Newlin's Story: 1987

While he applied for academic jobs, Joel worked in a bank in New York City. By Fall 1987 he returned to the Ohio State University to supervise the teaching assistants in the Linguistics department.

Joel in Manhattan, Spring 1987

Joel with coworker's daughter at Citibank

Joel with Citibank coworkers

Joel with coworkers

Joel returned to Florida in the summer of 1987, bought a car (Mazda 323) and drove out West to attend a linguistics conference at Stanford Univerity. He and some OSU classmates drove over to the Pacific Ocean:

Joel with OSU classmate Riitta Välimaa-Blum

Joel and Riitta picnic off the trunk of his car

Allan got married in August to Cathie Coe. They were living in El Cerrito and married at Rockefeller Lodge in San Pablo.

Cathie with pet rabbit Ray Charles, El Cerrito, Summer 1987

Cathie's rented house in El Cerrito

Bridegroom Allan, August 1987

mother of the groom Newlin and bridegroom Allan

Andrew cracks a joke with Joe, Cathie, Allan, and Eric

newlyweds Allan and Cathie with Joel and with Allan's friends

Newlin with nephews and niece: Larry's wife, Larry, Kathy, and Walter (Arnie's brother Leonard's three children)

Before and after the wedding Nevis family members toured the area. Newlin's sister Floreine and her daughter-in-law Suzanne came out for the wedding from Florida, and Arnie's sister Laura came up from Los Angeles.

Suzanne, Eric, Laura, Joel, Floreine, and Andrew at the Cliff House (with Seal Rocks in background)

Newlin in a redwood tree, Muir Woods National Monument

Eric with a strangler fig, Muir Woods National Monument

Suzanne, Newlin and Andrew, Muir Woods National Monument

Newlin enjoying Muir Woods National Monument

Eric hamming it up near Mount Tamalpais

Andrew and Eric on a trail down Mount Tamalpais

Newlin, Allan and Eloise at Mount Tamalpais East Peak

Allan and Cathie came to Florida with Cathie's daughters Nikki (Nathalie) and Denise to spend Christmas with the Nevises.

Christmas tree in Newlin's living room, 1987

Scandinavian Christmas decorations on Newlin's dining room table

Stockings by the fireplace

Allan and Cathie open Christmas presents

Newlin opening a Christmas present with Nikki and Andrew

Denise in St. Augustine

Eric shows his romantic side

Between Christmas and New Year's Newlin arranged a reception at Wakulla Springs Lodge for our Ashmore relatives to meet Allan's new family: Cathie, Nikki and Denise.

Allan in a suit for the reception

Cathie and Allan on the left, Sheryl and Newlin in the middle, and Mary Alice on the right

cousins Linda and Joel

Wakulla Springs Lodge

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Arnold and Newlin: postscript 1986

Arnie and Newlin, 1952

Arnie and Newlin, circa 1980

There is no transition after death. Newlin and the family's lives changed dramatically after July 4, 1986. Newlin became a widow and went into mourning for a year or more, avoiding social functions for the most part. Her sister Eloise visited frequently during that year and made sure Newlin was never alone during holidays. Andrew and Eric lived at home and continued their studies, while Joel left Florida at the end of the summer for a conference in Europe and then lived in New York City for a year while looking for a job in Academia. Allan came to Florida for the funeral and returned to northern California to resume his life there. 

Newlin worked as an Alachua County school nurse several more years before retiring and working as a traveling nurse for the Florida State Children's Medical Services and she volunteered in Florida's Guardian ad Litem program.

In the early 1990s, Newlin had their son Eddie disinterred from Forest Lawn in Glendale and re-interred in the Tallahassee Memory Gardens in the family plots there. (This was done largely because Arnie's sister Laura had cancer so moving Eddie from Bill and Hazel's four plots in Glendale made room for Laura next to her sister and parents when she died in 1992. But it was also part of a long term plan for moving Eddie when Arnie and Newlin found a "final resting" place. Eddie's casket had been put in a vault so it could be disinterred more easily. Newlin was not able to be present for the reinterment so her sisters Eloise and Floreine had to do the grim job of verifying the body in the casket before it could be placed in the ground.) 

