Day 4
12/07/23 22:23
July 1, 2023—
Post Four:
When Rhoda was 10 years old, she lived just a short distance from the San Tomas Aquino creek. At the time, that creek flowed through (and watered) one of the largest French prune orchards in the world called the “Glen Una/Hume Ranch”. On April 18, 1927, she and four of her young friends decided to hike to the top of Hume Canyon, at the source of the San Tomas Aquino Creek, where they could see a tall tree that was nicknamed “Lone Pine” by the locals. After two of the kids (a brother and sister) went home to their family, the remaining three including Rhoda and the Bergers, an eight and six-year old, reached Lone Pine at the top, got lost and didn’t return to their homes by nightfall. A large search party was assembled, and, later that night, Edward Matteoni (then a Los Gatos high school student and Hume Ranch employee) came across the three children asleep near the top of the canyon.
That canyon became one of the enduring loves of Rhoda’s life up until the day she died. With her husband Bernie, her sister Ruth and her brother-in-law Tom George, they found a three-acre parcel of land for sale with commanding views of San Tomas/Hume Canyon and the entire Santa Clara Valley. The two couples bought the land and both ended up building adobe brick houses for their growing families.
Rhoda and Bernie had four children (Karen, Susan, Michael, and Kent). After their births and during their childhoods, the construction projects on the family home continued. The whole Porter family grew to enjoy their home and garden lovingly created by their parents. The home and its location remain dear to their hearts to this day.
Newspaper story about the lost children being found
Karen, Bernie, Susie, and Rhoda in Rhoda's daffodil garden (about 1950)
Michael, Rhoda, Kent, Karen, Bernie, and Susan—early 1954—at Homewood, Lake Tahoe (Phil and Barbara White’s cabin)
Bernie and the Porter children—left to right Karen, Kent, Bernie, Mike, Susie—in the patio at the newly completed Porter family home (photo by Rhoda). In those days, of course, it was recommended that the sun be behind the photographer. Mike and Susie clearly didn't like that strategy! Karen and Bernie just turned their eyes to the rest of the family. And for the first six weeks of his life, Kent had to wear casts (shown in the photo) to correct feet that were slightly turned in when he was born. Those casts date the photo to sometime in late October or early November of 1953
Rhoda giving her two daughters a bath on the valley side of their new home’s first wing, 1949
Kent, riding bareback on a horse (or maybe a pony) at Bernie's sister Maxine's (and husband Harold's) farm near Palmyra Nebraska, with his Dad holding the rope. Kent's brother Mike is in the background, getting ready to ride a horse properly outfitted with reins and a saddle. Shortly after the photo was taken, Kent fell off into the pasture. He never rode a horse again until he was in his 30s, and each time that he did, it was with a saddle! (photo taken about 1962)
Kent and Mike, in the patio at Los Gatos. Just above the patio is a one-room cottage that Bernie built in preparation for a visit from his parents from Nebraska. Further up the hill, one can see the blurry outline of the Georges' house. Ruth George was Rhoda's sister, and Tom George, Ruth's husband. The Georges had three kids, Tom, Sally, and Chris. The two families bought the land together in late 1945/early 1946 and built their homes themselves at the same time.
Porter children—Karen, Mike, Kent, and Susie—in front of fireplace in living room, Los Gatos (about 1956 or 1957)
Post Four:
When Rhoda was 10 years old, she lived just a short distance from the San Tomas Aquino creek. At the time, that creek flowed through (and watered) one of the largest French prune orchards in the world called the “Glen Una/Hume Ranch”. On April 18, 1927, she and four of her young friends decided to hike to the top of Hume Canyon, at the source of the San Tomas Aquino Creek, where they could see a tall tree that was nicknamed “Lone Pine” by the locals. After two of the kids (a brother and sister) went home to their family, the remaining three including Rhoda and the Bergers, an eight and six-year old, reached Lone Pine at the top, got lost and didn’t return to their homes by nightfall. A large search party was assembled, and, later that night, Edward Matteoni (then a Los Gatos high school student and Hume Ranch employee) came across the three children asleep near the top of the canyon.
That canyon became one of the enduring loves of Rhoda’s life up until the day she died. With her husband Bernie, her sister Ruth and her brother-in-law Tom George, they found a three-acre parcel of land for sale with commanding views of San Tomas/Hume Canyon and the entire Santa Clara Valley. The two couples bought the land and both ended up building adobe brick houses for their growing families.
Rhoda and Bernie had four children (Karen, Susan, Michael, and Kent). After their births and during their childhoods, the construction projects on the family home continued. The whole Porter family grew to enjoy their home and garden lovingly created by their parents. The home and its location remain dear to their hearts to this day.
Newspaper story about the lost children being found
Karen, Bernie, Susie, and Rhoda in Rhoda's daffodil garden (about 1950)
Michael, Rhoda, Kent, Karen, Bernie, and Susan—early 1954—at Homewood, Lake Tahoe (Phil and Barbara White’s cabin)
Bernie and the Porter children—left to right Karen, Kent, Bernie, Mike, Susie—in the patio at the newly completed Porter family home (photo by Rhoda). In those days, of course, it was recommended that the sun be behind the photographer. Mike and Susie clearly didn't like that strategy! Karen and Bernie just turned their eyes to the rest of the family. And for the first six weeks of his life, Kent had to wear casts (shown in the photo) to correct feet that were slightly turned in when he was born. Those casts date the photo to sometime in late October or early November of 1953
Rhoda giving her two daughters a bath on the valley side of their new home’s first wing, 1949
Kent, riding bareback on a horse (or maybe a pony) at Bernie's sister Maxine's (and husband Harold's) farm near Palmyra Nebraska, with his Dad holding the rope. Kent's brother Mike is in the background, getting ready to ride a horse properly outfitted with reins and a saddle. Shortly after the photo was taken, Kent fell off into the pasture. He never rode a horse again until he was in his 30s, and each time that he did, it was with a saddle! (photo taken about 1962)
Kent and Mike, in the patio at Los Gatos. Just above the patio is a one-room cottage that Bernie built in preparation for a visit from his parents from Nebraska. Further up the hill, one can see the blurry outline of the Georges' house. Ruth George was Rhoda's sister, and Tom George, Ruth's husband. The Georges had three kids, Tom, Sally, and Chris. The two families bought the land together in late 1945/early 1946 and built their homes themselves at the same time.
Porter children—Karen, Mike, Kent, and Susie—in front of fireplace in living room, Los Gatos (about 1956 or 1957)
