Myrtle was born and raised in the City, San Francisco. She often spoke of growing up in that city by the bay, of streetcar rides and long walks home from school back when it was really safe for a young girl to walk by herself. Her special memories include a 1937 walk across the famed Golden Gate Bridge before it was opened to automobile traffic. She and Earl were just dating back then and Myrtle laughed at all the silliness that went on between them and their best friends, Irene and Joe. In fact the only reason she agreed to date Earl was that Irene's mother would not allow her to date unless Earl and Babe (as friends and family knew her) went along as a double date. And the rest, as they say, is history.
The little country home in Los Altos was bought after Earl Jr and Joe came on the scene and was the backdrop for many great stories. As charming as it sounds, apparently it wasn't exactly paradise to the girl who grew up in a city where a hat and gloves were required attire when venturing out of the house to shop. The soft, powdery dirt on the six-acre property did not lend itself well to keeping two boys, and eventually a baby girl, clean and starched to the eyeballs. The 104 apricot trees on the property lent special times when all the ripe fruit had to be picked, split, placed on pallets, and put into sulfur sheds for drying. Myrtle often said she was going to write a book called "The Apricot and I" patterned after an old movie with a similar title. And by the way, did you know that Barbara Stanwick was her favorite female movie star? A movie with Stanwick and Gable would have been the ultimate screen experience for her.
Myrtle was a great encourager of following your dreams. Following Earl's stint in the service, he held a well-paying job as an ironworker. When Earl expressed his interest in joining the California Highway Patrol, he could not have asked for a more loyal supporter and encourager. Though tough financial hardships plagued the early years, it was a decision that neither ever regretted. Myrtle skillfully managed the location moves that promotions brought, the meal schedules that changed each month, and the demand to meet a budget on the paid-once-a-month basis. She bemoaned that there was always too much month at the end of the paycheck but that lessons learned growing up in a home on the edge of poverty taught her valuable lessons. In the later years, anyone in her presence found wasting food by cutting away some portion that was perfectly eatable was subject to the "waste not-want not", post-depression-era speech accompanied by a frown of disapproval.
Earl's early passing at age 52 brought new challenges to Myrtle but she met them head-on, as she met most confrontational things. She began her first-time travel experience by flying to Australia then on to New Zealand , the Fiji Islands, and on to Hawaii. Home thirty days later, she had obviously been bitten by the travel bug and embarked on a series of trips both near and far. Her kids always looked forward to the wonderful and exotic gifts she would bring home in her bursting-to-the-max suitcases.
Myrtle was a people person. But more than just liking people, she was driven by a sense of helping make things better for others. This took many forms throughout her life. Her children can attest to a sense of order in the home, her husband being the center, and all things were for them. Later, when she worked outside the home, she was gifted with helping fashion-challenged women find that "put together" look she always sported herself. The ultimate sales person, she made the people think it had been all their idea. Those knowing Myrtle know how she was smiling inside at this thought. At different times, Myrtle worked in clothing stores, the state employment office, a medical office, a real estate office, the La Canada Youth House, and the billing department of a major hospital. All jobs requiring a sense of handling people with sensitivity and patience. In addition, in her spare time she volunteered at the hospital, as a guide and in the gift shop at Descanso Gardens in La Canada, and often as a hostess at fundraisers for various Women's League functions.
She loved bringing gifts to family and friends, always looking for the special and unique. Mail order catalogs and trips to exotic lands eventually gave way to QVC as her official shopping haunt but you can bet if she knew your interest or taste, she would find a way to find that special gift just for you. Grandchildren knew this well as anything train went to Rick and special one-on-one trips to the Hollywood Bowl with Grandma were exclusively for Kathy. And while Tim enjoyed all the battery-run toys she brought to him, the special grandma gift he most remembers is his first guitar. Little John David distinguished this Grandma as the "brown bag" grandma because whenever she came, she was accompanied by a large shopping bag filled with fun things including new Match Box cars and trucks.
Myrtle's unique ability to adapt was never so evident as when, because of health concerns, she was counseled to move to Mount View Assisted Living Facility. In her usual spirit of pressing forward with life, she resigned herself that her family loved her enough to insist she give it a try and made lemonade from the lemons she was handed. Her sense of friendship and fun made her an instant success and she was often referred to as Mount View's official greeter. 'Course the gift giving never changed, just the gifts. When you left a visit at Mount View, she made sure you left with a magazine from the front lobby or a stack of catalogs she was done with or, if you were really special, one of the bananas she had squirreled away from the dining room.
Myrtle will always be remembered for her warm caring, her fierce loyalty to family and friends, and her unique way of facing life. Along with her favorite crooner, she did it her way.
