Person Page 10

Jean Baptista "Duke" DeMers was born in 1771 in Alsace-Loraine, France. He married Marie Wildewald in 1789. He died in 1796 in Canada.

Some records, letters and memories indicate Aunt Mae DeMers Broadhead has preserved the history of this Grand Duke, Jean Baptista DeMers, in her written document dated February 17, 1954. She relates that Jean DeMers was born in Alsace-Lorraine, France in the Year 1771.

Two Stories about his voyage to Canada:

STORY 1:
The course of the French Revolution was being laid about the same time and this lad - born of royalty was easily one of the foreseen casualties of the coming events.

Aristocracy was being killed off (17,000 guillotined) in large cart loads. This little boy (maybe age twelve) was put into a hogshead (small wood barrel) and placed on the docks for shipment out of the country (in hopes a passing ship would pick him up) - can you imagine! At some point, he was picked up and ended up in Eastern Canada, where at age twenty-one he married a Swiss lady named Marie Wildewald. The two of them had one child.

After the revolution, the Queen of England ordered all Canadian subjects return to England and register their property or it would revert to the crown. At the age twenty-six, Jean Demers returned to France to claim the family's properties. Unfortunately, on the return, ship was lost at sea and all the riches were lost!

Jack Wagner Sr.
9/19/92


STORY 2:
Here's another version written Feb 17th, 1954 by Mae DeMers (Broadhead).

During the war (1789), he as well as the rest of the family, was to be beheaded, so he and his cousin, a Priest (of Nobility) were put aboard a ship for Canada. They were put in a hogsheads by their father, and when out at sea, were released by men whom had been well paid by the DeMers family.

They went in steerage to hide themselves. While there, J.P. DeMers fell in love with a Swiss girl named Marie Wildewald. As it took six months to cross, he had plenty of time to be with her. He was only eighteen, but when they reached Canada, they were married. When time quieted in France, his cousin (the Priest) decided to go back to France. Jean B. DeMers decided to stay in Canada with his wife, who was expecting her child. He could not take her to his people, as she was a commoner, and uneducated, and would not be received. Jean B. DeMers had some papers of his father's and his identification papers, which his father had thought would be safer with him. Jean DeMers decided them back with the news of his marriage. Evidently, the ship, with his cousin and the papers, went down, as nothing was ever heard of him, in France or in Canada. Jean DeMers had one son, named after him. Jean DeMers, the father, drowned when twenty-four years old.

The son and mother, not having the papers, could prove nothing. The son, when grown, married three times.

Marie Wildewald married Jean Baptista "Duke" DeMers in 1789.

She was Swiss and known to be a commoner amongst her people.
One spelling indicates the name may be Wilderwald. Included 'r'.

Charles F. Staley was born on Feb 12, 1886 in Iowa. He married Virginia DeMers on Nov 11, 1920. He died on Jan 26, 1959 in Holy Family Ch, Albuqurque, NM. He was buried on Jan 29, 1959 in Calgary Cemetry, City of Los Angeles, CA.

He had no children. Notes state he was born Feb. 12, 1884. A letter written July 8, 1947 from Virginia to the "folks" goes on to talk all about their new furniture etc.

The interesting thing is that it was written on "Staley Hardware Company" letterhead. The letterhead references general hardware, linoleum, mills, tanks and pipe in Noreatur, Kansas.

-Joe Wagner 1995.

Frank P. Brown was born on Aug 8, 1874 in Milwaukee, WI. He married Estelle DeMers on Aug 17, 1907. He died on Aug 17, 1914.

One note states he was born in Charlsiux, Mich. They had no children.

Norman Glenwood Oleson married Emma Pauline Heyman.

Clarence Marshall Bud Perry, Jr., was born on Dec 2, 1915 in Phoenix, AZ. He married Eunice Catherine Hoffman on Jan 25, 1941 in Inglewood, California.

David Marshall Perry, Sr., was born on Oct 18, 1941 in St Michael's Church, City of Los Angeles, CA. He married Michelle Rosse Stone on Jul 6, 1963.

