The Valley of Heart's Delight
MRS. GERALDINE E. FRISBIE
President of the Woman's Relief Corps Home of California
San Jose
HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY 568
SURNAMES: HALL, SUTTON, COOLEY, MILLER, LEMON,
A woman of rare capabilities and good business judgment is
Geraldine E. Frisbie, the efficient president of the Woman's Relief
Corps Home of California, and past national president, having served as
president of the national Woman's Relief Corps during 1912-13. Since
November 10, 1921, the Woman's Relief Corps Home of California has been
located at Winchester, Santa Clara County, where it now owns thirteen
acres, formerly owned by Dr. and Mrs. A. E. Osborne, and known as
Osborne Hall.
Too much credit cannot be given to the noble women who have built
up
this institution, which provides a real home to mothers, wives, widows,
sisters and daughters of Union veterans of the Civil War. It is a state
institution, being amenable to the State board of Control, but an
institution which primarily owes its existence to philanthropic and
noble California women, starting with Mr. Cadwallader's donation of
five and thirty hundredths acres at Evergreen in Santa Clara County,
where the first Home was built and occupied until destroyed by fire
October 10, 1920. Mrs. Geraldine E. Frisbie was then its president, and
through the loyal and hearty support and cooperation of the secretary,
Mrs. Sarah J. Farwell, no time was lost in getting temporary quarters
for the inmates, who were left in sore distress.
Appeals were immediately addressed to the various W. R. C. posts of the
state, who responded very promptly in sending money, clothing and food,
while the state authorities gave the use of one of the buildings at
Agnew, until November 10, 1921, when the present premises had been
secured. Dr. and Mrs. A. E. Osborne have given liberally. The sum of
$12,500 was obtained as insurance on the former Home at Evergreen.
Several thousand dollars have already been expended in remodeling and
fitting up Osborne Hall for the Home. Of the $55,000 now invested at
Winchester, the women have raised $20,000, while the state has
appropriated the balance.
It will be necessary to purchase some more
land in order to meet the needs of the Home, and a movement is now on
foot whereby its holdings will be increased to Relief Corps Home are as
follows; Geraldine E. Frisbie, president, San Mateo; Mary Alice Arthur, matron, Winchester;
Mrs. Belle Donovan, vice-president, San Francisco; Mrs. Sarah J.
Farwell, secretary, Oakland; Mrs. Carrie L. Hoyt, treasurer, Berkeley;
in addition to the president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer,
the board of directors consists of: Pearl M. Baum, Hayward; Sarah A.
Martin (wife of Commander Russell C. Martin of the Veterans' Home at
Napa) Napa; and Mrs. Mary L. Farmer, San Francisco. These women have served well and faithfully, the secretary, Mrs.
Sarah J. Farwell, having rendered efficient and faithful service for
twenty-six years.
Mrs. Geraldine Elizabeth Frisbie is a native of Rochester, N. Y., a
daughter of Hiram D. and Sarah B. (Hall) Sutton. The mother died at the
age of twenty-six; her father married the second time and moved to Washington,
where the years of Mrs. Frisbie's early childhood were passed. The
Sutton family were prominent English people of wealth and influence in London,
and were the founders of a home for the aged ministers and their
families in London.
Owen P. Sutton, an uncle, came to San Francisco in 1849; was prominent
in the Pioneers Society of which he was one of its first presidents and
was also a member of the Legislature of California. He was a successful banker
and was largely interested in mining and built many buildings in San
Francisco.
Geraldine Sutton was educated in public and private schools of
Rochester, N. Y. Her first marriage occurred in San Francisco on March
20, 1866, and united her with Lester P. Cooley, a native of Vermont. He was a
rancher, later owning the Ravenswood ranch near Dumbarton bridge. They
became the parents of five children, all sons, of whom two died in
childhood. Those that grew up are; William L, Charles Philip and Frank
H. William L., was engaged in seafaring and has three children; Harry pursued the night
studies in the navigation school at the same time that he was a
student in the San Francisco Polytechnic High from which he graduated in 1913, and soon thereafter
graduated from the navigation school. He enlisted in the Navy during
the World War, but transferred to the Merchant Marine, and sailed the seas during
that entire conflict. He was promoted to first officer; Lester P- an
ensign in the U. S. Navy was stationed at Brest, France, during the late war; Olive is a
graduate nurse, who served during the latter part of the World War. She
married Horace Miller, resides in Los Angeles and is the mother of one child, Betty
Jean.
Charles Phillip is a member of the Board of Supervisors, Santa
Clara County resides in Palo Alto, and has one child Stanley. Frank H.
resides at San Mateo, where he is engaged in ranching, he is the father
of six children; Gerald Mortimer; Harold; Elizabeth is the wife
of Dr. Geo. B. Lemon, D. D. S., resides at Salinas and is mother of one
child, George Gerald; William L; Charles P. and Francis W. Lester P. Cooley passed away in 1882, and in November, 1883, Mrs.
Cooley married at Redwood City. Mr. Frisbie, a Civil War veteran, who
served three years with the Wisconsin troops as first lieutenant and special aixle
and private secretary to General Charles Devan; he passed away in 1885.
Since 1887 Mrs. Frisbie has been active in Relief Corps work, serving faithfully
and well and she has the loyal support and cooperation of her six
coworkers and matron in the care of the Home and its thirty inmates.
Transcribed by Marie Clayton, from Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California,
published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 568
SANTA CLARA COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES
SANTA CLARA COUNTY HISTORY