| Note | Robert 'Bob' David Mehner was the fourth son born to Albert Hugo and EveMae (Damon) Mehner, and married Jewel Ruth 'Ruth' Coy, 23 March, 1940 atRuth's parent's, Roy David and Hazel Ruth (Snyder) Coy's home at 260712th Avenue North (now Boyer Avenue N.), Seattle, King County, Washington and had three children, Nancy Dorian, Robert David, Jr., Susan ClaireMehner. Various photos of Ruth and Bob are found in their scrapbooks. The Autobiography below was copied from a hand written letter written byRobert David Mehner, Sr. 'I was born in Bremerton, Kitsap County, Washington, 03 June, 1918.The address was on Pleasant Avenue about one block up from the PortWashington Narrows, on the east side of the street in a small one storystructure. By 1919, we moved to a 24 acre ranch on Phinney Bay four milesnorth of Bremerton. (phone 363-M).' 'This was 'Gladshore' where my parents cultivated gladiolus bulbs and cutflowers to sell at our store in the Dietz Building on Pacific near 4th inBremerton. This was called Gladishore Floral Co. (phone 417)' 'I attended Cascade School in Charleston, grades 1, 2, and 3. MissKalander was Principle and third grade teacher.' 'About 1928, we moved 4 miles south of Bremerton to the old GorstHomestead and lived in the big two story Gorst Residence on Gorst Creek.(phone 1608-W-1) I attended Pleasant Valley School ( 1 room 6 grades, 30students) in the 4th and 5th grades. The twins, Glen and John Jorstad[the TV] sportscaster) were in my class.' ' We attended the Bremerton Baptist Church about 5th and Warren Streets.In 1929, my parents bought the Strand Apartments at 221 Belmont N (now is221 Bemont E) Seattle, (phone Capital 6158). We then moved across thestreet to the corner house, 232 Belmont N. at Thomas St. about 1931. Iattended Cascade Elementary School (Yale, Pontious, Harrison, ThomasStreets) for the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. Then we moved to 420 18thAve. N. (now E) about 1932. I finished 8th grade and attended BroadwayHigh School from 1932 to 1936 + 1937 Post Graduate.' -signed - Robert David Mehner. A copy of the funeral service program of Robert David Mehner, Sr. isfound in his scrapbook along with photos and snapshots of a small portionof his life. Bob's funeral was at the Carnation Bible Church, 32615 N.E45th Street, Carnation, Washington 98014. The officiant was Pastor SteveFarnworth, Pastor of the Carnation Bible Church. Bob is buried at theCarnation Cemetery, 6400 block, Carnation, Washington on theCarnation-Duval Road N.E. 98014. Bob's father, Albert Hugo Mehner had suffered from heart trouble broughton five years ago when the motor of a boat in which he and a son, Robert,were cruising, failed off Orcas Island. Bob's father rowed through highwaves and darkness for five hours before they reached shelter. His father became an invalid and his mother went into real estate, owningher company on Capital Hill. She (Eva Mae Damon Mehner) was one of thefirst licensed female Realtors in Seattle. Bob was baptized as an infant in the Westminster Presbyterian Church,1729 Harvard street in Seattle, 98122 He graduated from Broadway HighSchool. Bob Mehner and Ruth Coy met while attending a post graduate course atBroadway High School, Seattle, Washington (now Seattle Central CommunityCollege). They were engaged the day before Bob's father, Albert HugoMehner died in 1939. They were married in Ruth's parent's home in a formal ceremony performedby Pastor George L. Lorimer of the Tabernacle Baptist Church (15th Avenueand Harrison Street) in Seattle. Bob enlisted in the U.S. Navy in WWII and worked at the Naval Shipyardsat Bremerton, Washington. Bob and Ruth lived in housing area called WestPark, which was a few miles from the Naval Shipyard. The address was 70Baer Boulevard where Nancy and Robert, Jr. ('Bobby' 'Robin' 'Bud') wereborn. After three years stationed at the Alameda Naval Station, in the Bay areaCalifornia. They lived in an apartment in Berkeley while Bob was atAlameda Naval Station. Bob held the rank of Electronics Technician's Mate First Class. He spentsome time on the USS Buck for the first Naval Reserve Training cruise onthe west coast since the end of the war. When Bob was discharged from the Navy, they moved back to Seattle in theSkyway District, where they lived for 21 years (1947-1968) at 6912 South115th. Bob was employed by the Civil Aviation Authority (later known asthe Federal Aviation Administration or FAA) of the U.S. Government. Hewas a Radar Specialist, often working near Auburn maintaining the AirTraffic Control hardware and also took trips to the Stampede Pass Radarequipment in the Cascade Mountains. Bob and Ruth were members of the Tabernacle Baptist Church of Seattle for10 years and then helped to form the brand new Skyway Baptist Church inSouth Seattle. He was a man of faith and a Deacon of the Church,literally helping to build the church building. (The Skyway BaptistChurch has now merged with the South Center Baptist Church, Tukwila.) He retired in 1968 at age 50, sold their home at 6912 South 115th inSeattle, and purchased the 40 ft. ketch sailboat, the 'Saturna' with thedinghy, 'Saturnina'. Bob was a man with an inquiring mind; he gained hisAmateur Radio Operator's license when he was only 12 years of age, hiscall letters were: W7EVL; he ground and built his own telescope forbackyard observation of the stars; he taught Navigation at HighlineCommunity College, he built his own 24 foot sailboat, the; 'San Sucia',at McChord Air Force Base and surprised his whole family; he builtwonderful wind whirligigs for Camp Gilead, Carnation, Washington, wherehe was in charge of maintenance when he died. Oh yes, and he sailed halfway around the world with Ted Harmon of Bellingham (Ted bought the 65foot teak sailboat in Hong Kong and he and Bob sailed it to Hawaii, thenon to San Diego). Bob and Ruth did a lot of RV-ing in California and Arizona in a verysmall 8' travel trailer. You might say 'They covered the West Coastcamping and relaxing and sight seeing. Then they would moved on and whenthey saw a nice camp ground to say, they stayed for maybe a week beforemoving on, like a couple of vagabonds. After a few years of this, they decided to put some time helping at CampGilead, and ended up volunteering full time at Camp Gilead, a Christiancamp near Carnation, Washington. They lived in a small cottage at theCamp and parked their little trailer for good next to the cottage. At this time (November 17, 2000, Ruth still lives at Camp Gilead in thesame cottage, but has retired from assisting the Camp. Jewel Ruth (Coy) Mehner pass away at 4:05 PM 03 Oct 2001 at the GroupHealth Care Center in Bellevue, WA. and was buried 10 October 2001 at TheCarnation Cemetery, Carnation, Wa. |