1976: Mom, daughters carry on 5-generation tradition

50 years ago April 8, 1976 Catholic services were held for Ralph Nuanez, 70, a native of Colorado and a Loomis resident for 15 years. He worked in agriculture for 45 years. There were no known survivors. An 11-year-old Loomis School student, Brett Behrendt, was hit by a car while riding his bike to school. He was treated for a leg injury and a gash on his head. Navy Fireman Apprentice Vincent Kirk of Penryn graduated from Naval Submarine School in Groton, Conn. Sergeant Bill Graham of Loomis was a weapons mechanic with the 84th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Castle AFB. Placer County's Representative in Congress, Harold "Bizz" Johnson, gave Denise Matsuda of Penryn and Teresa Takahashi of Loomis a first-hand lesson on Congressional operations. The girls were in Washington, D.C., attending the Presidential Classroom. Taking another swing at life at age 53 after she lost her husband, Barbara Goodrich started Mum's Greenery Nursery in Rocklin. The Placer Joint Union High School District favored reorganizing county schools into three new districts, which would include kindergarten to 12th grade. Locally, the new district would include Loomis and Penryn Elementary Schools with the focal point being Del Oro High School. Gene Grover, a history teacher, also had a background in food preparation. He cooked chicken cordon blue for the Del Oro Parents Club's Spring Gourmet Dinner. Tammy Craythorn played the role of Judy Brown and Jeff Boberg as gang leader Buzz in the play "Rebel Without a Cause" at Del Oro. Prairie dresses were fashioned by Barbara, Carol and Polly Pepper, a mother-daughter team, continuing a family tradition started by their great-great grandparents who sewed for fashionable San Franciscans. The creations in gingham and calico will be on display at the Days of Yesteryear 2nd Annual Arts and Crafts Festival in Loomis. 75 years ago November 1949 Funeral services were held for Ah Man, 88, the oldest resident of the Loomis Chinatown, located south of town. His descendants were early day gold miners. He worked on local farms and orchards. Richard Knapp, 3 1/2-year-old son of Mrs. Louise Knapp of Loomis, fell out of the family car on US Highway 40. He was treated in Roseville for injuries suffered. Dorothy Day of the Loomis Women's Club introduced guest speaker Sen. Harold "Bizz" Johnson. Marguerite Webb read a poem, Mrs. Frances sang "America the Beautiful" and Nellie Boller presented new members during the meeting. Nov. 11 was observed by local students on "Armistice Day." A quarantine was lifted on mussels, as there were no cases of poisoning in the state. In 1927, before quarantine was first imposed, toxic mussels poisoned 120 people and killed six. Playing in theaters was "Down Dakota Way" starring Roy Rogers. The need for new school buildings was the topic of discussion surrounding Proposition One, to be voted on. California had more than 148,000 children on half-day sessions. Ralph Willis of Lincoln High School and Jack Goodwin, principal of Penryn School, were among the delegates at Asilomar in Pacific Grove to discuss the proposition. Mrs. Dorothy Oakes of Loomis was in charge of the 6 County Meeting of Presidents of the Tuberculosis and Health Association. Standing guard - oral histories: Karen Kiyo Lowhurst related the story of her grandfather, James Uyeda. Karen, a fourth-generation Yonsei, spent her summer days at James and Jane Uyeda's plum farm, Southside Ranch, across from Sierra College. In 1943, James and his family were transferred from Tule Lake to Heart Mountain Internment Camp between the towns of Cody and Powell in the cold, windy high desert in NW Wyoming. There, James was part of the Fair Play Committee. (continued)