FLORENCE AMELIA OWEN July 30, 1911 -- December 30, 2001 Gone, but not Forgotten . . . Born Amelia Florence Eckroat in Shawnee, Oklahoma, she decided at a very young age that she didn’t like the name “Amy”, so she used Florence from then on. As she was growing up, the family moved around a lot and as a young adult she finally settled in Long Beach, California. Florence (on left) in Kindergarten -------------- Chalkboard Artwork, Orange, CA The house where she lived as a young girl in Yakima, Washington Class photo - That's Mom, in the exact center Florence & Mary Eckroat at Santa Monica Beach On her own during the Great Depression she worked at many different jobs, vacationing in such places as Laguna Beach and Catalina Island. At the beginning of WWII, she took a Civil Service job as a Payroll Clerk for the Department of the Navy on Terminal Island. By the end of the War, she had attained one of the highest ratings in her department, even higher than most of the men in the office. Florence as a Teenager, circa 1929 ---------------- San Francisco, circa 1946 After the War, she took a job with a tugboat company out of Long Beach (Los Angeles) harbor, where she first met her husband Glen Owen. After dating for awhile, they were married, and soon after their only child Dennis was born. The year was 1950. Moving to the suburbs in Orange County a few years later, they lived out the remainder of their married life at their home in Garden Grove, California. "First trip to the Snow" circa 1953 ------------ "Catalina Island Holiday", 1958 "Mexican Holiday", Tijuana, 1961 Chrysanthemums in Garden Grove, summer of 1973 Tomatos in the backyard garden, fall of 1974 Mom and Dad at home, Christmas 1985 After the death of her husband in 1987, Florence moved to Hemet, California to be near her niece and nephew, Roberta and Carl Currie. After their deaths in 1997 she returned to Orange County to be closer to her son and his wife and family. Carl, Mother-in-Law Mildred, Roberta, Glen and Florence at home in Garden Grove Becoming less and less independent as time went on, she finally resigned to move into a small in-home care facility in Downey, California. She lived out the remainder of her years with a sharp mind, fighting a loosing battle of time with a failing body. May she rest in peace . . . Dearest Friends and Family, Please, follow the link provided below to the “Reflections” web page, to share your thoughts, feelings and memories of Florence Owen, as you knew her . . . Reflections Web Page Feel free to return to this site from time to time to view other Reflections, or to post new ones of your own. In this way, we can all help to keep her memory alive. Thank you all for your kindness, care and concern. May the Good Lord Bless You. More Photos below . . . Stoll Family Gathering, circa 1914 My Mom told me what she knew about this picture, which wasn’t much. She said it was Her mother’s family and that she is the little girl in front, bending down to look at a flower. A closer look at the same picture. The man in the Derby Bowler hat, and the woman with the white long-sleeve blouse at the center of this shot are Peter F. and Mary (Stoll) Eckroat, my Mom's parents. Mary Stoll This picture is an un-retouched copy from the original tintype. It was only lightened to show more detail, as the original is very dark with age. Wedding picture of Mary Stoll's Mother and Father The true identity of this photo is unsubstantiated, but it seems to be on good authority. Again, the picture is from the original tintype. Early class photo of Glen Owen (Florence's husband of nearly 38 years) Glen can be found standing, eighth in from the left side of the picture. See a closeup view below. Closeup showing Glen Owen Glen is the little boy standing right of center, wearing a white shirt, overalls and a sweater, holding a book.