Notes:

Memories Of Joan Patricia Engel Clark Alden as told to Kathy: Feb. 1997

Zelma Irene Moyer was born in Laketon, Indiana to Edith Idema Bryan and Charles William Moyer. She had one sibbling, an brother named Raymond Lynn (called Uncle "Bill" Moyer) born July 2, 1903 also born in Laketon, IN. Zelma's father was a lineman for the Indiana Pipeline Co. which was a subsidiary of the Standard Oil Company.
Zelma was an accomplished pianist preforming in many recitals and worked as a pianist in a local movie theatres, one in Huntington and at the Lyric Theatre in Ft. Wayne in 1923, prior to talking movies. Later she had her own radio program in Ft. Wayne at WOWO Radio Station. She just played the piano. She did not speak or interview or have guests perform, etc. At a later time she and Marguerite Hitzeman also had a radio show. Miss Hitzeman played the organ. She went to live with the Hitzeman family. She also lived with the Betz Family while working at the Lyric Theatre.
In 1924 Zelma married Andrew Engel. His family had lived in Huntington for many many years and were members of St. Peter & Paul's Catholic Church in Huntington.
In 1924 Zelma and Andrew had a daughter, Joan Patricia.
In 1926 Zelma and Andrew were divorced in Cleveland, OH.

On August 15, 1927 in Ft. Wayne, Zelma married Lowell T. Lybrook. He was a concert violinist and she a concert pianist. They had no children and were divorced on January 18, 1936. As far as Mother can remember they always lived with the Moyer's on Byron St.

On September 25, 1936 Zelma married Herbert Hayden Abbott. They were married in Indianapolis, IN. They returned to live in Huntington in the Byron Street house.

Zelma (we always called her Mamaw and H.H. Abbott we called Da) gave piano lessons and accompanied vocalist, etc. Da was a dentist when they married. His practice was in Huntington. They had a daughter, Linda Lou, born January 2, 1938 on Mamaw's 37th birthday.

In 1943 (approximately) Da joined the Navy and they moved to Hampton, VA. He was stationed at Camp Perry in Williamsburg, VA. From Williamsburg they were transfered to San Diego, CA to the Naval Air Station at Coronado where the Del Coronado Hotel is. They lived on the corner of Abbott and Saratoga Streets in Ocean Beach. Living in the house with them at the time was Granddaddy Moyer. In July of 1945, Joan and Patsy Orr (Landis) joined them in San Diego. There were 6 people living in a very small one bedroom, one bathroom home near the ocean!

In March of 1946 Da was discharged from the Navy and returned to Huntington, Indiana. At that time Da returned to private practice at his same business location which was 502 No. Jefferson St.

In 1947 Joan married Don Clark.

In 1948 Da had the opportunity to rejoin the Navy. They were then stationed in Washington, D.C. where they remained until late 1954 or early 1955. They were then stationed at the Alameda Naval Air Station in the San Francisco Bay Area. He remained there until his retirement in 1958(??). He was in command of the dental department of the base in Alameda.

In 1959 the Clark family (Don, Joan, Kathy-11, Donna-9 and John-5) moved into the Abbott home, from Munster, IN. They lived in San Lorenzo for approximately 1 year while they waited for the construction to be completed on their new home in Fremont. The house was located on Ridpath in Fremont.

On Friday the 13th of January of 1961 Don was in the Washington Township Hospital in Fremont to have thyroid surgery. That morning Da had fallen and broken his ankle which had been cast at Oak Knoll Naval Hospital in Oakland. In the afternoon, Mamaw and Da had come over to our home to have dinner. Later they would stay with the three of us kids so Mother could go to the hospital to visit Dad....when Mamaw slipped between the kitchen and livingroom on the freshly waxed hardwood floors and broke her hip. She was taken by ambulance to the Oak Knoll Naval Hospital where she stayed for approx. 2 1/2 months where she had to undergo 2 hip surgerys.

On December 17, 1962, Mamaw suffered a massive stroke in her livingroom while decorating a small Christmas tree. She was rushed to Oak Knoll Naval Hospital where she died later that afternoon.

