The Frederick Family
My grandparents were Thomas Jefferson and Alice Caroline (Smith) Frederick. They were both born in Piedmont, MO. Tom in 1874 and Alice in 1881. Tom died in San Diego, CA in 1942 and Alice died in La Mesa, CA in 1948. My grandfather was day shift foreman at the mill and my grandmother was a homemaker. Their children were:
- - Raymond Lee Frederick, born Piedmont, Mo. in 1900 and died as a result of electrocution at the mill in Electric Mills in 1923.
- - Herbert Paul Frederick, born possibly 1903, but unsure of the location. He was employed at the mill as a machinist.
- - William Thomas Frederick, born 1908, in Malvern, AR and died in La Mesa, CA in 1991. He was employed at the mill as a saw operator and graduated in 1927 from Kemper County Agricultural High School and attended East MS Junior College. Bill married Nannie Virginia Cherry in May of 1931. Nan was employed as a nurse at the hospital in Electric Mills. She received her training at the George C. Hixon Memorial Hospital Training School.
In 1940 when the mill closed, Bill and Nan and their son, Thomas, moved to La Mesa, CA where Bill found work at Solar Aircraft which later became Solar Turbines. He retired in 1969 after 29 years of service as a supervisor. Nan was employed as a nurse at Mercy Hospital in the Pediatric Ward in San Diego, CA and also retired in 1969.
Bill and Nan had two children:
William Thomas Frederick, Jr. born Electric Mills, MS in September of 1937 and Raymond Alan Frederick born in National City, CA in September of 1943.
Tom graduated Helix High School in La Mesa, CA. In 1955 during a hitch in the U.S. Navy, Tom met Farris Foresman in the hold of a ship while unloading cargo in Kodiak, AK. Farris was the grandson of the plant manager in Electric Mills. After Tom's service in the Navy he returned to La Mesa, CA and enrolled at San Diego State College. He then hired on as a machinist with Rohr Aircraft Company in Chula Visa, CA. While temporarily assigned to Rohr's factory in Winder, GA Tom met Nancy Clydette Fagan. They married in Athens, GA and returned to La Mesa, CA in July, 1981. Tom retired in August, 1994 as Production Manager and he, Clydette and their two daughters, Rebecca and Laura moved to Athens, GA. We are now enjoying our 40th year of marriage and have added a son-in-law, Justin, and a grandson, Kellen.
Raymond, named after his uncle, is retired from the FAA after a career in Aviation and now resides in Oklahoma with his wife, Sarah. Raymond has two sons, two daughters and nine grandchildren.
Tom Frederick
