Author Archives: June Morrall

By June Morrall [Note: Loren Coburn died a few days after the end of WWI–the war ended at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918. A few hours later, in Europe, my grandfather, a German soldier–father of two, and a musician … Continue reading →

Talk about money and the Coburns always brought to mind Loren Coburn’s penny-pinching ways In some circles he was called “the poor little rich man of Pescadero,” compared to Shylock, the money-lending character in Shakespeare’s “Merchant of Venice.” There were … Continue reading →

[Note: I think this is Chapter 2. ] The crowd standing in front of the Coburn house talked among themselves. Sarah never entertained. But this morning felt different. Even the old Magnolia trees that cast their crooked shadows across the … Continue reading →

By June Morrall Life in the Northern California coastal farming village of Pescadero would never be the same after Wednesday, June 4, 1919. [And decades later some folks squirmed or refused to answer my questions about the events leading up … Continue reading →

By June Morrall The year is 1919 Suddenly Sarah had seconds thoughts about her attorney John McNab’s advice. With Wally’s future welfare on her mind, she walked across the road to Carl Littlefield’s home. He had worked for her millionaire … Continue reading →

By June Morrall After enjoying a home-delivered roast chicken dinner on the evening June 3, 1919, Sarah Coburn wasn’t feeling so well. She was feeling downright sick. She was old, feeble, losing her health and aware that death was ready … Continue reading →

By June Morrall [The year is 1919] Andy Stirling, a personable fellow in his late 30s, was supposedly a trusted friend of Sarah Coburn. While holding court at the Elkhorn Saloon on San Gregorio St., Andy told his buddies that … Continue reading →

And some notes: The year is 1919. Jobs were hard to come by. If you were in with the right clique in the old days you had your own way. Nobody had money to buy land here [Pescadero] until after … Continue reading →

By June Morrall When Sarah’s husband, Loren, was alive, he confided that his personal life was a “living hell.” Not only was Sarah bossy but sadly his son, Wally, whom he dearly loved, was not like most other children. Wally … Continue reading →

By June Morrall (1988) The teenagers in the village of Pescadero thought that Mrs. Sarah Coburn–who told everybody she was 68 when she was actually 82– the kids thought she was a very rich, polite and proper lady. But sometimes … Continue reading →