See Arvel's biography for details of their life together.
~~~
CHICO ENTERPRISE-RECORD, Chico, California, Tuesday, 21 February 2006: Grace Jr. Allread: Downtown Shop Owner Remembered
How many women know how to make cotton candy in their sleep, owned an elephant and were nominated for Entrepreneur of the Year by the local chamber?
Those are just an inkling behind the late Grace Jr. Allread, 83, who died peacefully Saturday in her Chico home. She had not been ill, but she was recovering from shoulder surgery.
Allread is known for her downtown gift and collectible store, Grace Jr., which will continue to operate, but will be closed on Saturday for her funeral.
The service will be at 10 a.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church.
Glimpses of the store tell customers she enjoyed the eclectic side of life. Grace Jr. is an array of wonderments, from jewelry and collectibles, to glass ornaments, furniture, clothes and brightly colored decorations, all scattered through various rooms in a tiny converted house.
Her home, complete with circus posters and marble collections, has a similar flavor of joy.
Daughter Poni Casale of Chico, who has managed the store for quite a while, loved one customer's comment -- that if you found something in the store and you couldn't tell what exactly it was, you knew Grace had something to do with it.
In 2004, this downtown retailer was one of five Chico women nominated for the Woman Entrepreneur of the Year through the Chico Chamber of Commerce.
"She was very, very flattered by that nomination," said local son, Jessee.
The flip side of the serious businesswoman was one entwined with the circus.
Allread's love of the circus sprang from her husband, who grew up near the train tracks in Marysville and would help workers unload the railcars and watch the circus spring to life.
That love of the carefree -- but hardly comfy -- life drew the couple after World War II to join several circuses. He played his horn for the musical accompaniment, and she worked behind the counters, collecting tickets and filling in wherever needed.
Jobs weren't found after the war, and circuses offered shelter, food, friendship and fun.
The couple traveled with the C.R. Montgomery, Robinson Brothers and the Great Panamanian Zoological Exposition circuses. The couple actually bought the Robinson circus out of bankruptcy and operated it from 1946 to 1948.
Allread did paperwork, took money, and actually performed, slipping her foot into a sling and swinging upside down high above the crowd.
Later, their children would travel along, working just as hard as their parents.
In 1951, the couple agreed life on the road needed to slow down because of the children. He was teaching music at various schools throughout Butte and Glenn counties. She was a homemaker, devoted to her seven children, who got used to a life a little different than their schoolmates.
It wasn't unusual for the Allread clan to conduct circuses -- with live animals -- in their backyard. Family memories include monkeys riding on the backs of sheep.
Allread was raised on a sheep ranch in the Red Bluff area, a place where she got used to life on the rugged side.
For two years as a toddler, she was confined to a half-body cast to protect a diseased spine and complications by tuberculosis. Because of the cast's weight, she was carried around on a small board.
She eventually grew better, but her children chalked up her indomitable spirit to that period of confinement.
She attended UC Davis, studying math and agriculture, but eventually transferred to Chico State because of homesickness.
It was at Chico State that she met Arvel Allread.
"She was one of the most independent women we knew, but she was always Mrs. Arvel Allread," daughter Susanna Myers of Folsom remembers. "She loved 'la familia.' "
Allread's children were also hard workers, tagging along with their parents on circus adventures, and joining in with chores and looking out for siblings.
When they weren't on the road, the Allreads and their children found free time often taken by serving hot dogs and cotton candy at community pools after their parents landed concession contracts.
But it was their love of small, imported toys and collections that eventually led to Allread's namesake store. An extensive collection of military figures from Europe was just one of dozens of collections the couple gathered. There were marbles, miniatures and more.
Selling some of the collections to pay for others evolved into the Handcraft House, a converted garage in the back of the family home where quality, imported toys were sold, among other foreign items.
The business eventually moved to the old Sequoia Hotel on West Fifth Street, now the home of Tri Counties Bank, and then to the small house on West Fifth Street, next to the Stansbury House.
It is named for the owner, Jr. being Grace's middle name.
Of the store, Casale said, "It's always been an eclectic mix of anything usual."
In 1986, before her husband's death, the couple followed the Carson Barnes Circus for some time, being free and on the road once more.
Asked how she would like to be remembered, her family answered in adjectives: "innovative" with "a wicked sense of humor," "a lover of diversity," and "a visionary" in a competitive retail world.
