Richard "K" was the name on his driver's license. Also on his memorial plaque.
His given name was R K, an initial name, not uncommon when and where he was born. His family called him Kay. It wasn't until the 1930's, when Social Security cards were first being issued, that he was told they would not give him a S.S. number unless he had a "real name." To comply, he took a name that would match his initials, Richard King. Because he didn't like the name "King," he shortened it to "K" including the quotation marks. [I thought he told me he took the name of an uncle or some other family member, but I have yet to find that person in the family tree.] When his only child was born, they named her Judy Kay.
R K was the only child of James Gooden Akridge (son of James E. "Dan" Akridge and Nancy Aribel Whitlow-Akridge) and Elverdie "Byrd" Milby-Akridge (daughter of Abraham Brown Milby and Elizabeth Eleanor Parker-Milby). His mother died before he was 2 yrs old. His father married Cora Lee Hall and had two more sons, Claude & Cecil.
R K grew up and graduated from high school in Texas. He met and subsequently married Vera Havenhill in her home town, Elk City, Oklahoma, Dec.18, 1927. They came to California in 1935. Their only child, a daughter, was born in Oakland, 1943, after 16 years of being childless.
Dick Akridge, as he was known at work, was a dinner-house chef most of his working life. He belonged to the Cooks & Bartenders Union out of Oakland, CA.
In his early 40s, R K served in the U.S. Merchant Marines during World War II, as Stewart, a chef at sea. "Too young for WW I, too old for WW II."
They bought a home in San Lorenzo in 1947 and lived there the rest of their lives, except for four years in Clearlake Highlands, CA, 1957-1961 where he was chef at Wiseda Resort.
The top photo was taken about 1953 when he was working at "The Alley" on Grand Avenue, Oakland, CA. One of his customers, Earl "Wiskey" Wisgerhof, liked his work so well he offered him the position of Chef at his business, Wiseda Resort in Clearlake Highlands, CA, a small resort town about 100 miles north of San Francisco in Lake County. This job also included living quarters on the lakefront property. No more commuting to work, just a walk across the drive-way. So the family rented out their San Lorenzo home and relocated to Clearlake Highlands, June 17, 1957. R K and Vera returned to San Lorenzo in 1961, leaving behind their now-married daughter.
Cause of death: stroke.
After the death of R K in 1974 and Vera in 1977, their only child Judy's family lived in the San Lorenzo home where their only grandchild Bill attended the same grammar school and the same jr.-high school as Judy. Near many of the same neighbors. They moved back to Clearlake Highlands in 1980 where Bill also attended the same high school as his mother, enlisting in the Marine Corps after graduation.
The middle photo of R K was taken in Oakland about 1940. The bottom photo is of the young newlyweds, married Dec. 1927 when they were in their mid-twenties.
See "click here to view all images" for two more photos on the next page. One is a group photo of his high school class about 1920, the other is the name plaque for Richard K and Vera on their niche. The button above his name is his union pin.
His given name was R K, an initial name, not uncommon when and where he was born. His family called him Kay. It wasn't until the 1930's, when Social Security cards were first being issued, that he was told they would not give him a S.S. number unless he had a "real name." To comply, he took a name that would match his initials, Richard King. Because he didn't like the name "King," he shortened it to "K" including the quotation marks. [I thought he told me he took the name of an uncle or some other family member, but I have yet to find that person in the family tree.] When his only child was born, they named her Judy Kay.
R K was the only child of James Gooden Akridge (son of James E. "Dan" Akridge and Nancy Aribel Whitlow-Akridge) and Elverdie "Byrd" Milby-Akridge (daughter of Abraham Brown Milby and Elizabeth Eleanor Parker-Milby). His mother died before he was 2 yrs old. His father married Cora Lee Hall and had two more sons, Claude & Cecil.
