Histories

Stories Alma James told her grandson Kenny James sometime in 2006 or 2007

Alma lived at 2951 Webster St. in San Francisco with her Aunt and some people she worked with. Her Aunt died and she moved. She did housework to support herself. She made $30 a month. She spent most of her money on food and ate lots of apples and bananas she bought at the store on the corner. She then worked for a Jewish lawyer – they went out to eat a lot. She also worked with some Italian girls cleaning floors. She got a job across the street for $17 a week. She made friends with some Italian people, the Sarelli’s. They drank wine every meal. Then Muttchen (Alma’s stepmother) came to San Francisco. Six months later Alma met Francis. Alma’s girlfriend Helen was a flirt. They went together to Cliff House, an amusement park. They put a dime in a machine and got a ticket with a fortune on it. Alma’s said she would meet someone she would marry. Helen brought two guys – one was Francis. They walked from Cliff House to the Golden Gate Park. They didn’t have enough money to do anything, so they window shopped. Francis took Alma’s hand and walked with her. He wanted to marry her. He asked Muttchen and she said “No.” Muttchen wanted to move to South America with her husband, Alma’s father. So Alma and Francis eloped to Reno; their friends helped them. Sometime after they got back, she told Muttchen she had eloped and Muttchen slapped her. Alma and Francis were separated while Francis was in the Army at the Presidio. He didn’t get permission to be married. He used to walk from the Presidio to her house. They were married quite a while before she told Muttchen.