Individual Details
Arthur Fredrick "Fred" Duval
(12 Nov 1888 - 27 Apr 1949)
Arthur Fredrick Duval was born November 12, 1888 in Osage City, Kansas. The youngest of three children, he spent his early years with his family in Osage City. Osage City is known for its hot, humid summers and mild winters. The early death of his mother in December of 1905 changed everything for the family. Only 16, he left Kansas with all his family, except his brother Louis, for California.
Fred became a skilled mechanic. The 1910 census lists him living at 946 Minnesota Street in San Francisco and working as a mechanic in car shops. The 1916 San Francisco directory shows 26 year old Fred living at 2265 Mission St., Apt 28 and working as a car repairer for United Railways, a San Francisco cable car company, located at 24th & Utah Streets.
It was during his time working at the Cable Car Barn that Fred met Irene Weber. She was working at a San Francisco Bakery. Fred Duval and Irene Weber married on July 29, 1916 in San Francisco, California.
A few years after marriage, Fred and Irene left San Francisco to live at the apricot and prune ranch started by Irene's parents. The 1920 census lists them as fruit farmers living on Purissima Road near Jacob and Margaret Weber. Today, the ranch would be located at the corner of Purissima Ave. and Robleda Ave in Los Altos Hills [Los Altos Hills wasn't incorporated until 1956]. Their children were raised in the country on the family ranch. Marion remembers how her father made burn piles of the branches after pruning the orchard. During harvest, they all helped dry the fruit which was sold to Sunsweet. Marion also recalls how they would come over in huge trucks and liked to joke about how small and old Fred's truck was. They also had chickens and turkeys
Fred's main cash employment though was at the "Palo Alto Hardware." He kept this job the rest of his life except for a brief time during WWII. Fred was also a good carpenter and put in a new floor for Purissima School during the summer of 1922. The following year he was paid $95 to paint the schoolhouse. He became a school trustee on 19 June 1924, starting in October. He continued to be active in the school community. The Daily Palo Alto Times, Fri, Sep 12, 1930, reported "The Purissima School will also open Monday....The trustees of the school are A. B. Bates, J. E. Johnson and Frederick Duval, clerk."
During World War II Fred was one of many employed by Joshua Hendy's Iron Works in Sunnyvale, which peaked at a labor force of 11,500 during the war to fill the demand for liberty ship engines. By the end of the war, Joshua Hendy Iron Works had supplied the engines for 754 of America's 2,751 Liberty ships, or about 28% of the total - more than that of any other plant in the country. In addition, the company in the late stages of the war produced 53 steam turbines and reduction gears for the more modern Victory ships. The company also supplied other military equipment during the war, such as turbine generators and antiaircraft gun turrets. In 1947, the Joshua Hendy Iron Works was sold to the Westinghouse Corporation. When the war ended Fred returned to work at the hardware store in Palo Alto, remaining their until his death in 1949.
In his free time Fred liked fishing and abalone hunting. At that time you could pick abalone off the rocks. His daughter Marion remembers going on a family fishing trip in the Klamath area where they stayed in a motel while it poured rain. Sometimes their neighbors, Mrs. Steineke and her daughters Marian and Maxine, would join them on camping trips. Her husband, Max Steineke, was away from home for long periods working as a geologist in Saudi Arabia. Another memory of Marion's was of a caravan of neighbors driving together to Santa Cruz for a beach outing when she was a young child in the 30's. While making their way over the summit along the primitive roads of that time the group came to a standstill. Marion asked her parents why they weren't moving. The problem was a narrow section of road edging a steep drop that some of the women drivers were scared to cross. Men in the group helped ferry the cars over the section before they could continue on their outing.
A couple of years after Irene's death, about the summer of 1948, Fred married Rita Speicker. Rita insisted that a condition of marriage was that he will the ranch and everything to her. Though advised not to, Fred agreed. This unfortunate event was stressful on the rest of his family. Hardly a year later Fred died on April 27, 1949, supposedly by suicide. Rita told his children that if they contested the death verdict she would tell everyone that his son Fred killed him. In this way the family ranch started by the Weber's was lost, the children not inheriting a dime of their parents estate.
He was buried about April 30, 1949 in California, Santa Clara Co., Palo Alto, Alta Mesa Cemetery.