R K grew up and graduated from high school in Texas. He met and subsequently married Vera Havenhill in her home town, Elk City, Oklahoma, Dec.18, 1927. They came to California in 1935. Their only child, a daughter, was born in Oakland, 1943, after 16 years of being childless.
Dick Akridge, as he was known at work, was a dinner-house chef most of his working life. He belonged to the Cooks & Bartenders Union out of Oakland, CA.
In his early 40s, R K served in the U.S. Merchant Marines during World War II, as Stewart, a chef at sea. "Too young for WW I, too old for WW II."
They bought a home in San Lorenzo in 1947 and lived there the rest of their lives, except for four years in Clearlake Highlands, CA, 1957-1961 where he was chef at Wiseda Resort.
The top photo was taken about 1953 when he was working at "The Alley" on Grand Avenue, Oakland, CA. One of his customers, Earl "Wiskey" Wisgerhof, liked his work so well he offered him the position of Chef at his business, Wiseda Resort in Clearlake Highlands, CA, a small resort town about 100 miles north of San Francisco in Lake County. This job also included living quarters on the lakefront property. No more commuting to work, just a walk across the drive-way. So the family rented out their San Lorenzo home and relocated to Clearlake Highlands, June 17, 1957. R K and Vera returned to San Lorenzo in 1961, leaving behind their now-married daughter.
Cause of death: stroke.
After the death of R K in 1974 and Vera in 1977, their only child Judy's family lived in the San Lorenzo home where their only grandchild Bill attended the same grammar school and the same jr.-high school as Judy. Near many of the same neighbors. They moved back to Clearlake Highlands in 1980 where Bill also attended the same high school as his mother, enlisting in the Marine Corps after graduation.
The middle photo of R K was taken in Oakland about 1940. The bottom photo is of the young newlyweds, married Dec. 1927 when they were in their mid-twenties.
See "click here to view all images" for two more photos on the next page. One is a group photo of his high school class about 1920, the other is the name plaque for Richard K and Vera on their niche. The button above his name is his union pin.
Richard "K" was the name on his driver's license. Also on his memorial plaque.
His given name was R K, an initial name, not uncommon when and where he was born. His family called him Kay. It wasn't until the 1930's, when Social Security cards were first being issued, that he was told they would not give him a S.S. number unless he had a "real name." To comply, he took a name that would match his initials, Richard King. Because he didn't like the name "King," he shortened it to "K" including the quotation marks. [I thought he told me he took the name of an uncle or some other family member, but I have yet to find that person in the family tree.] When his only child was born, they named her Judy Kay.
R K was the only child of James Gooden Akridge (son of James E. "Dan" Akridge and Nancy Aribel Whitlow-Akridge) and Elverdie "Byrd" Milby-Akridge (daughter of Abraham Brown Milby and Elizabeth Eleanor Parker-Milby). His mother died before he was 2 yrs old. His father married Cora Lee Hall and had two more sons, Claude & Cecil.
R K grew up and graduated from high school in Texas. He met and subsequently married Vera Havenhill in her home town, Elk City, Oklahoma, Dec.18, 1927. They came to California in 1935. Their only child, a daughter, was born in Oakland, 1943, after 16 years of being childless.
Dick Akridge, as he was known at work, was a dinner-house chef most of his working life. He belonged to the Cooks & Bartenders Union out of Oakland, CA.
In his early 40s, R K served in the U.S. Merchant Marines during World War II, as Stewart, a chef at sea. "Too young for WW I, too old for WW II."
They bought a home in San Lorenzo in 1947 and lived there the rest of their lives, except for four years in Clearlake Highlands, CA, 1957-1961 where he was chef at Wiseda Resort.