Mary Lou Wagner married Urban John Oster on Jun 4, 1955.

She was born to Margaret and Otto Wagner on May 30, 1932 at the California Hospital in downtown Los Angeles.

Her writtings:
My dad expected a third son (I was told many times) after Jack and Dick, but over the years he realized how lucky he was to have adaughter! Because he was 40 when I was born (Mom was 37) he might have been my grandfather, so I think he treated me differently= more like a princess. He didn't have to be strict because I was born sweet and never caused any problems. (No, I'm not kidding.)

The five of us (Jack was 8, Dick was 5) lived on the Wagner family 10 acres at the corner of Manchester and Western Ave. (For those of you unfamiliar with the area, that was called Southwest L.A.) The Wagner family farmed the area (lima beans being the main product) all the way to what is now LAX. When my dad was about 26 his dad (John) decided to give up that large farm. At that time my dad (Otto) opened one of the first service stations in the area. I remember he would forbid me to go out on that corner because of the TRAFFIC, but I could sit in the station where there was a candy box (long licorice sticks for 1 penny) and soda pop.

We moved from there in 1941(when I was 9 years old) to a beautiful 2 story home in Morningside Park(Inglewood). That was May 1941. We had a big yard and Dad was going to build a tennis court, BUT the war started 6 months later. That changed everything!!! Jack had turned 18 amonth earlier. Dick was 15 and in high school. So Dad made the boys prepare the vacant lot for a victory garden. Mom knew her sons would be drafted. Even though I was only nine, I remember those years because my mother was so worried about them and she was going through a tough MENOPAUSE. I had no clue what THAT was about until later, but the combination was NOT good. Jack was able to get into the Navy V-12 program(spending several years at the University of Texas) and Dick got rheumatic fever while in Navy boot camp. Neither went into the real war, so her worries were decreased considerably.

I graduated from St. Anselms 8th grade in 1945 and St. Mary's Academy in 1949. I played tennis and basketball almost every day during those years. And that was the only way I survived the 4 years at the all girl's academy. I worked at the Mesa theater as usherette and Woolworth's ' five and ten'(or dime store) in my free time.

I decided to go to Immaculate Heart College (all women) and it was a very different experience from my high school days. I spent 1 1/2 hours EACH way on the bus my first two year!!!! (It was located in Hollywood== a long way from Morningside Park). (You tell someone that now and they would think you were crazy.)

I always liked math, so it was an easy decision to find a major. Because I thought I might teach high school I took a minor in Home Ec. (We had to have a double minor with Philosophy.) What an interesting combination. Ha Ha.

Between my junior and senior year I took a summer job at North American Aviation as mathematician. I enjoyed it so much that I didn't want to return for my senior year, but my Dad insisted I do. He was a big influence on me and I did return reluctantly. (Right move...listen to your dad.) After I graduated in 1953 I went to work at Douglas Aircraft as mathematician and stayed there for 2 years until I married in 1955. While there, I received a Q2 clearance. In those years that was a very classified job working on the A3D and F4D airplanes during the Korean War time.

Remember I was still living with the folks on Byrd Avenue. But that changed on June 4, 1955 when I married Urb Oster, a friend I'd known since high school and who attended St. Anselms and lived a few blocks from us. My folks always liked Urb and were very happy that we married. I had had a lot of boy friends during high school and college and always enjoyed working with men. Urb kept coming back into the picture so when he proposed on Dec 8, l954, I accepted. (That's almost 55 years ago...that's a lot of years!!)

We lived VERY happily in Gardena for ten years. ..raising our three children, Joe, Monica, and Paul. In 1965 we had many changes in our life. You may not remember the Watt's Riots, but that was devastating for our business. The ax fell!! We owned many properties in South LA which we could not recover from foreclosure. It was a very rough time for us financially for the next 15 years.

