Harold was born on May 3, 1929 in Los Angeles, California and his family moved to Crestline, California when he was one year old. His father built the house he lived in, and Harold remembers as a young child collecting small rocks for his dad to use as he built the property’s rock retaining walls. The house and the walls are still standing today.
He also remembered the huge snow storm of 1932 when he was 2-1/2 years old. That storm dropped 2” of snow in downtown Los Angeles, and left the roads in Crestline buried under 10+ feet of snow. He remembers that his dad set him on a board by the side of the road in the snow, then cut chunks of snow hour after hour until he had made a channel 10 feet deep all the way to the main road so that they could get the car out to get supplies.
He also remembered the time he and his older sister Gloria decided it would be great fun to drop all their clothes from the dresser out the second story window of their house, watching with glee as they fluttered to the ground. It was only later that he regretted the work he made for his poor mother who had to wash all those clothes!
Harold attended grammar school in Crestline, where he started Kindergarten at age 4 because the teacher thought he was ready, and he graduated from the 8th grade in 1942. Harold’s mother Minnie was quite active in the school’s Parent Teachers group, and she often wrote plays which the school kids would perform.
Harold started to learn to play the accordion when he was 9 years old and in 1944 he got his picture in the newspaper for playing at the Arrowhead Springs Naval Hospital for the patients there.
The family moved to San Bernardino to a house he and his father built. There he attended Arrowview Jr. High for the 9th grade, and then went on to San Bernardino High where he graduated in 1946 just after turning 17 years old.
Ever since he was in diapers, Harold helped his father who was a general contractor. (He remembered as a child pulling wires under cabin crawl spaces and handing them to his dad because the space was too small for his dad to fit!) During his senior year in high school, his father told him he was ready to apply all he had learned. At 16 years old, his father gave him the job of building a house for a client. The man took Harold to a vacant lot, and described to him the type of house he wanted. Harold built that house by himself from the ground up: he drew up the blueprints, leveled the ground, poured the foundation, did all the plumbing and electrical work himself, put up the walls and roof, and painted the house inside and out until it was move-in ready, all while attending classes his senior year!
After high school, he went to San Bernardino Valley College taking an Electric Power course. Harold graduated in 1949, going only part time the last two years and working for his father. After graduation he applied for work in the Hydro Division of Edison and waited for them to call. In the meantime he worked full time for his dad doing all kinds of building but specializing in house wiring. Finally, the call came from Edison and he started in Big Creek on May 27, 1950 as a Utilityman for $1.37 per hour (considerably less than the construction work paid!). He swiftly moved up to Hydro Attendant, in part because he was constantly finishing his work early and asking, “what else can I do?” He was also a correspondent to the Edison News, the company Newsletter.
Harold met Jeanie when they attended a luncheon for Edison News correspondents at the Sycamore Inn in Claremont. She was working at Edison in the Covina Commercial office. They became engaged in August, then the peacetime draft caught up with him and he was sent off to the US Army in September 1955. They were married on December 10, 1955 when Harold finished basic training at Fort Ord and before he left for Fort Leonard Wood. She was able to move to West Virginia to join him during his assignment at Camp Prince, near Beckley on the New River. This was a remote section of Fort Belvoir where one company tested floating bridges. Harold was assigned to the communications section and maintained radio contact with Fort Belvoir. Jean went went back to work for Edison when Harold was transferred to Germany in August of 1956. They wrote to each other daily, until finally Jean again left Edison to go to Germany in time for Christmas 1956 to join Harold.
They lived in Oppenheim in an apartment and were able to travel over much of Europe in their Opel car. Harold was assigned to Bridge Co., 17th Engineer Battalion, 2nd Armor Division at Dexheim, Germany. He was again assigned to the radio section and went to the radio school in Baumholder to learn Morse code. Their first son Roger was born in Germany in July, 1958. Harold attained the rank of SP5 and was in charge of battalion communications before the family returned to Fort Hamilton in New York for Harold’s discharge in September of 1958.
Harold returned to his job with Edison as a Hydro Attendant, and the family moved first to Mill Creek Canyon near Redlands, CA, then to Big Creek No. 2 where he became a First operator in May of 1959. He kept up with his radio work by becoming a ham radio operator, and acquiring a teletype machine, which he kept in the basement, and where he would check in with operators from around the United States.
His daughter Janice was born in January of 1960, and shortly after this he acquired his first 4-wheel drive vehicle, a 1948 Willys Jeep. Riding the back roads in that jeep was one of the family’s favorite pastimes, and it was amazing how many people could be packed into the two front seats and the bench seat in back when friends and relatives came to visit. Harold’s youngest son Glenn was born in June of 1961.
