Coming of Age
This was Opa's brithday present from his father on June 13, 1942, Opa's 7th birthday in La Jolla.
What are three gull winged corsair fighter planes
This is the item that Opa used to ask for Oma's hand in marriage
What is an onion ring?
This nickname, which stuck with Martin Fenton, Sr. his whole life, came from a comic book character called "Marty _______, the Marine"
What is Muggins?
This is the number of years Opa worked for Christiana. (+/- 2 years)
What is 28?
A treasured item at Camp Iroquois, this musical instrument was brought across the ice in winter and sparked a competition to see who could pump its pedals the longest, filling the air with music from the 1910s to the 1930s
What is the player piano?
This house belonged to Granny & Grandpa north of NYC on the Hudson
What is Spuyten Duyvil?
This is the date & place when & where Oma & Opa got married
What is 11/24/88, Oahu. Mokuleia
Before marrying "Muggins," his wife, Katharine Douglas, went by this nickname and was described as a superb athlete and ranked tennis player
Question: What is Babe?
This President of Christiana was described as an entrepreneur of enormous energy and vision who allowed the speaker to share in his vision and encouraged them to take responsibility, even making mistakes, because the speaker was "not afraid to ask what some might regard as the ‘stupid’ question". He also founded the company.
Who is Peter Douglas?
This daily pre-breakfast ritual at Camp Iroquois involved a plunge into the chilly, tannin-colored lake water from the dock, with "dry hair at breakfast" serving as an unspoken sign of non-participation
What is the "skinny dip"?
After his military service, Martin moved to California for a job as an "executive peon" or assistant to the president of this fledgling oil and gas company, which used a unique financing method of borrowing against the discounted value of oil in the ground
What is Christiana
This witty wonder has spent 37 years making life funnier, brighter, and somehow turning everyday chaos into creative magic. (full name only)
Who is Casey Griffith Fenton
When enlisting in the Marine Corps at age 33 in 1941, Martin Fenton, Sr. claimed to speak this language to gain entry, having learned some of it from the cook on the schooner Chance
What is Malayan
Christiana, despite having no prior experience in this area, embarked on an "outrageous" yet "hugely exciting" plan to develop and build this type of community in North Huntington Beach, featuring channels, marinas, schools, houses, apartments, and shopping centers over a period of 10-20 years.
What is a waterfront community?
This nickname was given to Edith's husband Roger, for his outstanding contribution (or lack thereof) towards the families primary mode of transportation to the camp.
What is "no Row"?
This is the year & the reason why Opa can only see out of one eye
What is 1954 when Opa got hit in the eye with a hockey puck?
This is the address of their first house in La Jolla
1440 Virginia Way
This is the place and the date when Muggins started his adventure on Chance
Panama, July 1929
To acquire an overriding royalty interest in a Libyan oil concession, the speaker traveled to Italy to meet an Italian broker who only communicated in this language.
What is French?
Of the three main lakes owned by the Adirondack League Club, this one was unique for being the only one to allow motorboats and for having crystal clear water with visibility up to 50 feet
What is Honnedaga Lake?
During a road trip, Martin survived a "successful crash" of a Piper Tri-Pacer with this person (who would go on to work on the Manhattan Project)
Who is George Mallinckrodt?
This delightful pup graced their lives in their first house.
Who is Fred?
Co-founded by Martin Fenton, Sr. and a Yale friend during the Great Depression, this company was described as a pioneer in the field of private equity, known for identifying entrepreneurs and raising necessary funds for new companies
What is Laird & Company
This grizzled veteran, described as a great and patient teacher, oversaw Christiana's producing oil wells, many of which were located in the Long Beach and Signal Hill regions, and shared his extensive knowledge of the low gravity oil business with the speaker.
Who is Dumes?
After a debilitating accident as a lumberjack, this gentleman became the "majordomo" of Camp Iroquois, proving himself to be a jack-of-all-trades as a plumber, electrician, carpenter, and painter
Who is Anthony Coleman?