Notes:
Photograph from the files of Doug Mumma
born: 2 Wildfell Rd., Catford, Lewisham, London, England
Margaret Steynor was born at 2 Wildfell Road, Catford, Lewisham, London, England. She was raised on the docks in an area called the "Isle of Dogs". Her father, Harold Steynor, fell off of a roof, hit his head & suffered a brain injury. He was admitted to Bexley Mental Hospital on 29 April 1910. After her grandmother died in January of 1914, her mother decided to immigrate to Canada with her sister, Eleanor, who had married a man by the of Arthur "Bert" Sloper. Bert was working at that time for the Canadian Railroad and jobs for widowed women were more plentiful in Canada than in England. The families arrived in Montreal, Canada on 20 May, 1914 aboard the ship named the "Lake Manitoba". After arriving, the families continued on to to Kamloops, British Columbia where Bert and Eleanor were living.
In April of 1915, Margaret, along with her Aunt, Eleanor Sloper, came to San Diego aboard the Pacific Steamship Company ship named the "Governor". We beleive the migrated to the United States for economic reasons of more jobs and a better climate. She arrived under the name of "Margaret Sloper". The use of this name was so she could enter the United States as her Aunt's daughter and avoid immigration issues. One of the houses they lived in was located at 1789 State Street in San Diego. The family remained in San Diego until October of 1915 and they moved to San Francisco. While living in San Francisco, Margaret attended McKinley Grammar School and received a diploma of graduation on 27 June 1919.
Her mother and Floyd Cole are enumerated in the 1920 census in San Francisco, however Margaret is not living with them. On her naturalization papers, she indicates that she moved to Oakland in May of 1919. Margaret is listed in the 1920 Census as living with the family of Willard C. Mills, Jr at 5858 Keith Avenue, Oakland. Her age is listed as 15 and her occupation is that of a maid. Eventually her mother and step-father, Floyd Cole, moved to 406 Hudson Street, Oakland, California where they bought a large rooming house.
1920: Oakland, Alameda, CA, 5858 Keith Ave
Willard C Mills, head, 32, b: NE/OH/OH, sales manager, chemical company
Florence J Mills, wife, 3, b: CA/MA/MA
Willard Mills, son, 5, single, , b: CA/NE/CA
John Mills, son, 2 8/12, single, b: CA/NE/CA
Margaret Steynor, maid, 16, single, Immigration 1914, b: England/England/England,
Margaret graduated from Oakland Technical High School on 19 January, 1923. The January graduates attended the Graduation Exercises on June 15, 1923.
Margaret is listed in 1923 Oakland City Directory as living at 633 10th Street. This was in the center of Oakland and she must have been living in an apartment. In 1924 she is living with her mother at 406 Hudson Avenue, Oakand and she is working as a phone operator. In the 1925 directory she is still living on Hudson Street, but she is now working as a clerk for the Bank of Italy.
On 19 Feb 1925, Margaret received her driver's license and is listed as being single, age 21. She was living at 406 Hudson Street, Oakland, CA. She had another driver's license issued on July 24th, 1929 at age 25. On the back of this license, her address of 722 59th Street, Oakland was crossed out and 540 Callan Avenue, San Leandro was written in. It has a date stamp of Sept 1, 1939
On 23 Aug 1925, she married Frank Duncan Gatter whom she met through a friend, James W. MacLean. In the 1926 City directory, Margaret is listed as "Gatter, Margaret Mrs. sten. Bank of Italy, 509 Athol Ave". The 1927 directory lists "Gatter, Margt Mrs. sten Bank of Italy 818 61st Street."
The family moved to San Leandro in June of 1935 as listed on her naturalization papers.
She received her driver's license on 19 Feb 1925 while she was still single at age 21. She was living at 406 Hudson Street, Oakland, CA. She had another driver's license issued on July 24th, 1929 at age 25. On the back of this license, her address of 722 59th Street, Oakland was crossed out and 540 Callan Avenue, San Leandro was written in. It has a date stamp of Sept 1, 1939
In January of 1943, Margaret worked for several years as a bookkeeper at the Palace Garage. Later, she worked for 12 years as the executive secretary for the San Leandro City Library and was an instrumental member of the design team that helped create a new library that the city built in the late 1950's.
On December 22, 1944, Margaret received her "Certificate of Naturalization", #6425686 from the Alameda County Superior Court in Oakland California.
Margaret was very active all her life with Eastern Star and served as a Worthy Matron. After her husband's retirement, they moved to the retirement community of Rossmoor in Walnut Creek, California where she lived until her husband, Frank, died in 1980. By this time she was suffering from advanced stages of Alzheimer's Disease and she lived her remaining years in convalescent hospital in Livermore, California, eventually dying in 1989 of arteriosclerotic heart disease and the effects of Alzheimers Disease.