The top photo was taken about 1953 when he was working at "The Alley" on Grand Avenue, Oakland, CA. One of his customers, Earl "Wiskey" Wisgerhof, liked his work so well he offered him the position of Chef at his business, Wiseda Resort in Clearlake Highlands, CA, a small resort town about 100 miles north of San Francisco in Lake County. This job also included living quarters on the lakefront property. No more commuting to work, just a walk across the drive-way. So the family rented out their San Lorenzo home and relocated to Clearlake Highlands, June 17, 1957. R K and Vera returned to San Lorenzo in 1961, leaving behind their now-married daughter.
Cause of death: stroke.
After the death of R K in 1974 and Vera in 1977, their only child Judy's family lived in the San Lorenzo home where their only grandchild Bill attended the same grammar school and the same jr.-high school as Judy. Near many of the same neighbors. They moved back to Clearlake Highlands in 1980 where Bill also attended the same high school as his mother, enlisting in the Marine Corps after graduation.
The middle photo of R K was taken in Oakland about 1940. The bottom photo is of the young newlyweds, married Dec. 1927 when they were in their mid-twenties.
See "click here to view all images" for two more photos on the next page. One is a group photo of his high school class about 1920, the other is the name plaque for Richard K and Vera on their niche. The button above his name is his union pin.
His given name was R K, an initial name, not uncommon when and where he was born. His family called him Kay. It wasn't until the 1930's, when Social Security cards were first being issued, that he was told they would not give him a S.S. number unless he had a "real name." To comply, he took a name that would match his initials, Richard King. Because he didn't like the name "King," he shortened it to "K" including the quotation marks. [I thought he told me he took the name of an uncle or some other family member, but I have yet to find that person in the family tree.] When his only child was born, they named her Judy Kay.
R K was the only child of James Gooden Akridge (son of James E. "Dan" Akridge and Nancy Aribel Whitlow-Akridge) and Elverdie "Byrd" Milby-Akridge (daughter of Abraham Brown Milby and Elizabeth Eleanor Parker-Milby). His mother died before he was 2 yrs old. His father married Cora Lee Hall and had two more sons, Claude & Cecil.
R K grew up and graduated from high school in Texas. He met and subsequently married Vera Havenhill in her home town, Elk City, Oklahoma, Dec.18, 1927. They came to California in 1935. Their only child, a daughter, was born in Oakland, 1943, after 16 years of being childless.
Dick Akridge, as he was known at work, was a dinner-house chef most of his working life. He belonged to the Cooks & Bartenders Union out of Oakland, CA.
In his early 40s, R K served in the U.S. Merchant Marines during World War II, as Stewart, a chef at sea. "Too young for WW I, too old for WW II."
They bought a home in San Lorenzo in 1947 and lived there the rest of their lives, except for four years in Clearlake Highlands, CA, 1957-1961 where he was chef at Wiseda Resort.
The top photo was taken about 1953 when he was working at "The Alley" on Grand Avenue, Oakland, CA. One of his customers, Earl "Wiskey" Wisgerhof, liked his work so well he offered him the position of Chef at his business, Wiseda Resort in Clearlake Highlands, CA, a small resort town about 100 miles north of San Francisco in Lake County. This job also included living quarters on the lakefront property. No more commuting to work, just a walk across the drive-way. So the family rented out their San Lorenzo home and relocated to Clearlake Highlands, June 17, 1957. R K and Vera returned to San Lorenzo in 1961, leaving behind their now-married daughter.
Cause of death: stroke.
After the death of R K in 1974 and Vera in 1977, their only child Judy's family lived in the San Lorenzo home where their only grandchild Bill attended the same grammar school and the same jr.-high school as Judy. Near many of the same neighbors. They moved back to Clearlake Highlands in 1980 where Bill also attended the same high school as his mother, enlisting in the Marine Corps after graduation.
The middle photo of R K was taken in Oakland about 1940. The bottom photo is of the young newlyweds, married Dec. 1927 when they were in their mid-twenties.
See "click here to view all images" for two more photos on the next page. One is a group photo of his high school class about 1920, the other is the name plaque for Richard K and Vera on their niche. The button above his name is his union pin.
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