Probate form for a minor for William Douglas Wendt, July 7, 1914, Sonoma County Probate Register 11, Page 153, Record 5813. I have not looked at yet, but concerns his marriage, like the similar case for my grandfather. His Grandma Fulkerson was the family materach at that time and probably would not give her permission much like she did with my grandfather. He had been raised by the Tavernetti family down in Salinas after his parents died. Stella Blanche (Foster) Tavernetti was Grandma Fulkerson's niece on the Cockrill family line (that branch of the family had moved to Monterey county from Sonoma in the 1870's). I recently met Bessie Tavernetti in Salinas in April 2002 and she remembers when my "Uncle Doug" came to live with her family.

Uncle Doug moved back to Santa Rosa at some point in his life and was an auto mechanic for forty years. He and Frank E. Richardson went into business in 1922. The business was known as Richardson & Wendt's Garage. From 1936 to 1942, Marion Richardson, Frank's brother, was with the firm. My father spent a lot of time at the garage which was on 4th Street were Rosenberg's store was for many years. He remembered an old hand cranked Victrola record player that they used to play music in the garage. The garage was close to Chinatown which was next to the creek nearby, and my father would go over there to get candy.

He was the first of the four brothers to pass away. Obituary from a clipping that my grandmother had kept (Press Democrat, circa 1963):

W. Douglas Wendt, long-time Santa Rosa auto mechanic, died yesterday in a Santa Rosa hospital after a long illness. He was 62 years old.

Mr. Wendt was born in Rincon Valley. In 1922 he opened a garage in Santa Rosa in partnership with Frank (Barney) Richardson on Mendocino ave. where the present Montgomery Ward store is now.

Later the garage was moved to Fourth st. near the present site of Rosenberg's. The partnership dissolved in 1936, and Mr. Wendt carried on the business until 1942 when he went to work during World War II at Mare Island Naval Shipyard as a machinist on submarines.

After the war he worked in a garage near his home, 1133 Orchard st., until his illness in 1962. He was active in the Santa Rosa Christian Church.

Mr. Wendt is survived by his wife, Bernice; his sons, William D. Wendt, Napa, and Arthur Fout, San Mateo; his daughter, Mrs. Virginia Schurman, Vallejo; his brothers, Claude E. Wendt, Soledad; Stephen T. Wendt, Stockton, and Milton F. Wendt, Napa; his uncle, Fred Wendt, Santa Rosa, and 11 grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow at the Eggen & Lance Mortuary Chapel with Howard Stansbery of the Christian Church officiating. Burial will be in Santa Rosa Memorial Park.