Allread was a big believer in giving to her community. When Chico State organizations, especially Alpha Chi Sorority, came knocking, she would find costumes and raffle prizes to donate. She contributed items for every Decorators Dream House, a fundraiser for health and community projects through the Butte Glenn Medical Society Alliance. She supported the Northern California Natural History Museum effort, and served on the board for the Stansbury House.
Her collections of circus memorabilia have been featured at Chico State University and Chico Museum.
Even though she was trying to cut back her hours at the store, she was there virtually every day.
"She just loved it," said Jessee Allread.
Contributions to the Stansbury House or Circus Fans of America (www.circusfans.org) are suggested by the family in care of Brusie Funeral Home.
~~~
CHICO ENTERPRISE-RECORD, Chico, California, Tuesday, 21 February 2006: Grace Jr. Allread: Downtown Shop Owner Remembered
How many women know how to make cotton candy in their sleep, owned an elephant and were nominated for Entrepreneur of the Year by the local chamber?
Those are just an inkling behind the late Grace Jr. Allread, 83, who died peacefully Saturday in her Chico home. She had not been ill, but she was recovering from shoulder surgery.
Allread is known for her downtown gift and collectible store, Grace Jr., which will continue to operate, but will be closed on Saturday for her funeral.
The service will be at 10 a.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church.
Glimpses of the store tell customers she enjoyed the eclectic side of life. Grace Jr. is an array of wonderments, from jewelry and collectibles, to glass ornaments, furniture, clothes and brightly colored decorations, all scattered through various rooms in a tiny converted house.
Her home, complete with circus posters and marble collections, has a similar flavor of joy.
Daughter Poni Casale of Chico, who has managed the store for quite a while, loved one customer's comment -- that if you found something in the store and you couldn't tell what exactly it was, you knew Grace had something to do with it.
In 2004, this downtown retailer was one of five Chico women nominated for the Woman Entrepreneur of the Year through the Chico Chamber of Commerce.
"She was very, very flattered by that nomination," said local son, Jessee.
The flip side of the serious businesswoman was one entwined with the circus.
Allread's love of the circus sprang from her husband, who grew up near the train tracks in Marysville and would help workers unload the railcars and watch the circus spring to life.
That love of the carefree -- but hardly comfy -- life drew the couple after World War II to join several circuses. He played his horn for the musical accompaniment, and she worked behind the counters, collecting tickets and filling in wherever needed.
Jobs weren't found after the war, and circuses offered shelter, food, friendship and fun.
The couple traveled with the C.R. Montgomery, Robinson Brothers and the Great Panamanian Zoological Exposition circuses. The couple actually bought the Robinson circus out of bankruptcy and operated it from 1946 to 1948.
Allread did paperwork, took money, and actually performed, slipping her foot into a sling and swinging upside down high above the crowd.
Later, their children would travel along, working just as hard as their parents.
In 1951, the couple agreed life on the road needed to slow down because of the children. He was teaching music at various schools throughout Butte and Glenn counties. She was a homemaker, devoted to her seven children, who got used to a life a little different than their schoolmates.
It wasn't unusual for the Allread clan to conduct circuses -- with live animals -- in their backyard. Family memories include monkeys riding on the backs of sheep.
Allread was raised on a sheep ranch in the Red Bluff area, a place where she got used to life on the rugged side.
For two years as a toddler, she was confined to a half-body cast to protect a diseased spine and complications by tuberculosis. Because of the cast's weight, she was carried around on a small board.
She eventually grew better, but her children chalked up her indomitable spirit to that period of confinement.
She attended UC Davis, studying math and agriculture, but eventually transferred to Chico State because of homesickness.
It was at Chico State that she met Arvel Allread.
"She was one of the most independent women we knew, but she was always Mrs. Arvel Allread," daughter Susanna Myers of Folsom remembers. "She loved 'la familia.' "
Allread's children were also hard workers, tagging along with their parents on circus adventures, and joining in with chores and looking out for siblings.
When they weren't on the road, the Allreads and their children found free time often taken by serving hot dogs and cotton candy at community pools after their parents landed concession contracts.
But it was their love of small, imported toys and collections that eventually led to Allread's namesake store. An extensive collection of military figures from Europe was just one of dozens of collections the couple gathered. There were marbles, miniatures and more.
Selling some of the collections to pay for others evolved into the Handcraft House, a converted garage in the back of the family home where quality, imported toys were sold, among other foreign items.
