Kids
Mar 14, 1970—Ruth in Greater Baltimore Medical Center with newly-born Steve
Back at the Thetford Rd house with their newborn.
Sun, April 5, 1970—Steve was baptized at Calvary Lutheran Church, Northern Parkway & Old Harford Road, Baltimore. Robert & Betty Lake were his godparents.
Baby Steve with Ruth’s father Pat in the family room of the Kingsville house.
The children of Ruth’s oldest brother Pat—David, Julia, Joyce (holding baby Steve), & Donald in Ruth & Jim’s Thetford Rd house.
Jun 1970—Jim in his master’s gown and Steve (approximately 3 months) outside the Thetford Rd house. Jim often expressed his appreciation for the tremendous support Ruth provided as he pursued the advanced degree while working full-time.
Jul 1970—Outside the California State Capitol with another classic Mildred Verdone photo featuring half of Paul (Ruth’s brother) holding son Danny, Lynne (Paul’s wife), Jim, Steve (4 months), Ruth & Pat (Ruth’s father). As arranged by Herbert Stuenkel, Jim & Ruth met with Pastor Showalter at Red Hill Lutheran Church & School. Jim was later formally offered the principalship.
Jul 1970—Ruth’s parents holding 4-month-old Steve, probably outside the CA state capitol.
Ruth & Steve in the driveway of her parents’ Kingsville house and Steve’s first time “in the seat.” This was likely right before the young family moved to CA in August 1970.
Tangent—In the 1970s, Simplicity riding mowers—with their iconic orange and white paint—were renowned for their HD construction and Briggs & Stratton engines. A talented machinist with a full workshop in the basement, Pat designed, created, & installed a seat for the back of the mower. Here Tim enjoys a ride with Grandpa & an unknown child. The side of the detached garage is in the background.
Tangent—Grandpa Pat’s mower become the stuff of legend. Sadly (at least in Steve’s mind anyway), the grass on the half-acre plot rarely grew fast enough during the short summer visits to warrant a second mowing.
Aug 1970—Back to the timeline: Red Hill Lutheran Church and School, 13200 Red Hill Ave (right). The church also owned the grey house (left) that backed onto the church property. When Jim, Ruth, Steve & Holly arrived, they initially moved into the upstairs portion of the house, which had an address of 13232 ½ Red Hill Ave.
Ruth & Jim placed a baby mattress across the Plymouth’s back seat, which was shared by Steve & Holly. Movers drove their belongings separately & stored them at a storage unit owned by church members Dick & Peggy Duntleys until they bought a house.
A few months after moving into the small apartment beside the church, Ruth & Jim bought this home 1.6 miles away at 14426 Silverbrook Dr in Tustin, for a mere $42,000. This would be the family’s home for 16 memorable years.
1970—Steve playing in his new backyard When Ruth & Jim purchased the Silverbrook home, there was a wooden fence that backed directly onto orange orchards that stretched for miles SE into Irvine.
1972?—Tangent 1: One of Ruth’s favorite photos was this one of Steve peering through the fence slats into the orchards. The orchards were soon removed and replaced with houses.
Tangent 1 Cont—When the orchards were removed, a cinder block wall was erected several feet further from the house. The wooden fence was then removed, leaving the yard slightly deeper. Likely still to this day, there is a faint impression across the length of the yard where the fence once stood. The wall is seen here with Steve, who was probably helping Ruth’s dad build a sandbox. Tangent 2 is the famous covered patio, seen here with the original low walls.
One of the many epic birthday parties Ruth hosted inside the screened patio.. Already the opportunistic jokester, Dave is shoveling food into his mouth for the camera.
Largely due to the annual Santa Ana winds? blowing the plastic screen covers, Ruth & Jim had the wall built up, as seen in this photo with Dave & Debbie on Dave’s birthday. This was the bike on which Dave would later be hit by a car on Copperfield Dr.
Dave, on a different birthday, showing the inside paneling of the raised walls.
Two images are overlapped, but in the photo of Debbie’s birthday we see the shed in the backyard.
Jim, Steve & Ruth in the front yard.
Ruth’s parents visit the family’s new Tustin home.
Ruth’s parents visit the family’s new Tustin home.
May 1972—And now, back to our timeline. Ruth & Steve seated at the dining room table at the Kingsville house. Ruth was 7 months pregnant with Dave. Apparently pregnancy never dissuaded Ruth from traveling.
May 1972—Steve with his grandpa Pat at Uncle Alvin & Aunt Betty’s house in MD.
Jim, Steve & Ruth possibly at the Santa Ana Zoo.
