John Guss Pellman was born in Farley, Missouri, on 15 August 1891. He was baptised as Johann August Pellman at Saint John's Lutheran Church in Farley on 25 October 1891. When he was 10 years old, his family moved to Kaw City, in the Oklahoma Territory. His formal education ended about that time with his completion of the 6th grade. In Kaw City, his father owned and operated a butcher shop for a year or two before being elected town Marshall. John grew up dividing his time between Kaw City and the adjacent Kansa Indian Reservation. "When I was a kid, we played cowboys and Indians with real Indians," he reminisced, "But that was on the reservation, so every day was Custer's Last Stand for us cowboys. It was more fun when the Indians let me play on their side." His father had a close relationship with the last Chief of the Kansa Nation, Wah Shung Gah, who treated the Pellman children like nieces and nephews.
After his father's term as Marshall ended, the family moved briefly to Cedar Vale, Kansas, before moving to Leavenworth, Kansas in 1906. There, around 1908, John found work as a blacksmith. As a blacksmith, John transitioned from shoeing horses and repairing buggies to repairing automobiles. He was drafted into the US Army in 1917 and served as a Private in the 9th Supply Train, driving a supply truck in France. He was honourably discharged on 17 February 1919.
Five days later John married Vivian Grace Jenner in Kansas City, Missouri. They welcomed their first son, John A. Pellman, 11 months later. In 1921 the family moved to San Diego, California where John found work as an automotive mechanic at the local Graham Truck dealership. He was promoted to Chief Mechanic a year later. In 1924, their second son, Robert, was born. John continued as Chief Mechanic for the Graham & Paige Agency in San Diego until the First Great Depression forced his layoff.
In 1936 he opened his own auto repair shop, calling it Johnny's Garage. He bought some used library books and taught himself algebra, geometry, and machining so he could fabricate repair parts that were no longer in production during the Depression. In 1943, John was hired to build custom concrete pumping machinery for the construction of the San Vicente Dam about 25 miles north of San Diego. John retired in 1956.
An avid golfer, John played in the San Diego Open as an amateur in 1951 and drew his golfing hero, Slammin' Sammy Snead, as his playing partner. In 1964, at Snead's invitation, John was a member of the first foursome to play Snead's Tecolote Canyon Golf Course on its opening day.
John died of pancreatic cancer on 30 November 1970 at the age of 79.
After his father's term as Marshall ended, the family moved briefly to Cedar Vale, Kansas, before moving to Leavenworth, Kansas in 1906. There, around 1908, John found work as a blacksmith. As a blacksmith, John transitioned from shoeing horses and repairing buggies to repairing automobiles. He was drafted into the US Army in 1917 and served as a Private in the 9th Supply Train, driving a supply truck in France. He was honourably discharged on 17 February 1919.
Five days later John married Vivian Grace Jenner in Kansas City, Missouri. They welcomed their first son, John A. Pellman, 11 months later. In 1921 the family moved to San Diego, California where John found work as an automotive mechanic at the local Graham Truck dealership. He was promoted to Chief Mechanic a year later. In 1924, their second son, Robert, was born. John continued as Chief Mechanic for the Graham & Paige Agency in San Diego until the First Great Depression forced his layoff.
In 1936 he opened his own auto repair shop, calling it Johnny's Garage. He bought some used library books and taught himself algebra, geometry, and machining so he could fabricate repair parts that were no longer in production during the Depression. In 1943, John was hired to build custom concrete pumping machinery for the construction of the San Vicente Dam about 25 miles north of San Diego. John retired in 1956.
An avid golfer, John played in the San Diego Open as an amateur in 1951 and drew his golfing hero, Slammin' Sammy Snead, as his playing partner. In 1964, at Snead's invitation, John was a member of the first foursome to play Snead's Tecolote Canyon Golf Course on its opening day.
John died of pancreatic cancer on 30 November 1970 at the age of 79.