The family moved to Power House No. 3, in 1963, then to East End Hydro plants in 1967, in Mentone, CA. As the Supervisory Station Chief, his first order of business at that time was to put the roads in the Santa Ana canyon back in shape after they were washed out by the floods of late 1966. Memories of that time include the kids swimming in the creek and getting covered in leaches, and that Harold walked across the street to get to work, but the kids walked a mile from their house to the main road every day to catch the bus to school.
In October 1967 the family moved back to Big Creek where Harold was Station Chief of Big Creek No. 2-2A, 8, and Mammoth powerhouses. Living here meant his family had access to some Edison Company cabins on Shaver Lake, which had originally been used to house the workers who built the dam. Harold thought the lower cabin needed a new porch, so he got permission to build one, and the family had many happy memories staying there with relatives who came to visit. We learned to water ski on that lake, and had many happy memories playing on the beach and fishing from our aluminum boat. The family made lots of memories with that Willys jeep, driving rugged dirt roads and camping with a little wooden gray trailer topped with our aluminum boat. On one trip, we were out on Edison Lake and a storm came up and whipped the water to white caps that threatened to capsize the boat. We pulled the boat onto a rocky shore and huddled beneath it to keep from getting cold and wet from the icy wind. After an hour or so, the wind died down and the lake was as smooth as glass, and Harold navigated in the dark by the light of a campfire until someone heard our motor and pointed his car lights out to the lake to guide us in to shore and our welcome lean-to tent. The family forever referred to that event as our “shipwreck” story!
On January 26, 1970, the family moved to Big Creek No. 1 where Harold was Supervisor of Operation. That winter, Roger got mono and Janice broke her leg snow skiing. They purchased a 1970 Ford Bronco with an enclosed cab to keep out the snow so Jeanie could take Janice to school, as walking to school on crutches wasn’t an option, and also to haul Glenn’s tuba back and forth to school. The family made lots of memories with the Bronco, driving rugged dirt roads, watching Harold navigate slowly and expertly without a scratch through the infamous “Rock Pile,” a stretch of road so named for the boulders and pits in the road that often broke vehicle axles, scraped paint or caused major vehicle damage! He pulled the kids on sleds behind the Bronco in the winter, and took it on many camping and fishing trips to the back country.
We bade farewell to the Sierra Nevada Mountains on January 3, 1972, when Harold went to the General office in Rosemead as a Senior Hydro Engineer. The family moved into a company house in Rialto at a small Edison plant for a year. Harold commuted an hour each way to work, and although this was time consuming, gas was cheap, and stations often offered premiums to get you to buy gas. We amassed quite the collection of “Presidents Coins” and a large set of orange plastic glasses from those long drives. Those orange glasses are still with us, even though his station wagon car is long gone! While in Rialto, we purchased a 1972 Ford truck and camper shell. This meant we didn’t have to sleep in a tent anymore, and our travels expanded using the camper, and we were often joined by Clark and Blanche Scott, Jeanie’s parents, in their camper.
The family then moved to 1231 Sheppard Drive in Fullerton, CA in 1973, where Jeanie and Harold settled in and lived for the next 48 years. The kids joined the High School marching band, as well as Job’s Daughters and DeMolay. On June 13, 1976, Harold held the winning ticket from a DeMolay fund raiser and became the proud owner of a brand new Ford Granada car. He was present when the number was drawn, and it was an amazing moment in time for all.
Another highlight of these years was when Harold was in charge of the 4th of July after-party for Roger and Glenn’s DeMolay group, where the fireworks not sold in the booth as a fundraiser were set off after a potluck dinner. We were all standing and sitting in the cul-de-sac where the host’s family lived. Harold supervised the teens as all the fireworks were set off. At the end, there were about 50 boxes of sparklers left. We handed out one to every person, and while those were being enjoyed, Harold packed the rest into a large coffee can. He had everyone stand back, and then he lit a match and put it in the center of the sparklers that filled the tightly packed can. At first, it just smoked and we all feared it would be a dud. Then there were a few sparks followed by the loudest boom and brightest flash of light and heat ever as every sparkler exploded at once creating a huge mushroom cloud! It was so bright it turned off the street light, and we were all just stunned! Then the street light came back on, and the yelling and cheering rang out. Harold had impressed every teen there, which was quite a feat, and no one who witnessed the event would ever forget the night Harold turned off the street light!
In June of 1982, Harold became the first Superintendent of the new Support Services Division and moved the Substation Training School, Maintenance Supervisors and Machine Shop to a new building in Brea. This was probably Harold’s favorite job of all, as he could use all his accumulated knowledge to teach others and see that others were adequately trained and the equipment organized. He took classes at Caltech in Pasadena to learn to use a computer, and was an early adopter, integrating computers at work to store information about classes and inventory supplies in Brea. In March 1986 he was transferred to the Superintendent’s job in the Southern T/S Division I Long Beach. He retired from there on February 1, 1988 after 37 ½ years at Edison at the age of 58 years.
