homestead farmhouse on an eighty-acre farm just southwest of Miller in neighboring Lawrence County.
~ The Old Family Farm ~
...The farmhouse began as a cabin owned by James Maxfield, then subsequently owned by two of our kinsmen. John H. Jones, a carpenter and younger brother of our direct ancestor Simeon H. Jones (1840-1876), is thought to have made the conversion of the original log cabin into a farmhouse sometime before he sold the property in 1881 and moved to Texas. The farmhouse had been built over the log cabin structure (the cabin being encased within the walls). A kitchen had been added on the west side, and a bedroom added on the north side with stairs leading up to an additional attic bedroom above. It's very unlikely that our direct ancestor John W. Hays (1832-1882) could have made the conversion in the short time he owned the property before his death on April 22, 1882. John Hays died shortly after being hit in the head with a large rock thrown by neighbor Phillip Pennington during an argument over one of John Hays' cows getting into Phillip Pennington's garden. The picture of widowed Emmaline "Emily" Jane (Davis) Hays (1844-1924) and the children was taken in the early 1890's. Their daughter Della Cora (Hays) DePreste, Robb, Garver, was to remain on the farm throughout her lifetime.
...The farmhouse was also well used into the mid 1950's by our own family, then into the mid-1960's by our Granddad "Jim Boone" DePreste. The amenities I remember included a hand pump at the kitchen sink for water and a wood-burning stove for cooking in the kitchen, and a potbellied stove in the living room for heat. Power poles and electric and phone lines were installed in our area when I was about five years old and soon afterwards mom got an electric stove. The worst memory I have about the farm was the outhouse that seemed a long distance away from the house to a little kid who was petrified of the dark on a cold winter's night, and one of the best memories is of my older brothers who often took pity and walked me there and back.
...When the farmhouse was demolished by Marshall Ralph L. Hooker (1906-2001), well known in the southwestern area of Missouri for his handcrafted replicas of the Daniel Boone rifle and a preservationist of all things historical, bought the logs from the original cabin and used them to build the fort structure in the construction of an early period settlement near Phelps on U.S. 66. Marshall Hooker graciously gave Ron, myself and our children a personally guided tour of the compound in 1976. It seemed a most fitting new life for the old family "log cabin" farmhouse. (Sadly, my younger brother Brian told me Marshall Hooker's property was sold and his compound no longer exits.)
...The farm property was sold to Richard King in 1975, re-sold in 1977, then sold again a few years later, and a new home was built farther back from the road.
By 1949, the folks had purchased a home at 3101 West Mt. Vernon on the corner of South Golden Avenue in Springfield, Greene County, where Vicki was born in 1949 at the old St. John's Hospital and four years later, Brian was born at the new St. John's Hospital. After selling their home in Springfield, our family moved back into the farmhouse near Miller. My own memories of living on the farm are limited of course, and are mostly of mom's wonderful cooking, our sweet little brother Brian, and of older brothers Paul and Morris and their shenanigans. The one that stands out is when they tied a wagon to our mare Dander and got a wild ride through the briers and brambles. It looked like a whole lot of fun, until they came walking back covered in scrapes and scratches and mom started cleaning their wounds and applying antiseptic... probably Tincture of Mercurochrome, ouch! I was always wary of ole Dander after she had knocked me off her back by running me under a low tree branch which had knocked the breath out of me. Dad and possibly mom were the only ones who could really handle the old she devil.
In 1955, mom and dad bought a new 8' x 40' (single wide) Spartan Trailer and we moved out of the farmhouse into the trailer. They also bought a beautiful new blue International Pickup and our first television. (A small black and white that mostly displayed a test pattern screen during the day with scant programs broadcast in the late afternoon and early evening. The only program I seem to remember was The Ed Sullivan Show.) When Miller Elementary School let out in early summer, dad hitched up the trailer and we moved to Texas. (Paul and Morris' teacher was Wauneta Berta (Dilday) Edwards who was a first cousin to our our dad, but my siblings and I called her "Aunt" Wauneta. She was my older brothers' teacher in a combined class of several grades in the Miller Elementary School in the early 1950's.) Miller didn't have a kindergarten class that year so I started school in Miss Gage's first grade class in Texas.
After we moved to Texas, Granddad "Jim Boone" DePreste moved his belongings into the old farmhouse and called it his "bachelor's quarters" until the mid 1960's when he was incapacitated by a stroke and entered a care facility in Ash Grove. (See Granddad's Find-A-Grave Memorial for more information about where else he also stayed a good part of the time. It's a great comfort to me knowing he had such a wonderful and caring friendship after we moved away.)
We moved first to Big Spring for a few weeks where dad reconnected with Thomas and Alma Reed (Reed Oil Co., Inc., formerly of Springfield, Missouri), then moved west to Odessa for a short time, then west again to Pecos where he managed a Reed Oil Gas Station, and lastly back east to Midland where he worked for the Bush Drilling Company (later the 41st U.S. President George Herbert Walker Bush).
In the late summer or early fall of 1956, the family moved to Livermore in Alameda County, California. We first lived in Ball's Trailer Park on the northwest edge of town between the Livermore Airport and Highway 50 (now 580). Our younger sister Joyce was born in 1957 at Saint Paul's Hospital while we were living in the trailer park. I was so excited about my little baby sister that I constantly checked on her (sometimes waking her up), that mom finally forbid me to check on her without asking first. Though I still relentlessly chased behind Paul and Morris, Brian was becoming a real little buddy as well and loved having me read (and reread) his favorite story, "The Three Billy Goats Gruff."
