When Ocean Beach & Yacht Club enters the new year in 2019, it will be doing so without one of its long-time staples. Jean Johnson, outgoing Bookkeeper and Treasurer, has resigned from her duties and will be relocating to sunny California. Jean has been an integral part of our community her entire life, being a member of the Board in some capacity for the better part of the last 30 years! Her presence, passion, and expertise as a leader of our community will be greatly missed.
Many do not realize the sheer length of time Jean and her family have been a part of Ocean Beach & Yacht Club. Her family were some of the original members of the community, purchasing their properties in 1948 and having a presence every year since – until now.
Jean shared an incredibly fascinating story about her journey here at Ocean Beach, which we’ve included below for you to enjoy.
On behalf of the Board of Governors and our entire community, we want to extend our sincerest gratitude to Jean for giving her everything to our community and wish her nothing but the best, enjoying the year-round sun on the California beaches with her children and grandchildren!
—
The Story of the Stolz Family & Their History at Ocean Beach II
My extended family originally purchased in Ocean Beach around 1948. My aunt and uncle Peter and Margaret Mueller bought a property on East Chadwick, my Uncle John Roznoy purchased on East Bayberry, and my parents Joseph & Elizabeth Stolz purchased on East Shell. As each cottage was completed, the family was able to spread out into two, then three cottages.
The homes were constructed one at a time, mostly built by the men in the family with help for the foundations, plumbing and electrical. Measurements were taken from houses built earlier and the cottages were built from that. One of my childhood memories was my father building and framing the windows in his garage workshop in Union. Some long-term residents may remember that the interior walls were just studs, usually just stained, the floors were painted concrete and then covered by asbestos tiles which then usually leaked the black sealing tar through the cracks. I remember huddling around the kerosene heater in spring and fall, since the cottages were built without heat. The kerosene heater was also used to soften the tiles before being placed on the cold floor. Only a few years ago did I learn that wood left from unused chicken coops became part of some of our family cottages; farmers wasted nothing.
My Uncle John eventually moved to a lagoon house in Unit 1 on the new Bay Beach Way, and the Mueller’s and Stolz’s purchased on the new Melody Lane in the mid 1960’s. Sharing the home on Melody became a bit crowded, so in 1986 my husband Bob and I purchased on Harbor Drive. In 1998 we and our two children Heather and Bradley moved to Melody Lane in the home once owned by my aunt and uncle.
My childhood summers were spent on the beach and in the playground just as the children of today do. There were two water slides at the bay beach which provided fun for many families.Trips to Seaside for the rides were a treat a few times during the summer. Doughnuts were purchased on Sunday from the same Donut Shop still in business. Then, the doughnut machine was in front of the store. We were fascinated watching the doughnut-shaped raw dough drop into the hot oil, float around as they cooked and flipped over, and become the basis for the sugared and iced treats. A deli was located at the old OB post office where we purchased cold cuts, bread and other snacks. Outside of the deli was a milk machine. I was sent there often with some coins, inserted them into the machine and out came a container of milk. There was a Stewart’s in OB3 where many of us teens went to gather and socialize.
In my teens I was the bay beach lifeguard for four years, six days a week until 6 p.m. in the evening. Those were long days. I gave swimming lessons every morning to the children, picked the beach and raked the seaweed. It did make the mornings go faster. Back then, only the boys could guard the ocean beach, so the view, though beautiful, didn’t change.
In the late 1980’s, I had a question on a financial statement and was called to a board meeting to receive an explanation. Looking back I believe that was board’s way of recruiting an unsuspecting club member! Little did I know! That was the beginning of my time as a board member with the exception of a few interspersed years until we sold our OB house this fall. I enjoyed my many years as a board member and saw many good changes taking place. There are good people on the board, please thank them for the work they do.
Hello to all from our new home in Oceanside, California. I may see you again on a future visit to the east coast.