On our trip to San Diego three years ago, my mom’s cousin wanted to take us to the Marston House, a historic site in San Diego’s Balboa Park that is also a part of our own family history.
My great-grandma, Ida Gall, actually worked for the Marston family as their pastry chef in the late 1940’s and into the 1950’s.
Our family took a tour and were able to see the kitchen she baked in. My mom’s cousin remembered going with her dad to pick up her grandma and standing in the entry, but never went any further in the house.
It was such a unique experience to stand where she once worked. The kitchen was styled in such a way where I could picture the time period and her working away in the kitchen.
A few pictures:
Visiting the Marston House uncovered another family story. My mom inherited a rather large dining room table when I was young, and it is believed that the table came from the Marston family. These chairs in the kitchen of the Marston home match the set! We were able to hear about the table, which was listed on a shipping manifest but those who work there had no idea what happened to it. If it is the table (we are pretty sure but cannot guarantee it), Theodore Roosevelt once ate at it!
My mom always wondered why the table was so low, so much so that she had to put lifts on the legs so anyone could sit at it. We learned that Mrs. Marston was rather petite lady, and the table would have been made for her. It was incredible to hear the story behind the table set!
Visiting the Marston House gave our family a better sense of who Ida Gall was, and we were able to hear a side of her we didn’t know! Family history is so much more than researching documents, and if you are able, it can be really rewarding to visit places your ancestors lived or worked.
If you are interested, you can find the rest of my 52 Ancestors posts my clicking the tag at the top of the post.
Until next time,
Meredith