The business eventually moved to the old Sequoia Hotel on West Fifth Street, now the home of Tri Counties Bank, and then to the small house on West Fifth Street, next to the Stansbury House.
It is named for the owner, Jr. being Grace's middle name.
Of the store, Casale said, "It's always been an eclectic mix of anything usual."
In 1986, before her husband's death, the couple followed the Carson Barnes Circus for some time, being free and on the road once more.
Asked how she would like to be remembered, her family answered in adjectives: "innovative" with "a wicked sense of humor," "a lover of diversity," and "a visionary" in a competitive retail world.
Allread was a big believer in giving to her community. When Chico State organizations, especially Alpha Chi Sorority, came knocking, she would find costumes and raffle prizes to donate. She contributed items for every Decorators Dream House, a fundraiser for health and community projects through the Butte Glenn Medical Society Alliance. She supported the Northern California Natural History Museum effort, and served on the board for the Stansbury House.
Her collections of circus memorabilia have been featured at Chico State University and Chico Museum.
Even though she was trying to cut back her hours at the store, she was there virtually every day.
"She just loved it," said Jessee Allread.
Contributions to the Stansbury House or Circus Fans of America (www.circusfans.org) are suggested by the family in care of Brusie Funeral Home.
See Arvel's biography for details of their life together.
~~~
CHICO ENTERPRISE-RECORD, Chico, California, Tuesday, 21 February 2006: Grace Jr. Allread: Downtown Shop Owner Remembered
How many women know how to make cotton candy in their sleep, owned an elephant and were nominated for Entrepreneur of the Year by the local chamber?
Those are just an inkling behind the late Grace Jr. Allread, 83, who died peacefully Saturday in her Chico home. She had not been ill, but she was recovering from shoulder surgery.
Allread is known for her downtown gift and collectible store, Grace Jr., which will continue to operate, but will be closed on Saturday for her funeral.
The service will be at 10 a.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church.
Glimpses of the store tell customers she enjoyed the eclectic side of life. Grace Jr. is an array of wonderments, from jewelry and collectibles, to glass ornaments, furniture, clothes and brightly colored decorations, all scattered through various rooms in a tiny converted house.
Her home, complete with circus posters and marble collections, has a similar flavor of joy.
Daughter Poni Casale of Chico, who has managed the store for quite a while, loved one customer's comment -- that if you found something in the store and you couldn't tell what exactly it was, you knew Grace had something to do with it.
In 2004, this downtown retailer was one of five Chico women nominated for the Woman Entrepreneur of the Year through the Chico Chamber of Commerce.
"She was very, very flattered by that nomination," said local son, Jessee.
The flip side of the serious businesswoman was one entwined with the circus.
Allread's love of the circus sprang from her husband, who grew up near the train tracks in Marysville and would help workers unload the railcars and watch the circus spring to life.
That love of the carefree -- but hardly comfy -- life drew the couple after World War II to join several circuses. He played his horn for the musical accompaniment, and she worked behind the counters, collecting tickets and filling in wherever needed.
Jobs weren't found after the war, and circuses offered shelter, food, friendship and fun.
The couple traveled with the C.R. Montgomery, Robinson Brothers and the Great Panamanian Zoological Exposition circuses. The couple actually bought the Robinson circus out of bankruptcy and operated it from 1946 to 1948.
Allread did paperwork, took money, and actually performed, slipping her foot into a sling and swinging upside down high above the crowd.
Later, their children would travel along, working just as hard as their parents.
In 1951, the couple agreed life on the road needed to slow down because of the children. He was teaching music at various schools throughout Butte and Glenn counties. She was a homemaker, devoted to her seven children, who got used to a life a little different than their schoolmates.
It wasn't unusual for the Allread clan to conduct circuses -- with live animals -- in their backyard. Family memories include monkeys riding on the backs of sheep.
Allread was raised on a sheep ranch in the Red Bluff area, a place where she got used to life on the rugged side.
For two years as a toddler, she was confined to a half-body cast to protect a diseased spine and complications by tuberculosis. Because of the cast's weight, she was carried around on a small board.
She eventually grew better, but her children chalked up her indomitable spirit to that period of confinement.
She attended UC Davis, studying math and agriculture, but eventually transferred to Chico State because of homesickness.
It was at Chico State that she met Arvel Allread.
"She was one of the most independent women we knew, but she was always Mrs. Arvel Allread," daughter Susanna Myers of Folsom remembers. "She loved 'la familia.' "
Allread's children were also hard workers, tagging along with their parents on circus adventures, and joining in with chores and looking out for siblings.
