Résumé

Gas station attendant, Felciano gas station, 112 A Street, Santa Rosa, CA, c. 1935. (See R.L. Polk and Company's Santa Rosa, California, City Directory, 1935, p. 61.)

Draftsman, C.A. Caulkins, Jr., Architect, Santa Rosa, CA, 1938.

Principal, J. Clarence Felciano, AIA, Architect, Santa Rosa, CA, c. 1940- .On 10/16/1940, Felciano had an office in Room #312 of the Bank of America Building in Santa Rosa. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For California, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 555, accessed 03/06/2024.) In 1950, the US Census recorded that Felciano worked 50 hours per week. This census noted that he performed school, commercial and industrial design as well as planning. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: Santa Rosa, Sonoma, California; Roll: 5475; Page: 49; Enumeration District: 49-90, accessed 03/06/2024.)

College

Felciano completed five years of college, according to the 1940 US Census.

Relocation

John Clarence Felciano, Sr., was born in Sebastapol, CA, on 11/20/1908, to a Portuguese-American father John Felciano and a American mother Flora Vier, also of Portuguese descent. The family dwelled on the same street in Santa Rosa for over 30 years, and his father held down a stable job at a local brewery, except during years of Prohibition in CA, between 07/01/1919 and 12/05/1933.

His father and uncle worked in the Grace Brothers Brewery in Santa Rosa. In 1910, John Clarence's parents resided at 915 Bosley Street in Santa Rosa. A paternal uncle, Joseph Felciano (born c. 1885 in the Hawaiian Islands), a cigar maker, lived with them. John Clarence's uncle Manuel Felciano (born c. 1879 in Portugal), wife Matilda (born c, 1890 in CA of Italian descent), and cousins Virginia (born c. 1908 in CA) and Abeline (born c. 1909 in CA) resided close by at 298 Sebastapol Road. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1910; Census Place: Santa Rosa Ward 2, Sonoma, California; Roll: T624_109; Page: 17b; Enumeration District: 0158; FHL microfilm: 1374122, accessed 03/05/2024.)

Many Portuguese settled in Marin County, CA, during the 19th century, many from the Azore Islands, many of whom were skilled sailors and fisherman, who joined Yankee whaling expeditions in the Pacific. Others worked as shepherds and raised livestock. A close-knit community of Portuguese-Americans had developed in Marin and Sonoma Counties by the time of John Clarence's birth.

In 1920, the Felcianos were listed as living at 519 Bosley Street in Santa Rosa, a residence that they would inhabit for many years. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Santa Rosa Ward 4, Sonoma, California; Roll: T625_151; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 159, accessed 03/05/2024.)

The 1930 US Census recorded John Clarence living with his family at 419 Bosley Street. In that year, the census indicated that the Felciano House had a value of about $3,000. This was a lower valuation than other dwellings in the immediate vicinity which ranged in value from $2,300 to $50,000 with an average of $7,845. (Throwing out the outlier $50,000 residence, the other ten houses had an average valuation of $3,630.) Addtionally, a number of houses located nearby to them were rented out, on average for between $20 and $25 per month. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: Santa Rosa, Sonoma, California; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 0052; FHL microfilm: 2339957, accessed 03/05/2024.)

He and his new wife Teresa Greeott lived at 617 Healdsburg Avenue in Santa Rosa soon after their marriage in 1932. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Register of Voters, 1932-1936, accessed 03/06/2024.)

By 1935, he and his wife Teresa Greeott lived in the Greeott Apartments at 616 B Street in Santa Rosa. (See R.L. Polk and Company's Santa Rosa, California, City Directory, 1935, p. 61.) They likely could live in this family apartment rent-free or nearly so, and save for a single-family house of their own.

The architect and his wife made their residence in 1938 at 304 Talbot Avenue in Santa Rosa. (See R.L. Polk and Company's Santa Rosa, California, City Directory, 1938, p. 57.)

By 1940, Felciano, his wife and three children resided in their own dwelling at 237 Talbot Avenue in Santa Rosa. He owned this residence that had an estimated value of $5,000. This was on the lower end of prices in the immediate vicinity, which reached $8,000. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Santa Rosa, Sonoma, California; Roll: m-t0627-00350; Page: 14B; Enumeration District: 49-38, accessed 03/06/2024.)

