More About Daddy

James Hoard McManus, born in Little Rock, Arkansas, January 31, 1920, was the son of James Hoard McManus (1887-1971) and Ida Ruth Eaglebarger (1896-1927).  His mother died at the age of 31 of breast cancer leaving a husband and two small children. The 1930 census shows the family enumerated under the name James H. Mcmannus as boarders in the Wisener household.  I remember my father talking about living with the Wisener's but, at this time, I don't know how long they stayed there.  I know my aunt went to live with her aunt and, most of the time, my father stayed with his father. My grandfather was a machinist with the railroad and my father sometimes lived with him and sometimes with relatives.  Daddy talked about living in the bathroom and sleeping in the tub. He built a shelf over the tub to hold his clothes.

He went to Louisiana State University for a two years prior to World War II and enlisted in the Army Air Corps 22 Dec 1941.  Daddy never fought in the war, spending most of his time working on transport planes.He was released from the service after the war in California and decided to stay.  He met my mother at UCLA saying that they were in a class together and he heard her southern accent, the only one in the room, and decided he had to meet her.  They were part of the post WWII marriages that produced the baby boomers of today, living in track homes that were built by the thousands in the suburbs of Los Angeles.