Santa Cruz Sentinel May 8, 1927

Dakin Funeral Held Friday

Soquel, May 7 (Special to the Sentinel). - The last sad rites for Mrs. Ruth Dakin were conducted Friday afternoon from Wessendorf's mortuary with interment in Soquel Cemetery. Beautiful words of comfort were expressed by Rev. J.J. Kelly, who conducted the service.

Two songs were feelingly sung by Mrs. Willy. The room was filled with the large circle of friends in whose hearts Mrs. Dakin had held a place which can never be filled.

The pallbearers were all neighbors: N.C.Hicks, C.D. Hoover, E. Bishop, Mr. Doyle and Mr. Finnie.

Three automobile loads of beautiful flowers were brought as loving tributes to the grave, which was most fitting, as this devoted member of Mountain district had been a great flower lover and grower and had taken part in the wild flower exhibit held the day she was taken ill only a week before her death.

The whole community unites in sincerest sympathy to this stricken family.

Passing of Mrs. R.C. Dakin Brings Sorrow to Many

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The passing from this life of Ruth Chamblerain Dakin, wife of Henry R. Dakin of Laurel Glen Fruit Farm, is keenly felt by all and she will be greatly missed by all with whom she came in contact.

The following from the pen of one of Mr. Dakin's cousin's, Mrs. Finette L. Shafter of this city, speaks for all: Ruth thoroughly deserved the old-fashioned name of 'gentlewoman.' Although remarkably patient and self-sacrificing, she had plenty of the firmness and shrewd good
judgment In fact, Robert Louis Stevenson aptly described her type as possessing 'a large amount of available common sense.'

Mrs. Dakin, who passed away last week at the family home after a short illness with pneumonia, was married to Henry R. Dakin, son of a pioneer family, about 12 years ago. She was a native of Santa Cruz county, having been born on the Adams ranch at Skyland. She had been a leader in all good work in the several communities in which she lived.

Besides her sorrowing husband and two children, Ruth Elizabeth, 8 years, and Alice Irene, 4 years, the following relatives survive: mother Mrs. Edna Chamberlain of Sunol: sisters, Mrs. M.F. Sharp of Watsonville; Miss Edith Chamberalin, alameda; Mrs. Alger B. Scott, McKittrick; Elisabeth Dean Chamberlain, Sunol; and Mrs. John Trimingham, and brother C.D. Chamberlain of Sacramento. A brother, T.R. Chamberlain, a sargeant, was killed in an airplane accident in France during the world war.

The relatives were all here for the funeral services on Friday at the Wessendorf moruary (sic), as were cousins from Los Gatos and Saratoga and friends from Danville and Oakland. Among the relatives of Mr. Dakin able to be present at the funeral services were two cousins, Alec Locke of Scotts Valley, and Mrs. Finette Shafter of Seabright.

One of Mrs. Dakin's sisters, Miss Elizabeth Chamberlain, lived with Mrs. Dakin for some time and attended the local high school.

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Finette Locke Shafter, the daughter of Henry's maternal aunt, Mary Jameson Locke

Mrs. Henry H. Dakin Passes Away at Her Santa Cruz Home

(likely from the Woodland newspaper)

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Mrs. Ruth Chamberlain Dakin passed away at her home in Santa Cruz May 3. She is survived by the widower, H.H. Dakin, and two children, aged 4 and 8 years.

Mrs. Dakin, nee Ruth Chamberlain, worker in the Woodland post office for some time under Postmaster E.I Leake. she was residing at the time with her parents near the old Farrish home. Her father passed away in Woodland in 1919. Her brother, C. Drummond Chamberlain, conducted a bicycle
shop at 414 Main Street, Woodland. Another brother, Thurston Royal, was killed in France in the world war.

The mother, Mrs. Edna Chamberlain, has been residing in Sunol, Alameda County, for the past five years, caring for her own mother, who has been bed-fast and entirely helpless for more than three years of that time. Mrs. Chamberlain's youngest daughter, Beth, lives with her and attends the Pleasanton High school. Another sister to the deceased, Mrs. John Trimingham, also lives in Sunol. All of the brothers and sisters were present for the funeral. Those not already mentioned are, Edith M. Chamberlain, Alameda; Mrs. A.B. Scott, McKittrick; Mrs. M.W. Sharp, Watsonville; C. Drummond Chamberlain, Orland.

