EUGENE PHILIP GILLEN

I was born 27 October 1928 at St. Paul, Minnesota in St.Joseph Hospital. My parents were Mathias Peter Gillen and Floyd Margaret Herdeg. I was baptized at St. Columba's Catholic Church on 11 November 1928. My god-parents were Michael Herdeg, my maternal grandfather and Christina Gillen, my paternal grandmother. My parents were living at 1793 West Minnehaha St. in St Paul when I was born.

When I was four years old, my Mom died. Dad and we children, Gene, Joan & Floyd, moved in with our Uncle Joe and Aunt Tillie on Westminster St. in St. Paul.

My first six years of grade school were spent at St. Patrick's School on Mississippi St. and later on Desoto St. when they built a new church and school at that site. In 1940 when we moved to Stillwater Road in Ramsey County, I attended District 14A School for two years, graduating from grade school in 1942. My high school years were spent at St. Agnes High on Lafond Street in St. Paul. Had to take the bus and streetcar to school and back home every day. While attended St. Agnes I was expected to go to Grandma Gillen's house every day for lunch. Guess that was one of the ways my father could keep track of me during the school day. My formal education ended in June 1946 when I graduated from high school.

In 1945 during summer vacation, I got a job with Minnesota Mining & Mfg. Co. in their Tape Slitting Dept. and when high school was over in 1946, 3M Co. rehired me. I continued to work there until I was drafted into the Army during the Korean War on Nov 27, 1950. Previous to that I worked part-time after school and weekends for John Geisinger at his gas station-icehouse and bar at the corner of Stillwater Road and East County Line Road. (Ramsey County-Washington County line)

I was drafted along with about 150 other guys from St. Paul and amazingly most of us stayed together during our two year Army tenure. Upon entering the Army we were transported via train to Fort Riley in Kansas for testing and issue of uniforms, etc. After about two weeks in Fort Riley we were again transported by train to San Francisco and bussed to Fort Baker, just across the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County. There we learned that we had been selected to train to be surveyors and we were assigned to the 551st Engineer Base Survey Company, part of the 30th Engineer Battalion of the 6th Army. Our "Basic Training" was performed around the hills of Fort Baker and about two weeks at Fort Ord near Monterey, California. In the Summer of 1951 we were sent to Alaska and surveyed on the Kenai Peninsula, near the town of Kenai. In the Fall we returned to San Francisco to Fort Scott in the San Francisco Presidio. Then before Christmas of 1951 we were sent to Southern California to the town of Elsinore. A building at the Elsinore Airport was our barracks although that airport was not in use at that time. We surveyed around the mountains in that area and also around Riverside. In the Spring of 1952 we were sent back to Fort Scott to prepare to return to Alaska. This time we sailed to the town of Unalakleet ( a god-forsaken Eskimo village ), south of Nome. Our company surveyed there along the Yukon River and other small towns in the area. My squad did not participate much in this operation. We were assigned to the Base Camp in Unalakleet to perform back up duties at the camp and at the airport. My duties were pretty boring, I was the ranking NCO, other than the First Sergeant, and it was my job to appoint other guys to jobs the First dreamed up to keep us occupied. However we managed to spent most of our days playing softball at the Airport there and playing poker and cribbage in our squad tent. I did manage to get away from there for a couple weeks by volunteering to participate in a survey job atop a hill near the town of St. Michael. I think we left Unalakleet about the end of August or beginning of September and were sent back to Fort Scott. At that time we only had two or three months to serve before discharge and despite many rumors about being held over, we were discharged on 27 November 1952, exactly two years of service.

I need to mention here that a couple of things happened in 1952 while I was in the Army that affected the rest of my life. First my Dad was transferred by West Publishing Company in St. Paul to Buffalo, New York and that move left me without a home in St. Paul. Secondly and most important, I met my future wife, Dolores, on a blind date set up by one of her girl friends.

Dolores and I were married on 14 February 1954 in St. Finn Barrs Catholic Church in San Francisco. We lived for a few months in an apartment at 29th and Fulton by Golden Gate Park and in the Summer of 1954, purchased a new home on Longford Drive in South San Francisco. While living there our first three children were born. I was working for Standard Oil Co. of California as a Station Manager and later operated my own Service Station with a partner during that time period. That venture lasted until 1971 when I went to work for The US Postal Service. In the Fall of 1959 we sold that home and moved to another home on Bellview Avenue in Daly City. Our last child, Chris, was born there. In 1969 we moved to another home in the St. Francis Heights area of Daly City at 57 Midvale Drive. We lived there until 1984 when all the kids were grown and into their own homes. Dolores and I wanted to move to a warmer weather place so we bought a new home in Ceres, California in the center of the state, about 90 miles east of San Francisco.

In 1983 Dolores was diagnosed as being diabetic. She was put on oral medication and diet to control it. In about 1995 her health started to deteriate badly and she was unable to do many things she was used to and enjoyed doing. A couple years later she began to have pain in her leg and sometime in the back. She was diagnosed as having neuropathy, a nerve disease. Therapy was tried put did no good. In December 1999 she had surgery that was supposed to cure the neuropathy. Sometime during or after she was sent home to recuperate from that surgery she developed pneumonia and was re-hospitalized on December 23,1999. After a stay of about seven weeks in the hospital, she passed away on February 15 2000, the day after our 46th anniversary and two days after her 68th birthday. Cause of death: Pneumonia, Kidney failure and Diabetes. Dolores is interred in Memory Gardens Memorial Park Cemetery in Concord, California.

