Roger's Scrapbook

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Alice Marie (Greek) Hill (1912-2002)

Chapter 3. Life with Gene in retirement.

Soon after all their sons had gone their separate ways, Alice and Gene sold their home in Fontana and began living in a series of Mobile Home Villages around Southern California. Among these was the Marco Polo Village in Palm Desert where Gene commuted to work at the Southern Pacific railyards in Indio.

A man and woman sitting on wooden steps outside a rustic building.
Man sitting relaxed by an empty pool in black and white.

Alice and Gene in Palm Desert, CA, July, 1967.

In 1996 Roger accepted a position to do post-doctoral research at the Rutherford High Energy Laboratory (now called the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory) near Oxford, England. In August of 1966 Roger and his family moved from Chicago to Abingdon, a town on the Thames river in the Berkshire district of the UK. (After the re-districting of 1974, Abingdon and the Laboratory are now in Oxfordshire.) On 31 Aug 1967, Gene and Alice took their first airplane flight and flew from Los Angeles to London via Chicago on TWA flight 770. Gene had purchased and arranged to pick up a 1967 Saab 96 V4 automibile from a dealership in Slough, a London suburb. Their plan was to visit Roger and family in the UK for 2 weeks and then take a 4 week driving tour through continental Europe.

A young girl in a bright outfit stands near luggage carts under a customs hall sign.
People gathered near a customs hall entrance in an airport.

Alice and Gene arriving at Heathrow, London, 1 Sep 1967. Greeting Teresa and Bette on the left and Catherine on the right.

People waiting outside a building, including children and adults.

Alice and Gene with granddaughters Catherine, Diana and Teresa (L to R). Arrival in London, 1 Sep 1967.

Their trip to Europe was one of the highlights of Alice and Gene's life and it inspired Gene to write a travel journal which he entitled "The Modern Day Odyssey of George and Alice Hill". I have reproduced Gene's journal together with photos of their "Odyssey" on another popup webpage which you can access by clicking this link: Gene and Alice's European "Odyssey"

An elderly couple standing outside their home on a sunny day.

Alice and Gene in front of their "coach", Palm Desert, CA. Circa 1968

Elderly woman standing in front of a house on a sunny day.
A woman smiles outdoors, wearing a floral dress and a corsage.

Alice at 57. Palm Desert, CA, 1969.

A family group posing outdoors on a sunny day.

Alice and Gene with Roger and his family. Laguna Beach, CA. August 1970. L to R: Alice, Teresa, Diana, Bette, Roger, Catherine and Gene Hill.

An elderly couple with a baby outdoors, smiling warmly.

Alice and Gene with Richard and Judy's daughter, Jennifer at 4 months old. Feb 1971.

In these days Alice and Gene had both a camper and a travel trailer that they used for frequent vacations and fishing trips. In the 60's some of their favorite destinations were in the Sierra Nevada mountains. In the 70's Gene had developed a passion for Salmon and Steelhead fishing and one of their favorite destinations was Roy Rook's Trailer Park on the Klamath River in Northern California. Gene caught many fish on the Klamath including some very large Sturgeons.

Two elderly men examining a large fish outdoors near a camper and a yellow truck.

Alice and Gene on vacation in their camper and trailer at the Klamath River, CA. Circa 1972.

A woman in a red jacket standing on a mountain trail with snow-capped peaks in the background.

Alice on vacation in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Smiling elderly woman holding a large fish outdoors.

Alice with a 17 lb Salmon she caught in the Klamath River. 14 Sep 1972.

Family gathered around a table celebrating with cake and food.

Alice at Clarence's retirement party. Nov 1973. Adults L to R: Emma, Alice, Rolly, Lee and Roger. The child to ALice's left is Jennifer Hill. I am unable to identify the other children.

An elderly couple sitting on the floor, smiling and enjoying each other's company.

Alice and Roger. Nov 1973.

Four adults posing outdoors in casual attire on a sunny day.

Richard, Gene, Alice, John and Roger Hill. Nov 1973.

Three seniors examining a camera outdoors on a sunny day.

John, Richard and Mary (John's wife) Hill. Nov 1973.

