Résumé

Draftsman, Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company, Sacramento, CA, 1940. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Sacramento, Sacramento, California; Roll: m-t0627-00284; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 34-93, accessed 12/11/2025.)

Military service, US Army, 1941-1945. Mullen enlisted in the US Army on 03/03/1941 and served on active duty until 12/25/1945. Between 1945 and 1959, Mullen served in the US Army Reserve, rising to the rank of Major. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at Washington DC; Washington DC, USA; Applications for Headstones For U.S. Military Veterans, 1925-1941; NAID: 596118; Record Group Number: 92; Record Group Title: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General; Source: Citation National Archives at Washington DC; Washington DC, USA; Applications for Headstones For U.S. Military Veterans, 1925-1941; NAID: 596118; Record Group Number: 92; Record Group Title: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, accessed 12/11/2025.)

Partner, Franceschi and Mullen, Architect and Engineer, Sacramento, CA, c. 1949-1955. Between 1952 and 1955, Franceschi and Mullen had an office at 2015 J Street, Room #27, in Sacramento. (See Sacramento, California, City Directory, 1952, p. 267 and Sacramento, California, City Directory, 1955, p. 281.)

Principal, Herbert Mullen and Associates, Consulting Architects and Engineers, Sacramento, CA, 1955- . In 1955, Mullen operated his practice at 801 9th Street in Sacramento.

Professional Activities

Member, City of Sacramento, City Planning Commission (CPC), Sacramento, CA, -1953. (See Sacramento, California, City Directory, 1953, p. 535.) He resigned from the CPC c. 08/13/1953.

College

The 1940 US Census indicated that Mullen had completed two years of college. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Sacramento, Sacramento, California; Roll: m-t0627-00284; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 34-93, accessed 12/11/2025.)

Relocation

Architect Charles Herbert Mullen, Jr., was born in San Mateo County, CA, on 07/25/1914, to Charles Herbert Mullen, Sr., and Nellie Schiefer. According to San Mateo County voter registration records, Charles, Sr., worked as a carpenter and lived in Daly City, just south of San Francisco. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library; Sacramento, California; Great Register of Voters, 1914-1920, accessed 01/29/2026.)

In 1920 at age six, Charles H. Mullen, Jr., lived with his family at 2231 Central Avenue in Alameda, CA. The family owned their own home, paying a mortgage. The household consisted of Charles's father, his stepmother, Nellie, younger sister, Mary Mullen, a step-brother Robert La Fontaine, Sr., (born c. 02/1895 in CA), a step-nephew Robert La Fontaine, Jr., (born c. 1917 in CA) and a roomer, Richard Coffey (born c. 1870 in CA), who worked as a carpenter in a planing mill. As a young boy, Charles Herbert, Jr., would have lived with at least three men who worked in the building trades, likely influencing his own professional direction. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Alameda, Alameda, California; Roll: T625_87; Page: 10A; Enumeration District: 8, accessed 12/11/2025.)

By 1930, Mullen resided in the home of his step-brother Robert LaFontaine, Sr., at 904 Chestnut Street in what is now the Leonardville neighborhood of Alameda, CA. He lived with Robert's wife Dell Vivian LaFontaine (born 10/09/1897 in CA-d. 09/21/1954 in Santa Clara County, CA), their son Robert, Jr., and his mother Nellie Schiefer LaFontaine Mullen. The LaFontaines owned their house worth about $6500, comparable to nearby houses. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: Alameda, Alameda, California; Page: 13A; Enumeration District: 0221; FHL microfilm: 2339835, accessed 01/29/2026.)

Mullen and his wife Janet both resided in Alameda County, CA, in 1935.

In 1939, Charles worked as a draftsman in Sacramento, CA, and he and his wife resided at 2728 1/2 Q Street. (See Sacramento Directory Company's Sacramento City Directory, 1939, p. 406.) A year later, Mullen, his wife and son Donald lived in a rented dwelling at 719 1/2 19th Street in Sacramento, CA. They paid a modest $25 per month in rent. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Sacramento, Sacramento, California; Roll: m-t0627-00284; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 34-93, accessed 12/11/2025.)

The 1950 US Census located Mullen and his family living at 4817 Brand Way in Sacramento's East Sacramento neighborhood. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: Sacramento, Sacramento, California; Roll: 2645; Page: 4; Enumeration District: 70-10, accessed 12/11/2025.)