In 1958, we moved into an old house up on a hillside on Happy Valley Road in a rural area a few miles south of Pleasanton. I don't know why we moved there but for the most part, Paul, Morris and I had an okay time exploring the hills and countryside trying out their transistor radios and such, and we never tired of dragging an old inverted car hood up the hill, jumping inside and riding it back down, bumping and screeching over rocks and tall grass to the bottom. Brian was only five that summer but he might have taken a few rides down that hill with us as well. Probably the worst part of living there for me was the long bus ride to and from Alisal Elementary as it was on the far north side of Pleasanton and my bus also picked up and dropped off the elementary school children from Castlewood as well. We didn't have a phone there and mom didn't have a car for awhile so the day I missed the bus after school was a two hour walk home. I knew if I followed the train tracks it would take me to Happy Valley Road, but it was starting to get dark and mom was pretty worried by the time I made it home. (I have a slight memory of dad having an accident and I think he was probably using mom's car to commute to work during that time.)
In the summer of 1959, we moved back to Livermore into a tiny house (cottage) on College Avenue for about a year or so. The two memories that stand out while living there are Brian having an acute appendicitis attack and having to have an appendectomy that scared the heck out of the whole family, and I only recently discovered that the same horrid bantam rooster that terrorized me had also regularly attacked Brian as well!!
In 1960, we moved into a much larger house on the same ten-acre property on the corner of College and South Livermore Avenues. The house was high off the ground and had a veranda around two sides with steps at both ends. There was a fair sized old barn that dad used as a workshop, a fenced in area where we raised chickens, and a big area along another fence where the folks put in a large garden. There were two huge Elm trees in the back yard (one with a rope swing) that was perfect for us kids in the summer. The folks kept us plenty busy with various chores but we enjoyed having the big back yard for goofing off when we had free time. Our youngest brother James was born at Saint Paul's Hospital while living there in 1961, and we all adored our youngest and last little sibling.
I became more aware of dad's abilities and talents while we were living in Livermore. He was quite adept at building, modifying and repairing wooden structures and could repair almost anything mechanical or electrical (bicycles, cars, lawnmowers, radios, and televisions, etc.). I think all my brothers were mechanically inclined to some degree and honed their skills by often helping dad repair and maintain yard equipment and the family vehicles. He also had a natural talent for freehand drawing (he especially liked drawing caricatures) and had been offered a scholarship to art school as a senior in high school, which he had declined. He was also musically gifted (guitar and harmonica), and he had a good singing voice. Once-in-awhile when he had time and was so inclined, he would put on his harmonica neck holder, grab his guitar and play and sing old songs. Two of my favorites were "Hear the Wind Blow" (Flatt and Scruggs) and "Filipino Baby." (Earnest Tubb). All of us enjoyed his musical talents and it's a much treasured memory of our multi-faceted father. And also like dad, Paul and Morris seemed to be musically inclined as they played trumpets in the school band, both in Texas and in Livermore. I tried playing the violin in 5th grade but after torturing myself and the family for a few months I took pity on everyone and gave it up. Dad didn't really watch much television (he called it an idiot box) and the only shows I remember him watching were 'Have Gun - Will Travel' (1957-1963) and 'Gunsmoke' (1955-1975). The whole family actually enjoyed the western television shows and it's a special memory of our shared family time together.
In California, dad's skill as a mechanic led to his lifetime vocation; first at Lamson Mobilelift Corporation in Berkeley, and later at Thomas A. Short Company in Emeryville, both of which were located in the East Bay area of Alameda County. After the school year ended in the summer of 1969, mom and dad and the three younger children returned to the farm property west of Miller, and dad continued to work as a mechanic. I think they might have first lived in the town of Miller for a short time before purchasing a nice mobile home and moving back to the farm property, with dad commuting to Joplin where he worked as a mechanic for United Machinery Supply Company (UMS).
In late May of 1970, my daughter Debbie and I caught a flight out of San Francisco to Kansas City, Missouri and rode all night on a bus over hilly winding roads for a quick one-week trip to see the family. The weather was perfect and our visit on the farm stands out as one of my best memories. Debbie was in wonderland being on the farm with her grandparents, Uncles Brian and James, and Aunt Joyce (who had grown taller than I in one year and had become quite a strikingly pretty young woman). The family came to visit us older children in California that December and we all had a wonderful reunion together in Hayward.
In 1972, my husband Ron and I bought a new Chevrolet pickup for our trip to Missouri in August. The family had moved into the town of Miller after being hit by a tornado on the farm. The roof had been torn off their mobile home and one of the side walls had collapsed in on them. Dad had braced his back against the wall and moved it enough for the family to crawl to the door, which Joyce was able to kick open. They had lost everything, but miraculously they weren't seriously injured. Gotta hand it to sister Joyce; her determination and strength of will had enabled her to kick open a jammed door and lead the way out for the family. Once outside she ran and got down in the ditch along the road. Just wow, Joyce!! Ron and I and the children made several more trips to visit the family in Missouri through the years, and were enriched by seeing many great sights on both the northern and southern routes.
Notes:
..The tombstone photo was taken and shared by Brian & Donita (Rutledge) DePreste. The tombstone reflects Paul and Evelyn's lifetime enjoyment of fishing, camping, and of being outdoors.
..Thank you Larry Boyd for sharing the photo from the obituary at Fossett Mosher Funeral Home.