Of the four plots in Tallahassee with Arnie and Eddie flanking an empty one reserved for Newlin, the fourth was promised to Joel since as a gay man he had no prospects for marriage in 1986 and had no plans to have or adopt children, so he was expected to die alone.

next post  Newlin's Story:  1987

previous post  Arnold and Newlin:  Arnold and Newlin:  1986

first post in Flashbacks  How the Nevis family came to California

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

first post in blog  Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943 

Arnold and Newlin: 1986

1986 concludes the story of Arnold and Newlin together.

Ashmore sisters Eloise and Newlin in Gainesville, 1986

Newlin after an exercise class at Gainesville High School, 1986

Joel was working in Ann Arbor at the University of Michigan for a term and returned to Gainesville on July 2. Arnie died of a heart attack in the early hours of July 4. Newlin's sister Eloise happened to be visiting at the time and stayed on to help Newlin with the funeral arrangements and mourning. There was viewing for Arnie in Gainesville and then a second viewing in Tallahassee, where the funeral was subsequently held in a chapel of Culley and Sons Funeral Home. Arnie was buried in Tallahassee Memory Gardens on the edge of Tallahassee, close to Havana, Florida. Later their son Eddie was disinterred from Forest Lawn in Glendale and reinterred in Tallahassee. Newlin bought a fourth plot that was decades later transferred to Joel.

Arnie's obituary in the Gainesville Sun, July 1986

Rev. John Dickson from Westminster Presbyterian Church in Gainesville officiated at Arnie's funeral in Culley and Sons Funeral Home.

order of service for Arnold's funeral, July 8, 1986

order of service

Arnold's certificate of death from Alachua County Public Health, July 10, 1986

a certificate from President Reagan after Arnie died

Deed for four plots in Tallahassee Memory Gardens, July 11, 1987

Tallahassee Memory Gardens deed cover with stamp

March 29, 1988, letter from Abbey Memory Gardens to Newlin about the plots' deed

Arnie died at age 64, just one month shy of his 65th birthday, so he did not make it to his retirement. Because he was still an employee at the University of Florida, he left a larger insurance payout to Newlin than he would have with retirement. And since they had just bought a new car, Newlin make the one car payment and then the car insurance paid the rest of the car, so in a sense he left Newlin a brand new Honda almost for free. She had that car another two decades before passing it on to her grandchildren, who had it another decade. 

Arnie died prematurely; the family would have gladly gone without the "free car" and the insurance payout to hang onto him longer in life. His older brother Leonard, a smoker and a drinker, outlived him by more than twenty years (passing away in 2006). Newlin lived another thirty years as a widow, dying in 2016 at age 90.

next post  Arnold and Newlin:  postscript 1986

previous post  Arnold and Newlin:  Arnold and Newlin:  1985

first post in Flashbacks  How the Nevis family came to California

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

first post in blog  Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943

Arnold and Newlin: 1985

Arnold was quite ill by 1985 with a heart condition and difficulties after a series of strokes. He took up hydroponic gardening and grew lots of tomatoes.

Arnie's hydroponic tomatoes

Arnie was recognized by the U.S. Army for his regular Army service 1942–1944 and Army Air Force 1944–1946

back side of the Army recognition

Joel finished his PhD at the Ohio State University Department of Linguistics with a dissertation Finnish Particle Clitics and General Clitic Theory, that was the first in the Garland series Outstanding Dissertations in Linguistics. Arnie and Newlin fly up for his graduation in snowy December.

Joel in Columbus, 1985

next post  Arnold and Newlin:  1986

previous post  Arnold and Newlin:  Arnold and Newlin:  1984

first post in Flashbacks  How the Nevis family came to California

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Arnold and Newlin: 1984

Eric was in the University of Florida Marching Band playing tuba:

"Tuba Artists Extraordinnaire" with Bret, "Woody" (Eric), and Mike

Arnie's safe driver's license renewal, 1984

Newlin's safe driver's license renewal, 1984

next post  Arnold and Newlin:  1985

previous post  Arnold and Newlin:  Joel in Finland 1983–1984

first post in Flashbacks  How the Nevis family came to California

first post in Arnold's Story  July 1943

first post in blog  Leonard's Story: May 29, 1943