May 1972?—A family gathering probably celebrating Jim’s parent’s 45 wedding anniversary in May 1972. If so, Ruth is 7 months pregnant with Dave. Pictured: Don, Jean, Bob, Dorothy, Ruth, & Jim with Adolph & Mildred in the backyard at Jean and Don’s house at 1157 Steffen St, Glendora, CA.
Jul 1972—Ruth holding newborn Dave in front of Red Hill Lutheran School.
Jul 1972—Dave’s baptism at Red Hill Lutheran Church with his godmother Jean, Jim’s older sister. At the far right is Pastor Showalter, the senior pastor who extended the call to Jim to become principal at the school beginning in the 1970-1 school year.
Jul 1972—On the day of Dave’s baptism.
Jul 1972—On the day of Dave’s baptism.
Jul 1972—On the day of Dave’s baptism.
Jul 1972—Ruth’s parents holding Steve and newborn Dave.
Dave, Pat & Ruth
Ruth, Jim, Steve & Dave outside the Peter’s cabin in Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mtns. The Peters were the first to allow the Neumann family use of their mountain cabin.
The family in a rowboat at the dock in the lake inlet just outside the Peter’s cabin.
Ruth’s parents visit the Peter’s cabin where a local fisher shared some of his catch.
Steve, Ruth & Dave
Steve, Jim, Ruth & Dave
Jim & Ruth with Dave & Steve
An enthusiastic Dave in the backyard.
Feb 1975—In Jan 1974, Ruth underwent emergency surgery for removal of a tubal pregnancy. Fortunately, by June she was pregnant with their third child Tim. On the day of Tim’s baptism, with his godparents Don & Karen Larson. Taken in front of the living room fireplace with classic patriotic wall hanging.
Feb 1975—Ruth with her brother Paul, her parents, and baby Tim in February 1975. This is the first image where you can just make out the top of the sandbox Ruth’s father Pat built in the backyard (just behind Paul and Ruth).
Early 1975—The family seated in the family room.
Ruth’s parents with Steve, Tim & Dave on the balcony of the Lynch’s cabin Once the Peters cabin was no longer available, the Lynch’s allowed use of their cabin at 33884 Cedar Oak Ln in Green Valley Lake, also in the San Bernardino Mtns.
Ruth’s boys with her parents, probably on their way to or returning home from the visit to the Lynch’s cabin.
Pat & Dave celebrating Steve’s birthday in the dining room. Ruth & Jim have the same hutch, only it’s now painted blue.
Ruth & Jim with their boys. The Thompson’s van is behind them.
Ruth with her boys on Jul 4.
Ruth in a formal portrait with her boys.
Ruth in the backyard with her boys.
Ruth in the backyard with her boys.
The boys in front of Red Hill Lutheran Church. Dave is holding a The Six Million Dollar Man metal lunchbox, featuring actor Lee Majors as Col. Steve Austin using his superhuman bionic abilities—now a highly sought-after vintage collectible from 1974-78. Around the time of this photo, in 1977, Jim was offered a position in West Covina that he declined.
Another classic photo with several sets of eyes closed
May 1978—Ruth & Jim may have expected Matthew John, but instead, on May 1, 1978, they welcomed Deborah Ruth to the clan. Photo is in the front yard looking through toward the Thompson’s house.
May 1978—Ruth’s father holding baby Debbie in the family room.
May 1978—Ruth’s father Pat with Steve, Tim & Dave in the family room.
Summer 1979—Ruth & Jim made their first trip to Maryland in 9 years. They spent an entire month visiting family & friends and seeing sights of Philadelphia, Annapolis, Lancaster, Gettysburg, Washington DC, & Baltimore city.
Summer 1979—Ricky (Ruth’s cousin Vera’s older child) with Steve, Tim & Dave in Kingsville.
Summer 1979—The Neumann kids gather with Ruth’s brother Paul & Lynne’s kids Danny, Jeanie, & Christina in Kingsville. Her brother Pat & his wife Mary also celebrated their silver anniversary during this trip.
First formal family portrait with the entire gang.
Ruth’s parents with the kids.
Debbie with Grandpa Pat in the Tustin backyard.
The crew with Grandpa Pat.
Ruth and her kids at an unknown beach.
Ruth & Debbie on one of the weekly summer trips to Corona Del Mar Beach.
The kids in the front yard with the sandbox roof behind them.
Ruth & Debbie in the living room.
Apr 1981—Ruth, Debbie, & puppy April—Beagle #2—resting on Ruth in the family room looking into the screened patio.
Apr 1981—Ruth & Debbie
Jul 1981—Ruth & Jim purchased a used Apache tent trailer and planned a cross-country family quest. Apaches were unique because they featured solid ABS plastic walls that raised into place instead of canvas. The Buick LaSabre was outfitted with rear air shocks to manage the load. The family left Tustin early on July 4, surviving a night of torrential rainfall near Carlsbad Caverns. In TX they visited Jim’s brother Bob & family and Ruth’s cousin Vera & family.