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Paul Trenton DePreste
Paul Trenton DePreste, 86, Springfield. Arrangements Morris-Leiman-Mosher Funeral Home, Miller. [The Latest Death Notices for the Springfield Area, 2:11 PM, Jan. 16, 2011. News-Leader.com]
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Paul Trenton DePreste
February 7, 1924 - January 16, 2011
..Paul Trenton DePreste, age 86, of Springfield, Missouri, passed away at 5:05 a.m. on Sunday, January 16, 2011, at the Jordan Creek Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Springfield. He was born on February 7, 1924, in Lawrence County, the son of James T. and Nina Edith (Jones) DePreste. Paul was a 1942 graduate of Central High School in Springfield and worked as a mechanic for United Machinery Supply Company in Joplin.
..Those surviving include: four sons, Paul Trenton (Linda) DePreste, Jr. of Livermore, California, Morris (Debbie) DePreste of Hayward, California, Brian (Donita) DePreste of Springfield, James (Pam) DePreste of Joplin; two daughters, Vicki (Ron) Peterson of Clovis, California, Joyce DePreste of Monett, Missouri, the mother of his children, Evelyn DePreste of Springfield; 16 grandchildren, and 32 great grandchildren.
..His parents and two brothers, J.B. and Victor DePreste preceded him in death.
..A graveside service, under the direction of the Morris-Leiman-Mosher Funeral Home, Miller, Missouri, will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, January 21, 2011, at Miller Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the Miller Memorial Gardens Cemetery in care of the funeral home. Online condolences may be shared at this website. [http://www.fossettmosherfuneralhome.com/obituary.phpFossett - Mosher Funeral Home 1/17/2011]
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Paul T. DePreste
..Springfield, MO - Paul Trenton DePreste, 86, a mechanic for United Machinery Suppply Company, passed away Sunday, Jan. 16, 2011.
..Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Miller Memoral Gardens Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Morris-Leiman-Mosher Funeral Home, Miller, Mo. [The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO, 117 E. Fourth Street, Joplin, Missouri 64801 1/18/2011]
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PAUL TRENTON DePRESTE
..Paul Trenton DePreste, 86, Springfield, died at 5:05 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 16, 2011, at the Jordan Creek Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Springfield. He was born Feb. 7, 1924, in Lawrence County to James T. and Nina Edith (Jones) DePreste. He was a 1942 graduate of Central High School in Springfield and worked as a mechanic for United Machinery Supply Company in Joplin.
..Survivors include four sons, Paul Trenton DePreste Jr., Livermore, Calif., Morris DePreste, Hayward, Calif., Brian DePreste, Springfield, and James DePreste, Joplin; two daughters, Vicky Peterson, Clovis, Calif., and Joyce DePreste, Monett; the mother of his children, Evelyn DePreste, Springfield; 16 grandchildren; and 32 great-grandchildren.
..He was preceded in death by two brothers, J.B. and Victor DePreste.
..Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 21, at Miller Memorial Gardens, Miller, under the direction of Morris-Leiman-Mosher Funeral Home, Miller.
..Memorial donations may be made to the Miller Memorial Gardens Cemetery, in care of the funeral home. [Lawrence County Record, Mt. Vernon, MO 1/19/2011]
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Paul DePreste
Paul Trenton DePreste, age 86, of Springfield, died at 5:05 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 16 at the Jordan Creek Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Springfield. A graveside service, under the direction of the Morris-Leiman-Mosher Funeral Home in Miller, will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 21, at Miller Memorial Gardens Cemetery. [The Monett Times - Obituaries - Wednesday, January 19, 2001]
Paul was the son of James Trenton "Jim Boone" and Nina Edith (Jones) DePreste. He was married April 5, 1945 at 9 p.m. at the home of his parents west of Miller, in Lawrence County, Missouri to Evalina "Evelyn" Hook of South Greenfield, Dade County, Missouri. They first lived with dad's parents for a short time before purchasing an 80-acre farm not far from them. The farm had been owned by various members of our family for several generations. In the early years of their marriage, dad's occupations included farming, operating a bulldozer, and hauling and trading livestock in and around the Lawrence County area, working nights at a feed mill in Aurora, and in a grocery warehouse in Springfield.
Their first child, son Paul Jr., was born at Dr. Watt O. Cowan's home residence and hospital in Greenfield, Dade County, and their next son Morris, was born at Dr. Cowan's new clinic in Lockwood, Dade County. Both sons were born while their parents were living in the old family homestead farmhouse on an eighty-acre farm just southwest of Miller in neighboring Lawrence County.
~ The Old Family Farm ~
...The farmhouse began as a cabin owned by James Maxfield, then subsequently owned by two of our kinsmen. John H. Jones, a carpenter and younger brother of our direct ancestor Simeon H. Jones (1840-1876), is thought to have made the conversion of the original log cabin into a farmhouse sometime before he sold the property in 1881 and moved to Texas. The farmhouse had been built over the log cabin structure (the cabin being encased within the walls). A kitchen had been added on the west side, and a bedroom added on the north side with stairs leading up to an additional attic bedroom above. It's very unlikely that our direct ancestor John W. Hays (1832-1882) could have made the conversion in the short time he owned the property before his death on April 22, 1882. John Hays died shortly after being hit in the head with a large rock thrown by neighbor Phillip Pennington during an argument over one of John Hays' cows getting into Phillip Pennington's garden. The picture of widowed Emmaline "Emily" Jane (Davis) Hays (1844-1924) and the children was taken in the early 1890's. Their daughter Della Cora (Hays) DePreste, Robb, Garver, was to remain on the farm throughout her lifetime.
