| Al Saylor was born in a one-room log cabin in Harlan Co., Ky. on 12 October 1905 to Solomon C. Saylor and Nancy Skidmore. He later used the middle initial V., maybe standing for Verne. There is no longer any family memory of from where or when the family arrived, but other research suggests they are either Palatine German or Swiss German, and may have arrived either late 1600's or early 1700's. They went into Ky. from North Carolina in the late 1700's. However, the Skidmore family has been researched and a book written. They have been traced to the 1500's in England. The family left Kentucky in the 19teens, and went to eastern Montana to homestead. They didn't stay. From there they went to Los Angeles, where Al met and married Florence Amelia Imschweiler on 20 Sept. 1930. The marriage lasted about 8 years. They had one child, Geraldine, on 15 Sept. 1934. The rest of the Saylor family didn't stay in California USA except for one brother. Al was a glass blower by trade. He made neon signs, and did many of those giant blinking neon signs that used to grace Los Angles, California, USA. Then he went to Bakersfield to do the same thing. He was drafted into the army about 1943 and served with the 88th infantry, serving in Italy. He was at the battle of Monte Cassino. Upon his release in 1946, he picked up his daughter and spent the summer at his home in Ky. Upon returning to Los Angles, California, USA he sold real estate for awhile, then resumed his glass blowing trade. He married Judy Dean Smith about 1948 and was later divorced again about 1958. He purchased his own neon sign shop in Inyokern, California, USA in 1949. He serviced the whole Mojave Desert. Later, he returned to the Los Angles area. He joined the Free Masons, and became a 33rd degree Mason. Al was an avid bowler. He bowled in leagues, often bowling 3 or 4 times a week. He had several 300 games and many trophies. Sometimes, at home, he would have friends over for cards. When they were missing one person, they would rope in his daughter, Geraldine, so she learned how to play Canasta at an early age. Al died 10 January 1971 and is buried is Long Beach, California, USA. |
| Al Saylor |
| Al Saylor |
| Florence Amelia Imschweiler |