EMILY WOOD

This beautiful girl, Emily Wood descends from Frances (Frankie) Eleanor (Moss) and James G. Knight. Her grandmother is Ann Wood.

GARY FLETCHER ALBUM CONTINUED

More items from Katherine Fletcher Shreves' files related to Gary Fletcher. Sid Ziff was a sportswriter, I believe for the LA Herald Examiner.
(click on image to enlarge)
Gary Fletcher High School Graduation Photograph.

MORE FOR GARY FLETCHER'S ALBUM

Gary Fletcher at age 4 months
Clipping form Des Moines Register

GARY FLETCHER ALBUM

Virgina, Jonathan and baby Gary Fletcher c. 1942
Gary Fletcher and tennis star Jack Kramer

Gary Fletcher 1942

REBUILDING GARY FLETCHER'S PHOTO ALBUM

Jonathan Moss Fletcher and his son Gary, during World War II.

We won't be able to replace all of the important treasures that Marcia and Gary Fletcher just lost in the fire in their West Des Moines, Iowa home - but here the next few postings on this blog will have photos and clippings from our records in California. If you have images of Gary that you would like posted here, copy and send them in a jpg format.

GARY FLETCHER --- GO HAWKS!

Gary Fletcher (right) when he played for the University of Iowa football team. Copy of newspaper clipping among the family photographs kept by Katherine Fletcher Shreves.

FIRE RAVAGES HOME OF GARY AND MARCIA FLETCHER

March 7, 2010 Des Moines Register

Fire ravages Glen Oaks home; family narrowly escapes
By TOM WITOSKY twitosky@dmreg.com

A fire destroyed the Glen Oaks home of Gary and Marcia Fletcher on Friday night and nearly claimed the couple as victims.

Gary Fletcher rammed his SUV through the garage door at his 1203 Burr Oaks Drive home to allow the couple and their dogs to escape as flames engulfed the home. He said a power outage in the house made his electronic garage door opener unusable.
"There have been times that I am really glad that my SUV is like a tank," Gary Fletcher said Saturday morning. "This is one of those times again."

Fletcher, a long-time financial advisor in Des Moines, has also been the radio color commentator for broadcasts of the Iowa Barnstormers arena football team.
Fletcher, an all-star football player at the University of Iowa in the 1960s, also played an instrumental role in bringing the Barnstormer franchise back to Des Moines after a six-year hiatus.

"I have to admit that I felt panic like I have never felt it before," Fletcher said.
Fletcher said that he fears he lost a lot of memorabilia from his years as a football player, as well as part-owner and radio broadcaster for the Iowa Barnstormers.

"I know there was a lot of it down in the basement. I am afraid a lot of it is gone," Fletcher said.

West Des Moines fire officials said that the home had flames shooting through the roof when they arrived about six minutes after being dispatched.

Fire officials said that the fire was reported about 11:30 p.m. and that the home - assessed at $432,600 - was destroyed.

Fletcher said that he was sleeping and his wife woke him after she heard smoke detectors in the home.

"I never heard the smoke detectors," Fletcher said. "Thankfully, Marcia did."

An investigation of the cause of the fire is continuing, according to Don Cox, West Des Moines fire chief.

KATHERINE FLETCHER SHREVES and THE QUIET MAN

The Quiet Man 1952 - Paving tile at the entrance to the administration offices of CBS Studios. Photo for the Archives of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley 2010 by Jerry Fecht
One of the most loved films of its era, The Quiet Man, directed by John Ford was considered a big financial risk for Republic Studios. High action films and western movies were Republic’s bread and butter money makers, and a high profile romantic drama was a significant departure for the studios.
To give The Quiet Man’s investors some security for their investment, the main performers and director of the film were contracted to make a western, the Rio Grande before making the Irish love story.
The Quiet Man was directed by John Fold and starred a beloved cast including: John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Barry Fitzgerald, Victor McLaglen and Ward Bond to name just a few.
The great film composer Victor Young was chosen by John Ford to create The Quiet Man’s musical score. To our family’s everlasting delight, Katherine Fletcher Shreves was Republic Studio’s principal cellist for the film. We have a 78 recording on which the orchestra plays the dear old Irish song, “The Wild Colonial Boy”, after which is ambient sound pause and Victor Young said, “Oh Katherine, that was so beautiful.”
Jerry Fecht
PS – If you haven’t seen The Quiet Man, it has the penultimate fistfight between the actors John Wayne and Victor McLaglen. What a movie!