A Brief History of the Hickman Family in California

In my last post I bemoaned the fact that one could have too many photos.  One the other hand, maybe there are two few.  Yes, a contradiction. 

  It took two days to scan and organize the pictures of the Hickman family.  Mom told me once that a box of pictures had been left behind on one of our moves.  The few that are left are neatly placed in an album.



Mike Hickman and his Schwin. 
We lived in the house
on the left.

   They bring happy back memories that were long forgotten. 

  I was four when we moved to Burbank.  1420 Leland Way. Across the street was one of the big drainage ditches that filled with swift water during the rainy season.  Beyond that, the railroad tracks and Lockheed Industries.  I learned to count by counting the cars on the long freight trains.

  Laura, Grant and Richard joined us in Burbank.  There was a lovely fig tree in the back yard in which we spent many happy hours climbing the branches. Mom grew sweet peas in her garden and down the block was a patch of colored poppies.

 Mike and I attended George Washington Elementary School, and we went to big LDS Church on the hill, overlooking the city.  I was in Campfire Girls and my best friend was Pamela Wickman. 

  I was in the fifth grade about ten years old when we moved to Lawndale - 4319 West 159th St.




Hickman Children at Lawndale.
Richard, Grant, Merry, and Laura.

 Merry joined the family while we lived there.

I finished out the fifth grade and then went to Middle School.  I had a friend next door, named Bobbie and we used to play with Barbies together.  Down the street lived two ladies who taught me how to sew.  I used to babysit for their kids sometimes.

Laura and Grant played with the neighbor children on the other side, Stacy and Dick Felman.  Mrs. Felman was Mom's friend.

We only lived there about three years.  I was in the eight grade when we moved to Van Nuys.

Before we moved, Melody joined the family.

8056 Langdon Ave., Van Nuys
Melody, Patricia, our dog "Toots," Merry and Laura

    Our house in Van Nuys was a big rambling house.  Laura and I shared a bedroom with a baywindow that had a window seat.  In the back yard was a rose garden.  Mom always loved her gardens.

  I finished up the 8th and 9th grade in Junior High and went to my first two years of high school here.  I was very active in my church's youth group, YWMIA and had many friends.  It was here that Grandmother Vernie gave us a piano and paid for a piano teacher to come to the house to give me and Laura piano lessons. 



Rolling Hills, California
I think that is me, hiding in the doorway
behind the bushes.



Just before my 16th birthday, we again moved.  This time to Rolling Hills, California.  We rented the house partly in exchange for taking care of the owner's horses.  This was a beautiful place to live, but I felt very isolated from friends.  I was able to choose my high school and chose the brand new Miraleste High School.  I was in the first senior graduating class.  Miraleste was on the other side of the peninsula.  We went to church in San Pedro.  My friends here were Lynette Bartholomew and Susie Black, a Navajo placement student from Arizona.  Who would have thought, that in a couple of years I would be moving to her neighborhood.

Here my youngest brother, James, joined our family. 

I graduated from high school in June 1970 and the next day we were on our way to our new home in Page, Arizona.