John Guss Pellman was born in Farley, Missouri, on 15 August 1891. He was baptised as Johann August Pellman at Saint John's Lutheran Church in Farley on 25 October 1891. When he was 10 years old, his family moved to Kaw City, in the Oklahoma Territory. His formal education ended about that time with his completion of the 6th grade. In Kaw City, his father owned and operated a butcher shop for a year or two before being elected town Marshall. John grew up dividing his time between Kaw City and the adjacent Kansa Indian Reservation. "When I was a kid, we played cowboys and Indians with real Indians," he reminisced, "But that was on the reservation, so every day was Custer's Last Stand for us cowboys. It was more fun when the Indians let me play on their side." His father had a close relationship with the last Chief of the Kansa Nation, Wah Shung Gah, who treated the Pellman children like nieces and nephews.
After his father's term as Marshall ended, the family moved briefly to Cedar Vale, Kansas, before moving to Leavenworth, Kansas in 1906. There, around 1908, John found work as a blacksmith. As a blacksmith, John transitioned from shoeing horses and repairing buggies to repairing automobiles. He was drafted into the US Army in 1917 and served as a Private in the 9th Supply Train, driving a supply truck in France. He was honourably discharged on 17 February 1919.
Five days later John married Vivian Grace Jenner in Kansas City, Missouri. They welcomed their first son, John A. Pellman, 11 months later. In 1921 the family moved to San Diego, California where John found work as an automotive mechanic at the local Graham Truck dealership. He was promoted to Chief Mechanic a year later. In 1924, their second son, Robert, was born. John continued as Chief Mechanic for the Graham & Paige Agency in San Diego until the First Great Depression forced his layoff.
In 1936 he opened his own auto repair shop, calling it Johnny's Garage. He bought some used library books and taught himself algebra, geometry, and machining so he could fabricate repair parts that were no longer in production during the Depression. In 1943, John was hired to build custom concrete pumping machinery for the construction of the San Vicente Dam about 25 miles north of San Diego. John retired in 1956.
An avid golfer, John played in the San Diego Open as an amateur in 1951 and drew his golfing hero, Slammin' Sammy Snead, as his playing partner. In 1964, at Snead's invitation, John was a member of the first foursome to play Snead's Tecolote Canyon Golf Course on its opening day.
John died of pancreatic cancer on 30 November 1970 at the age of 79.
After his father's term as Marshall ended, the family moved briefly to Cedar Vale, Kansas, before moving to Leavenworth, Kansas in 1906. There, around 1908, John found work as a blacksmith. As a blacksmith, John transitioned from shoeing horses and repairing buggies to repairing automobiles. He was drafted into the US Army in 1917 and served as a Private in the 9th Supply Train, driving a supply truck in France. He was honourably discharged on 17 February 1919.
Five days later John married Vivian Grace Jenner in Kansas City, Missouri. They welcomed their first son, John A. Pellman, 11 months later. In 1921 the family moved to San Diego, California where John found work as an automotive mechanic at the local Graham Truck dealership. He was promoted to Chief Mechanic a year later. In 1924, their second son, Robert, was born. John continued as Chief Mechanic for the Graham & Paige Agency in San Diego until the First Great Depression forced his layoff.
In 1936 he opened his own auto repair shop, calling it Johnny's Garage. He bought some used library books and taught himself algebra, geometry, and machining so he could fabricate repair parts that were no longer in production during the Depression. In 1943, John was hired to build custom concrete pumping machinery for the construction of the San Vicente Dam about 25 miles north of San Diego. John retired in 1956.
An avid golfer, John played in the San Diego Open as an amateur in 1951 and drew his golfing hero, Slammin' Sammy Snead, as his playing partner. In 1964, at Snead's invitation, John was a member of the first foursome to play Snead's Tecolote Canyon Golf Course on its opening day.
John died of pancreatic cancer on 30 November 1970 at the age of 79.
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