By 04/26/1942, the architect's parents remained at 419 Bosley Street. On his World War II draft card, his father John Felciano listed John Clarence as someone who would know his whereabouts. John Clarence continued to live on Talbot Avenue in Santa Rosa at this time. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives At St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System; Record Group Number: 147, accessed 03/05/2024.) Much of Bosley Street was wiped out when an interchange between US Highway 101 and California State Route 12 (aka the Luther Burbank Memorial Highway between Santa Rosa and Sebastopol) was built.

By 1950, Felciano, his wife and their now five children dwelled at 4010 Montecito Avenue in Santa Rosa. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: Santa Rosa, Sonoma, California; Roll: 5475; Page: 49; Enumeration District: 49-90, accessed 03/06/2024.)

Parents

John Clarence Felciano's father John R. Felciano (born 10/15.1882 in Sain Michaels, the Azores, Portugal-d. 04/1975 in Santa Rosa, CA) immigrated to the US from the Azores in 1885, as noted in the 1920 US Census. This document stated that he was naturalized in 1900. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Santa Rosa Ward 4, Sonoma, California; Roll: T625_151; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 159, accessed 03/05/2024.)

In 1910, John worked as a bottler at the Grace Brothers bottling works in Santa Rosa, while his elder brother Manuel was a foreman there. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1910; Census Place: Santa Rosa Ward 2, Sonoma, California; Roll: T624_109; Page: 17b; Enumeration District: 0158; FHL microfilm: 1374122, accessed 03/05/2024.)

John R. Felciano married Flora Vier (born 10/23/1881 in Petaluma, CA-d. 05/29/1964 in Sonoma County, CA) on 02/02/1908 in Sebastapol, CA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California Department of Public Health, courtesy of www.vitalsearch-worldwide.com. Digital Images., accessed 03/05/2024.)

During Prohibition, John's job at the brewery ended, and in 1930 he worked as the proprietor of a gas station at 112 A Street in Santa Rosa. As this was also the Depression, Flora also worked as a saleswoman at a dry goods store. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: Santa Rosa, Sonoma, California; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 0052; FHL microfilm: 2339957, accessed 03/05/2024 and R.L. Polk and Company's Santa Rosa, California, City Directory, 1935, p. 61.)

He resumed working at the brewery by 1942. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives At St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System; Record Group Number: 147, accessed 03/05/2024.)

His siblings included Geraldine Felciano (born 03/17/1914 in Santa Rose, CA-d. 01/21/1931 in San Francisco, CA). She died at age 16 of acute poliomyelitis at the Lane Hospital in San Francisco, CA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. California, U.S., San Francisco Area Funeral Home Records, 1895-1985 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010, accessed 03/05/2024.)

Spouse

He wed Teresa Angelina Greeott (born 09/20/1912 in Sonoma County, CA-d. 12/04/1999 in Sebastapol, CA) in Santa Rosa, CA, on 07/10/1932. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California Department of Public Health, courtesy of www.vitalsearch-worldwide.com. Digital Images, accessed 03/06/2024.) Her surname was frequently misspelled as "Grayott," "Grecott," or some other variation.

Teresa was a high school graduate. In 1935, she managed the Greeott Apartments in Santa Rosa. (See R.L. Polk and Company's Santa Rosa, California, City Directory, 1935, p. 61.)

Late in her life, after 1993, Teresa had addresses in Sebastapol, CA, and Cloverdale, CA.

Children

He and Teresa had five children: Virginia Renee Felciano, Julia Ann Felciano, John Clarence Felciano, Jr., Michael C. Felciano and Adrienne T. Felciano.

Biographical Notes

Voter records indicated that both Felciano and his wife Teresa were registered Democrats between 1932 and 1936. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Register of Voters, 1932-1936, accessed 03/06/2024.)

His World War II draft registration card of 10/16/1940 listed Felciano as Caucasian with a light brown complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. He stood 5-feet, 6-and-1/2-inches tall and weighed 125 pounds at age 31. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For California, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 555, accessed 03/06/2024.)