Paul William Liles; My Father
Today is Thursday May 17, 2012 and Dad would have been old.
Dad was born and raised In McRae, Arkansas which was in White County just northeast of Little Rock. He was born in 1906 to Grover Clifton Liles and Susie Kathryn Cook. Take a look at our genealogy! .
Paul William and Paul David circa 1961
(Courtesy of Joe Raymond Liles)
Dad and me (Paul) 1945
Home Sweet Home
Dad's parents lived in McRae Arkansas. Dad had three older sisters... Opal, Alma, and Edith! His father (Grover Clifton Liles) died soon after he was born and Susie married Charles Essig in 1914... Charles (Charlie) was only 19 and Susie was 28! Charlie and Susie had two additional children, Clarence Earl and Helen. Edith and Helen are alive and doing well today... in fact Edith Parchman is in her 90's and dances three times a week and is quite active in her social club! Township Names & Origins - White County, AR
According To Aunt Helen... My grandparents (in the early 1900's) ran the saw mill in the area and did have "some money".... nothing like today's standards. Aunt Helen and Edith told us about the early years in a recent visit we took back to Arkansas...- The family owned a skating rink in town... well, the town was quite a bit bigger then and was the Strawberry capital of the South!
- We owned the electric company... sounds big, huh? Well, it was so small gasoline powered generator which only operated from 10-4... in fact, the town whistle blew 5 minutes to 4 so everybody could hurry and get their work done.
- They didn't have a radio until the 20's
- McRae was the
Strawberry Capital Of America
Growing Up - Dad had a form of polio and was often pulled around in a small wooden wagon because he had problems walking.... he soon outgrew that and began his lifelong friendship with Otis Tucker . Dad and Otis left Arkansas in their early teens.... As Otis tells it, they jumped a freight train and several hours out of McRae, the railroad police found them in a box car. They jumped out opposite sides of the car. Otis headed south and Dad went north. Dad ended up on Oklahoma where he met mom...around 1924. Otis did not return into Dad's life until about 1936 when everybody was heading toward California! Otis At Christmas 1999
Otis Tucker at 92... More men should be like Otis
Picking strawberries
in McRae
Going To California
Getting To California - Mom and Dad were married but the economy was pretty bad in the South. I have a letter Dad wrote his sister opal in 1936 asking if she would let him come out and look for a job in California. Mom and Dad came to Downey, California where Aunt Opal had a large lot! Dad went to work for Ralph David Leibowitz... a relationship went on until Dad's death in 1970. Ralph had a dime store... and although he really didn't need any help, he allowed Dad to dress the windows part time and then finally hired him full time.
Everybody worked hard in those days
Paul David Is Born
Then There Was Paul D. Yup, 1944 I came along... after Mom and Dad had been married for almost 19 years! Where did the "D" come from, David from Ralph's middle name. Oh Yeah! Ralph's daughter was named Paula... Things I Remember - A series of one liners I will never forget!Staying With It! - Dad stayed with Ralph's 5, 10 and 25 Cent stores until his retirement in 1970. The chain grew to about 15 stores which were located all over the LA area... even one in Big Bear, California. I have fond memories of helping Dad on the holidays and during openings of new stores! Going "downtown" to see new merchandise was always fun... we got to see the new things before they hit the market! Oh... when the stores were finally sold off, they became The 99 Cent Stores!!The first spanking! I mouthed off to my mother only once! -- Dad's "25 years with the company watch" flies off his wrist and bounces down the sidewalk!
Helping the store during Easter by making the Easter Baskets... and getting so sick on jelly beans I though I was going to die! In the dime store business, we made our own baskets for the customers... I would often assist in making them and sometimes I would hide a whole lot of candy UNDER the grass... just to surprise the kids!
Dad going to Knute's on Saturday evenings to play poker. Knute was a neighbor who ran the worlds largest aluminum forming machine (at that time). He made some brackets to hold a motor on a race car dad and I built... and it was really something!
Dad only drank on two days a year.... 4th of July and Christmas Eve.... and he could put it away!
We took the S.S. Vulcania to Europe to visit an uncle.
Dad Passed On Too Young
The Passing - Dad beat polio somehow.... even though one leg was shorter than the other, he was always strong and able to do things. He was a handyman and could do anything! He smoked... like everybody else of his generation. Even though he quit in 1962, three packs of Camel's a dad did in his lungs. Dad got a terrible flu in October 1970 and it progressed into pneumonia and death in November 1970... just before Thanksgiving.
The year my father was born... 1906 San Francisco earthquake!
See the earthquake
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Arkansas shares a border with six states, with its eastern border largely defined by the Mississippi River. Its diverse geography ranges from the mountainous regions of the Ozarks and the Ouachita Mountains to the eastern lowlands along the Mississippi River. The capital and most populous city is Little Rock.
The name Arkansas is a French pronunciation of a Quapaw word meaning "land of downriver people". The pronunciation "Arkansas" was made official by an act of the state legislature in 1881.
MS Vulcania
The MS Vulcania was built by Cantiere Navale Triestino, Monfalcone, Italy in 1926 for the Italian company, Cosulich Line. She was a 23,970 gross ton ship, length overall 631.4ft x beam 79.8ft, one funnel, two masts, twin screw and a speed of 19 knots.
There was accommodation for 310-1st, 460-2nd, 310-intermediate class and 700-3rd class passengers. Launched on 18/12/1926, she sailed from Trieste on her maiden voyage to Patras, Naples and New York on 19/12/1928. In 1930 her accommodation was altered to 1st, 2nd, tourist and 3rd class, and in 1934 to 1st, tourist and 3rd class only.
In 1930 she was fitted with new diesel engines which gave her a speed of 21 knots and was rebuilt to a tonnage of 24,469 tons. In Dec.1936 she commenced her last Trieste - New York voyage for Cosulich Line and in 1937 went to the newly formed Italia Line.
In March 1937 she commenced running from Trieste to New York and in March 1940 commenced her last sailing Trieste - Naples - New York - Trieste. She was requisitioned by the Italian government in 1941 to carry troops to North Africa and in 1942-3 was used on three special missions to repatriate women and children, Genoa - East Africa via South Africa. In Oct.1943 she became a US Troopship and on 29/3/1946 was chartered to American Export Lines to run between New York - Naples - Alexandria.
She commenced her last voyage on this service on 4/10/1946 after 6 round voyages and was returned to Italia Line on 15/11/1946. She then sailed New York - Naples - Genoa where she was reconditioned to carry 240-1st, 270-cabin and 860-tourist class passengers. In July 1947 she made a single voyage from Genoa to S.America and then, on 4/9/1947 resumed the Genoa - Naples - New York service.
On 21/9/1955 she commenced her last voyage on this run and on 28/10/1955 was transferred to run between Trieste, Venice, Patras, Naples, Palermo, Gibraltar, Lisbon, Halifax and New York.
On 5/4/1965 she commenced her last voyage on this service and was sold to the Siosa Line who renamed her Caribia.
On 18/9/1973 she arrived at Barcelona under tow to be scrapped and departed under tow for Kaohsiung for scrapping on 15/3/1974