Tragedy - one of the saddest episodes in the long saga of the San Gabriel Mountains - struck the Rankins family in 1877. The oldest child, Albert, age 19, was apprenticed to a blacksmith in San Gabriel and somehow he contracted typhoid fever. He died after a short illness on March 6. While the family was still mourning, both girls, Estella, age 13, and Polly, age 16, came down with the dreaded disease. They died within a week of each other, on April 19 and 25. Heartbroken, their lives shattered, Mr. and Mrs. Rankins buried their three children on a little rise above their cabin and marked the grave with a triple tombstone that included the children's names, ages and dates of death engraved in marble.
Years later, Ernest Rankins returned to the scene of his family's tragedy and removed his brother and sister's remains to a cemetery in Monrovia. Still later, they were again removed and taken to their final resting place, Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena.
Years later, Ernest Rankins returned to the scene of his family's tragedy and removed his brother and sister's remains to a cemetery in Monrovia. Still later, they were again removed and taken to their final resting place, Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena.
Tragedy - one of the saddest episodes in the long saga of the San Gabriel Mountains - struck the Rankins family in 1877. The oldest child, Albert, age 19, was apprenticed to a blacksmith in San Gabriel and somehow he contracted typhoid fever. He died after a short illness on March 6. While the family was still mourning, both girls, Estella, age 13, and Polly, age 16, came down with the dreaded disease. They died within a week of each other, on April 19 and 25. Heartbroken, their lives shattered, Mr. and Mrs. Rankins buried their three children on a little rise above their cabin and marked the grave with a triple tombstone that included the children's names, ages and dates of death engraved in marble.
Years later, Ernest Rankins returned to the scene of his family's tragedy and removed his brother and sister's remains to a cemetery in Monrovia. Still later, they were again removed and taken to their final resting place, Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena.
Years later, Ernest Rankins returned to the scene of his family's tragedy and removed his brother and sister's remains to a cemetery in Monrovia. Still later, they were again removed and taken to their final resting place, Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena.
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