Jul 1981—They visited the Great Smoky Mountains, Jefferson’s Monticello, & Williamsburg before staying with Ruth’s parents in Kingsville for ten days. Here Ruth & clan visit Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor. Ruth, Jim, & the boys made a day trip to NYC.
Jul 1981—Ruth & kids at the Jericho Covered Bridge near her parents’ home in Kingsville. The bridge was constructed in 1865 across the Little Gunpowder Falls near the historic Jerusalem Mill Village. This photo was before its latest rehabilitation in 2014-15. The return trip went through Chicago, Iowa, SD (Mt Rushmore) MT, & CO, where Jim had a conference in Denver. They returned home on August 7.
Dec 1981?—Ruth & Steve, with his very groovy jacket, in the living room at Christmastime. Note the stereo receiver and record player on the blue Ethan Allan furniture, also one of the two tower speakers.
The family making a crossing on the Balboa Island Ferry between Balboa Island and Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, CA.
Ruth & Debbie
Steve, Christina, Danny, Pat, Tim, Mildred, Jeanie. Ruth Debbie, Paul. Lynne & Dave. Paul was Pat & Mildred’s second son, Danny, Jeanie & Christina were Paul and Lynne’s children.
Back to school photo. Debbie with a metal Strawberry Shortcake lunchbox and Tim with a metal G.I. Joe metal lunchbox—classics!
Mildred strikes again? Ruth and some of Debbie in the front yard of the Tustin house.
1983—Ruth’s father Pat, Steve & Jim in front of the main entrance to Red Hill Lutheran Church. This may have been Steve departing for the 1983 World Jamboree in Alberta, Canada.
Jul 13, 1984? Bought Chevy 30 shell van and completed a custom conversion for cross-country travel. Bought Starcraft tent trailer from large dealership in. Irvine?? Flagstaff AZ, NM, TX, New Orleans, Gulf state to FL & Epcot, Outer Banks, NC, MD
1984—Ruth’s kids with her niece Julia (her oldest brother Pat’s youngest child) at a swimming pool during their Maryland visit.
Aug 1985—The family enjoyed a wonderful camping trip to Yellowstone. By this point, the six Neumanns had driven over much of the USA!
Probably 1984 or 1985.
Ruth & Tim
Though Jim was widely respected for his dedicated leadership, by the mid 1980s the educational landscape was changing. In time, the school looked to embrace more progressive approaches to teaching & administration in response to evolving parental expectations & new educational trends. Jim nearly took a position in Torrance in May 1984, but by the end of the 1985-86 school year, Jim knew it was time to find a new position.
Aug 18, 1986—Jm began working at First Lutheran School in Camarillo. Jim & Ruth rented this home at 1897 N Landen St while they searched for a home to purchase.
Aug-Dec 1986—Although the Tustin house technically sold in Aug, it did not close escrow until Dec 20. In the interim, to support two households, Ruth continued her work as librarian at Hewes Middle School in Santa Ana during the week, commuting to Camarillo on weekends. Steve & Dave took on many daily duties in Ruth’s absence.
Sep 11, 1986—After 3 months in the rental, Jim & Ruth closed escrow on 91 Camino Castenada on Sep 11, 1986, for $185K. Sep 11, 2026, marked the 40th anniversary of living in the house. The large tree along the left side of the driveway was removed before the photo was taken, but the driveway had not yet been replaced. The famous (infamous?) olive tree is on the right.
Jan 1987—Dave gives Ruth her present for her 45th birthday, her first in Camarillo
Mar 1987—Ruth flew to MD to visit her parents. Upon her return, she began a new job at Unocal in Ventura. This photo was likely taken in Ventura Harbor soon after Ruth began her new job.
1987—Ruth with Tim & Debbie outside the Ojai Museum.
Summer 1987—Family photo in Camarillo with Tim holding the family’s third (and final) Beagle—Ham. According to the 1987 Christmas letter, Ham was a birthday present for Dave who had been asking for a dog for several years. The family selling the dogs had given them all pig-related names.
Late Summer 1987—Ruth’s parents made an 8-day visit the new Camarillo house. This was clearly before taking photos in front of the olive tree became compulsory.
The Neuman kids with Vera’s children: Ricky & Christopher in Camarillo. Vera had a miscarriage after Ricky and her doctor prescribed (probably) diethylstilbestrol (DES), which was once widely prescribed to prevent pregnancy complications such as miscarriage and premature labor. Later evidence revealed that prenatal exposure caused severe reproductive tract abnormalities. Sadly, as a result of the medication, Christopher was born with severe disabilities.
