Irma Green Schlotz (91 years young) and her daughter Bonnie Roberts were interviewed on January 23, 2009 at their present home, 7991 Old Winding Way where they have lived for 60 years.

Its history begins with Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Osgood, who gave the land and bought the "precut home" for their daughter Ethel (Iva Langness' aunt) when she married Bert Kerns as a wedding gift in 1916. They were the original owners. The Kerns lived in their home on then Main St until Mr. Osgood died. The couple then moved into Mrs. Osgood's corner home (FOB & Winding Way).

In l899, Simeon (Sim) Green came to Fair Oaks with his family when he was 5. Part of his childhood was in the Smallwood Lane home (Issue Vol. 80 - Oct. '07). In '06-'07 Sim and Abbie and daughter Irma Green, age 5, rented for a few months part of the the home behind the Townhouse while the Kerns were transitioning out.

The Kerns sold their home (left photo) to the Greens. Between the 2 homes -Greens & Osgood/Kerns- there was an orchard with oranges and pomolos (grapefruit) where the dental building and parking lot are today. Sim owned the first row of fruit and the backyard was 1/4 acre with lawn and a garden that backed up on "Home Supply Lumber" which later became Diamond National, then the FO Water District Building. Irma remembers playing in the stacks of lumber. Her sister, Betty Rose was born in the home.

The house had 2 bedrooms, a living-dining room, kitchen, basement, and sunporch in the back where Uncle Frank Beauchamp, foreman of the gold dredgers, boarded with them. Sim did add an extra room but was not a good carpenter. When making telephone calls through the operator, their number was 2. Sim planted the sycamore tree that is close to the street in front of the current business. The road was originally narrower so their frontyard was bigger.

Sim and his Dad had a Ford Agency next to the Orange Packing Plant (about Sunrise and WW) but it burned down. He then bought the garage (Oaks Hardware) and did business there. Over the years, Sim was a great community member, serving as Associate Director of the Water District, active in Masons, on the board of the Bank, Rotary, Boy Scouts, school trustee for 18 years and elected Tax Assessor and Collector. All knew him in Fair Oaks!

Irma married George Schlotz and moved away for a few years. When they returned to F.O., Bonnie, the oldest daughter was 4. George built the home Irma and Bonnie presently live in.

The Green's sold their home to the Greenhills. Sim wanted to have a new home and built the cinderblock home at the corner of Old Winding Way and Bijan Ct. which is next door to the Scholtzs.

On February 19, 2009, we continued the interview with Bob and his son Ken.

Bob bought the property with Gill Campbelll in 1978 from Erma Greenhill. It had had renters prior to becoming a nursery. The prefab home had an inside stairwell, which was moved outside, 2 bedrooms upstairs as well as a bathroom. The back porch was redone and enclosed. Part of the home burned and was remodeled a couple of times. Both Bob and his family and younger daughter Tracey and family and then son Ken and family lived there. Bob bought out Gill in 1980. Ken and Christy took over the property as a commercial landscaping business, "Old Village Landscaping." Bonnie Roberts joined us for the visit (right photos) and hadn't been there since her teen years. Thank you to both families for sharing your stories!

Additional Notes...

An update on the Chasko home on Orange Avenue from Ginger Poindexter, a Rice relative. She corrects us that Immer (born in 1886) and Muriel Rice came to Fair Oaks a SHORT time (not years) after his parents, Henry & Phoebe Rice. He did later go back to Minnesota but returned to Fair Oaks. Henry died in 1915 and was 34 in the 1910 census.

Jane Whitnack, Marilyn, and Laurene Hyde, who grew up in the home before the Chasko's bought it, returned to the home for an inside view! Laurene, a society member, brought a watercolor painting by her sister to show how the home had looked with the wrap-around porch and different front door. She had some funny stories to tell! Joe Chasko's children - Sarah, Jessica and Joe took us on a tour, answered questions and showed us how the property was laid out. We thank them for their hospitality and appreciated the pride they have in the home.