4 Generation Boche/Bionaz

                                                                                                          about 1935, California
Elizabeth Joan Bionaz is my mother. Her parents are John Bionaz and Elizabeth Hawk Bionaz. Grandpa Johnny's mother is Orpheline Boche Bionaz. Orpheline's parents are Peter J Boche and Charlotte Mary Ducley.
Orpheline and her parents were born in Northern Italy.

Surname Sunday

There is an interesting pattern to some of the men the women I my mother's family married. See if you notice it.
Starting with my great-grandmother.
Mary Orpheline Boche, married John Elere Bionaz.
Her son John C Bionaz, married Elizabeth Grace Hawke. (Here it kind of skips a generation, but it makes up for it in the next generation.)
My mother Elizabeth "Joan" Bionaz, married James Edward Baker Jr
Her sister my aunt Jacqueline Carol Bionaz, married Arthur Stuart Backer (Yes, my mother married a Baker and her sister married a Backer)
Me, Betty-Lu Baker, married a Burton.
Did you notice the pattern? All the last names that start with a "B". I just think it is interesting and wanted to share this with others.

The year after Dad died

My mother, Elizabeth Joan Bionaz Baker, was half Italian and at times would show the hot Italian temper. My father, James Edward Baker Jr, was the more calming influence in the home. When I was 16 and a Jr in High School my father died. He went to sleep and never woke up, my mother found his cold body when she went to bed later. I was left in the house with 2 hot tempered Italians, my mom and my younger brother. Unfortunately the other brother near by also could be hot tempered at times. I knew shortly after my father died that my younger brother blamed himself for dad's death. now of course my brother did not kill my father, but as a somewhat rebellious teenager he wasn't all that cooperative around the house. My brother felt that had he been more helpful and less rebellious our dad would not have died. then years later I found out that my mom had also blamed herself for my dad's death because she had given him a mild muscle relaxer before he went to bed. he had been complaining of pain in his shoulder and she thought he had just pulled a muscle or something. In 1975 they did not know all that much about heart disease, which was what killed him. During the next year life was not very good as my mom and brother would get into a fight of some sort.There were times my mom would be so scared of my younger brother that she would come and get me and we would leave the house. There were also times I would get so scared that I feared for my own safety. Sometimes she would called and have my older brother come over,, but that didn't always help because now there were 3 hot tempered people in the house. Eventually things quieted down and my mom and younger brother got along again. They say time heals, but sometimes during that time life can be a nightmare or even a living hell.

Mother's Day 2010

Today is mother's day, so I thought to spotlight my mother.

Elizabeth "Joan" Bionaz Baker was born August 4, 1931 in San Francisco, CA

She died August 21, 2001 at her son's, Tony, home in Hement, CA

Joan is about 4 years old in this picture.

Here she is with 3 of her 4 children in the spring of 1959.

James is the oldest about 5, then Tony about 4, and then me the baby

Chuck was not born yet.

Here is a picture of her with her dog Bear.