Chavez page
3/31/1926 0 Born on Orm Street Los Angeles
3/31/1933 7 Moved to 4th Street, Los Angeles [Boyle Heights]
3/31/1934 8 St Mary�s grammar school
3/31/1935 9 St Mary�s grammar school
3/31/1936 31 St Mary�s grammar school
3/31/1937 11 St Mary�s grammar school
3/31/1938 12 St Mary�s grammar school
3/31/1939 13 St Mary�s grammar school
3/31/1940 14 St Mary�s grammar school
3/31/1941 15 Ben attended Mt Carmel High School 71st & Hoover.
3/31/1942 16 Ben attended Mt Carmel High School 71st & Hoover.
3/31/1943 17 Ben attended Mt Carmel High School 71st & Hoover.
3/31/1944 18 St Mary�s grammar school, Joined Navy, Boot camp on June 15
3/31/1945 19 Navy
3/31/1946 20 Navy
3/30/1947 21 San Jose State (Track Sholarship)
3/31/1947 21 Lived in Catalina, Friends living in Catalina- Saldana
3/31/1949 23 Ben goes to Mexico in 39 Ford w/ Hank Penna, Rudy Acosta (Actor)
3/31/1951 25 Tim is Born 03/31/2004
3/31/1953 27 Loretta is Born 11/24/1953
01/01/1955 Ben goes to electronics school and gets job as TV repair person
3/31/1955 29 Michael is Born 12/22/55
1959 Ben builds Protoype circuit boards-Onco Pasadena
01/01/1960 Ben Gets a Job at Studios, (Felix Cantamar)
01/01/1963 Ben Gets Job at Hollywood Bowl
08/23/1964 Ben meets Beatles@Hollywood Bowl
Evarista Holquin
Born March 31, 1926
Baptized:
Married
Children:
Christine Marie [Petersen] Chavez
Richard Albert [Petersen] Chavez
Timothy Benjamin Chavez
Loretta Denise Chavez
Michael Alan Chavez
Born in 1926, Ben Chavez was raised in Boyle Heights, a neighborhood of East Los Angeles. The 4th of six children, he recalls a happy childhood.
His father worked as a welder and a machinist for the Southern Pacific Railway at the time and his mother stayed home looking after the children.
His life of adventure began when he was only 13 years old. Shining shoes on the mean streets of downtown L.A., Ben Chavez could almost make $1 a day - which was considered a lot back then. He shined shoes. His parents were only vaguely aware of what he was doing during the day.
�It was a different era and I don't think parents were worried so much about a 13-year-old kid going out.
1926
Born March 31, 1926 Los Angeles California, Orme St. at Rick Zunigas mothers house, across from Bens Mothers house.
1933 (7 years)
Ben was about 07 yrs old 1933 when the family moved to 4th street. Ben remembers he had lived there at least one year after the earthquake in Long Beach March 31, 1933.
It was big house, big front yard with a sidewalk going down the middle.
Ben remembers the earthquake and the Bricks were coming off the chimney.
1940 (14 Years)
Ben used to go to Venice when he was 14. He remembers his version of surfing was a lot different than today. They had rough board wood fences, and he would take the board off the fences so he could use it to go surfing.
He used to use the Streetcar part way, and walk or hitchhike. Ben and his friends used to hitchhike a lot, as people were courteous and always to lend a ride.
Ben remembers growing up with his brothers, and their activities included many afternoons of playing football.
Ben was the little guy and was always on the losing team, they used to say ok, Ben it is your turn to run with the ball. They would line up give me the ball, and tell me to run, just before I would get tackled I would close my eyes, expecting to get tackled and then they would step aside and let me run through and wham; I would hit the fence.
Across the street from our house was a Chinese restaurant; Eli Lee lived behind the restaurant. Next door to the restaurant lived Bens Aunt Natividad, or affectionately called Tia Tivi, (red headed aunt.)