We moved to the San Fernando Valley about a month before the Riots. I wanted to go that direction because of Jack and Dick living in that area. Urb wanted to go south to Orange County (we eventually did 32 years later in 1997...strange huh?)
Jack and family lived about 4 blocks from us in Van Nuys and Dick and family were about a half hour away in Tujunga. My folks were still in Inglewood. Those were very rough years for Urb driving each day to southwest LA to try and keep some of our assets together. Over the next few years property values went "straight south." If only that same property had been in the Valley, we would have been millionaires. So be it! My father also saw his assets go south. He was born in that area in 1892 and saw the devastation that the black people did to the community that he had built. No one nowadays gives it a second thought.

Now, back to me. At that point in our life I decided to go back to IHC and get my teaching credential in l967. It took two years and I finally did my practice teaching in Hollywood. It was my 37th year of life and I always say the very hardest one. Joe, Monica, and Paul were in 4th, 5th, and 6th grades at St. Elisabeths, Van Nuys.
After receiving my credential I went to work as a substitue in LA Unified for the next 20 years. During that time LA went to year/round schooling and some years I worked more days than the regular teacher. It was a very hard job, but it fit my needs at the time. It was flexible as I had my parents to think about. There were many instances when I was oncall for them, so being able to refuse work was a bonus. My mother was mugged by a young black in 1971. She was maimed and never had the use of her right arm. I drove into Inglewood every day for two months to help my dad with her recovery. I think it was then he realized how they had depended one me. My father died in 1974 and my mother came to live with us the very day he had his stroke (April 19)...no questions asked. He died August 19, four months later in a convalescent hospital in Van Nuys. Imagine Grandma moving in with 3 teenagers!! She said she was happy and we were very happy to have her. She stayed with us for ten years.

During that time a lot happened...
In 1978 Paul was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease. Until it happens in a family, no one realizes how it affects you. We were all devastated. He underwent 80 treatments of radiation during his junior year at UCLA. He was allowed to take 8 units during two quarters and he received his best grades that year. STRANGE...but that's what determination will do even though his 6'3" frame went from 200 lbs. to 150 lbs.

All three kids graduated from UCLA ('79.'80,'81).
Joe married Doreen in l982, and Monica married Steve in l984.
The kids gave us a 25th wedding anniversary party in 1980. I am sure many came from long distances to give us support through this. We had about 100 guests at the house and since Joe was into catering by then... they made a wonderful party for us.

Paul moved to Mammoth shortly after he graduated. Monica had already moved and was working in Santa Monica. So that left Urb, Grandma and me. Since she was getting restricted in her abilities she went into a convalescent hospital where she died in 1986. Just about that time Joe and Doreen moved to Van Nuys. Those next ten years were great for me! I was able to help out with my grandsons, Matt and Andy. I loved every moment I spent with them. When in 1996 Joe decided to take a job in Maryland, we decided to move to Orange County(!!) to be closer to Monica who lived in Lake Forest. In 1997 we found a wonderful area in Mission Viejo...a senior gated community, Casta del Sol...five miles from Monica. NOW I was able to enjoy my other 2 grandsons, Tom and Dan. Another blessing.

Are you getting bored yet??? Well wait til I tell you we discovered SHUFFLEBOARD. Who would ever have thought it??? It has really been fun, I mean it. We have some of the best courts in the area... and have met a lot of very nice people. That keeps us both busy for now.

But probably the most inspiring (to me) part of my life was my twenty-five years in the Legion of Mary at St. Elisabeths. We serviced four convalescent hospitals and one major hospital in Van Nuys with communion services and visitation. And many home visits were made to those confined. It was the most self-fulfilling work I have ever done. Also I was thankful I had good health and could also be a lector and eucharistic minister. And all this with working and all my other commitments at home. I always had a lot of energy.

We bought our condo in Mammoth after my mother died in 1986 and enjoyed 18 fun years there. After Urb could no longer tolerate the altitude we sold in 2004. I still miss it as we had many good times there, entertaining family and friends, and enjoying seeing Paul all summer. I still enjoy my hobbies too... reading, bridge, and computer.