Her presence and unwavering love will be missed.
This is a copy of the eulogy written by her daughter and read by a favorite grandson-in-law at the memorial service held in Myrtle's honor.
Post script: When her family went to her room to collect her belongings after she passed, low and behold, there was a banana on the foot of her bed.
The little country home in Los Altos was bought after Earl Jr and Joe came on the scene and was the backdrop for many great stories. As charming as it sounds, apparently it wasn't exactly paradise to the girl who grew up in a city where a hat and gloves were required attire when venturing out of the house to shop. The soft, powdery dirt on the six-acre property did not lend itself well to keeping two boys, and eventually a baby girl, clean and starched to the eyeballs. The 104 apricot trees on the property lent special times when all the ripe fruit had to be picked, split, placed on pallets, and put into sulfur sheds for drying. Myrtle often said she was going to write a book called "The Apricot and I" patterned after an old movie with a similar title. And by the way, did you know that Barbara Stanwick was her favorite female movie star? A movie with Stanwick and Gable would have been the ultimate screen experience for her.
Myrtle was a great encourager of following your dreams. Following Earl's stint in the service, he held a well-paying job as an ironworker. When Earl expressed his interest in joining the California Highway Patrol, he could not have asked for a more loyal supporter and encourager. Though tough financial hardships plagued the early years, it was a decision that neither ever regretted. Myrtle skillfully managed the location moves that promotions brought, the meal schedules that changed each month, and the demand to meet a budget on the paid-once-a-month basis. She bemoaned that there was always too much month at the end of the paycheck but that lessons learned growing up in a home on the edge of poverty taught her valuable lessons. In the later years, anyone in her presence found wasting food by cutting away some portion that was perfectly eatable was subject to the "waste not-want not", post-depression-era speech accompanied by a frown of disapproval.
Earl's early passing at age 52 brought new challenges to Myrtle but she met them head-on, as she met most confrontational things. She began her first-time travel experience by flying to Australia then on to New Zealand , the Fiji Islands, and on to Hawaii. Home thirty days later, she had obviously been bitten by the travel bug and embarked on a series of trips both near and far. Her kids always looked forward to the wonderful and exotic gifts she would bring home in her bursting-to-the-max suitcases.
Myrtle was a people person. But more than just liking people, she was driven by a sense of helping make things better for others. This took many forms throughout her life. Her children can attest to a sense of order in the home, her husband being the center, and all things were for them. Later, when she worked outside the home, she was gifted with helping fashion-challenged women find that "put together" look she always sported herself. The ultimate sales person, she made the people think it had been all their idea. Those knowing Myrtle know how she was smiling inside at this thought. At different times, Myrtle worked in clothing stores, the state employment office, a medical office, a real estate office, the La Canada Youth House, and the billing department of a major hospital. All jobs requiring a sense of handling people with sensitivity and patience. In addition, in her spare time she volunteered at the hospital, as a guide and in the gift shop at Descanso Gardens in La Canada, and often as a hostess at fundraisers for various Women's League functions.
She loved bringing gifts to family and friends, always looking for the special and unique. Mail order catalogs and trips to exotic lands eventually gave way to QVC as her official shopping haunt but you can bet if she knew your interest or taste, she would find a way to find that special gift just for you. Grandchildren knew this well as anything train went to Rick and special one-on-one trips to the Hollywood Bowl with Grandma were exclusively for Kathy. And while Tim enjoyed all the battery-run toys she brought to him, the special grandma gift he most remembers is his first guitar. Little John David distinguished this Grandma as the "brown bag" grandma because whenever she came, she was accompanied by a large shopping bag filled with fun things including new Match Box cars and trucks.
Myrtle's unique ability to adapt was never so evident as when, because of health concerns, she was counseled to move to Mount View Assisted Living Facility. In her usual spirit of pressing forward with life, she resigned herself that her family loved her enough to insist she give it a try and made lemonade from the lemons she was handed. Her sense of friendship and fun made her an instant success and she was often referred to as Mount View's official greeter. 'Course the gift giving never changed, just the gifts. When you left a visit at Mount View, she made sure you left with a magazine from the front lobby or a stack of catalogs she was done with or, if you were really special, one of the bananas she had squirreled away from the dining room.
Myrtle will always be remembered for her warm caring, her fierce loyalty to family and friends, and her unique way of facing life. Along with her favorite crooner, she did it her way.
Her presence and unwavering love will be missed.
This is a copy of the eulogy written by her daughter and read by a favorite grandson-in-law at the memorial service held in Myrtle's honor.
Post script: When her family went to her room to collect her belongings after she passed, low and behold, there was a banana on the foot of her bed.
