Alfred Gideon Sharp

HOMES: Chicago, Illinois (1878-1882); Atchison, Kansas (1882-1888);southern states (1888-1894); Florida in hotel business (1894-1897);Washington, DC (1897-1903?); Boston, Massachusetts (somewhere in the1900's - met Jessie Chapin there), Corona, CA (1908); PacificBeach/San Diego, CA (1910); Redondo Beach, CA (1912); 1630 McKee St.,Los Angeles, CA (1914)

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA: Had an enchanted childhood with his 8 brothers andsisters. His family was very musical and artistic. Closest in age tobrother Herb. Herb married his wife's sister, Connie. Played themandolin beautifully. Worked at the Boy's Republic helping waywardboys. Also worked with his brother Will at Deland University inFlorida. Came to live in California in 1916 and brought his horse,Tessie, by freight car. Worked in real estate the majority of hislife. Not much of a business man, however. He was allegedly generousto all and was constantly loaning or giving things away. He was avery gentle, loving man with a heart as big as anyone's could be. Heexperimented with many religions throughout his life and was quite aspiritual man. His daughter, Connie, remembers him encouraging her tohave a imagination, making her listen and identify all the sounds inthe barn. His great grand daughter, Gina Beck, remembers him as asmall child giving her jelly beans and having the kindest eyes she'dever seen. He was beloved by all who knew him, including his largeextended family.

1910 Census living on Naragansett Ave., San Diego, CA with wifeJessie, daughter Connie & son Robert C. Sharp, occupated real estate.

1920 Census living on Montezuma Street in Alhambra, CA with wifeJessie, daughter Connie, sons Robert & Donald, occupation real estatebroker.

1957 brother Herb's obit says living in Alhambra, CA.

"Alf and Jess lived in Washington, D.C., with Art and Flo Sharp Flintwhen Alf's brother Bert and Jess' sister Connie came to visit. Familytradition holds that Bert fell in love with Connie because she stoodup to Sister Flo - not an easy accomplishment, even then.

"In the Sharp family "central casting office", Alf was assigned therole of funnyman. His friendly wit made him a favorite uncle. Likeall successful clowns, though, he had a sober side. Alf was anextremely patriotic man, much concerned with the well-being of hisfamily, young people, and his country."

"At Stetson University in Deland, Florida, Alf was a member of theOakwood Debating society, participated in sports, then, as one of thestar performers, organized and promoted a college minstrel group. Itwas during his college experience that he made a friend in one ofWill's art students, Archie Burrell. Archie would later be found inCalifornia designing and making wrought iron doors and hardware forthe Mission Inn, and still friendly with Alf.

"Before coming to California, Alf and Bert worked with Boys' Republicin Maryland, a haven for "incorrigible" boys between the ages of13-17. Here Bert's hereditary desire for perfection and consumingconcern for the welfare of "his boys" caused him to become what wewould now called "stressed out", thus ending this stage of his careerand changing Alf's. Bert was offered a job with the YMCA inCalifornia, where the rest of the clan was being enticed to migrate.Alf, of course, followed.

"When the Sharp families moved to California by train around 1906, Alfopted to make the trip in a boxcar, consoling Tessie, his horse. Thestory merited a large spread in the Los Angeles papers, where Alf'sreminiscences of the jolting trip shed light upon travel in thosedays.

"Connie (Sharp) Sammis confides that she thinks that her mother(Jessie Chapin) of a broken heart because she felt that Alf was stillcarrying the torch for the woman he once wanted to marry - a friend'ssister [was it Archie Burrell's?] "Aunt Bertha", with whom Conniestayed while going to Harvard [confirm this]. The story is thatBertha was once in love with Alf, but when her sister died leaving twochildren, Bertha married her brother-in-law to care for the motherlesschildren. Alf consequently married Jess, the sister of Bert's wife,Connie "Aunt Cot" Chapin. Their mother had been part of the Suffragemovement.

"Another note I have, with the heading of Creative Family, is that Alfused to 'sit in the barn and listen to noises. Or --- What othershapes could a piano be?' [Now there's a thought that needsclarification! I can only think that it meant that he would explorethings in his mind while sitting in the barn]

"As a single parent in Alhambra, he wrote a poem for a local PTA(Parent-Teacher Association) presentation in which he advocated thatmen should assume more responsibility for their children. Thisconviction must have come from first-hand experience.

"My own recollection of Uncle Alf was of a playful, fun-loving wag,expected to come forth with witty sayings. He was not driven towardcenter stage, but seemed content within the family setting to "say hislines", then enjoy what others had to contribute. Films show himriding our hobby horse, clowning, (always clowning) or chewing on amassive turkey leg, but I also remember a middle aged real estatebroker who dropped by my grandmother's house to make business callsfrom a small corner table in her dining room. The affection betweenbrother and sister was quite obvious.

"But my most vivid memory of Alf was of his fingers strumming thestrings of a mandolin. I have loved the instrument ever since."

His mother, Julia Hatchwell Sharp, wrote in her bible that he wasmarried at Bayside Allerton, MA to Jessie Chapin, daughter of Mr. andMrs. Clarence C. Chapin of Boston, MA June 18, 1906.