Page 50 - Family History

Family Stories

Alantha (already known as Joan) was often left with Elizabeth Fisher while

Mamie went shopping. Elizabeth would immediately haul her down for Gussie
to see. Jared suspects there were hard feelings, but Mamie always felt kindly
toward Elizabeth. Athelene always looked out for Joan. She always saw that she
had clothes for school and similar considerations. Joan would stay and watch
Gussie (her Grandmother) and babysit Athelene’s two sons (Paul Jr. and Don).
She also babysat Madeline Fisher.

I believe it was around 1927, during Prohibition, when Howard was caught
smuggling booze. Banner headlines listed Howard Fisher smuggling alcohol.
This is the paper Joan kept. Howard probably got his son, Kermit, to help him,

but it is doubted the devotion was two-sided. After Frank told his brother, Elmer,
he couldn’t protect Howard anymore, Howard left town. Howard disappeared for
nearly ten years. I don’t know if he thought he would be convicted and sent to
prison or what. I doubt his parents even knew for sure if he was dead or alive.

After Elmer died in 1934, Gussie was left more of a child than an adult. I
suspect age-related dementia. When Gussie died in 1936, Athelene refused to

hold any property in common with Howard. She either bought him out or gave it
up, but nothing in common. She “didn’t ever want to have anything to do with
him or his friends!” This sentiment was also held by Joan until she died. It was
apparent that Howard never had anything to do with her. Although she always

received occasional gifts from “Daddy”, she is fairly certain it was sent by
Gussie and Elmer.

One day about 1938 or 1939, someone from Port Angeles ran into Howard in
San Francisco. Howard had gotten himself hired as a captain of a wealthy
man’s yacht. Later, in 1941, Howard was working as a civilian at the Pearl
Harbor Shipyards when the Japanese attacked. Howard then served for the next

five years in the Merchant Marine. When news reached Port Angeles of his
death from a heart attack at the pier in San Francisco at the foot of Hyde Street
in 1946, Athelene offered to pay Joan’s way to San Francisco for the funeral.
Joan responded with “He didn’t pay any attention to me when he was alive, why

would I go to his funeral?” Later, Howard’s second wife, Vivian came to Port
Angeles to live.

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