...The farmhouse was also well used into the mid 1950's by our own family, then into the mid-1960's by our Granddad "Jim Boone" DePreste. The amenities I remember included a hand pump at the kitchen sink for water and a wood-burning stove for cooking in the kitchen, and a potbellied stove in the living room for heat. Power poles and electric and phone lines were installed in our area when I was about five years old and soon afterwards mom got an electric stove. The worst memory I have about the farm was the outhouse that seemed a long distance away from the house to a little kid who was petrified of the dark on a cold winter's night, and one of the best memories is of my older brothers who often took pity and walked me there and back.
...When the farmhouse was demolished by Marshall Ralph L. Hooker (1906-2001), well known in the southwestern area of Missouri for his handcrafted replicas of the Daniel Boone rifle and a preservationist of all things historical, bought the logs from the original cabin and used them to build the fort structure in the construction of an early period settlement near Phelps on U.S. 66. Marshall Hooker graciously gave Ron, myself and our children a personally guided tour of the compound in 1976. It seemed a most fitting new life for the old family "log cabin" farmhouse. (Sadly, my younger brother Brian told me Marshall Hooker's property was sold and his compound no longer exits.)
...The farm property was sold to Richard King in 1975, re-sold in 1977, then sold again a few years later, and a new home was built farther back from the road.
By 1949, the folks had purchased a home at 3101 West Mt. Vernon on the corner of South Golden Avenue in Springfield, Greene County, where Vicki was born in 1949 at the old St. John's Hospital and four years later, Brian was born at the new St. John's Hospital. After selling their home in Springfield, our family moved back into the farmhouse near Miller. My own memories of living on the farm are limited of course, and are mostly of mom's wonderful cooking, our sweet little brother Brian, and of older brothers Paul and Morris and their shenanigans. The one that stands out is when they tied a wagon to our mare Dander and got a wild ride through the briers and brambles. It looked like a whole lot of fun, until they came walking back covered in scrapes and scratches and mom started cleaning their wounds and applying antiseptic... probably Tincture of Mercurochrome, ouch! I was always wary of ole Dander after she had knocked me off her back by running me under a low tree branch which had knocked the breath out of me. Dad and possibly mom were the only ones who could really handle the old she devil.
In 1955, mom and dad bought a new 8' x 40' (single wide) Spartan Trailer and we moved out of the farmhouse into the trailer. They also bought a beautiful new blue International Pickup and our first television. (A small black and white that mostly displayed a test pattern screen during the day with scant programs broadcast in the late afternoon and early evening. The only program I seem to remember was The Ed Sullivan Show.) When Miller Elementary School let out in early summer, dad hitched up the trailer and we moved to Texas. (Paul and Morris' teacher was Wauneta Berta (Dilday) Edwards who was a first cousin to our our dad, but my siblings and I called her "Aunt" Wauneta. She was my older brothers' teacher in a combined class of several grades in the Miller Elementary School in the early 1950's.) Miller didn't have a kindergarten class that year so I started school in Miss Gage's first grade class in Texas.
After we moved to Texas, Granddad "Jim Boone" DePreste moved his belongings into the old farmhouse and called it his "bachelor's quarters" until the mid 1960's when he was incapacitated by a stroke and entered a care facility in Ash Grove. (See Granddad's Find-A-Grave Memorial for more information about where else he also stayed a good part of the time. It's a great comfort to me knowing he had such a wonderful and caring friendship after we moved away.)
We moved first to Big Spring for a few weeks where dad reconnected with Thomas and Alma Reed (Reed Oil Co., Inc., formerly of Springfield, Missouri), then moved west to Odessa for a short time, then west again to Pecos where he managed a Reed Oil Gas Station, and lastly back east to Midland where he worked for the Bush Drilling Company (later the 41st U.S. President George Herbert Walker Bush).
In the late summer or early fall of 1956, the family moved to Livermore in Alameda County, California. We first lived in Ball's Trailer Park on the northwest edge of town between the Livermore Airport and Highway 50 (now 580). Our younger sister Joyce was born in 1957 at Saint Paul's Hospital while we were living in the trailer park. I was so excited about my little baby sister that I constantly checked on her (sometimes waking her up), that mom finally forbid me to check on her without asking first. Though I still relentlessly chased behind Paul and Morris, Brian was becoming a real little buddy as well and loved having me read (and reread) his favorite story, "The Three Billy Goats Gruff."
In 1958, we moved into an old house up on a hillside on Happy Valley Road in a rural area a few miles south of Pleasanton. I don't know why we moved there but for the most part, Paul, Morris and I had an okay time exploring the hills and countryside trying out their transistor radios and such, and we never tired of dragging an old inverted car hood up the hill, jumping inside and riding it back down, bumping and screeching over rocks and tall grass to the bottom. Brian was only five that summer but he might have taken a few rides down that hill with us as well. Probably the worst part of living there for me was the long bus ride to and from Alisal Elementary as it was on the far north side of Pleasanton and my bus also picked up and dropped off the elementary school children from Castlewood as well. We didn't have a phone there and mom didn't have a car for awhile so the day I missed the bus after school was a two hour walk home. I knew if I followed the train tracks it would take me to Happy Valley Road, but it was starting to get dark and mom was pretty worried by the time I made it home. (I have a slight memory of dad having an accident and I think he was probably using mom's car to commute to work during that time.)
In the summer of 1959, we moved back to Livermore into a tiny house (cottage) on College Avenue for about a year or so. The two memories that stand out while living there are Brian having an acute appendicitis attack and having to have an appendectomy that scared the heck out of the whole family, and I only recently discovered that the same horrid bantam rooster that terrorized me had also regularly attacked Brian as well!!
