A Very Pleasant Surprise

One of my first post-Christmas purchases out of my Amazon cart was Phil Brigandi's new book, Orange County Chronicles (Orange County Chronicles).  I love local history and read much about the early days of OC. 

When I was looking through my newest acquisition, I soon discovered this picture on page 126.  The dark-haired young lady behind the counter next to Walter Knott is my mother, Marian Morris.  I had seen the picture before in the Knott's museum, and in an out of print book on the life of Walter Knott, but to find it in Brigandi's book was a pleasant surprise indeed.  Now I've got my own copy.

This was about the time my mom met my dad, Clayton.  He was a college student who showed up looking for a part-time job.  My mom liked his looks, and talked her sister Virginia (who was Mr. Knott's first secretary) into hiring him.  They were married on June 21, 1941.  My dad served in the FBI during World War 2.  My folks would later open a Christian bookstore at Knott's in May of 1956 (in Fiesta Village).  Our store was eventually relocated in 1983 to a vacant office complex on Grand Ave., just a few feet from where this photo was taken 1940.  How's that for irony.  We closed the store in January of 1994.

By the way, Brigandi's book is a good read.