Newspaper articles indexing Fred Duval:
Bakersfield Californian - February 25, 1946, Bakersfield, California Image loading
Chapel in charge of ar Surviving are his Irene and Fred Duval of Los PEARSOX 4IOE services for Joe 507 Jeffer son...
Bakersfield Californian - December 6, 1933, Bakersfield, California
Friday afternoon guests nt the George Michael home were and Fred Duval and children Frederic and and Duvals Weber of Los...
1925 Directory of Palo Alto, Mayfield Stanford University Ravenswood and East Palo Alto
pg. 96 PALO ALTO CITY DIRECTORY
Duval, Fred (Irene), P. A. Hdw. Co., res. Los Altos.
Fred became a skilled mechanic. The 1910 census lists him living at 946 Minnesota Street in San Francisco and working as a mechanic in car shops. The 1916 San Francisco directory shows 26 year old Fred living at 2265 Mission St., Apt 28 and working as a car repairer for United Railways, a San Francisco cable car company, located at 24th & Utah Streets.
It was during his time working at the Cable Car Barn that Fred met Irene Weber. She was working at a San Francisco Bakery. Fred Duval and Irene Weber married on July 29, 1916 in San Francisco, California.
A few years after marriage, Fred and Irene left San Francisco to live at the apricot and prune ranch started by Irene's parents. The 1920 census lists them as fruit farmers living on Purissima Road near Jacob and Margaret Weber. Today, the ranch would be located at the corner of Purissima Ave. and Robleda Ave in Los Altos Hills [Los Altos Hills wasn't incorporated until 1956]. Their children were raised in the country on the family ranch. Marion remembers how her father made burn piles of the branches after pruning the orchard. During harvest, they all helped dry the fruit which was sold to Sunsweet. Marion also recalls how they would come over in huge trucks and liked to joke about how small and old Fred's truck was. They also had chickens and turkeys
Fred's main cash employment though was at the "Palo Alto Hardware." He kept this job the rest of his life except for a brief time during WWII. Fred was also a good carpenter and put in a new floor for Purissima School during the summer of 1922. The following year he was paid $95 to paint the schoolhouse. He became a school trustee on 19 June 1924, starting in October. He continued to be active in the school community. The Daily Palo Alto Times, Fri, Sep 12, 1930, reported "The Purissima School will also open Monday....The trustees of the school are A. B. Bates, J. E. Johnson and Frederick Duval, clerk."
During World War II Fred was one of many employed by Joshua Hendy's Iron Works in Sunnyvale, which peaked at a labor force of 11,500 during the war to fill the demand for liberty ship engines. By the end of the war, Joshua Hendy Iron Works had supplied the engines for 754 of America's 2,751 Liberty ships, or about 28% of the total - more than that of any other plant in the country. In addition, the company in the late stages of the war produced 53 steam turbines and reduction gears for the more modern Victory ships. The company also supplied other military equipment during the war, such as turbine generators and antiaircraft gun turrets. In 1947, the Joshua Hendy Iron Works was sold to the Westinghouse Corporation. When the war ended Fred returned to work at the hardware store in Palo Alto, remaining their until his death in 1949.
In his free time Fred liked fishing and abalone hunting. At that time you could pick abalone off the rocks. His daughter Marion remembers going on a family fishing trip in the Klamath area where they stayed in a motel while it poured rain. Sometimes their neighbors, Mrs. Steineke and her daughters Marian and Maxine, would join them on camping trips. Her husband, Max Steineke, was away from home for long periods working as a geologist in Saudi Arabia. Another memory of Marion's was of a caravan of neighbors driving together to Santa Cruz for a beach outing when she was a young child in the 30's. While making their way over the summit along the primitive roads of that time the group came to a standstill. Marion asked her parents why they weren't moving. The problem was a narrow section of road edging a steep drop that some of the women drivers were scared to cross. Men in the group helped ferry the cars over the section before they could continue on their outing.
A couple of years after Irene's death, about the summer of 1948, Fred married Rita Speicker. Rita insisted that a condition of marriage was that he will the ranch and everything to her. Though advised not to, Fred agreed. This unfortunate event was stressful on the rest of his family. Hardly a year later Fred died on April 27, 1949, supposedly by suicide. Rita told his children that if they contested the death verdict she would tell everyone that his son Fred killed him. In this way the family ranch started by the Weber's was lost, the children not inheriting a dime of their parents estate.