After retiring from Edison, Jeanie and Harold bought a motorhome and traveled through most of the United States and Alaska. They also enjoyed many cruises with family and friends, traveling all over the world.
Harold was active in many organizations throughout his life. He was a member of the San Bernardino Masonic Lodge #348 for over 50 years as well as Gateway Lodge in Brea, and was a 50-year member in the Scottish Rite, York Rite, Al Malaikah Shrine Temple, Royal Arch Masons, and Knights Templar of California. He was president of the Sierra Scottish Rite Club in 1968, president of the Edison Masonic Club in 1977 and was a past Commander and Past High Priest in the York Rite. He and Jeanie were Members of the Fullerton Elks, as well as active members of the Fullerton First United Methodist Church, where they held many committee positions over the years. Harold was the Editor and Publisher of the FOF’s Newsletter for employees and retirees of Southern California Edison Company. The first issue was printed on July 6, 1993 and the last on November 28, 2012 because of dwindling membership.
Harold loved organ music, and he and Jeanie were members of the Orange County Theatre Organ Society at Plummer Auditorium in Fullerton. They often enjoyed concerts with Janice and Steve listening to organ music while watching old silent films. Harold also had a lifelong love of trains. He had an “O” gauge train set he got as a child and which he put up at Christmas around the tree to the delight of the grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He and Jeanie were also members of the Southern California Railway Plaza Association which used to host Railroad Days at the Fullerton Transportation Center. Harold loved helping all the kids who visited that busy weekend climb into and out of the Caboose that was restored on the property. He even owned stock in the Roaring Camp and Big Trees Railroad, and we enjoyed using his yearly free tickets riding the train whenever possible.
Harold loved animals. He was fond of watching Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom with host Marlin Perkins, and it stayed on that channel until the show was over, even though the kids, then teenagers, would have preferred something a bit more exciting to watch! He built bird feeders at many of our houses, and it was one of the things he liked to do best at their home in Fullerton. He would get up every morning and chop peanuts and mix them with raw oatmeal to feed the birds. He had a special whistle he used to call them, and every time they would come. If he wasn’t quick enough in the morning, the birds would come up to the window and hang on the screen, just to remind him that they were eager and waiting for breakfast. He even got some of the bolder Blue Jays to take peanuts from his hands, which really impressed the grandkids.
Harold was very proud of his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His son Roger grew up to follow in his footsteps, and not only can he fix just about anything, he also worked for Edison until retiring. He and his wife Natallie now enjoy traveling the world, especially on cruises. Harold’s daughter Janice was a registered nurse. She married Steve Freeland and they have two children, Meg and Ben. Meg married Satoru Emori and they have a son, Andy, who was Harold’s first great-grandson. Harold’s son Glenn got his MBA from Cornell and worked for American Airlines until retiring to work at a family-owned company that markets high-density water filtration equipment. Glenn married Linda Schade and they have three children. Jennifer, their older daughter, married James Bryant, and they have two daughters: Emerson and Graceyn who was born 4 days before Harold passed away. Their middle daughter Kylie married Joseph Tokarski, and they have two little boys, Ryland and Whittaker. Glenn and Linda’s son Thomas is a pilot with American Airlines.
Harold was diagnosed with late onset Alzheimer’s disease in July of 2019. Before COVID shut things down, we had a wonderful caregiver coming in every day to take care of Harold and Jeanie. Robin was our angel and cared for them like family, and kept them entertained and well fed during those long isolating months and afterwards. Harold entered the Memory Care unit at Emerald Court in Anaheim on June 5, 2021 and was in good health and able to walk and mostly care for himself with assistance until a week before his death. Through it all, he maintained his sunny, happy disposition. The staff loved him because he was such a gentleman, and he wouldn’t sit down until a staff member sat down first at the dining table. Visits from his great-grandchildren really made his day, and his face would light up with a smile to see them and hold them. He spent his last Christmas having dinner at his son Roger’s home, along with Jeanie, Roger’s wife Natallie, and daughter Janice with her husband Steve. As we sat around the table, he said, “How many times have we been gathered like this?” That moment of clarity was the best Christmas present ever. He entered Hospice Care on January 21st and died peacefully surrounded by his family 3 days later on January 24th, 2022, at the age of 92. His last words were, “Put the tools away.”
He is survived by his wife, Jeanie, who still lives at Emerald Court in assisted living.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Harold’s memory can be made to Shriners Hospitals for Children. Their web page is https://donate.lovetotherescue.org
Please feel free to leave a memory for family and friends to enjoy, and thank you for being a part of Harold’s life.
As he said in his last FOF newsletter, “I will say Good Bye now, and it has been nice knowing all you nice people for so long!”
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
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