Myrtle was born and raised in the City, San Francisco. She often spoke of growing up in that city by the bay, of streetcar rides and long walks home from school back when it was really safe for a young girl to walk by herself. Her special memories include a 1937 walk across the famed Golden Gate Bridge before it was opened to automobile traffic. She and Earl were just dating back then and Myrtle laughed at all the silliness that went on between them and their best friends, Irene and Joe. In fact the only reason she agreed to date Earl was that Irene's mother would not allow her to date unless Earl and Babe (as friends and family knew her) went along as a double date. And the rest, as they say, is history.
The little country home in Los Altos was bought after Earl Jr and Joe came on the scene and was the backdrop for many great stories. As charming as it sounds, apparently it wasn't exactly paradise to the girl who grew up in a city where a hat and gloves were required attire when venturing out of the house to shop. The soft, powdery dirt on the six-acre property did not lend itself well to keeping two boys, and eventually a baby girl, clean and starched to the eyeballs. The 104 apricot trees on the property lent special times when all the ripe fruit had to be picked, split, placed on pallets, and put into sulfur sheds for drying. Myrtle often said she was going to write a book called "The Apricot and I" patterned after an old movie with a similar title. And by the way, did you know that Barbara Stanwick was her favorite female movie star? A movie with Stanwick and Gable would have been the ultimate screen experience for her.
Myrtle was a great encourager of following your dreams. Following Earl's stint in the service, he held a well-paying job as an ironworker. When Earl expressed his interest in joining the California Highway Patrol, he could not have asked for a more loyal supporter and encourager. Though tough financial hardships plagued the early years, it was a decision that neither ever regretted. Myrtle skillfully managed the location moves that promotions brought, the meal schedules that changed each month, and the demand to meet a budget on the paid-once-a-month basis. She bemoaned that there was always too much month at the end of the paycheck but that lessons learned growing up in a home on the edge of poverty taught her valuable lessons. In the later years, anyone in her presence found wasting food by cutting away some portion that was perfectly eatable was subject to the "waste not-want not", post-depression-era speech accompanied by a frown of disapproval.
Earl's early passing at age 52 brought new challenges to Myrtle but she met them head-on, as she met most confrontational things. She began her first-time travel experience by flying to Australia then on to New Zealand , the Fiji Islands, and on to Hawaii. Home thirty days later, she had obviously been bitten by the travel bug and embarked on a series of trips both near and far. Her kids always looked forward to the wonderful and exotic gifts she would bring home in her bursting-to-the-max suitcases.
Myrtle was a people person. But more than just liking people, she was driven by a sense of helping make things better for others. This took many forms throughout her life. Her children can attest to a sense of order in the home, her husband being the center, and all things were for them. Later, when she worked outside the home, she was gifted with helping fashion-challenged women find that "put together" look she always sported herself. The ultimate sales person, she made the people think it had been all their idea. Those knowing Myrtle know how she was smiling inside at this thought. At different times, Myrtle worked in clothing stores, the state employment office, a medical office, a real estate office, the La Canada Youth House, and the billing department of a major hospital. All jobs requiring a sense of handling people with sensitivity and patience. In addition, in her spare time she volunteered at the hospital, as a guide and in the gift shop at Descanso Gardens in La Canada, and often as a hostess at fundraisers for various Women's League functions.
She loved bringing gifts to family and friends, always looking for the special and unique. Mail order catalogs and trips to exotic lands eventually gave way to QVC as her official shopping haunt but you can bet if she knew your interest or taste, she would find a way to find that special gift just for you. Grandchildren knew this well as anything train went to Rick and special one-on-one trips to the Hollywood Bowl with Grandma were exclusively for Kathy. And while Tim enjoyed all the battery-run toys she brought to him, the special grandma gift he most remembers is his first guitar. Little John David distinguished this Grandma as the "brown bag" grandma because whenever she came, she was accompanied by a large shopping bag filled with fun things including new Match Box cars and trucks.
Myrtle's unique ability to adapt was never so evident as when, because of health concerns, she was counseled to move to Mount View Assisted Living Facility. In her usual spirit of pressing forward with life, she resigned herself that her family loved her enough to insist she give it a try and made lemonade from the lemons she was handed. Her sense of friendship and fun made her an instant success and she was often referred to as Mount View's official greeter. 'Course the gift giving never changed, just the gifts. When you left a visit at Mount View, she made sure you left with a magazine from the front lobby or a stack of catalogs she was done with or, if you were really special, one of the bananas she had squirreled away from the dining room.
Myrtle will always be remembered for her warm caring, her fierce loyalty to family and friends, and her unique way of facing life. Along with her favorite crooner, she did it her way.