In April, 1974, Gene and Alice moved from Palm Desert, CA, to the Jurupa Cascade Village in the Jurupa Hills above Riverside, CA.

Single-story house with a driveway and surrounding greenery on a sunny day.

Alice and Gene's home in Jurupa Hills, CA. 1974

Elderly couple standing together outside a building, smiling.

Alice and Gene in Jurupa Hills, Riverside, CA. Spring of 1974.

Four people proudly holding large fish they caught outdoors.

Gene, Alice, Roger, Teresa and Diana Hill. Roy Rook's Trailer Park. Klamath River, CA. Aug 1974.

In May of 1975 Gene retired from the Southern Pacific Railroad at the age of 64 and set out to do some serious fishing in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest.

Man in pink shirt grilling outdoors on a sunny day.

Gene at his retirement party. 23 May 1975.
This imaginative railroad cake was baked for Gene by Richard's wife, Judy Hill.

Portrait of an elderly woman with white hair and a light green blouse.

Alice at 63. Riverside, CA. 1975

In the summer of 1975 Gene and Alice left for an extended vacation on the Klamath River, CA. But the fishing there was poor that year so they drove north and spent several months at Clallam Bay on the Olympic Peninsula, WA. It appears they both caught a lot of fish.

Person proudly holding two large fish outdoors.
Man proudly holding a large fish outdoors near a waterfront.

Alice and Gene at Clallam Bay, WA, Aug 1975. Gene's fish is a 30 lb salmon.

In 1976 and 1977 Alice and Gene took a number of vacation trips including one to the Smith River in Northern CA. They also traveled to Sierra Vista, AZ, to visit their son Jim, his wife Julie and their growing family.

In the spring of 1978, Gene and Alice made a major change: they moved from Southern California to Crescent City, in Northern California. Crescent City is located on the ocean just south of the mouth of the Smith River and about 20 miles north of Klamath, CA. They bought a "double wide coach" home located in the King's Valley Village that bordered the giant groves of the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. King's Valley also bordered a 9 hole private golf course that soon tempted Gene into adding time for golf into his schedule.

The land at King's Valley was rich and fertile and Alice and Gene planted flowers, a vegetable garden and blueberry patches that kept Alice busy with "putting up" fruits and vegetables as well as all the fish Gene was catching.

Elderly couple standing in front of RVs with forest backdrop.

Alice and Gene with camper and trailer arrive in Crescent City, CA. 1978.

Elderly woman sitting on rocks by the ocean at sunset.

Alice by the ocean in Crescent City, CA. 1978.

An elderly woman proudly holding freshly picked carrots in a garden.
Scenic countryside with green grass and a distant hill under a clear sky.

Some of the fruits of the land at King's Valley, Crescent City, CA, 1979. Those are blueberry patches on the right with some of the redwoods in the background.

Three people joyfully sit at a decorated table during a festive gathering.

Alice with Roger and his friend, Ruth Carraway, at Fran's table. Christmas, 1981.

Three people standing on a porch of a house, smiling.

Gene, Alice and Richard. King's Valley, Crescent City, CA.

Three people posing in a garden with an RV and trees in the background.

Son Jim in the front yard of Alice and Gene's in King's Valley. L to R: Fran Reeve, Julie, Isabelle and Jim Hill.

A major event in the 1980s was Alice and Gene's 50th wedding anniversary on 15 Aug 1983. Their friends at King's Valley had a party for them in the rec hall. And their sons arranged a big reunuion/party in Riverside, CA. They repeated their vows in the same church they were married in, St Frances de Sales, standing with the same best man and maid-of-honor (Stan and Eva McDonald) who stood with them in 1933. There was cake and reception in the rec hall and a family dinner and reunion at the Mission Inn in Riverside. By that time Alice and Gene had 9 grandchildren and one great-grandaughter (Teresa's daughter, Jessica Neptune, born in Nov 1979.)

(I plan to put pictures from the Riverside celebration on a separate webpage when I get the time.)

An elderly couple standing together in a warmly lit room.

A surprise party for Alice and Gene's 50th wedding anniversary. King's Valley rec hall. Aug 1983.