In 1953, Mullen dwelled at 5721 Callister Avenue in Sacramento. (See Sacramento Directory Company's Sacramento City Directory, 1953, p. 535.)

Mullen resided at 3813 Watt Avenue in Sacramento, CA, in 1955. (See Sacramento Directory Company's Sacramento City Directory, 1955, p. 602.)

The architect died at age 44 and was buried at Valhalla Memorial Park, North Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA.

Parents

Charles Mullen, Jr., grew up in a household with various full- and step-relations, due to his father's multiple marriages.

His father Charles Herbert Mullen, Sr., (born 10/23/1860 in CA-d. 04/10/1949 in San Francisco, CA), grew up in San Mateo County, likely Pescadero, CA, and worked as a cabinet maker in 1900 and a carpenter for a building contractor in 1920. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Roll: 102; Page: 8; Enumeration District: 0097, accessed 01/29/2026 and Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Alameda, Alameda, California; Roll: T625_87; Page: 10A; Enumeration District: 8, accessed 12/11/2025.)

Charles, Sr., married at least twice. He wed Margaret Taylor (born 11/25/1869 in Sullivan County, PA-d. 07/27/1944 in San Francisco, CA) with whom he had at least three children (half-siblings to Charles, Jr.), Frederick Edward Mullen (born 06/12/1887 in Pescadero, CA-d. 09/17/1938 in San Francisco, CA) , Alice Mary Mullen (born 05/15/1892 in San Francisco, CA-d. 05/30/1944 in San Francisco, CA), and Harry Mullen (born c. 03/1892 in CA). This marriage failed before 1895, and Margaret later wed Harry Perry (born 1868 in PA-d. 11/06/1928 in Santa Cruz County, CA), with whom she raised at least two other children.

In 1900, Charles, Sr., resided in a flat at 3009 16th Street in San Francisco, with his wife Josephine Douglas (born c. 09/1870 in CA), whom he married c. 1895, and his children Frederick, Alice and Harry. Charles, Sr., and Josephine likely had a daughter together Daisy Mullen (born c. 1902 in CA). Josephine and Daisy lived on their own with her mother, Mary Douglas (born c. 1838 in Ireland), in San Mateo, CA, in 1910. Charles, Sr., did not appear in the US Census report on Josephine's household, suggesting, perhaps, that their marriage had already ended. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1910; Census Place: Township 2, San Mateo, California; Roll: T624_104; Page: 6a; Enumeration District: 0054; FHL microfilm: 1374117, accessed 01/29/2026.)

Charles, Sr., and his family dwelled in Alameda, CA, in 1920. He was married to Nellie Schiefer LaFontaine (born c. 05/1873 in MO) at this time, a woman about 13 years younger than he. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Alameda, Alameda, California; Roll: T625_87; Page: 10A; Enumeration District: 8, accessed 01/29/2026.)

Charles, Jr., had one full sibling, May L. Mullen (born 08/10/1917 in Alameda County, CA).

Spouse

C.H. Mullen, Jr., married Janet Mitchell Walthall (born 07/19/1915 in San Francisco, CA-d. 08/29/1979 in Sacramento County, CA) on 03/06/1935 in Alameda County, CA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. California, U.S., Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1850-1941 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014, accessed 01/28/2026.) She attended Alameda High School, graduating in 12/1932. She was part of the International Club and Latin Club and took part in the Senior Play. (See Alameda High School, Acorn Yearbook, 1932, p. 44.)

Janet remarried to a man named Alfred M. Fisher after C. Herbert Mullen, Jr.s premature death.

Children

He and Janet had two children, Donald Paul Mullen (born 07/04/1936 in Sacramento, CA-d. 01/03/2006 in Sacramento, CA) and Nancy Carol Mullen Porter (born 02/12/1943 in NJ). The 1950 US Census listed Nancy as having been born in NJ not Sacramento, possibly in error.

Donald P. Mullen served in the US Navy aboard the USS Saint Paul in 03/1959. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at Washington DC; Washington DC, USA; Applications for Headstones For U.S. Military Veterans, 1925-1941; NAID: 596118; Record Group Number: 92; Record Group Title: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General; Source: Citation National Archives at Washington DC; Washington DC, USA; Applications for Headstones For U.S. Military Veterans, 1925-1941; NAID: 596118; Record Group Number: 92; Record Group Title: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, accessed 12/11/2025.)

Biographical Notes

Member, Freemasons, Grand Lodge of California, Sacramento, CA, c. 1952.

SSN: 545038301.