In 1960, we moved into a much larger house on the same ten-acre property on the corner of College and South Livermore Avenues. The house was high off the ground and had a veranda around two sides with steps at both ends. There was a fair sized old barn that dad used as a workshop, a fenced in area where we raised chickens, and a big area along another fence where the folks put in a large garden. There were two huge Elm trees in the back yard (one with a rope swing) that was perfect for us kids in the summer. The folks kept us plenty busy with various chores but we enjoyed having the big back yard for goofing off when we had free time. Our youngest brother James was born at Saint Paul's Hospital while living there in 1961, and we all adored our youngest and last little sibling.
I became more aware of dad's abilities and talents while we were living in Livermore. He was quite adept at building, modifying and repairing wooden structures and could repair almost anything mechanical or electrical (bicycles, cars, lawnmowers, radios, and televisions, etc.). I think all my brothers were mechanically inclined to some degree and honed their skills by often helping dad repair and maintain yard equipment and the family vehicles. He also had a natural talent for freehand drawing (he especially liked drawing caricatures) and had been offered a scholarship to art school as a senior in high school, which he had declined. He was also musically gifted (guitar and harmonica), and he had a good singing voice. Once-in-awhile when he had time and was so inclined, he would put on his harmonica neck holder, grab his guitar and play and sing old songs. Two of my favorites were "Hear the Wind Blow" (Flatt and Scruggs) and "Filipino Baby." (Earnest Tubb). All of us enjoyed his musical talents and it's a much treasured memory of our multi-faceted father. And also like dad, Paul and Morris seemed to be musically inclined as they played trumpets in the school band, both in Texas and in Livermore. I tried playing the violin in 5th grade but after torturing myself and the family for a few months I took pity on everyone and gave it up. Dad didn't really watch much television (he called it an idiot box) and the only shows I remember him watching were 'Have Gun - Will Travel' (1957-1963) and 'Gunsmoke' (1955-1975). The whole family actually enjoyed the western television shows and it's a special memory of our shared family time together.
In California, dad's skill as a mechanic led to his lifetime vocation; first at Lamson Mobilelift Corporation in Berkeley, and later at Thomas A. Short Company in Emeryville, both of which were located in the East Bay area of Alameda County. After the school year ended in the summer of 1969, mom and dad and the three younger children returned to the farm property west of Miller, and dad continued to work as a mechanic. I think they might have first lived in the town of Miller for a short time before purchasing a nice mobile home and moving back to the farm property, with dad commuting to Joplin where he worked as a mechanic for United Machinery Supply Company (UMS).
In late May of 1970, my daughter Debbie and I caught a flight out of San Francisco to Kansas City, Missouri and rode all night on a bus over hilly winding roads for a quick one-week trip to see the family. The weather was perfect and our visit on the farm stands out as one of my best memories. Debbie was in wonderland being on the farm with her grandparents, Uncles Brian and James, and Aunt Joyce (who had grown taller than I in one year and had become quite a strikingly pretty young woman). The family came to visit us older children in California that December and we all had a wonderful reunion together in Hayward.
In 1972, my husband Ron and I bought a new Chevrolet pickup for our trip to Missouri in August. The family had moved into the town of Miller after being hit by a tornado on the farm. The roof had been torn off their mobile home and one of the side walls had collapsed in on them. Dad had braced his back against the wall and moved it enough for the family to crawl to the door, which Joyce was able to kick open. They had lost everything, but miraculously they weren't seriously injured. Gotta hand it to sister Joyce; her determination and strength of will had enabled her to kick open a jammed door and lead the way out for the family. Once outside she ran and got down in the ditch along the road. Just wow, Joyce!! Ron and I and the children made several more trips to visit the family in Missouri through the years, and were enriched by seeing many great sights on both the northern and southern routes.
Notes:
..The tombstone photo was taken and shared by Brian & Donita (Rutledge) DePreste. The tombstone reflects Paul and Evelyn's lifetime enjoyment of fishing, camping, and of being outdoors.
..Thank you Larry Boyd for sharing the photo from the obituary at Fossett Mosher Funeral Home.
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Paul Trenton DePreste
Paul Trenton DePreste, 86, Springfield. Arrangements Morris-Leiman-Mosher Funeral Home, Miller. [The Latest Death Notices for the Springfield Area, 2:11 PM, Jan. 16, 2011. News-Leader.com]
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Paul Trenton DePreste
February 7, 1924 - January 16, 2011
..Paul Trenton DePreste, age 86, of Springfield, Missouri, passed away at 5:05 a.m. on Sunday, January 16, 2011, at the Jordan Creek Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Springfield. He was born on February 7, 1924, in Lawrence County, the son of James T. and Nina Edith (Jones) DePreste. Paul was a 1942 graduate of Central High School in Springfield and worked as a mechanic for United Machinery Supply Company in Joplin.
..Those surviving include: four sons, Paul Trenton (Linda) DePreste, Jr. of Livermore, California, Morris (Debbie) DePreste of Hayward, California, Brian (Donita) DePreste of Springfield, James (Pam) DePreste of Joplin; two daughters, Vicki (Ron) Peterson of Clovis, California, Joyce DePreste of Monett, Missouri, the mother of his children, Evelyn DePreste of Springfield; 16 grandchildren, and 32 great grandchildren.
..His parents and two brothers, J.B. and Victor DePreste preceded him in death.
..A graveside service, under the direction of the Morris-Leiman-Mosher Funeral Home, Miller, Missouri, will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, January 21, 2011, at Miller Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the Miller Memorial Gardens Cemetery in care of the funeral home. Online condolences may be shared at this website. [http://www.fossettmosherfuneralhome.com/obituary.phpFossett - Mosher Funeral Home 1/17/2011]
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Paul T. DePreste
..Springfield, MO - Paul Trenton DePreste, 86, a mechanic for United Machinery Suppply Company, passed away Sunday, Jan. 16, 2011.
..Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Miller Memoral Gardens Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Morris-Leiman-Mosher Funeral Home, Miller, Mo. [The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO, 117 E. Fourth Street, Joplin, Missouri 64801 1/18/2011]
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PAUL TRENTON DePRESTE
..Paul Trenton DePreste, 86, Springfield, died at 5:05 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 16, 2011, at the Jordan Creek Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Springfield. He was born Feb. 7, 1924, in Lawrence County to James T. and Nina Edith (Jones) DePreste. He was a 1942 graduate of Central High School in Springfield and worked as a mechanic for United Machinery Supply Company in Joplin.
..Survivors include four sons, Paul Trenton DePreste Jr., Livermore, Calif., Morris DePreste, Hayward, Calif., Brian DePreste, Springfield, and James DePreste, Joplin; two daughters, Vicky Peterson, Clovis, Calif., and Joyce DePreste, Monett; the mother of his children, Evelyn DePreste, Springfield; 16 grandchildren; and 32 great-grandchildren.
..He was preceded in death by two brothers, J.B. and Victor DePreste.
..Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 21, at Miller Memorial Gardens, Miller, under the direction of Morris-Leiman-Mosher Funeral Home, Miller.
..Memorial donations may be made to the Miller Memorial Gardens Cemetery, in care of the funeral home. [Lawrence County Record, Mt. Vernon, MO 1/19/2011]
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Paul DePreste
Paul Trenton DePreste, age 86, of Springfield, died at 5:05 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 16 at the Jordan Creek Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Springfield. A graveside service, under the direction of the Morris-Leiman-Mosher Funeral Home in Miller, will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 21, at Miller Memorial Gardens Cemetery. [The Monett Times - Obituaries - Wednesday, January 19, 2001]
Their first child, son Paul Jr., was born at Dr. Watt O. Cowan's home residence and hospital in Greenfield, Dade County, and their next son Morris, was born at Dr. Cowan's new clinic in Lockwood, Dade County. Both sons were born while their parents were living in the old family homestead farmhouse on an eighty-acre farm just southwest of Miller in neighboring Lawrence County.
~ The Old Family Farm ~
...The farmhouse began as a cabin owned by James Maxfield, then subsequently owned by two of our kinsmen. John H. Jones, a carpenter and younger brother of our direct ancestor Simeon H. Jones (1840-1876), is thought to have made the conversion of the original log cabin into a farmhouse sometime before he sold the property in 1881 and moved to Texas. The farmhouse had been built over the log cabin structure (the cabin being encased within the walls). A kitchen had been added on the west side, and a bedroom added on the north side with stairs leading up to an additional attic bedroom above. It's very unlikely that our direct ancestor John W. Hays (1832-1882) could have made the conversion in the short time he owned the property before his death on April 22, 1882. John Hays died shortly after being hit in the head with a large rock thrown by neighbor Phillip Pennington during an argument over one of John Hays' cows getting into Phillip Pennington's garden. The picture of widowed Emmaline "Emily" Jane (Davis) Hays (1844-1924) and the children was taken in the early 1890's. Their daughter Della Cora (Hays) DePreste, Robb, Garver, was to remain on the farm throughout her lifetime.
...The farmhouse was also well used into the mid 1950's by our own family, then into the mid-1960's by our Granddad "Jim Boone" DePreste. The amenities I remember included a hand pump at the kitchen sink for water and a wood-burning stove for cooking in the kitchen, and a potbellied stove in the living room for heat. Power poles and electric and phone lines were installed in our area when I was about five years old and soon afterwards mom got an electric stove. The worst memory I have about the farm was the outhouse that seemed a long distance away from the house to a little kid who was petrified of the dark on a cold winter's night, and one of the best memories is of my older brothers who often took pity and walked me there and back.
...When the farmhouse was demolished by Marshall Ralph L. Hooker (1906-2001), well known in the southwestern area of Missouri for his handcrafted replicas of the Daniel Boone rifle and a preservationist of all things historical, bought the logs from the original cabin and used them to build the fort structure in the construction of an early period settlement near Phelps on U.S. 66. Marshall Hooker graciously gave Ron, myself and our children a personally guided tour of the compound in 1976. It seemed a most fitting new life for the old family "log cabin" farmhouse. (Sadly, my younger brother Brian told me Marshall Hooker's property was sold and his compound no longer exits.)
...The farm property was sold to Richard King in 1975, re-sold in 1977, then sold again a few years later, and a new home was built farther back from the road.
By 1949, the folks had purchased a home at 3101 West Mt. Vernon on the corner of South Golden Avenue in Springfield, Greene County, where Vicki was born in 1949 at the old St. John's Hospital and four years later, Brian was born at the new St. John's Hospital. After selling their home in Springfield, our family moved back into the farmhouse near Miller. My own memories of living on the farm are limited of course, and are mostly of mom's wonderful cooking, our sweet little brother Brian, and of older brothers Paul and Morris and their shenanigans. The one that stands out is when they tied a wagon to our mare Dander and got a wild ride through the briers and brambles. It looked like a whole lot of fun, until they came walking back covered in scrapes and scratches and mom started cleaning their wounds and applying antiseptic... probably Tincture of Mercurochrome, ouch! I was always wary of ole Dander after she had knocked me off her back by running me under a low tree branch which had knocked the breath out of me. Dad and possibly mom were the only ones who could really handle the old she devil.
