Mary Ellen (Hardie) Tryon (1929 - 2008)

Born 11 Feb 1929 in Baldwin Park, California

Ancestors

Wife of Joseph Donald Tryon — married 28 Jan 1950 in Los Angeles, California, United States

Descendants

Died 8 Mar 2008 at age 79 in San Juan Capistrano, California

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Michael Tryon [send private message]

Biography

Mary was born in 1929, daughter of James Hardie and Willa Steward. She married Joseph "Don" Tryon in 1950 and had two children. She passed away in 2008.

Mary was known as Mary Ellen to much of her family. She was the oldest of five children and grew up in the greater Los Angeles area of California during the Great Depression and WWII. She met her future husband, Don Tryon, in high school and they married after his return from his service in the US Coast Guard. They had two children in early 1952 and late 1953. Don worked for various oil companies and they moved frequently during their early years, spending time in Arvada, CO, and Houston, TX, before returning home to Southern California in 1963. At about this time Mary began college, first in Houston and then at Cal State Long Beach and received her degree and teaching credential. She taught 5th grade for many years and was well-loved by her students, with many of whom she continued contact for many years after. She and Don retired in the late 1980s and moved to San Juan Capistrano, CA, where they lived the rest of their lives. They were very active in the community and particularly with their work with the SJC Historical Society. Mary, like her siblings, battled cancer in her later life and finally succumbed in 2008. She was survived by her husband, Don, children Mike and Gail, and two grandchildren. Two more grandchildren were born shortly after her death.

Obituary

The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, 12 Mar 2008, Wed, Page 12

TRYON, Mary Ellen (Hardie)

Mary Ellen Tryon (Hardie) a fifth generation Californian, born February 11, 1929 in Baldwin Park, CA, died at home in San Juan Capistrano (SJC) March 8, 2008. A teacher and author of books on the history of San Juan Capistrano. Active in the SJC Historical Society, SJC Fiesta Assoc, school docent and archive programs.

She was honored as 2002 Ms. Fiesta. She is survived by her husband of 58 years Don Tryon, two children and two grandchildren.

Memorial will be at Sarducci's Depot Restaurant in downtown SJC, Friday, March 14 at 3:00 p.m.

Mary Ellen's personal notes about her life

My family lived in Baldwin Park, California, until I was eleven. Then we moved to Canoga Park, then in 1941 we moved to Los Angeles. I went to school at Margaret Heath Elementary & Central School in Baldwin Park, Canoga Park Elementary, Virgil Jr. High School and Belmont High School. My ambition was to be a nurse.

What I loved most about my father was that he had never really grown up. He still enjoyed doing things that were fun. What I loved most about my mother was that she could sew and make anything I wanted. She was very talented.

My teenage years sere happy years even though I grew up during the Second World War. There was always something to do, someone to do it with, and lots of exciting things happening.

As a child my favorite song was Moonlight Serenade, my favorite actor was John Wayne, my favorite book was Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey, my favorite place was the beach, any beach, my favorite food was hot fudge sundaes, my favorite subject was history, and my best friends were Barbara McBride and my sister Mabel.

I met my future husband in Journalism class in high school. We sat next to each other.

After school I worked as a typist until I was 19 and then as a bookkeeper at Security Bank. On weekends I worked at home, went on dates, rode horses, saw movies, took hikes, and went to the beach.

I married Don on January 28, 1950, at 2 pm, at Our Lady of the Loretto Church, Los Angeles, California. I wore a beige suite my mother made. We had our reception at my parents home in Los Angeles, then we went to Santa Monica and stayed at the Miramar Hotel for the night.

Sources

• Personal documents in the possession of her son, Michael Donald Tryon, as of February 2017.

• "California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGLW-T35W : 27 September 2019), Mary Ellen Hardie, 11 Feb 1929; citing Birth, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States, California State Archives, Sacramento.

• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XCFV-RLJ : accessed 21 January 2020), Mary Ellen Hardie in household of William Steward, Covina, Los Angeles, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 907, sheet 5A, line 21, family 117, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 124; FHL microfilm 2,339,859.

• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K97X-5LH : 7 December 2019), Mary Hardie in household of James Hardie, El Monte Judicial Township, Los Angeles, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 19-151, sheet 8B, line 54, family 194, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 227.

• "California, County Marriages, 1850-1952," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K827-FCD : 8 December 2017), Josph Donald Mann and Mary Ellen Hardie, 28 Jan 1950; citing , California, United States, county courthouses, California; FHL microfilm 2,117,620. Note: Very poorly transcribed.

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/243446035/mary-ellen-tryon: accessed 11 September 2022), memorial page for Mary Ellen Hardie Tryon (11 Feb 1929–8 Mar 2008), Find a Grave Memorial ID 243446035, ; Maintained by Michael Tryon (contributor 49528194) Cremated.