Photos from Mohawk Street

(Courtesy of Jeannine Berger Passenheim ‘60)

















Me in front of our home at 6927 Mohawk Street. John Muir Elementary School can be seen in the background at the corner of 69th and Mohawk. One Saturday a month a large truck would park in front of the school. At the appointed time the driver would drop down the back of the truck and then collect a dime from each of us as we nicely marched single file inside. After we were seated in the little chairs that he had set up inside, he would show us old movie reels of black and white cartoons. When the show was over he again dropped down the back end of the truck and, as we filed out, he presented us each with a piece of bubble gum. We were all very well behaved, as we didn't want to miss the film. One push, one shove, one loud word, and you were out of there! Those Saturdays were great -- listen to "Let's Pretend" on the radio at 9 am and then walk to the school to watch a cartoon inside a truck!







Looking west from our home towards John Muir Elementary. Note that Mohawk was a dirt road at the time. During the summer a water truck occasionally watered the road to keep the dust down. Some of the neighborhood kids used the truck as a moving sprinkler. Parents said it was dangerous and forbid it, but some boys didn't listen! During the ‘40s some of our San Diego friends thought that 70th street was the end of civilization. Actually, at that time, 70th street was the dividing line between San Diego and La Mesa. There was no stop light at 70th and El Cajon and the previous owners of our house kept horses in the stables on our "back forty".







My 5th birthday party: Left to right -- Paul Montgomery and unknown friend, Charlotte Stout, unknown, Jeannine Berger, Kathy Brown, unknown. Charlotte Stout later became a President of the San Diego Teacher's Union. We remained dear friends until she passed away from breast cancer in 2001.



John Muir Girl Scout Troop about 1950 -- Donna McPherson. Leader. Top row, left to right, Eleanor, Bonnie, Janet Reed, Joann, Roberta Wilkerson, Vicki Heramb, unknown, Jeannine Berger, unknown, unknown. Bottom row, left to right: Judy Bailey. Linda Smithson, Andrea Russell. Rowene Ashley, Alice Fox. Donna McPherson's parents owned a restaurant called "McPhersons' Farm”. It was located at the El Cajon Blvd. and Montezuma road "Y". It was a two-story farmhouse with a screened in porch, on top of a hill. They served the best chicken and dumplings imaginable. Donna taught us the trick to making great spaghetti too. The farm is gone now and the hill was bulldozed into the gully where the horses used to graze. It is now a flat shopping center and a bunch of apartments.










My 7th birthday party: Left to right -- Diane Paine, Judy Bailey, Rowene Ashley, Barbara Ann Thrailkill, Jeannine Berger, Kathy Brown, H.B. Amey, Paul Montgomery and Charlotte Stout




Looking east on Mohawk toward 70th street. Me, the family cat, and our new car!




Joy Dance Studio marching in the 1948 North Park Toyland Parade. (Remember double exposures? -- JF)




I think this is the Hoover High ROTC marching in the 1954 North Park Toyland Parade. My brother, Bob Berger, was a member.



Horace Mann 9th grade graduation, 1957. Left to right: Karen Poulson, Rosemary Erickson, Betty Martinico, Jeannine Berger, Patty Harrison.

(Left) Jeannine and Karen Poulson on the way to Central Ballroom's Monday night dance. Karen and I have been friends since 7th grade and still visit on the phone weekly. (Right) Crawford Pom Pom Lieutenant Jeanine in 1960.





My Father was in charge of the opening of the new Enchanted Land at Belmont Park. My friends and I were part of an Old West play that was performed on opening night. I shot Charlotte with a cap pistol hidden in my garter. It scared a little boy so bad he cried. We all felt bad and Charlotte got up and gave him a hug! We were all chagrined when we saw the newspaper photo. Charlotte didn't know she had lifted her leg quite so high!



























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