Her presence and unwavering love will be missed.
This is a copy of the eulogy written by her daughter and read by a favorite grandson-in-law at the memorial service held in Myrtle's honor.
Post script: When her family went to her room to collect her belongings after she passed, low and behold, there was a banana on the foot of her bed.
The little country home in Los Altos was bought after Earl Jr and Joe came on the scene and was the backdrop for many great stories. As charming as it sounds, apparently it wasn't exactly paradise to the girl who grew up in a city where a hat and gloves were required attire when venturing out of the house to shop. The soft, powdery dirt on the six-acre property did not lend itself well to keeping two boys, and eventually a baby girl, clean and starched to the eyeballs. The 104 apricot trees on the property lent special times when all the ripe fruit had to be picked, split, placed on pallets, and put into sulfur sheds for drying. Myrtle often said she was going to write a book called "The Apricot and I" patterned after an old movie with a similar title. And by the way, did you know that Barbara Stanwick was her favorite female movie star? A movie with Stanwick and Gable would have been the ultimate screen experience for her.
Myrtle was a great encourager of following your dreams. Following Earl's stint in the service, he held a well-paying job as an ironworker. When Earl expressed his interest in joining the California Highway Patrol, he could not have asked for a more loyal supporter and encourager. Though tough financial hardships plagued the early years, it was a decision that neither ever regretted. Myrtle skillfully managed the location moves that promotions brought, the meal schedules that changed each month, and the demand to meet a budget on the paid-once-a-month basis. She bemoaned that there was always too much month at the end of the paycheck but that lessons learned growing up in a home on the edge of poverty taught her valuable lessons. In the later years, anyone in her presence found wasting food by cutting away some portion that was perfectly eatable was subject to the "waste not-want not", post-depression-era speech accompanied by a frown of disapproval.
Earl's early passing at age 52 brought new challenges to Myrtle but she met them head-on, as she met most confrontational things. She began her first-time travel experience by flying to Australia then on to New Zealand , the Fiji Islands, and on to Hawaii. Home thirty days later, she had obviously been bitten by the travel bug and embarked on a series of trips both near and far. Her kids always looked forward to the wonderful and exotic gifts she would bring home in her bursting-to-the-max suitcases.
Myrtle was a people person. But more than just liking people, she was driven by a sense of helping make things better for others. This took many forms throughout her life. Her children can attest to a sense of order in the home, her husband being the center, and all things were for them. Later, when she worked outside the home, she was gifted with helping fashion-challenged women find that "put together" look she always sported herself. The ultimate sales person, she made the people think it had been all their idea. Those knowing Myrtle know how she was smiling inside at this thought. At different times, Myrtle worked in clothing stores, the state employment office, a medical office, a real estate office, the La Canada Youth House, and the billing department of a major hospital. All jobs requiring a sense of handling people with sensitivity and patience. In addition, in her spare time she volunteered at the hospital, as a guide and in the gift shop at Descanso Gardens in La Canada, and often as a hostess at fundraisers for various Women's League functions.
She loved bringing gifts to family and friends, always looking for the special and unique. Mail order catalogs and trips to exotic lands eventually gave way to QVC as her official shopping haunt but you can bet if she knew your interest or taste, she would find a way to find that special gift just for you. Grandchildren knew this well as anything train went to Rick and special one-on-one trips to the Hollywood Bowl with Grandma were exclusively for Kathy. And while Tim enjoyed all the battery-run toys she brought to him, the special grandma gift he most remembers is his first guitar. Little John David distinguished this Grandma as the "brown bag" grandma because whenever she came, she was accompanied by a large shopping bag filled with fun things including new Match Box cars and trucks.
Myrtle's unique ability to adapt was never so evident as when, because of health concerns, she was counseled to move to Mount View Assisted Living Facility. In her usual spirit of pressing forward with life, she resigned herself that her family loved her enough to insist she give it a try and made lemonade from the lemons she was handed. Her sense of friendship and fun made her an instant success and she was often referred to as Mount View's official greeter. 'Course the gift giving never changed, just the gifts. When you left a visit at Mount View, she made sure you left with a magazine from the front lobby or a stack of catalogs she was done with or, if you were really special, one of the bananas she had squirreled away from the dining room.
Myrtle will always be remembered for her warm caring, her fierce loyalty to family and friends, and her unique way of facing life. Along with her favorite crooner, she did it her way.
Her presence and unwavering love will be missed.
This is a copy of the eulogy written by her daughter and read by a favorite grandson-in-law at the memorial service held in Myrtle's honor.
Post script: When her family went to her room to collect her belongings after she passed, low and behold, there was a banana on the foot of her bed.
Family Members
Half Siblings