He was buried about April 30, 1949 in California, Santa Clara Co., Palo Alto, Alta Mesa Cemetery.
Newspaper articles indexing Fred Duval:
Bakersfield Californian - February 25, 1946, Bakersfield, California Image loading
Chapel in charge of ar Surviving are his Irene and Fred Duval of Los PEARSOX 4IOE services for Joe 507 Jeffer son...
Bakersfield Californian - December 6, 1933, Bakersfield, California
Friday afternoon guests nt the George Michael home were and Fred Duval and children Frederic and and Duvals Weber of Los...
1925 Directory of Palo Alto, Mayfield Stanford University Ravenswood and East Palo Alto
pg. 96 PALO ALTO CITY DIRECTORY
Duval, Fred (Irene), P. A. Hdw. Co., res. Los Altos.
Events
| Birth | 12 Nov 1888 | Osage City, Osage, Kansas, United States |  |  | |
| Residence | Bef 1910 | 946 Mission St. (Minnesota), San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States | | | |
| Census | 1910 | San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States | | | |
| Residence | 1916 | 2265 Mission St., Apt 28, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States | | | |
| Marriage | 29 Jul 1916 | San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States - Irene Sybil Weber | | | |
| Military | 5 Jun 1917 | WWI Draft Registration Card - San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States | | ||
| Census (family) | 2 Jan 1920 | Purissima, Santa Clara, California, United States - Irene Sybil Weber | | | |
| Census (family) | 19 Apr 1930 | Purisima, Fremont Township, Santa Clara, California, United States - Irene Sybil Weber | | | |
| Census (family) | Apr 1940 | Purisima, Fremont Township, Santa Clara, California, United States - Irene Sybil Weber | | ||
| Marriage | 4 Aug 1948 | California, United States - Rita Therese Gossens Spiecker | | | |
| Death | 27 Apr 1949 | Los Altos Hills, Santa Clara, California, United States | | | |
| Burial | Abt 30 Apr 1949 | Alta Mesa Cemetery, Palo Alto, Santa Clara, California, United States | | |
Families
| Spouse | Irene Sybil Weber (1892 - 1946) |
| Child | Lyle Margaret Duval (1921 - 1994) |
| Child | Fredrick Edward Duval (1924 - 2008) |
| Child | Living |
| Spouse | Rita Therese Gossens Spiecker (1898 - 1988) |
| Father | Louis Edward Duval (1850 - 1916) |
| Mother | Mary Catherine Geneva Guizlo (1855 - 1905) |
| Sibling | Adele Josephine Duval (1883 - 1964) |
| Sibling | Louis Albert "Albert" Duval (1886 - 1948) |
Notes
Birth
Note: The Calif. death index has 1889, but both his tombstone and military card has 1888.Residence
The 1910 census says 946 Minnesota Street.Census
From Soundex - 084 0051 0082. Census - ED 51, 4B Part of 32nd Assembly District.#946 Minnesota Street, San Francisco. 22 April, 1910
Arthur F Duval, 21 and single. Lodger. Born in Kansas, Father - France, Mother - Kansas.
He was working as a car repairer in car shops.
Arthur and a Robert T Darling were lodging with Margaret M Harkins, a 57 year old Irish widow and her two sons and daughter; James 31, Albert 24, and Margaret 18.
Residence
This address was used for their home on their wedding announcement.Marriage
State Certificate Number: 3301Women married : Weber, Irene S.
To Whom Married: Frederick Duval
When Married: July 29, 16
By Whom Married: H. J. Lyne 133-381
The San Francisco Examiner (San Francisco, California) Wed, Jul 26, 1916, Page 4
MARRIAGE LICENSES
DUVAL - WEBER - Frederick Duval, 27, 1266 Kansas street, and Irene S. Weber, 24, 59 Thirtieth street.
The Bakersfield Californian (Bakersfield, California) Fri, Jul 28, 1916 Page 4
To Be Married in North
News of the marriage of Miss Irene Weber and Mr. Fred Deval, to take place tomorrow in San Francisco, will be received in East Bakersfield with much interest. For the past four years Miss Weber has made her home here with her aunt, Mrs. J. F. Milan of Tulare street, and has held a position in the Beardsley school during that time. Mr. Deval makes his home in San Francisco, being employed by the Associated Railways. The ceremony will take place at the home of the bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. Weber, with only members of the two families present. The couple will make their home in San Francisco, taking a wedding trip later in the summer.