The saddest part is the bereaved home of Mrs. Dakin. Mr. Dakin is of a very old pioneer family. Their home is situated in one of the most picturesque and impressive spots in the Santa Cruz mountains. 'Tis desolate now for the guiding star has gone out. The after faces with broken heart the task of rearing his two girls, four and eight years of age.

One of the most touching tributes was the floral piece made by Mr. Dakin himself, to be placed at the head of the grave. The offering was in the shape of a heart, with a solid white background, in the center of which reposed two scarlet rosebuds in all the magnificence of their young beauty, symbolizing the two children. This simple card attached indicated the bonds of affection which bound father and mother:

From the garden, tended by Ruth and
Henry

In which also bloomed love and accord

The following tribute was taken from the Santa Cruz Sentinel of May 6:

Mrs. Henry Dakin, who has passed away, was one of the finest and most valuable women in the county. Her loss is not only a great one to her family and the Mountain farm center, but to the county as a whole. Mrs. Dakin was an unusually intelligent mother. Although her own health had always been poor, she gave such thought and care to her two children that they rank among the best specimens of childhood in the county. Mrs. Dakin was a tireless worker in her community. The school children will miss her, as she had charged of the music in the school and was loved by every one of the boys and girls. As a member of the home department of the farm center, the county Farm Bureau must share her loss with the Mountain Farm Center. As a project leader in nutrition and as a mother, Mrs. Dakin was a help and an inspiration to all the
women who knew her. She was a woman greatly beloved and her passing is a keen sorrow in many hearts.

Anne M'Cormick,

Home Demonstration Agent

Tragedy Strikes Laurel Glen

The Dakin family like the rest of the farming community continued in the seasonal and social rhythms of the Santa Cruz mountains: church, school, family gatherings, pruning, and harvest. The children grew, Ruth remained close to her church and community friends. Henry didn't go to church much, though he was devoted to Bible reading and spiritual practice as well as gregarious in many other respects. Ruth occasionally had trouble with her health, but the family didn't report anything life threatening. It seemed that Henry was making good on his promise to make her well when his efforts turned counter to his purpose.

The model "T" Ford is decorated for celebration

Ruth may have had her share of illness, but that had not dampened the force of her will, perhaps her stubborness/determination (depending on whether you agreed with her) may have been what gave her the degree of health she enjoyed. Play practice was being held at church. She had a cold and Henry was determined that she not go and perhaps make the cold worse, so he forbid her from using the car for the 1-2 mile journey. Determined to go, Ruth walked in cold mountain air to the rehearsal.

Ruth, Ruthalee and Alice standing next to the family's model "T" Ford

Ruth's cold became worse and developed into pneumonia. Drummond, Ruth's younger brother still lived at home in Sunol. He wrote, "When Ruth became ill with pneumonia for the third time, and I was amazed that Mother was not making superhuman efforts to arrange for us kids, so she could go to Henry's and take care of her, she said, "No, Drum, I can not help her now. She iwll not live through this. It is more important to consider now what to do for her children. She will know."

Many years later Ruthalee visited Laurel Glen when a chance meeting her together with the Westons who had come to own the property. She later wrote of the walk she took through the house and the memories each room held for her. "As we moved across the dining room toward the veranda that extends along the West wall of the house, we came to the only remaining downstairs bedroom. It had not changed. For me that little room holds two of the most vivid memories of life in this house: (the first was seeing her sister Alice a few hours after she had been born). And then there was the night almost exactly four years later that a nurse brought my sister and me to stand in this same doorway for our last glimpse of our mother. The nurse knew Mama was dying, but she just said how good Mama was about taking the medicine she was being given. She had pneumonia and there was no penecilin yet. The medicine was useless."

Ruth Alegra Chamberlain Dakin died in May, 1927.

Ruth Dakin: Home economist, consutant

Ruthalee (first standing row, blonde, three left of flag pole)

with her Second Grade Class at Moutain School during her last year in Soquel

Anne M'Cormick, Home Demonstration Agent cited earlier, also had high regard for Ruth Dakin's abilities with the children of others: "The school children will miss her, as she had charge of the music in the school and was loved by every one of the boys and girls."

Ruth's particular passion in caring for children were two: nutrition and shoes. In this regard, Henry gave more and less support. He had obvious interest in nutrition and whole foods since he had spent his life producing fruits, nuts, grain and vegetables. Ruth had not only all of Henry's insight into healthy plants and food, but also she was surrounded at regular intervals with her family from whom she also gathered information.

