Saturday, April 18, 2009

Growin Up in Garden Grove, 1950s

Anonymous share some memories of growing up in Garden Grove in the 1950s...

What a fun trip down memory lane! I grew up in Garden Grove beginning in the mid-50's. Lived on Elmer Lane (south of Katella, between Magnolia and Dale). I went to Blessed Sacrament in 1st grade and then onto St. Polycarp when it was built. All my neighbors went to Marie L. Hare and then to Rancho. I begged my parents to let me go to Rancho BUT they sent me to Marywood where I met my best friend, Rosi, and today at 55 years old, we live 4 houses from each other in Costa Mesa!

Remember Copper Penny Restaurant? Helen Grace Ice Cream & Candy? Both at THE PLAZA (Chapman and Brookhurst). And Top Hatters run by the Women's Club of GG -- learned to square dance! The Pink Spot on Chapman? Zody's? Newberry's? Love's Pet Store? Buster Brown Shoes?

Knott's Berry Farm on a Sunday afternoon with my dad because it was FREE! Watching Disneyland Fireworks on summer nights at 9:00 from our front lawn and then when the trees began to grow, sitting on the top of our roof?

Life growing up in Garden Grove was the BEST! EVERY day was special because we felt safe and loved.

15 comments:

  1. Yes, those are my memories also. I worked at J.J. Newberry's while in high school. (Bolsa Grande) I went to Blessed Sacrament for seven years. My brothers went to Sunnyside. My cousins and I can't believe what great memories we have of Garden Grove. Speaking of Zody's, there was a great A&W by there. I used to walk from my house on Cannery (now Magnolia) to Orange County Plaza and spend the day. No worries!!!!!! My dad worked at a mens store named Elams. And wasn't there a candy place called Helen Grace? I went to Disneyland the second week it was open. Then I worked at Bob's Big Boy on Gilbert and Garden Grove Blvd. for a few years. Then moved to Huntington Beach.

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  2. I can so identify with those thoughts and memories...when someone says "cannery" and we all know it is magnolia then this is a true OC/Garden Grover.

    I had no memory of church things growing up in Garden Grove. As a very young person we went to St. Anselms Episcopal for a short while but no longer went to church even as an older elementary school child.

    Today,I teach History at a Catholic school and would love to hear church memories from the OC then and now.

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  3. I remember Helen Grace candies! They had one in Los Alamitos as well. It had wonderful ice cream and candy bars that we used to sell during fund-raisers for our clubs at school. Those Disneyland fireworks at 9:00 p.m. every night is one of my best memories of living in OC in the '60s. It's so true, we felt loved and safe there!

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  4. What about the Collar and Leash Pet Shop and KGGK-FM Radio?

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  5. Yes, I went to Blessed Sacrament for two years. Used to go to Helen Grace's all the time in HS, the sweet shop we called it. I went to GGHS, graduated '64. I was in Top Hatters in 7th and 8th grade. Went to the Pink Spot many times, hung out at the Plaza all through HS. I grew up in Melody Park Estates on Edgewood Lane, across the street from the Plaza. We could see and here the Disneyland fireworks from the backyard.

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  6. Do you remember the pneumatic tubes in the buster Brown Shoe Store? Do you remember the golden egg and the golden goose?

    I remember being embarrassed to shop in Zody's in 1968 because it was where the "poor" people shopped. I wore a white dress from Zody's for my eight grade graduation from Jordan Junior High School. I was mortified. It was the one and only time I wore it. Sorry about being a snob in 8th grade.

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  7. I love reading about these memories. Someone mentioned that they went to Sunnyside Elementary - my mother, Louise Barker, taught there for years. The Pink Spot hamburger joint was long before McDonalds - dad use to take my brother and me there for a VERY special treat. I remember Ken's Dairy Delite on Garden Grove Blvd. and 6th St. kind of near GGHS (where I graduated in 1972) and the chocolate covered, hand-dipped softserve ice cream. Ken's was the sponsor on my Minor B Little League team in 1962. Who remembers Ed Tunks Grocery on Westminster Blvd (I think)? My best friend's mom would go there to by cheap groceries and huge cans and jars of food - pre-Costco! I remember Kiddie Land on GG Blvd - near the Grove Plaza. Loved the Gem Theater in downtown GG. I love watching fireworks to this day and remember the 9pm summer "alarm clock" with Disneyland telling us it was time for bed! Buster Brown Shoe Store? YES - and I remember the golden eggs that had surprises inside! Barbara OZ wrote about her dress from Zody's...my first suit was purchased at Robert Hall and I felt the same way....cheap suit that I was not proud of...being humble and having humility is tough for a 13 year old. I can go on and on and on.

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    Replies
    1. Do you know that your GGHS class of 1972 is having it's 40th reunion on October 13, 2012. See below link for more info.
      OCGBPF@hotmail.com


      http://www.gghsreunion1968-1972.com/class_reunion.cfm?ReunionID=12113

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  8. Turn back the clock to 1978...where I attended Hare Jr. High & Rancho. I remember the Bob's Big Boy, Newberry's and Italian Icies on Chapman. Cheerleaders piling into my bright green pinto-pom-poms and all!! The quad with gang and waiting in line for gas on even days...I remember GG with wonderful memories.

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  9. OMG...remember my Dad buying all us kids a pickled pig's foot to munch on while we shopped at Ed Tunk's, ughhhh!!!

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  10. Holy Geez I feel like I must know the first person who posted. I lived on Cunningham Lane for many years while growing up in the 60's -80's. My neice still lives in that house, it has been in the family practically since it was built. I remember when the Stater Bros. store had its grand opening there right across the street from Marie L. Hare. My dad built a gate so all of us would not have to walk all the way around the block!

    I went to school at St. Polycarp (Holy Crap) and I even went to Marywood for the first two years of high school but switched to Rancho Alamitos in 75.

    I remember learning to swim at the Magnolia Park pool and playing basketball on the then "new" courts there. My first job was scooping ice cream at the Cable Car Kitchen at Knott's...

    Good Times, good times

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  11. I was a teacher/department chair/student council adviser/+++ at Marie L. Hare (also Alamitos JH before unification) in the '60's. I remember the opening of Stater Bros. We used to run across the street at lunch break (25 mins) to grab whatever snack. In those days the Teachers' Lounge had only 3 non-smokers! Anyone remember paper drives? Great way to make money for projects then.

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  12. I was a teacher/dept. chair/student council adviser/+++ at Marie L. Hare (and at Alamitos JH prior to unification). When Stater Brothers opened across the street (kitty corner), we would sometimes race over for a snack on lunch break (25 mins.). There were only 3 or 4 non-smokers on the faculty at that time, so the Teachers' Lounge was a smoke-filled haven! Remember paper drives? A great way to raise funds for projects.

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  13. I remember goiing to the grand opening of Stater Bros with my dad. They were giving away a new Mustang at the opening...I believe it was 1964 or 1965. I was so disappointed we didnt win it!

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  14. Went to St.. Columban and then Marywood. Does anyone remember the Copper Penny restaurant in the OC Plaza? the Red Goose shoe store? How about the ballet school with Miss Diane on Garden Grove Blvd in the 1960s?

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