The Bakersfield Californian (Bakersfield, California) Sat, Jul 29, 1916 Page 5
Friends and former pupils of Miss Irene Weber will be interested in the announcement of her marriage, which is scheduled to take place on this date. The bridegroom is Fred Deval of San Francisco and the happy couple will take up their residence there. Miss Weber taught the upper grades of Beardsley school for the past two years, and at the time of her resignation there were interesting rumors afloat which are now confirmed. Her friends in this vicinity extend best wishes.
___________________________
Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Weber
announce the marriage of their daughter
Irene Sibyl
to
Mr. Fredrick Duval
Saturday, the twenty-ninth of July
one thousand nine hundred and sixteen
San Francisco, California
At home
Twenty-two sixty-five Mission Street
Apartment twenty-eight
____________________________
Military
Registration Card No. 54Arthur Fredrick Duval, Age 28
Home address: 2265 Mission, SF, Calif
Date of Birth: November 12, 1888
Natural-born citizen
Osage City, Kansas, USA
Occupation: Car-repairer
United Railways
24th & Utah Sts.
Dependents, Yes, wife
Married Caucasion
Military Experience: none
Medium height, Medium build, gray eyes, lt brown hair
signed T.P.S. Brown
Precinct 8?/25
San Francisco
California
June 5th 1917
Signed Frederick Duval
Census (family)
Purissima Road8,8 Duval, Frederick Head, MW, 31, married, Kansas France (French), Ohio, Fruit Farmer
Duval, Irene W. Wife FW 27, married, Montana Germany Minnesota
Own home free of mortgage
Census (family)
The Duval family (except Marion, who wasn't born yet) was living on Purissima Ave. not far from Irene's mother and brother James. They owned their own home and a radio.Fremont Township, Purissima ED 43-11, sheet 9B, line 52, Purissima Ave.
15, 15, Duval, Fred A., Head, own home, radio, farm, MW, 41, Married at age 28, Kansas, France, Ohio, Salesman, Retail hardware
Irene W, wife, FW, 38 married age 24, Montana, Germany, Minnesota
Lyle M, daughter, FW, 8, single, CA, KS, MT
Frederick E, Son, MW, 5, single, CA KS, MT
Census (family)
SD 7, ED 43-14, sheet 20B Purissima, visit-481, own home, $4000, yes-farmDuVal, Alfred, Head, MW, 51, married, HS-4, Kansas, yes-at work. 50 hrs/wk, Salesman. Ret. Hdwe, Private Work, 52 weeks/yr, $1560, no other wages
, Irene, Wife, FW, 48, married, College-2, Montana, no-at work, Housework
, Lyle, Daughter, FW, 18, single, attended school-College-1, California, at school, Science Laboratory Wk-N.Y.A. Project. Government Work, 10 wks/yr, $185, no other work
, Frederick, Son, MW, 15, single, attended school-HS-1, California, at school,
, Marion, Daughter, FW, 8, single, attended school, 2, California, - ,
Marriage
[Daily Palo Alto Times, Wednesday, August 4, 1948]MRS. RITA SPIECKER MARRIED TO FRED DUVAL AT LAKE TAHOE
A wedding of more than ordinary interest to Palo Altans took place this morning at Lake Tahoe, uniting two long-time local residents, Mrs. Rita Spiecker, member of the Stanford German faculty, and Fred Duval of Los Altos. Mr. Duval has been connected with the Palo Alto Hardware for a number of years.
The newlyweds will honeymoon at Lake Tahoe, and as soon as it is ready, will occupy a new home being built for them on Robleda Ave. in Los Altos.
Mr. and Mrs. James Johnson, also of Robleda Ave., were hosts at a a barbecue supper Sunday night in honor of the about-to-be weds. Other special guests at the affair which served 26 neighbors together, were Mr. and Mrs. Harold Sherman and their house guest, Miss Mary Alice Allfree of Chicago.
The new Mrs. Duval is former of Evanston, Ill., where her late husband was on the faculty of Northwestern University.
Death
The Peninsula Times Tribune29 Apr 1949, Fri ยท Page 1
PALO ALTO MAN ENDS OWN LIFE
Arthur Fred Duval, 60, for 20 years an employee of a Palo Alto hardware company, died last night from carbon monoxide poisoning in his car parked at the garage on his Los Altos property near the Purissima School.
