I spent many hours in the 1950s doing aircraft carrier landing practice on the Navy airfield at Crows Landing. Never knew until decades later that my maternal grandmother was born right down the road at Newman, California. WDA CDR USN Ret. end ----- Original Message ----- From: Norby Family <norby@ainet.com> To: <CA-GOLDRUSH-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, December 07, 1999 10:46 AM Subject: [GOLDRUSH] Descendent of Crows Landing founder dies at 82 > Descendent of Crows Landing founder dies at 82 > By PATRICK GIBLIN > BEE STAFF WRITER > (Published: Tuesday, December 07, 1999 MODESTO BEE) > > TURLOCK -- Vernon Rodney Munson, a direct descendent of the founder of > Crows Landing, died Saturday of Lou Gehrig's disease. He was 82. > > Mr. Munson was a longtime owner of Scotty's Tavern, believed to be > Turlock's oldest bar. > > He was born June 8, 1917, in Modesto, and spent part of his early > childhood in Crows Landing, a community founded in 1865 by John Bradford > Crow, his great-great grandfather. > > Crows Landing originally was built on the banks of the San Joaquin River, > and the Crow family operated a steamship operation throughout the state. > When the railroad came, the family moved the entire town to the tracks, > according to Mr. Munson's daughter, Susan Smith of Denair. > > "They even moved the buildings," she said. "Dad still owned part of the > original Crows Landing on the river, and he leased it out for farming. It > has been passed from family member to family member all this time." > > According to family papers, Crow moved from Kentucky to Missouri to farm > in the early 1840s but was bitten by gold fever when gold was discovered in > California. In 1849, he traveled West and spent a few years in California > before concluding that he could make a better living as a farmer than as a > gold miner. > > "He traveled back to Missouri, and in 1865, he headed one of the largest > wagon trains ever and came back here," Smith said. "The history books credit > him with the success of the wagon train." > > Mr. Munson spent his later childhood years in Modesto. In 1941, he moved > to Oakland, where he worked for Southern Pacific railroad, making sure > supplies made their way to military bases during World War II. When the war > ended, Mr. Munson's father bought Scotty's Tavern on Turlock's Main Street. > > "It was the place to go when my father and grandfather owned it," Smith > said. "Everyone who was anyone went there. And on New Year's Eve, it was > packed." > > Mr. Munson also did behind-the-scenes charity work. Several retired > laborers lived in apartments above the tavern, Smith said. "We found some > papers that show that he helped buy burial plots for a lot of those guys. > They were all living on pensions and couldn't afford it, and he felt they > deserved it." > > In the 1960s, Mr. Munson opened Munco Wholesale Sporting Goods, which > specialized in fishing equipment. Intended to support his fishing hobby, the > business grew rapidly. "It got so big that Dad couldn't keep up with it," > she said. "He ended up liquidating all the merchandise and closing it > because he couldn't find anyone to run it." > > In 1974, Mr. Munson's wife suffered a stroke. He sold Scotty's and spent > the next 16 years taking care of her until she died. > > In October of this year, Mr. Munson was diagnosed with amyotrophic > lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease. > > He died at Brandel Manor convalescent hospital. > > Besides Smith, Mr. Munson is survived by another daughter, Janie McDonald > of Aptos; and four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. > > A funeral will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Allen Mortuary. Burial will be > at Turlock Memorial Park. Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. today and > from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday at the mortuary. > > Remembrances may be made to the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis > Association, Bay Area Chapter, 140 Geary St., Fourth Floor, San Francisco > 94108. > > > > > ==== CA-GOLDRUSH Mailing List ==== > Automatic Administrative Reminder: > "Most Wanted of our Lost in Early California Ancestors" > is a web page for members of this list to post queries. > <http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/8861/goldrush98.htm> >