Former Neighbors

Today I caught a ride up to Mariposa to see former neighbors who used to live on Fruitland Avenue. I wouldn't have recognized them because I haven't seen them for 60 years. It was a nice day; warm when the sun was out and a little chilly when it went behind a cloud. I kept taking my windbreaker on and off.
Building the fire is Jerry Hawksworth. He is actually wearing a pair of sandals, but usually he is barefoot. When he goes into town (Mariposa), he is recognized as the "man who is always barefoot."
Jack wanted Jerry to guess who I was. Even with lots of hints, it took several guesses to get it right. I was probably the last person he expected to see.
Sitting beside Jerry's car is his mother, Alice Hawksworth. She is 96 years old and stills drives her car to Mariposa twice a week to buy groceries. She had her drivers license renewed last year with no problem.
Alice married Bill Hawksworth in 1932. Bill was working in the shipyards at Mare Island. They first lived in Vallejo and then in 1940 they moved to Mariposa. There they nearly starved to death, so in 1945 they purchased 30 acres on Fruitland Avenue and moved to the Atwater/Winton area. They were in the Atwater School District, but their mailing address was Winton.
On Fruitland Avenue they had a herd of goats with a Grade A dairy setup and also raised 20 to 30 pigs. Bill built the milk barn for the goats out of rocks that he hauled over from Snelling. The building was quite large and it took many, many trips to Snelling and back before it was finally done.
They later sold the animals and grew sweet potatoes and watermelons. It was about 1950 when they purchased an additional 20 acres to the east of their farm from John Giesbrecht. Then around 1980 they moved back to Mariposa.

Cooking the hotdogs over the open fire is Jack Boesch. He brought up a pickup and trailer load of almond wood for the Hawksworths. It's been a cold wet winter this year and they used more wood than usual. Jack hauls wood up to them several times a year, which Mrs. Hawksworth appreciates very much.
Bill and Alice had three sons, Jim, Tom and Jerry.
Bill died in February in 2002 and Jim a few years later. Alice continues to enjoy living in the mountains of Mariposa. She cooks for herself and does yard work. Jerry lives on the yard, close to his mother's house. This last picture shows Jerry doing a "wedge" kicking up dust in his Ford car.