In 1955, mom and dad bought a new 8' x 40' (single wide) Spartan Trailer and we moved out of the farmhouse into the trailer. They also bought a beautiful new blue International Pickup and our first television. (A small black and white that mostly displayed a test pattern screen during the day with scant programs broadcast in the late afternoon and early evening. The only program I seem to remember was The Ed Sullivan Show.) When Miller Elementary School let out in early summer, dad hitched up the trailer and we moved to Texas. (Paul and Morris' teacher was Wauneta Berta (Dilday) Edwards who was a first cousin to our our dad, but my siblings and I called her "Aunt" Wauneta. She was my older brothers' teacher in a combined class of several grades in the Miller Elementary School in the early 1950's.) Miller didn't have a kindergarten class that year so I started school in Miss Gage's first grade class in Texas.
After we moved to Texas, Granddad "Jim Boone" DePreste moved his belongings into the old farmhouse and called it his "bachelor's quarters" until the mid 1960's when he was incapacitated by a stroke and entered a care facility in Ash Grove. (See Granddad's Find-A-Grave Memorial for more information about where else he also stayed a good part of the time. It's a great comfort to me knowing he had such a wonderful and caring friendship after we moved away.)
We moved first to Big Spring for a few weeks where dad reconnected with Thomas and Alma Reed (Reed Oil Co., Inc., formerly of Springfield, Missouri), then moved west to Odessa for a short time, then west again to Pecos where he managed a Reed Oil Gas Station, and lastly back east to Midland where he worked for the Bush Drilling Company (later the 41st U.S. President George Herbert Walker Bush).
In the late summer or early fall of 1956, the family moved to Livermore in Alameda County, California. We first lived in Ball's Trailer Park on the northwest edge of town between the Livermore Airport and Highway 50 (now 580). Our younger sister Joyce was born in 1957 at Saint Paul's Hospital while we were living in the trailer park. I was so excited about my little baby sister that I constantly checked on her (sometimes waking her up), that mom finally forbid me to check on her without asking first. Though I still relentlessly chased behind Paul and Morris, Brian was becoming a real little buddy as well and loved having me read (and reread) his favorite story, "The Three Billy Goats Gruff."
In 1958, we moved into an old house up on a hillside on Happy Valley Road in a rural area a few miles south of Pleasanton. I don't know why we moved there but for the most part, Paul, Morris and I had an okay time exploring the hills and countryside trying out their transistor radios and such, and we never tired of dragging an old inverted car hood up the hill, jumping inside and riding it back down, bumping and screeching over rocks and tall grass to the bottom. Brian was only five that summer but he might have taken a few rides down that hill with us as well. Probably the worst part of living there for me was the long bus ride to and from Alisal Elementary as it was on the far north side of Pleasanton and my bus also picked up and dropped off the elementary school children from Castlewood as well. We didn't have a phone there and mom didn't have a car for awhile so the day I missed the bus after school was a two hour walk home. I knew if I followed the train tracks it would take me to Happy Valley Road, but it was starting to get dark and mom was pretty worried by the time I made it home. (I have a slight memory of dad having an accident and I think he was probably using mom's car to commute to work during that time.)
In the summer of 1959, we moved back to Livermore into a tiny house (cottage) on College Avenue for about a year or so. The two memories that stand out while living there are Brian having an acute appendicitis attack and having to have an appendectomy that scared the heck out of the whole family, and I only recently discovered that the same horrid bantam rooster that terrorized me had also regularly attacked Brian as well!!
In 1960, we moved into a much larger house on the same ten-acre property on the corner of College and South Livermore Avenues. The house was high off the ground and had a veranda around two sides with steps at both ends. There was a fair sized old barn that dad used as a workshop, a fenced in area where we raised chickens, and a big area along another fence where the folks put in a large garden. There were two huge Elm trees in the back yard (one with a rope swing) that was perfect for us kids in the summer. The folks kept us plenty busy with various chores but we enjoyed having the big back yard for goofing off when we had free time. Our youngest brother James was born at Saint Paul's Hospital while living there in 1961, and we all adored our youngest and last little sibling.
I became more aware of dad's abilities and talents while we were living in Livermore. He was quite adept at building, modifying and repairing wooden structures and could repair almost anything mechanical or electrical (bicycles, cars, lawnmowers, radios, and televisions, etc.). I think all my brothers were mechanically inclined to some degree and honed their skills by often helping dad repair and maintain yard equipment and the family vehicles. He also had a natural talent for freehand drawing (he especially liked drawing caricatures) and had been offered a scholarship to art school as a senior in high school, which he had declined. He was also musically gifted (guitar and harmonica), and he had a good singing voice. Once-in-awhile when he had time and was so inclined, he would put on his harmonica neck holder, grab his guitar and play and sing old songs. Two of my favorites were "Hear the Wind Blow" (Flatt and Scruggs) and "Filipino Baby." (Earnest Tubb). All of us enjoyed his musical talents and it's a much treasured memory of our multi-faceted father. And also like dad, Paul and Morris seemed to be musically inclined as they played trumpets in the school band, both in Texas and in Livermore. I tried playing the violin in 5th grade but after torturing myself and the family for a few months I took pity on everyone and gave it up. Dad didn't really watch much television (he called it an idiot box) and the only shows I remember him watching were 'Have Gun - Will Travel' (1957-1963) and 'Gunsmoke' (1955-1975). The whole family actually enjoyed the western television shows and it's a special memory of our shared family time together.