Two families from Tustin visit the new home in Camarillo. On the left are Sam and Edith Atkins. In pink is Karen Larson. On either side of Ruth are Mark Maddott and his wife Laura Ann. Laura Ann is the only daughter of Sam and Edith, who lived several blocks from the Neumanns at 1541 Copperfield Dr.
Perhaps the family’s first-ever olive tree portrait.
The family with Ham in front of the olive tree. Digging the “pegged” pants Steve!
1987—The family attending Steve’s graduation from the Ventura County Regional Law Enforcement Explorer Academy held at Camarillo City Hall.
Jun 1993—The family in Aldrich Park for Steve’s graduation from UC Irvine.
Jun 1994—Jim, Christa, Dave, Ruth & Debbie at an awards ceremony for Dave at UC Irvine.
Jul 31, 1994—Ruth & Jim with Dave at his wedding.
1994-1995?—Debbie joins Ruth in her classroom at St John’s Lutheran School in Oxnard.
Jan 1995—Dave, Christa, Debbie, Steve, Amanda, Ruth & Jim following Steve’s graduation from the CHP Academy on January 26, 1995. The party was held in the Langstaff’s home at 2759 Shalimar St, Camarillo.
Jul 6, 1995—Ruth & Debbie pose for a vintage-style photograph in Solvang.
Aug 1995—Ruth, Dave & Christa playing Pictionary at the White’s cabin at 739 Dahlia Dr, Green Valley Lake.
Aug 1995—The family at the White’s cabin.
Aug 1995—Steve, Amanda, Ruth, Jim, Christa, Dave, Tim, Bre & Debbie at Octtavios Italian Restaurant in Camarillo, perhaps celebrating Ruth & Jim’s 31st anniversary. (Were we unable to celebrate their 30th with Steve in the CHP Academy & Dave’s wedding?)
Early 1996—Amanda (pregnant with Matt), Steve, Ruth & Jim outside Steve’s first assignment at the Central Los Angeles CHP office. This was the original office used in the filming of the “CHiPs” TV series. The building has since been replaced, but it remains located inside the southwest cloverleaf of the I-110 and I-10 interchange in downtown Los Angeles.
Jun 1996—Ruth & Jim at Debbie’s graduation from Camarillo High School.
1996—Jim, Ruth, Debbie, Christa, Dave, Amanda, Steve & Bre at dinner for an unknown special occasion, likely in 1996 (possibly Debbie’s high school graduation?).
1997—Ruth & Jim with Dave & Christa at a ceremony for Dave receiving his teaching credential.
Christmas 1997—Amanda (pregnant with Jeff), Steve, Mildred, Ruth, Breanne, Dave, Debbie & Jacob in Camarillo.
Jan 1998—Fenwick Bakery was the bakery of choice for Ruth & Jim’s 1964 wedding in Baltimore. After relocating to Camarillo in 1986, however, Bread Basket Cake Company in Camarillo became the family’s perennial favorite. Here Debbie celebrates Ruth’s 56th birthday with one of the family’s first Bread Basket cakes.
Jun 1998—Mildred returned to Camarillo to attend Debbie’s wedding.
Ruth & Dave at Easter.
1999-2000—Dave, Christa (pregnant with Anna), Ruth & Jim visiting Red Hill Lutheran.
Jan 21, 2017—The family gathered at Cafe Fiore in Ventura to celebrate Ruth’s 75th birthday.
Jim, Dave & Ruth
Dec 22, 2020—Steve, Amanda, Jim & Ruth enjoy a pre-Christmas COVID-19-style tailgate party in the parking lot of the Isla Vista Woodstock’s Pizza.
Dec 29, 2021—Jim, Ruth, Steve & Amanda visit the Los Angeles Central Library after Ruth & Amanda finished The Library Book by Susan Orlean.
Oct 15, 2022—Jim, Ruth, Steve & Amanda at Steve’s retirement party at the SpringHill Suites in Atascadero.
Aug 4, 2024—Jim & Ruth are joined by Amanda, Christa, Dave, Steve & Debbie during a celebration of their 60th wedding anniversary held at Debbie’s house at 1433 Gracia St, Camarillo.
Aug 4, 2024—This beauty also celebrated thirty-eight years of fabulous confections from Bread Basket Cake Company marking cherished family milestones.
May 3, 2025—Amanda & Ruth at Honey & Herb Belgian Waffle House in Newbury Park before attending the memorial service for Jim’s brother-in-law Don Simpson in Glendora.
May 23, 2026—Jim, Christa, Dave & Ruth at lunch before seeing The Sound of Music at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre.
