Charlene Pike

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I was born in Stockton, San Joaquin Valley, California. I was a Depression Baby. My early years are during World War 2. Much of things we did in those days were connected to the "Home Front". Bank Day at school and we would have an account to buy War Stamps, which eventually becomes a War Bond. I went with my mother when she went to get our ration stamps. We ate lots of Spam, meat on the table. Our dad gave away his cigarette stamps because he didn't smoke. Gas was rationed so nobody took drives in the country. Some of our neighbors began to ride bicycles to work. Because Stockton was a deep inland sea port (ships could navigate from San Francisco Bay to Stockton) it became a Navel Base and Ship Yard. People from other states poured into Stockton for War Work, which included building ships. Because it was a very large agricultural area we also exported canned good from the local farmers and canneries. This was exported to less fortunate countries. Our school became very crowded and temporary classrooms were provided in every vacant area because of the overflow of kids from many other states. The War ended and in 1947 I graduated from Victory Grammar School to attend Stockton High School. In 1952 I graduated from Stockton Jr. College. Our family owned a small furniture store and because it was a small family owned business we spent a lot of time there and could be with or wonderful dad maybe more than some kids. One of our jobs was dusting, of course. Our dad had died in 1950 before I finished high school. Our mom tried to run the business but wasn't successful and times were also changing. Larger stores like Sears and Montgomery Ward were opening up and stores like ours were closing down. Many of my friends from school were getting married and some had even already divorced. I was a 20 year old maid who had one dream. It was to move to San Francisco, California. I knew from a pretty early age this was my real place to be. I worked in a dining room part time and went to school part time. Had single friends and it was wonderful. Weekends we would go to a ballroom and dance the night away and after that go to a place called the William Tell and dance polka's and waltz's. Go home and sleep a few hours and get up and go to work at the dining room. I remained in San Francisco and the Bay Area for 40 years. I met my husband there, john Joseph Dowling from County Kerry Ireland. We had two sons, Charlie and Brendan. John told me one of us should by "happy" and he knew I enjoyed being with the kids and being a homemaker. I loved doing things with my kids and SF had so much to offer kids in those days, I went back to work after 16 years and went to a community college to brush up on my office skills. I went out on one interview and was hired by an insurance company and was there 11 years. My co-workers were like family in some ways. This business went bankrupt and I then went to work at the Federal Reserve Bank of SF for ten years. Then comes retirement. i was always interested in other countries and had many friends from other places. Thought I might become a travel agent but decided to be a traveler instead. 9/11 made me cut back to more domestic travel. Of all the things I have done I will never regret going into the world. I am sorry that travel has become what it is. My final relocation is here in Las Vegas, Nevada with many other Californians who have found it a less expensive place to live. I sometimes ask others if they ever thought they would end up living in the desert? I have gotten into genealogy about three years ago. I was lucky that our dad and Aunt Charlotte were such good story tellers and very good family historians. I am not sitting in a rocking chair but rather at my desk and my computer.

Resources for my biography are my memories