A group of six people posing indoors against a yellow curtain.

Alice and Gene and sons (L to R: Richard, John, Roger and JIm) at their 50th anniversary. Riverside, CA. 15 Aug 1983.

A man and an elderly woman smiling outside a house.

Alice and son John. Crescent City, CA. 1984

Elderly woman smiling outdoors on a sunny day near a car.

Alice in the front yard at King's Valley, Crescent City, CA. 1986

After retiring from his job in Southern California, Jack and his wife, Patsy, moved to Crescent City and bought a home not far from Alice and Gene. In 1984, Rolly and Dot bought the "coach" next door to Alice and Gene's in King's Valley. And in 1987 Ray and Virginia joined the family and bought a "coach" just across the street from Alice and Gene. So Alice was now blessed to have her three brothers and their wives all living nearby in Crescent City.

Three elderly people standing together outside a house, smiling.

Alice with Rolly (L) and John. Crescent City, CA. 1986

Three elderly people standing together outdoors on a sunny day.

Alice with Ray and Virginia. That's Ray and Virginia's coach over Alice's left shoulder. The King's Valley golf course is behind Ray. Crescent City, CA. Spring 1987

Family gathering around a kitchen table with homemade food.

Alice in her dining room at King's Valley, Crescent City, CA. 1987. (L to R:) Jack, Alice, Patsy, Dot, Rolly, Ray, and Virginia.

Elderly people sitting in a cozy living room with vintage decor.

Alice in her living room with son Jim. 1987

Three elderly women relaxing in a cozy living room.

Alice in her living room with Lucille and Jack Davies (Gene's sister and her husband). Summer, 1987

Seniors enjoying a festive meal together at a decorated table.

Alice at her 75th birthday dinner at Fran's place. L to R: Alice, Rolly, Dot, Fran. 2 Apr 1987.

A family gathered around a dinner table in a cozy kitchen.

Thanksgiving at Alice and Gene's. Alice, Rolly, Dot, Jack, and Patsy. Nov 1987.

Elderly couple celebrating with a cake at a cozy table.

Alice with Rolly and Dot. Crescent City, CA. 1988.

Group of people gathered outdoors near a trailer and car, holding a basketball and a dog.

Headed out for a good time. L to R:Fran, Patsy, Rolly, Dot, Jack Alice and Wes.
That may be Rolly and Dot's coach behind them. Crescent City, CA.

Elderly couple walking together in a sunny garden.

Alice with brother Jack in his back yard. Crescent City, CA. 1988

Five elderly people sitting outside a building on chairs.

Alice at Jack's house. L to R: Wes, Jack, Ray, Alice, Virginia, and Fran. Crescent City, CA. 1988

Four elderly people gathered around a dining table with food in a cozy kitchen.

Alice with Roger, Dot, Rolly, Patsy and Jack at her table. Crescent City, CA. 1988

A group of elderly people standing together by parked cars on a sunny day.

Group headed out to celebrate Alice and Gene's 55th wedding anniversary. Crescent City, CA. 15 Aug 1988.
Alice is at the left standing next to Wes. Ray is in the center with his arms folded: to his right is Fran, Virginia and Patsy. Jack is on the right standing between Betty and Warren Nelson. Betty is Alice's first cousin - daughter of Aunt Rosie.

Four elderly people sitting around a dining table with food and drinks.

Alice with her brothers at her table. L to R: Alice, Virginia, Ray, Dot, Rolly, Patsy, and Jack. Crescent City, CA. 1 Jan 1989.
The damp climate of Crescent City didn't agree well with Aunt Dot's health so she and Rolly decided to move back to Southern California. The day after this picture was taken Rolly and Dot moved to Chula Vista, CA.

Four elderly people enjoying a meal together at a dining table.

Alice at her table again with Virginia, Ray, Patsy, and Jack. Crescent City, CA. 1989.

Three older adults posing outdoors on a sunny day.
A couple embraces by the rocky seaside on a sunny day.

Roger on a visit to Crescent City in August, 1989.

Two elderly people sitting at a dining table with a poinsettia plant.

