Grandma Concha's Other House
My dad, Tony Vigallon seemed to be among the group that didn't consider visiting family as something real high on the totem pole of priorities, or so it seemed. Visits to Grandma's house in San Leandro seemed like the other side of the earth. I was a happy guy to find out that Grandma Concha was going to move in the old tank house at Aunt Josie and Uncle Frank Delgado's house in Irvington.
The tank house sat off of main street, (now Fremont Blvd) between the gas station that Uncle Frank owned and their house in the back. This tank house was the real deal with a huge wooden container on the roof to hold water. I suppose at one time the wind mill really pumped water but I don't remember the tank filled. It was however a place cousin Richard Delgado and I would go hide out and smoke up some of Uncle Frank's or (someone's) cigarettes.
The good news was Grandma was coming... I don't remember a lot, but it seemed like all of the family with their individual skills chipped in to help. Naturally, the part I remember most was cleaning up, one of my main jobs in life working with my dad. T-J Cabinets was not open for business yet, but I remember the cute little kitchen and the cabinets they built as you entered. There was new wiring by one of our neighbors Everett Staley and the smell of newly plaster walls and fresh paint. I'm sure the plumbing got help as well. To me, it seemed that all of the family was there working. Time frame... maybe 1957??
Grandma finally moved in. I don't really know how happy she was being separated from the rest of the family, and I'm not sure if she tried to tell me I would have cared. I got to stop by and see her real often after school. My Spanish is almost as bad now as it was then, but we communicated real well with the goodies she always had ready, especially the peanut butter cookies she never seemed to run out of. Does anyone have a picture of the old tank house??
The tank house sat off of main street, (now Fremont Blvd) between the gas station that Uncle Frank owned and their house in the back. This tank house was the real deal with a huge wooden container on the roof to hold water. I suppose at one time the wind mill really pumped water but I don't remember the tank filled. It was however a place cousin Richard Delgado and I would go hide out and smoke up some of Uncle Frank's or (someone's) cigarettes.
The good news was Grandma was coming... I don't remember a lot, but it seemed like all of the family with their individual skills chipped in to help. Naturally, the part I remember most was cleaning up, one of my main jobs in life working with my dad. T-J Cabinets was not open for business yet, but I remember the cute little kitchen and the cabinets they built as you entered. There was new wiring by one of our neighbors Everett Staley and the smell of newly plaster walls and fresh paint. I'm sure the plumbing got help as well. To me, it seemed that all of the family was there working. Time frame... maybe 1957??
Grandma finally moved in. I don't really know how happy she was being separated from the rest of the family, and I'm not sure if she tried to tell me I would have cared. I got to stop by and see her real often after school. My Spanish is almost as bad now as it was then, but we communicated real well with the goodies she always had ready, especially the peanut butter cookies she never seemed to run out of. Does anyone have a picture of the old tank house??
2 Comments:
What a great story Randy. We were frequent visitors to Frank and Josies's. I remember MaMa Concha's other house. Didn't know about the smoking on the roof though. Much later in years,the late 60s we (my wife Connie and I)used to visit your Dad under the tree in your backyard. Those were good days.
Randy: I enjoyed your story. I remember that 'tank house' too. Seems like a million years ago. Keep the stories coming.
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