On September 1, 1941, Avery Atwell League and Lois Arlene Briggs, were married in Reno, Nevada. A few years later they were the happy parents of two sons, Michael and Timothy. Their youngest son, Tim, became my husband and this is where my journey to the past began. I wanted my children to know where they had come from. I did not want them to only know their parents, I wanted them to know their entire heritage. It was my desire to introduce them to their ancestors with stories of who they had been, where they had lived and if possible how they had felt. Many told me stories that were rich with history and some even told me their deepest secrets. With the added benefit of the internet I can now share this research with all of my descendants.
Lois' family came to California from Nebraska when Lois was five years old. They settled in Tracy near her grandmother Lilly (Marti) Briggs. Lilly, had told her father that there was plenty of work in California. So Benji, packed up the family in their car for the long trip west. On the way, Lois, told how she had saved her pretty new dress to put on, just before they were to get to her grandmother's house. As they drove across the desert they stopped to see all the cactus. Her little sister, Jean, fell on a cactus getting her dress dirty and full of cactus needles. Lois' mother told her she would have to let the baby wear her dress. This upset Lois tremendously because she was very jealous of her baby sister. She said her sister, at that time, was never called by her name, only Baby. Crying she gave the dress to her mother to put on Baby, however, remembered that day for the rest of her life when she talked about coming to California.
Avery's family moved to California sometime in the 1930s. His father's brother, Clark, was living in Oakland, so Charles decided to move his family there. His children were all in their teens or early twenties. Charles' brother, Clark, was thirteen years older than Charles, however, their children were about the same age. It's not clear why they eventually moved to Merced. It could have been that their son, Avery, had moved there to be closer to his wife's family in Winton. Charles and Anna lived out in the country on G street in Merced, until Charles' death in 1954. After that, Anna, moved into town to live with a friend. Avery, spent much of his time helping her with shopping and errands. Anna died in 1958, on her 76th birthday. Avery was the one her roommate called. He gave the statement for her death certificate in his official capacity as a police officer.
Avery and Lois, met in 1940, when they both attended Glad Tidings Bible Institute, in San Francisco, California. Lois moved to the school from Winton, California, where her family had settled on their own farm. Avery's family was living in the Oakland, California area at the time. They were married the following year in Reno, Nevada, in a double ceremony, with Lois' cousin Jack Lantz and her friend Dorothy Church. Each couple was the other couples witnesses. Dorothy remained Lois' best friend throughout her life. Even though they did not live near each other, in later years, they continued to correspond through letters.
Avery, became a police officer in Merced, California, remaining with the department for a number of years, until illness forced his retirement. He was very proud of being an officer and of becoming a sergeant in the years before his retirement. He especially enjoyed the time he spent as a motorcycle officer riding his Harley Davidson. He also rode an Indian motorcycle, when he was off duty, along with his many other motorcycles that he owned over the years. Lois' said she loved riding on the back of his bike. One of her fondest memories, was going on their personal getaways across the country, when she was relaxed enough to fall asleep with her arms wrapped around him, never fearing falling off. Avery, loved hunting, fishing, camping, four wheeling and just about anything else that would get him out in the great outdoors. During deer hunting or trout season, he was in the mountains on every weekend that he could. Being a member of a four wheeling group, there were always many other hunters and fishermen caravaning into the mountains in their jeeps. Lois didn't share the love of that part of his life, instead choosing to remain at home preparing a comfortable environment for his return. She always had plenty of his favorite foods ready when he got back. Avery took his sons with him on those trips, when they were barely old enough, to hang on to the jeep careening up a mountain. They enjoyed those years with their dad in the mountains and have told many wonderful stories of their experiences. As time permits I will write those stories for this site.