Alice (77) with Sister Colette (80), Crescent City, CA. Christmas, 1989.

Elderly couple standing together in a cozy living room.

Alice and Gene in their living room. Crescent City, CA. 1990.

Family gathering enjoying breakfast outdoors on a sunny day.

Summer lunch at Fran and Wes's. King's Valley. Crescent City, CA.

Group of five adults posing outdoors on a sunny day.

Alice and Gene with Dot, Rolly and Jack. Crescent City, CA. 1989.

Four elderly people standing together in a cozy dining room, smiling warmly.

Alice with Jack, Fran and Patsy. Crescent City, CA. 1990.

Three elderly people chatting outdoors near a car and house steps.

Alice with son Roger and Jim's wife, Julie. Crescent City, CA. Circa 1992.

Three elderly people standing outside a house, two men and one woman.

Alice with brothers Jack (L) and Ray. Crescent City, CA. 22 Jun 1993.

Sometime in 1993, Ray and Virginia moved back to Southern California joining Rolly and Dot in a mobile home park in Chula Vista.

Child standing next to a white van in a garden area.

Sister Clarissa and her NunMobile on a visit to Crescent City, CA. Circa 1993.

Four elderly people posing outside near a garden and building.

Alice and Gene with Sister Colette (L) and Sister Clarissa. Crescent City, CA. Circa 1993.

Three generations posing indoors near a Christmas tree, smiling warmly.

Alice with son Roger and his wife Louise. Crescent City, CA. Christmas, 1993.

Three people standing together in a cozy kitchen.

Alice with nephew Dennis Davies and his wife Sheila. Crescent City, CA. Jul, 1994.

Three elderly people sitting and standing in a cozy living room.
Elderly couple posing indoors, smiling warmly.

Alice with Gene and with brother Jack in their living room. Crescent City, CA. Jul, 1994.

It was at about this time that Gene was diagnosed with Parkinson's Syndrome. The disease progressed rapidly and soon Gene was no longer able to drive. In the meantime, Alice's brother Jack was suffering from a rare blood disease and, as can be seen in the above photo, his health was rapidly deteriorating. Jack died in Crescent City on 30 Sep 1994 several months after this photo was taken.

Alice was now faced with having to take over Gene's role in managing their affairs as well as providing for his physical well-being as his condition continued to worsen. At the same time, her post-polio syndrome was causing her significant pain and making all activity more difficult.

They decided to leave Crescent City and move to Sierra Vista, AZ, to be near their son Jim and his wife, Julie, a nurse, who had offered to provide them with some needed assistance. They left Crescent City in August of 1995 leaving behind many good friends at King's Valley Resort and St Joseph's Catholic Parish. This also left Jack's wife Patsy as the only member of the Greek family remaining in Crescent City.

A man and elderly woman smiling indoors with a gift.

Later in 1994, Alice enjoyed a visit by Richard Cox, son of her cousin Mildred (Aunt Mabel's daughter).

Elderly couple cutting a cake at a celebration.

Friends at St Joseph's gave Alice and Gene a 62nd wedding anniversary and farewell party. Crescent City, CA. 15 Aug 1995.

Five adults smiling together in a casual indoor setting.

Alice and Gene with sons (L to R) Richard, Roger and Jim. Sierra Vista, AZ. Aug 1996.

Group of six adults posing indoors, smiling and casually dressed.

Alice and Gene and some of the family. L to R: Julie, Roger, Alice, Craig (Jim and Julie's son), Gene and Jim. Sierra Vista, AZ. Aug 1996.

Four elderly people standing outside near a building on a sunny day.

Alice and Gene with sons Richard (L) and Roger at their new home in Sierra Vista, AZ. Aug 1996.

Elderly woman smiling warmly while seated indoors.

Alice at 84. Sierra Vista, AZ. Aug 1996.

Elderly couple sitting comfortably in a cozy living room.

Alice and Gene. Sierra Vista, AZ. Aug 1996.

Gene passed away on 29 Sep 1996, 6 weeks after the above photo was taken. He died of complications of Parkinson's Disease at a nursing home in Sierra Vista, AZ. He was 84 years old.