We raised a family of four children:Laurie, Vicki, Ed and Chris.

Our first child, Laurel Ann, was born 22 November 1954 at Mt Zion Hospital in San Francisco. She was baptized 19 December in St Veronica's Church in South San Francisco. Her god-parents were Mathias Gillen, her paternal grandfather, and Evelyn Komro, a friend of the family. Laurie attended elementary schools in Daly City and graduated from Westmoor High School in that city in 1972. After graduation Laurie went to work as a Bank Teller for The Hibernia Bank in San Francisco. She quickly moved up the ladder and became an Operations Manager and later an Assistant Vice President. This was a time when banks changed hands about every other month and employees either lost their jobs or were forced to accept other positions at lesser compensation. Laurie was a victim. She worked for several other smaller banks, but soon went to work for Sybase Company, a computer software firm. Due to her excellent training and banking experience, Laurie is now the Manager of Accounts Receivable for that firm. On April 29, 1978, Laurie married Donald James Walsh at Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Don is a long time employee of the San Francisco Muni Railway and holds the position of Inspector. Laurie and Don live in Concord, CA. and have three daughters:

Robyn Michelle born September 6, 1980 in San Francisco.

Erin Ann born October 14, 1983 in San Francisco.

Teresa Mary born September 15, 1986 in Walnut Creek, CA.

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Victoria Jean was our second child. Vicki was born October 28, 1955 at Mt Zion Hospital in San Francisco. Vicki was baptized on November 27, 1955 at St Veronica's in So San Francisco. Her god-parents were Bill Komro, a family friend and Christine Gillen Lewis, her fathers sister. Vicki attended Daly City elementary schools and graduated from Westmoor High in Daly City in 1973. After high school She held several jobs, including Bank of America, Hibernia Bank and Matthews TV in Daly City. Vicki is presently employed by an automobile dealer in Dublin, CA. On February 14, 1976, Vicky married Barry Joseph Rosenberg in San Mateo, CA. Barry has been employed by Dryer's Ice Cream Company for some time now and is a Route Salesman. Barry and Vicki live in Livermore, CA. and have three children:

Kristina Jean born July 15, 1980 in Santa Clara, Ca

Daniel Joseph born October 7, 1983 in Santa Clara, Ca

Jeremy Joseph born October 2, 1994 in Walnut Creek, Ca.

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Our third child, Edward Peter, was born October 2, 1958 at Mt. Zion Hospital in San Francisco. Ed was baptized at St Veronica's Church in So San Francisco on November 9, 1958. His god-parents were Les and Joan Gillen Davis, sister and brother in-law of his father. Ed attended elementary schools in Daly City and then graduated from Westmoor High in Daly City in 1976. After graduation, Ed went on active duty in the Navy and attended "boot camp" at San Diego Naval Training Center. Upon graduation from boot camp, Ed was awarded the Academic Achievement Award for that group of graduates. He attended several Navy Schools including the Nuclear Power School in Florida. He was assigned to the USS Wabash in the Engineering Department as an electrician. The Wabash was a supply ship and took part in many assignments in the Pacific area. Ed served six years in the Navy and attained the rank of Second Class Petty Officer. After his discharge, Ed went to work for The Pacific Gas & Electric Company in San Francisco. He is now a Senior Estimator for PG&E in Concord, Ca.

On 24 May 1980, Ed married M'liss Ann Nelson in Alameda, Ca.. Missy was born in Elmira, NY on 28 Sep 1958. Missy is presently employed as an Office Manager in Concord.

Ed and Missy have four sons:

Eric Arthur-born 21 May 1984 in San Francisco

Peter Eugene-born 9 Feb 1986 in Hayward, Ca

Nikolaus Edward-born 4 Jan 1991 in Walnut Creek, Ca

Alexander David-born 4 Jan 1991 in Walnut Creek, Ca

Ed, Missy and boys live in Concord, Ca.

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Christopher Paul, our fourth child, was born 21 Sep 1963 at Mt Zion Hospital in San Francisco. He was baptized on 3 Nov 1963 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Daly City, Ca..His god-parents were James and Patricia Komro, friends of the family.

Chris attended elementary schools in Daly City and then Westmoor High in that City, graduating in 1982. Upon graduation, Chris went on active duty in the Navy and as of this writing he is still there, having just completed twenty years. He is presently a Senior Chief Petty Officer assigned to a submarine in San Diego, Ca.

Chris has been married twice. First he married Nancy Robinson on 13 May 1984. That marriage ended in divorce in Aug 1988. Chris and Nancy had two children:

Mathew Steven-born 24 Sep 1984 at Oaknoll Naval Hospital in Alameda County, Ca

Elizabeth Marie-born 28 June 1986 at Castle Airforce Base Hospital in Atwater, CA

On 11 Mar 1989, Chris married Joan Marie Fleming in Milpitas, Ca. Joan is a daughter of John and Shirley Fleming of Preston, Ct. She was born 19 Jun 1967 in Norwich, Ct. Chris and Joan have twin sons born in Norwich, Ct.:

Sean Christopher-17 May 1996

Kyle Kneeland-17 May 1996

Joanie is a Homemaker. She deserves a medal for taking care of all four children!

Chris and Joanie live in Murrieta, Ca.

• Joan Gillen Davis
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