Maude Viola Reynolds Berlin with Post Script

Born 15 July 1892 at Pomona, Los Angeles County, California

Died 17 April 1959 at Pomona, Los Angeles County, California

Maude was the daughter of English immigrants Ernest Arthur Reynolds and Mary Louisa Stevens Reynolds. The family relocated before Maude’s eighth birthday to San Jose, California where her father was a carpenter. Maude returned to Pomona by 1910 where she was a servant in the household of real estate agent/broker George Lunt Frisbee and his wife, Eva Jane White Frisbee, at 811 West Fourth Street. Maude worked as a maid in the home until 1928. Eva died in 1925 and Maude married to George on 30 April 1928 at Riverside, California. They made their home at the same West Fourth Street address. The 1940 telephone directory lists their address as 837 West Fourth Street. It is unknown if the home was a different house or the existing houses were renumbered. George died in 1944 and Maude married next to realtor Ralph Tilghman Berlin sometime between 1945 and 1948. Maude had no children during either marriage. She was active in her community as a member of American Legion Auxiliary. Maude was buried at Pomona Cemetery and Mausoleum. She was the second wife of my third cousin three times removed.

 Post Script
A grand-niece to Maude, Linda Wells, shares the following information:
 

My grandmother told me that when her and her siblings turned 12 years old

their dad kicked them out of the house to fend for themselves...all but one

of the sisters. And that George’s wife was sick so they took Maude in to

give her a place to live and for her to take care of George’s ailing wife

and the housework and cooking.

I don’t know if you know it but Pomona used to be called San Jose.

So, when a census for that area says San Jose it’s actually Pomona.

Maude’s parents and maternal grandparents were some of the early

residents to settle in Pomona. Not the actual first but early in that area.

I noticed you mentioned two different addresses: 811 West Fourth St. and

837 West Fourth Street. As George was a very successful real estate agent

and broker he owned numerous properties of which were 3 or 4 houses

side by side on different lots plus one vacant lot beside the houses. When I

was a child my grandma would take me to go see Maude. I remember her

living in one of the houses and then moving to one of the others ones. I don’t

know for sure but I think she moved to the second place when she married

Ralph Berlin, probably so it would not seem like he was moving into the house

she lived in with her first husband, George.

George also owned quite of bit of beach front properties that he lost in the

Great Depression along with some other of his holdings.

Maude had breast cancer and refused any treatment for it and then she

died from it.

 Post Script added 3 December 2016 with much gratitude to Linda.
©2016 Cindy Coffell