[0004.ftw]
[Brøderbund WFT Vol. 2, Ed. 1, Tree #0004, Date of Import: Oct 27, 1998]
Emily Cecilia Ross was born in Wilmington, California August 4, 1883. The Ross home was located just off the corner of B Street and Broad on the East side of Broad Street.
From available information, Emily Ross's father and mother were born in the Azores Island of Portuguese descent. It is not known how or by what means, her parents arrived in America. My mother had mentioned that her father had lived in New England prior to his coming to California. It is known that her parents were married in Oakland California, June 26, 1877. After their marriage they probably moved to Wilmington, where they established their home and her father employed by Phinas Banning, who was the owner-operator of a large shipping and dock company. Joaquin Ross drove a team of mules that hauled the sailing ships from San Pedro Bay up to the Wilmington docks to be unloaded.
Not much is known of her early childhood as her mother died January 19, 1892, at the age of 33, and her father died on March 17, 1899, at the age of 49. Both are buried in the Wilmington Cemetery. It is apparent that upon the death of her mother it was necessary for her father to place the children in the Los Angeles Orphan Asylum, located at 7th and Boyle Avenue in Boyle Heights, east Los Angeles. This was about 1892 and mother was about 9 years old. (The Orphan Asylum was the first orphanage in Los Angeles, a Catholic institution, operated by the Daughters of St. Vincent de Paul. This building was condemned in the 1950 and was torn down. The Golden State Freeway [I-5] runs thru the area today.
It is known that this orphanage was very stern and strick, and due to the difficulties, my mother ran away to San Pedro, where she was taken in and employed at Lucas Funeral Parlors. It is not known how long she worked there, but her marriage to my father on August 4, 1903 ended her employment. What became of her sisters and brothers are not known. Eva Modesta Ross was adopted and left the family. Mary worked as a house maid, John and Frank went to Bisbee, Arizona to work in the copper mines. Ida married and went to live in the Northwest.
Mother and Dad were married on August 4, 1903 at his mother's residence, at the Abbott home, on Tenth Street. The time was 3pm and the Rev. Tully Knowles was the minister. (Rev. Knowles was pastor of the Methodist Church, a graduate of USC and was latter to become famous as President of the College of the Pacific in Stockton.)
At the time of the marriage, Mother probably gave up the Catholic Church as she was married by a Methodist Pastor and Dad and his family all belonged to the Methodist Church. She never mentioned her Catholic association other than her confinment in the orphanage.
Mother lived nine years after father's death, she passed away on May 25, 1969. Both are buried at Inglewood Cemetery.
Her love for Dad was complete, from their wedding until her death.
Written by Raymond R. Abbott
approx. 1986
Emily Cecilia Ross 
