Her father came to Ben Lomond in 1908. he and his sibling moved to various eastern states from England and her family then relocated to California. Her father was very invested in Ben Lomond while the family lived there. He worked at the stable and also helped create a skating rink for the young people of the town using part of the barn. He was instrumental in developing the riverside area either through building new buildings or moving buildings including a butcher's shop, a saloon, and the Park Hall. New rooms or cottages were added to the stables by the river for members of the family to live in. Later a wooden platform was built by the river for square dancing.