Graham, William Herbert, Sr. 1
| Birth Name | Graham, William Herbert, Sr. |
| Also Known As | Graham, W. Herbert Sr. |
| Also Known As | Graham, Herb |
| Also Known As | Graham, Toy |
| Gender | male |
| Age at Death | 77 years, 7 months, 1 day |
Events
| Event | Date | Place | Description | Notes | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth | 1880-09-26 | Sanford Orleigh, Highweek, Newton-Abbott, England |
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| Baptism | 1880-12-14 | Newton-Abbott, England |
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| Immigration | 1889-10-15 | New York, New York | Arrived on the ship R.M.S. Aurania, from Liverpool, England to New York. |
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| Occupation | between 1932 and 1937 | Oakland, California | Secretary & Chief Examiner of the Oakland Civil Service Board |
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| Death | 1958-04-27 | Mexico City, Mexico | Heart attack while alighting from an airplane at Mexico City's airport |
Event Note
Toy had flown to Mexico City to visit his son, Howard, and Howard's second wife Louise, when he suffered a major heart attack while deplaning and died in Howard's arms on the tarmack of the Mexico City airport. Even though Howard was an MD, he was unable to help his father. |
Parents
| Relation to main person | Name | Relation within this family (if not by birth) |
|---|---|---|
| Father | Graham, William John | |
| Mother | Burton, Harriet Jane | |
| Graham, William Herbert, Sr. | ||
| Sister | Graham, unknown girl | |
| Brother | Graham, Harold Llewelyn | |
| Father | Graham, William John | |
| Stepmother | Lewis, Lillian Z. | |
Families
| Family of Graham, William Herbert, Sr. and McCutcheon, Elizabeth Edna | ||||||||||||||
| Married | Wife | McCutcheon, Elizabeth Edna | ||||||||||||
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Addresses
| Date | Street | Locality | City | State/ Province | County | Postal Code | Country | Phone | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| between 1904 and 1958 | 825 East 20th Street | Oakland | California | Glencourt 8470 |
Media
Narrative
Herb, or Toy, Graham, as he was known, immigrated to Oakland from his native England in 1891 with his mother, Harriet (nee Burton) & brother Harold Llewelyn. However Harriet died within a few years of their arrival in Oakland.
Toy had his own plumbing shop in Oakland and is credited with inventing the "pop up" lawn sprinkler and installing the first water meter in the city of Oakland. He used a horse, Bessie, and wagon to make his rounds. One favorite story is how Bessie would know when is was quitting time and would head home on her own whether Toy was ready or not. When he would discover Bessie gone he would phone the house and ask "is Bessie there, if so bring her back down to the shop so I can get home".
Toy claimed that he got his nickname because of all the hair on his chest and when his kids saw it they said it reminded them of a friend's toy Pomeranian dog, and so they called the dog Toy.
Narrative
British births index says William's birth record is in vol. 5 b on page 128
Narrative
He was a member of the Brooklyn Lodge No. 225 of the F.&A.M.
Narrative
On Dec 21st of 1922 he searches for and finds a little girl who had been lost in the woods over night and returned her to her mother. The girl was found high up a hillside in what is now Joaquin Miller park.
Attributes
| Type | Value | Notes | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | Toy |
