| FLORENCE AMELIA IMSCHWEILER was born in Inglewood, Ca. on the 11th day of Dec. 1912 to John A. Imschweiler, Sr.., and Amelia Christiana Maynard. Her father owned acreage in Inglewood, and even tho it was not a farm, there were still many animals; cow, chickens, etc., and wonderful fig trees her daughter used to climb to pick fresh figs. Florence was the youngest child of 4, although there was another child, Ruth, who was born and died in 1918. Her mother moved out and filed for divorce in 1920, when Florence was only 7 years old. Florence sometimes spoke of the brutality of her father, and also spoke of feelings of loss when her mom moved out. The divorce was prolonged and bitter and custody was given to John. As a person of German descent, going through W.W.I. was also somewhat traumatic. A person in Inglewood was murdered by the K.K.K. during this era, and she remembered when her father suddenly stopped speaking German. Later, she did go to live with her mom, and began to use the name of her step-father, Clarence Clark. Florence was a flapper, and loved to have fun. She had piano lessons, and was a good pianist, but she loved jazz, and her dad wanted her to play classical. Florence also loved to dance, smoke and drink, and she may have been alcoholic, though she would have been quick to deny that. She later said she was as good as any man, and she could cuss to prove it. She left the Lutheran church because she felt they would not let her have fun. Florence was married to Al Saylor on 20 Sept. 1930. Her only child, Geraldine, was born 15 Sept. 1934 and at that time said Clark was her name. They were divorced about 1938. As a single working mom, she worked mostly as a waitress. For a short time, she lived with her brother, but mostly she just lived in single room apartments and hotels. She moved frequently, just about every year, but mostly within the Los Angles, California USA area. One time she did work as a PBX operator, sometime in the 40's, and spent a year as a welder on Liberty ships in Richmond, near Oakland, California, USA about 1944 and was there when W.W.II ended. In 1945 she moved to Kirkland, Washington, USA and was there when Al Saylor left the Army to pick up his daughter, Geraldine. About 1947, Florence remarried, to a Russian Jewish refugee named David Luboff, who owned a trailer park in East Los Angles, California, USA. Gerry used to have lots of fun playing in the Los Angles river. That marriage lasted only about a year. Florence became a waitress at the Grand Canyon Hotel in Arizona about 1948-9. She was the waitress chosen to serve the Shaw of Iran when he came to visit. She met Al Gurule and later married him on 21 Nov 1949. Al was the Santa Fe Railroad Station Master in the Grand Canyon. Al was Hispanic descent from a land grant family of New Mexico, and his name was pronounced GUR-LEY. When the station at the Grand Canyon was closed, they moved to Phoenix, Arizona, USA The marriage lasted until about 1965. Al had one son, Tony. For awhile she continued to work in Phoenix, but came to Washington State to be near her daughter in the middle of the 1970's. She then worked as a housekeeper until she could retire. Florence loved to go fishing, and would fish when ever time and/or opportunity presented itself. She also liked to write poetry. She was never published, but she never gave up hope. And, she was a wonderful painter. She did some oil paintings of the Grand Canyon that were very beautiful. Florence died on 11 Sept. 1987, in Bellingham, WA. |
| Florence Amelia Imschweiler |