Grandfather, Vincent John Maddux

The things that I remember about my Grandfather, Vincent John Maddux, are visions from my childhood. The sweet aroma of pipe and cigar tobacco on his person and his private "hideout" are the things I remember the best. Whenever we came to visit Grandpa would take us out to his "cabana" to play. This room was attached to the garage and had a view toward downtown Los Angeles (you never could see it). He seemed to enjoy his solitude and being "out of the house". They lived in the community of Monterey Park, just 15 miles outside of downtown Los Angeles, in a small house. We got cigar boxes from him for stashing our treasures. These boxes were treasures unto themselves to us. There is not one story he told us that I can recall. But, his personality was kind and he seemed to do everything that Grandma told him to do.

He had eleven grandchildren and from his two children, and as a result was a very busy Grandfather. Most of the time spent with Grandma and Grandpa was very short. Though you never would have guessed he had been shot, was a soldier in WW I, or experienced a lot of trouble in his life. He never spoke of these things. But he was very active in the Lion's Club to help the blind. More than once I remember going to huge pancake breakfasts to benefit the "White Canes". Grandpa was always there making pancakes or serving people food. He was very passionate about the Lion's Club.

Though Grandpa had endured a troubled life he learned to forgive those who wronged him. He also learned to help others who experienced similar troubles. He had the option to become an old bitter man if he wanted it, but he did not. He chose to endure the circumstances of his life and enjoy what else came his way. You might have thought he led a sad life, but that is not so. It is true that he could not drive a car and get around like most of us do, Grandma Lyndall was chauffeur.

There is a family "vice" that Vince participated in fully, he loved gambling, especially on the fastest horse. When he was retired, he loved spending time at the Santa Anita race track. His father too participated in the same "vice", though with more tragic results, when Vince was a young man. His father "bet" the Maddux farm, 200 acres he had inherited from his father Julius Augustus Maddux II on the Board of Trade, and lost it all.

As Vincent moved from place to place, while his dad found various teaching positions, at least two times their homes burned down. At the last instance his mother was injured and shortly thereafter died. So he was motherless, as a young man. But the Grandma-in-law, Catherine Wright Glenn O'Dell filled the gap for her daughter by helping take care of the family until they were all raised, another mother-in-law who was worth her weight in gold.

Vincent was born December 18, 1895 in Ray County Missouri to John William and Julia Pate O'Dell Maddux. He died November 20, 1973 in Los Angeles California. I was only thirteen when he died, so all of my memories of him are from my youth. We had moved away two years before he died and did not see him as much as we did previously because of the distance and all. I wish I could have asked him what his secret was to enduring tragedy, but the answer is in his life. I think his answer would have been "never quit". In many was his life was difficult, but because he endured he is a sort of a hero (to me anyway).

Kevin Maddux