Enough already. Maybe you want to hear about my brothers.
I told you we lived on 10 acres til I was nine. Most of that was unused by that time, so we had big fields. In spring after the rains, the weeds would be 2 feet deep. We would pull them and use them like boomerrangs with big clods of dirt on one end. That is a memory that stays with me because we were brutal... and there were acres.
After we moved into the big house I will always remember that when my dad wanted to plant his victory garden the boys(14 and 17) had to go out EVERY day after school and dig up (turn over, my dad said) two long rows, probably 20 feet by 4 feet. I would go and watch...after all I was only 9 and I was a girl. He also made them work at the service station. They weren't happy with either job.

When Jack came back from the Pacific (Truk was where he did his military part, helping restore their airfields, etc.) Dick had already gotten involved with the Young Peoples Club at St. John's, Inglewood. He had taken out a very nice girl, Mary Hoffman, and he wanted Jack to meet her. Well, it worked. Now the cute part. Of course, Grandma and I wanted to see what this girl was about and we knew she worked at Woolworths...so we visited the store. Boy, this was one cute girl. And then, of course, when we met her, we loved her. Fortunately for me, after we møved to Van Nuys, I became very close friends with Mary. I have many nice memories.

I think Mary enjoyed me as much as I did her. I had moved from a neighborhood where I had many, many friends to Van Nuys where I had one college, friend, Mary Therese. It was a difficult transition for me. So Mary and I more or less found each other. She had just moved into a big house across from St. Elisabeths and had a new baby, Marie, her eighth. She was pretty restricted as far as any social life and I was able to help her in so many ways and that brought us into a close friendship.

One vacation I will always remember when Jack took her to Hawaii on convention. I took care of the 11 kids for 10 days. My friends thought I was crazy. Ask yourself who would "take on" 11 kids?? (They brought me back a moomoo which I wore for many years!!)
Another time I remember well...Mary was a very heavy smoker and Jack smoked too. They decided to take the QUIT SMOKING course at the local Red Cross. I would go and baby sit in the evening and one night they came back and told me the instructor had shown them a smoker's BLACK lung. That did it!!! I never saw Mary smoke again. It was pretty amazing to me.

She was a LT. Col. in the US armed forces. Notes indicate she went on to become the first female General.

Jeanette Louise Perry was born on Aug 16, 1946 in City of Los Angeles, CA. She married William Edward Bergstrom on Nov 18, 1967.

Stephen Henry Perry was born on Sep 23, 1948 in City of Los Angeles, CA. He married Carol Marie Griffin Cepko on Oct 18, 1969. He died on Aug 9, 1983 in Stockton, CA. He was buried on Aug 16, 1983 in Green Hills Mem., Palos Verdes, CA.

Mirella Elena Perry Div Di Pol was born on Sep 24, 1943 in Venice, Italy.

David Marshall Perry, Jr., was born on Mar 23, 1964 in City of Los Angeles, CA. He married Tamara Rice on Dec 28, 1988.

Michael Gerard Perry was born on Oct 28, 1965 in City of Los Angeles, CA.

Michelle Rosse Stone was born on May 2, 1944. She married David Marshall Perry, Sr., on Jul 6, 1963.

Christopher Stone Perry was born on May 29, 1970.

Lorianne Michelle Perry was born on Dec 17, 1974.

Cheryl Lynn Perry was born on Aug 21, 1976.

Joyce Marie Bertrand married Richard Francis Dick Wagner on Oct 21, 1950.

Valarie Kathryn Perry was born on Nov 17, 1980.

William Edward Bergstrom was born on Jun 21, 1946 in Long Beach, CA. He married Jeanette Louise Perry on Nov 18, 1967.

Joseph Edward Bergstrom was born on Jan 8, 1969 in Cincinnati, OH.

Thomas William Bergstrom was born on Apr 5, 1970 in Cincinnati, OH.

Yvonne Catherine Bergstrom was born on Oct 19, 1972 in Schenectady, NY.