Edna Graves Chamberlain, Alice Irene, Ruth Dakin, Ruth's Aunt Jennie Garcia, Aunt Millie Scott, Mrs. Varney (unrelated), Ruth's sister Elizabeth Chamberlain

First row children: Harriet Scott, Ruthalee Dakin, Royal and Alger Scott

At the Dakin Ranch, Soquel, CA @1924

Ruth was invited across the mountain to San Jose to be interviewed on KCBS radio. The topic was her passion: nutrition and growing children. On the other hand, Henry's response to Ruth's concern that the children have well constructed shoes was less enthusiastic. It ran something along the lines of: "I don't know why you make such a big fuse about shoes, my father made our shoes and they were just fine."

Ruthalee in a pair of really cool shoes

Henry & Ruth, Community Leaders

The Farm Bureau
Ruth & Ruthalee as marked at the top of the picture

Henry is second man from the right second row

Ruth and Henry both took leadership roles in the community. Ruth had long been recognized by her brothers and sisters as a leader. Her brother Drummond described her as an outgoing person, very poised, especially in emergencies. He cites as evidence a time when a spark from the fireplace ignited a fire in the living room. Ruth quickly picked up a rug and extinguished the fire by beating on the flames.

Ruth was also very involved with the, then, Skyland Presbyterian Church. She participated in the community theater that put on plays at the church as well as working with children at the Mountain School. She was a constant resource for the Mountain Center of the Farm Bureau for childrearing in general and nutrition in particular.

Henry dwarfed by a giant Sequoia on Laurel Glen

Henry continued his leadership in horticulture, botany and grafting in particular through the Farm Bureau.

Henry, Ruth Dakin & Familiy

Ruth Dakin took to mothering with gusto. If nothing else, the sheer number of pictures of Ruthalee and Alice (of which only a small fraction (19) appear in this posting) indicates the continuous attention given to their girls; to say nothing of the fact that they bought a camera to take the pictures. Most of the attention was given by Ruth, but Henry was invested significant time in his own way.

Ruthalee with Mama (1919)

Maybe Ruth's natural inclination for nurturing expressed in her interest in nursing, was her preparation for motherhood.

Ruth and Ruthalee (1920)

In any case, her love and dedication to her daughters, Ruthalee and Alice, was evident in many ways to those around her.

Ruth and Ruthalee (1920)

Home Demonstration Agents were part of a nation-wide network of such associations (which were part of the larger Farm Bureau network) that brought resources to rural, particularly farm families for agricurltural as well as home economic education. A Home Demonstration Agent, presumably for Santa Cruz county, was one Anne M'Cormick who had a lot to say about Ruth's mothering skills.

Ruth & Ruthalee on June 13, 1921, Ruthalee's 2nd birthday

Ms. M'Cormick described Ruth as "an unusually intelligent mother" that "gave such thought and care to her two children that they rank among the best specimens of childhood in the county."

Ruthalee on her birthday

It might be helpful to remember the many differences between mothering today and mothering in 1920 as well as their similarities. Both Ruthalee and Alice Irene were born at home, which provided both greater intimacy, greater risk and work for the family and extended family.

Studio picture of Ruthalee (1926)


Studio Picture of Ruthalee (1922)


Ruthalee at Capitola Beach steadied by Papa's hand


Studio Picture of Ruthalee (1922)

Ruthalee (1926)

Alice Irene (1926) ready to take on the world

Ruthalee recalls as one off her most vivid memories from Laurel Glen, one morning climbing up "onto Mama's bed and she lifted the covers to give me my first glimpse of Alice, the tiny little sister who'd been born a few hours before."

Alice Irene on Bess supported by Mama (Ruth) (1924)

Ruth had her hands full. The little girls look demurring, but Ruthalee tells another side of the story: "I was born in June, 1919 and had four years of attention before Alice Irene was born in April, 1923. Poor little thing was always catching cold and was very gentle and delicate. Not that we didn't fight, because I was very used to having whatever there was and she didn't give up easily."

Alice Irene with Papa on Bess (1924)


Gals and Dolls (1926)


Ruthalee (1926)

Does anyone remember having to look straight into the sun when getting your picture taken? (1926)

Evidently, they learned how each could have what they wanted. Over the last 85+ years have they have enjoyed a strong and supportive relationship with each other, only briefly living more than a 30 minutes drive away from the other.

Ruthalee & Alice Irene with ubiquitous cats

Probably Christmas, 1926

And they are still getting along pretty well

In retirement, they enjoy the one relationship that has remained constant through all the intervening years. Once again, Ruthalee and Alice Irene live in the same household, now across the hill in Los Gatos.