Relationship Record 77

Male/Husband}   Samuels, Henry Edward     Family History} Hancock
  Female/Wife}    Adams, Letha Evadna Relationship Type} Marriage
Marriage: Date} Exa 20 Jul   1920 Place} Napa, Napa, Calif.   (License)   (Certif.)
Ended: On Date} Exa   6 Dec 1983
                     By} Death of husband
Source 1} 278 = Marriage rec
Source 2} 808 = 1930 USA cen
Source 3} 1187=Draft regist'n
Source 4} 598 = Photographs
Source 5} 1313=Geog history
Source 6} 349 = Death record
Source 7} 773 = Obituary
Source 8} 138 = Letter
Source 9}   13 = Family history
Source 10}589 = Family history
1st Household No.}  
Photo} see below
Last Updated
        by} Dan Hancock
Date Updated} 27 Mar 2011
Date Created}  17 Jun  1994
Notes:  Henry was age 24 and Letha was 18 when they married in 1920.  They were married in Napa, honeymooned in San Francisco by way of the ferry, and then returned to Monticello where they raised their two daughters on their ranch.  The photo below shows the girls circa 1924.
Florence & Barbara Samuels Their Monticello ranch was described as plain land, flat and hot, a narrow valley between high hills.  But it was all bottom land, and all summer long the creek flowed full enough to irrrigate the fields and orchards.

Letha and Henry E. Samuels In 1942 their Monticello residence had no telephone.  The photo at the right shows Letha and Henry at their ranch circa 1945.

The planning for and building of the Monticello dam upset their life during the post-war years.  Letha said We bought the land, built on it, paid for it — and they could take it away!  Letha was shocked by the razing of Monticello's houses to make way for the new Lake Berryessa.  In 1955, after running the ranch for 35 years, Henry and Letha had to leave because of the raising waters of the new lake.  They moved to St. Helena and retired at that time.  One of their daughters said we never found land up to what we had in the Valley.

Letha's 63 year marriage ended in 1983 when Henry passed on at age 88 at their residence in St. Helena.

Additional notes:  Apparently daughter Florence did not like her name; she was always known as Tot.  During their later years, daughters Tot and Barbara were not on speaking terms and never talked about the other.
Children: Total # of Children} 2 Seq. # of Primary}  
1st Child} Samuels, Florence Lucille (Tot)
2nd Child} Samuels, Barbara Evadna
Copyright © 2011 by Daniel W. Hancock.  All Rights Reserved.

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