Minnie Gusta "Agnes" Wall

Minnie Gusta "Agnes" Johnson Wall was born in Story County, Iowa, in 1876, to parents Joseph Johnson and Ellen Jacobson. She was their third daughter. The family was listed in the 1880 U.S. Federal Census for Warren, Story, Iowa, as follows: Joseph Johnson, 34, Ellen 38, daughters, Ellen, 8, Annie, 6, and Gustie, 3, and son, Jacob, 1. Joseph was working as a farmer, and both he and his wife were born in Norway as were both sets of their parents. All of their children were born in Iowa. Three more children were born to them, Maggie, in 1881, Louise in 1884, and Annie in 1887. In 1900 Joseph Johnson was living in Story, Iowa, and was working as a traveling book agent. He owned his own home, had immigrated to America in 1859 and was married to Ellen Jacobson in 1869 according to the census record that year.

On July 26, 1898, Agnes married Jacob Iseminger in Polk County, Iowa, but they were later divorced, and by 1908 she had married William Henry Wall, Jr., in Los Angeles County, California. I could not find Anges or Jacob Iseminger in the 1900 census, but by 1905 he had married Edna Hamm in Denver, Colorado. By 1910, he was living in Seattle, Washington, was 33 years old, and Edna, was 21 years old, and he was working as a street car conductor.

Agnes married William Henry Wall, Jr., on June 27, 1908, in Los Angeles County, California. In the 1910 U.S. Federal Census for Los Angeles, California, enumerated May 2nd, they were living at 232 North Hicks Avenue in the Belvedere section of Los Angeles County, which is located in East L.A. However, William was listed as Walter H. Wall, 36, born in Colorado, whose father was born in England and his mother in Ireland. Agnes, 34, was shown to have been born in Norway, as were her parents, and their son William Clifford Wall, who was 1 year, 7 months old, was born in California. William and Agnes had been married for three years, and it was his first marriage but her second. The census showed Agnes came to America in 1900, but that was probably when her parents arrived, since other records indicate she was born in Story, Iowa. William was working as a steward in a restaurant. They owned their home free from a mortgage. The following month, their 2nd son, Herbert Allen Wall, was born.

In a 1915 and 1918 U.S. City Directory listing William and Agnes were living at 226 North Willard Street in San Francisco, and he was working as a waiter. When William completed his U.S. World War I draft registration card on September 12, 1918, in San Francisco, he described himself as being short and stout, 5'-6' tall with gray eyes and black hair. He was working as a driller for Schau Batcher Company in South San Francisco, and he and Agnes were living at the North Willard Street address. He was 44 years old at the time he completed his registration card.

By 1920 they were living in a rental home in San Francisco, California, located at 994 Mission Street, and William was working a waiter in a restaurant. They were listed in the census as follows: William H., 45, Agnes, 43, Clifford, 11, and Herbert, 9 years old. In this census, William was listed as having being born in Colorado, Agnes in Iowa and both sons in California. Both of Agnes Wall's parents were born in Norway but in this census, William's parents were listed as having been born in the United States, not England or Ireland, per the previous census.

Per a 1923 U.S. City Directory listing, William and Agnes were living at 417 Westminster Avenue in Venice, California, and he was working as a salesman. A 1927 directory showed them at the same address but William was the owner of a delicatessen located at 1108 Washington Boulevard, and his son William Clifford was working for him as a clerk.

In 1930 they were still living at 417-1/2 Westminster Avenue, a home they were renting for $20.00 per month. William, 54, was working as the manager of a lunch stand. Agnes, 52, was not working, but William Clifford, 21, was working as a truck driver for a beverage company (Coca-Cola) and Herbert Allen, 19, was working as a swimming instructor at a club. They were still living at the same address in 1933, and William Clifford was working as a salesman, and Herb as a lifeguard. A 1936 directory listing showed William, Agnes and Herb living at 1117 Cabrillo Avenue in Venice, but no occupation was listed for them in that directory.

On June 7, 1938, William Clifford Wall applied to the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation, for a license as a boat operator on the waters of the Pacific Coast. He was living at 1218 12th Street in Santa Monica, California, at the time of his application. He stated that he had lived for the past 18 years around the Santa Monica Bay District working on private and commercial boats, and had been working for the Santa Monica Boat Service since January 15, 1938.

He had experience with a Commanche motor boat with 7 gross tonnage operating in the Pacific Ocean as a Stevedore from 1936 to 1937,and also with a Cherokee motor boat with 4 gross tons, operating in the same area and in the same capacity, from January 15, 1937 to June 7, 1938. Three people certified from personal knowledge of the applicant that he was a person of temperate habits and of good character, and recommended him as a suitable person to be trusted with the duties of the station of a boat operator. They were E.H., McGough of the Santa Monica Pier who was a commercial boat operator, and R.E. McGough also of Santa Monica Pier who was a boat operator, as well as Walter J. Robinson also a Santa Monica boat operator.

In 1940 William and Agnes Wall's son, William Clifford Wall, 31, was married to Dorothy Irene "Dee" Dort, 26, and they were living at 14612-1/2 Kitteridge Street in Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, California, a home they were renting for $25.00 per month. Clifford was working as a paint contractor in the building industry, and for the 52 weeks he worked at 48 hours per week in 1939, his income was $1,000. Dee's usual occupation was as a car-hop in a drive-in restaurant, and for the 26 weeks she worked at that profession in 1939 her income was $480. She and Clifford had been married for 4 years. Clifford and Dee both had 4 years of high school education. Dee indicated the birth place of her father was unknown, but that her mother was born in Ireland. Dee was born in California.

In 1940 William and Agnes Wall's son Herbert, 29, was married to Eeva Delight Smith, 27, and they had a one year old son, Allen Randall Wall. Also living with them was Eeva's mother, Mattie Estella Smith, 66 years old. Herb was working as a science and life teacher in a public school, and they were living at 1623 Crescent Place in the Venice section of Los Angeles County, California, a home they were renting for $35 per month. For the 36 weeks Herb worked in 1939 at 35 hours per week his income was $1,440. Herb had five years of college education and Eeva had four years of high school. They had been living at the same place in 1935. Eeva's mother Mattie was listed as a nurse in a private home and for the 8 weeks she worked in that capacity she earned $176 income. She must have been working as her grandson Allen's nurse.

For some reason I found no census record for William and Agnes in 1940. William Henry Wall, born March 3, 1874, in Pueblo, Colorado, passed away on November 14, 1951, in Los Angeles, California. He was the son of William H. Wall and Edith Savage according to the U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims Index record. Although the California Death Index showed that William Henry Wall, born March 3, 1874, in Colorado, had a mother with a maiden name of Braudon. P erhaps Edith was married to a Mr. Savage before her marriage to William Wall. I found no death index for Agnes Wall, although she predeceased her husband in 1946.

William Clifford Wall, born September 15, 1908, in Los Angeles, California, passed away in Los Angeles County on April 20, 1978. At the time of his death he was living in Torrance, California. He was buried in the Pacific Crest Cemetery in Redondo Beach, Los Angeles, California.

Herbert Allen Wall became a pharmacist for E.R. Squibb & Sons and was living with his wife, Eeva Delight Smith Wall at 2130 Selby Avenue in West Los Angeles from about 1947 through 1959. He took his own life in 1959, and sadly, his daughter Lorna Dale Wall also committed suicide a year or two later. His wife Eeva Delight Smith Wall lived another 39 years and passed away in 1998 while living in Little Rock, California. Her son Allen Randall Wall was still living in the San Fernando Valley area of Southern California, although he recently moved to Arizona to be closer to his son Doug.