English War Bride, adopted Californian 52 Ancestors
This photo is of my grandfather, David Fernandez, a Sgt, in the Army-Air Corps (half French and half Indian) and his English warbride, Joan Evelyn Rowden. They married in Cambridge, England-close to the American airbase where grandad was stationed.
My gran was a sheltered daughter of a city planner and housewife. She had two older brothers and a younger sister. She was training to become a nurse, a much needed vocation in war time England when she was swept off of her feet by my dashing grandad. They married in 1944 and my mom was born in 1945. A month later the war was declared over, but it took a year for my grandad to get Gran and mom to California.
Gran took to California like she was born there. Hemet is technically desert but she bloomed there, wearing shorts and scandalizing her mother in law, an immigrant herself from France.
A strong woman, she didn't let her French mother in law and her Indian in laws bully her. She raised roses, always had a garden and loved dogs. She was part of an English war-bride group and she loved to ballroom dance.
Because of her I love tea and collect tea pots, but I can't dance to save my life.