MEMORIES OF KATHY OF MAMAW AND DA -

I don't suppose I have alot of memories of my Grandparents prior to moving to California when I was about 11. I remember a little about our trip out here in 56 and I remember going with them to Yosemite, and Disneyland, which would have been fairly new. I also remember going to San Jose to see my Aunt Linda who was going to San Jose State College at the time. We drove to San Jose on the old Oakland Road which ran down Fremont Blvd. right through Milpitas and into San Jose.

I remember Mamaw as a rather tall slender nice looking lady. I always thought she looked so nice and had alot of class. She rarely played her grand piano which is now in the possession of Linda Lou Abbott Kuhn Tracy in Concord, CA.
Mamaw was so different from Irene Clark, my Dad's Mother, my other Grandmother. I loved them both so much......I looked up to Mamaw because she was so intelligent and had done so many interesting things and traveled and was a great role model for this young impressionable young girl. She was an amazing cook....she cooked with wine and other liquors, which it seems didn't impress Mother to much. She dressed up and wore make up....mascera and eyebrow pencil and rouge, which was all so new to this little Hoosier. She had hob-nobbed with important people. We have a picture of her taken with Mami Eisenhower.....although they were NOT pals she had met Mrs. E and that was impressive to me at a young age.
I remember Mamaw taking me shopping. She seemed to always want the best for me... for all of us. She was very generous. I remember going with Mamaw and Da everywhere I could. I loved to spend time with them and I remember I loved to hold her hand and hug her. She was very special to me.
I can still hear her voice and see her smoking her Camel cigerettes. I remember her hands and the liver spots on them and wondering if my hands would look like that someday.....and Mothers do and mine look like Mothers although our fingernails are totally different.....must have Dad's.
I remember going with Mamaw and Da to Fisherman's Wharf when I was young.
Once when I was going into my Freshman year of highschool I got what they called a deep seeded absess on the bridge of my nose near my right eye. I had to go to the eye doctor to have it lanced and drained and Mamaw and Mother took me. I was terrified. Afterwards I remember Mamaw coming in to take care of me in my bedroom as I was drained after that ordeal. She just always seemed to be there for me. When she fell and broke her hip I felt so badly as I had waxed the floor she slipped on because I wanted it to look nice when she and Da came for dinner.
It was a terrible loss when she died....I still think of her often and miss her. She was a real lady.

Zelma married Andrew Otto Engel on 26 Jan 1924 in Racine, Racine County, Wisconsin, USA, and was divorced. Andrew (son of Andreas Engel and Maria Elisabetha Kuprion) was born on 25 Jan 1894 in Huntington, Huntington County, Indiana, USA; died on 26 Dec 1967 in Racine, Racine County, Wisconsin, USA; was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Caledonia, Racine County, Wisconsin, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Divorce found in City of Cleveland, County of Cuyahoga OH, Common Pleas, Journal 242, #59138, also #250,160 divorce

According to the marriage records of Allan Co, IN 1921-25, vol : Andrew and Zelma both resided in Huntington. His occupation is listed as "clerical worker."
They were married in Ft. Wayne January 26, 1924 by J. Loehamer. They lived in Ft. Wayne and Zelma pursued her career as a professional pianist. Andrew found employment at a steel mill in Cleveland but Zelma declined to move there to be with him because of her career in Ft. Wayne. Andrew filed for divorce December 12, 1925, finalized January 8, 1926.

NOTE: Andrew was Roman Catholic and Zelma belonged to the Disciples of Christ.

Daughter Joan Patricia Engel was born May 9, 1924, only four months after their marriage. This must have created quite a stir in Huntington. After the divorce, Zelma and Joan moved from Ft. Wayne back to Huntington to live with Zelma's parents, Charles William and Edith Idema Moyer, (parents of Zelma) on Wilkerson St. In about 1927 CW bought the house at 1306 Byron St.

1. Joan Patricia Engel was born on 9 May 1924 in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana, USA; died on 19 May 2007 in Foresthill, Placer County, California, USA.