Deputy sheriffs from the Mountain View substation found the body at 6:35 a.m. A hose had been attached to the auto's exhaust. The Santa Clara County Coroner, Tom Kilmartin, pronounce the death a suicide.
Mr. Duval, who had lived in Los Altos for many years, had moved to Palo Alto last August after his marriage to the former Mrs. Rita Spieker, former German teacher at Hanford, He had been in ill health, and had recently undergone a serious operation. Although no notes were found, his family believes despondency over his health led to the suicide.
In addition to his wife, he leaves three children by a former marriage, Marian Duval, Palo Alto High School senior; Frederick E. Duval, a student at San Jose State College, and Mrs. L. G. Thurman of Palo Alto. His sister is Mrs. Adele De Witt of Burlingame.
Funeral services will be held a 11 a.m. tomorrow at the Tinney Funeral Home. Interment will be at Alta Mesa Memorial Park.
Redwood City Tribune (Redwood City, California) Fri, Apr 29, 1949, Page 2
DUVAL - In Palo Alto, Calif., Wednesday, April 27, 1949. Arthur Fred Duval, husband of Rita Duval and father of Mrs. L. G. Thurman Jr., Marion and Frederick E. Duval, brother of Mrs. Adele DeWitt. A native of Kansas. Aged 60 years. Friends are invited to attend the funeral tomorrow (Saturday) morning at 11 o'clock at Tinney's, Lytton Ave. opp. City Hall Park. Interment, Alta Mesa Memorial Park.
Burial
Lot 68 & 69, Sub 5Section Blk A "B"
Tombstone reads -
A. Fred Duval
1888 In Loving Memory 1949
Endnotes
1. California Death Records, Rootsweb.com online [http://vitals.rootsweb.ancestry.com/ca/death/search.cgi], accessed 2008-2012.
2. Alta Mesa Memorial Park Cemetery Visit, Aug. 19, 2000 by Al & Marion Heiken, Nancy Prouty, 695 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, Calif. 94306-3840. (650) 493-1041..
3. Bruce, Charles and Charlene., Guizlo Family Bible Records. 1871 - 1906. Two pages copied from Bible of Hazel Mary Guizlo. FHL US Film [1320608 Item 25] (Salt Lake City, UT: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1987.).
4. US Federal Census. 1920. California, San Francisco Co. ED 51 and ED 247. (read June 20, 2002, Nancy Prouty, SR Annex.).
5. Marriage announcement from Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Weber (2265 Mission St., San Francisco, Calif.) in 1916; held by Nancy Prouty..
6. Duval, Frederick and Irene S. Weber, , San Francisco, California, July 1916, marriage listings.
7. Marriage announcement from Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Weber (2265 Mission St., San Francisco, Calif.) in 1916; held by Nancy Prouty..
8. Weber, Irene S., (29 July 1916), Marriage Certificate Index (Brides), Vol. 11, 1916: Image 170; , San Francisco, California.
9. US Federal Population Census, 1920 California Census (read July 18, 2001 Nancy Prouty Sonoma Co. Library Annex, Santa Rosa), Mayfield Township, Vol 120, SD 7, ED 125, Sheet 1, line 21.
10. U.S. Census images. Heritage Quest Online. Subscription database through the Sonoma County Public Library. (ProQuest LLC, 2009.), 1920 > California > SANTA CLARA > PURISIMA; MAYFIELD TWP Series: T625 Roll: 146 Page: 58.
11. Soundex - California 1920. (read July 14, 2001, Nancy Prouty Sonoma Co. Library Annex, Santa Rosa), D140.
12. US Federal Government, US Population Census. 1930. California, Santa Clara Co. Fremont Township (Purissima Precinct) ED 43-11 SD 10 Sheet 9A & 9B..
13. Heiken (Duval), Marion., Family oral history; Duval, Weber, Breuer, Guizlo. (Santa Rosa, CA, 2000-2008.).
14. California Death Records, Rootsweb.com online [http://vitals.rootsweb.ancestry.com/ca/death/search.cgi], accessed 2008-2012.
15. Alta Mesa Memorial Park Cemetery Visit, Aug. 19, 2000 by Al & Marion Heiken, Nancy Prouty, 695 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, Calif. 94306-3840. (650) 493-1041..