In California, dad's skill as a mechanic led to his lifetime vocation; first at Lamson Mobilelift Corporation in Berkeley, and later at Thomas A. Short Company in Emeryville, both of which were located in the East Bay area of Alameda County. After the school year ended in the summer of 1969, mom and dad and the three younger children returned to the farm property west of Miller, and dad continued to work as a mechanic. I think they might have first lived in the town of Miller for a short time before purchasing a nice mobile home and moving back to the farm property, with dad commuting to Joplin where he worked as a mechanic for United Machinery Supply Company (UMS).
In late May of 1970, my daughter Debbie and I caught a flight out of San Francisco to Kansas City, Missouri and rode all night on a bus over hilly winding roads for a quick one-week trip to see the family. The weather was perfect and our visit on the farm stands out as one of my best memories. Debbie was in wonderland being on the farm with her grandparents, Uncles Brian and James, and Aunt Joyce (who had grown taller than I in one year and had become quite a strikingly pretty young woman). The family came to visit us older children in California that December and we all had a wonderful reunion together in Hayward.
In 1972, my husband Ron and I bought a new Chevrolet pickup for our trip to Missouri in August. The family had moved into the town of Miller after being hit by a tornado on the farm. The roof had been torn off their mobile home and one of the side walls had collapsed in on them. Dad had braced his back against the wall and moved it enough for the family to crawl to the door, which Joyce was able to kick open. They had lost everything, but miraculously they weren't seriously injured. Gotta hand it to sister Joyce; her determination and strength of will had enabled her to kick open a jammed door and lead the way out for the family. Once outside she ran and got down in the ditch along the road. Just wow, Joyce!! Ron and I and the children made several more trips to visit the family in Missouri through the years, and were enriched by seeing many great sights on both the northern and southern routes.
Notes:
..The tombstone photo was taken and shared by Brian & Donita (Rutledge) DePreste. The tombstone reflects Paul and Evelyn's lifetime enjoyment of fishing, camping, and of being outdoors.
..Thank you Larry Boyd for sharing the photo from the obituary at Fossett Mosher Funeral Home.
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Paul Trenton DePreste
Paul Trenton DePreste, 86, Springfield. Arrangements Morris-Leiman-Mosher Funeral Home, Miller. [The Latest Death Notices for the Springfield Area, 2:11 PM, Jan. 16, 2011. News-Leader.com]
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Paul Trenton DePreste
February 7, 1924 - January 16, 2011
..Paul Trenton DePreste, age 86, of Springfield, Missouri, passed away at 5:05 a.m. on Sunday, January 16, 2011, at the Jordan Creek Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Springfield. He was born on February 7, 1924, in Lawrence County, the son of James T. and Nina Edith (Jones) DePreste. Paul was a 1942 graduate of Central High School in Springfield and worked as a mechanic for United Machinery Supply Company in Joplin.
..Those surviving include: four sons, Paul Trenton (Linda) DePreste, Jr. of Livermore, California, Morris (Debbie) DePreste of Hayward, California, Brian (Donita) DePreste of Springfield, James (Pam) DePreste of Joplin; two daughters, Vicki (Ron) Peterson of Clovis, California, Joyce DePreste of Monett, Missouri, the mother of his children, Evelyn DePreste of Springfield; 16 grandchildren, and 32 great grandchildren.
..His parents and two brothers, J.B. and Victor DePreste preceded him in death.
..A graveside service, under the direction of the Morris-Leiman-Mosher Funeral Home, Miller, Missouri, will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, January 21, 2011, at Miller Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the Miller Memorial Gardens Cemetery in care of the funeral home. Online condolences may be shared at this website. [http://www.fossettmosherfuneralhome.com/obituary.phpFossett - Mosher Funeral Home 1/17/2011]
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Paul T. DePreste
..Springfield, MO - Paul Trenton DePreste, 86, a mechanic for United Machinery Suppply Company, passed away Sunday, Jan. 16, 2011.
..Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Miller Memoral Gardens Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Morris-Leiman-Mosher Funeral Home, Miller, Mo. [The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO, 117 E. Fourth Street, Joplin, Missouri 64801 1/18/2011]
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PAUL TRENTON DePRESTE
..Paul Trenton DePreste, 86, Springfield, died at 5:05 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 16, 2011, at the Jordan Creek Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Springfield. He was born Feb. 7, 1924, in Lawrence County to James T. and Nina Edith (Jones) DePreste. He was a 1942 graduate of Central High School in Springfield and worked as a mechanic for United Machinery Supply Company in Joplin.
..Survivors include four sons, Paul Trenton DePreste Jr., Livermore, Calif., Morris DePreste, Hayward, Calif., Brian DePreste, Springfield, and James DePreste, Joplin; two daughters, Vicky Peterson, Clovis, Calif., and Joyce DePreste, Monett; the mother of his children, Evelyn DePreste, Springfield; 16 grandchildren; and 32 great-grandchildren.
..He was preceded in death by two brothers, J.B. and Victor DePreste.
..Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 21, at Miller Memorial Gardens, Miller, under the direction of Morris-Leiman-Mosher Funeral Home, Miller.
..Memorial donations may be made to the Miller Memorial Gardens Cemetery, in care of the funeral home. [Lawrence County Record, Mt. Vernon, MO 1/19/2011]
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Paul DePreste
Paul Trenton DePreste, age 86, of Springfield, died at 5:05 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 16 at the Jordan Creek Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Springfield. A graveside service, under the direction of the Morris-Leiman-Mosher Funeral Home in Miller, will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 21, at Miller Memorial Gardens Cemetery. [The Monett Times - Obituaries - Wednesday, January 19, 2001]