When they weren't on the road, the Allreads and their children found free time often taken by serving hot dogs and cotton candy at community pools after their parents landed concession contracts.
But it was their love of small, imported toys and collections that eventually led to Allread's namesake store. An extensive collection of military figures from Europe was just one of dozens of collections the couple gathered. There were marbles, miniatures and more.
Selling some of the collections to pay for others evolved into the Handcraft House, a converted garage in the back of the family home where quality, imported toys were sold, among other foreign items.
The business eventually moved to the old Sequoia Hotel on West Fifth Street, now the home of Tri Counties Bank, and then to the small house on West Fifth Street, next to the Stansbury House.
It is named for the owner, Jr. being Grace's middle name.
Of the store, Casale said, "It's always been an eclectic mix of anything usual."
In 1986, before her husband's death, the couple followed the Carson Barnes Circus for some time, being free and on the road once more.
Asked how she would like to be remembered, her family answered in adjectives: "innovative" with "a wicked sense of humor," "a lover of diversity," and "a visionary" in a competitive retail world.
Allread was a big believer in giving to her community. When Chico State organizations, especially Alpha Chi Sorority, came knocking, she would find costumes and raffle prizes to donate. She contributed items for every Decorators Dream House, a fundraiser for health and community projects through the Butte Glenn Medical Society Alliance. She supported the Northern California Natural History Museum effort, and served on the board for the Stansbury House.
Her collections of circus memorabilia have been featured at Chico State University and Chico Museum.
Even though she was trying to cut back her hours at the store, she was there virtually every day.
"She just loved it," said Jessee Allread.
Contributions to the Stansbury House or Circus Fans of America (www.circusfans.org) are suggested by the family in care of Brusie Funeral Home.
~~~
CHICO ENTERPRISE-RECORD, Chico, California, Tuesday, 21 February 2006: Grace Jr. Allread: Downtown Shop Owner Remembered
How many women know how to make cotton candy in their sleep, owned an elephant and were nominated for Entrepreneur of the Year by the local chamber?
Those are just an inkling behind the late Grace Jr. Allread, 83, who died peacefully Saturday in her Chico home. She had not been ill, but she was recovering from shoulder surgery.
Allread is known for her downtown gift and collectible store, Grace Jr., which will continue to operate, but will be closed on Saturday for her funeral.
The service will be at 10 a.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church.
Glimpses of the store tell customers she enjoyed the eclectic side of life. Grace Jr. is an array of wonderments, from jewelry and collectibles, to glass ornaments, furniture, clothes and brightly colored decorations, all scattered through various rooms in a tiny converted house.
Her home, complete with circus posters and marble collections, has a similar flavor of joy.
Daughter Poni Casale of Chico, who has managed the store for quite a while, loved one customer's comment -- that if you found something in the store and you couldn't tell what exactly it was, you knew Grace had something to do with it.
In 2004, this downtown retailer was one of five Chico women nominated for the Woman Entrepreneur of the Year through the Chico Chamber of Commerce.
"She was very, very flattered by that nomination," said local son, Jessee.
The flip side of the serious businesswoman was one entwined with the circus.
Allread's love of the circus sprang from her husband, who grew up near the train tracks in Marysville and would help workers unload the railcars and watch the circus spring to life.
That love of the carefree -- but hardly comfy -- life drew the couple after World War II to join several circuses. He played his horn for the musical accompaniment, and she worked behind the counters, collecting tickets and filling in wherever needed.
Jobs weren't found after the war, and circuses offered shelter, food, friendship and fun.
The couple traveled with the C.R. Montgomery, Robinson Brothers and the Great Panamanian Zoological Exposition circuses. The couple actually bought the Robinson circus out of bankruptcy and operated it from 1946 to 1948.
Allread did paperwork, took money, and actually performed, slipping her foot into a sling and swinging upside down high above the crowd.
Later, their children would travel along, working just as hard as their parents.
In 1951, the couple agreed life on the road needed to slow down because of the children. He was teaching music at various schools throughout Butte and Glenn counties. She was a homemaker, devoted to her seven children, who got used to a life a little different than their schoolmates.
It wasn't unusual for the Allread clan to conduct circuses -- with live animals -- in their backyard. Family memories include monkeys riding on the backs of sheep.
Allread was raised on a sheep ranch in the Red Bluff area, a place where she got used to life on the rugged side.
For two years as a toddler, she was confined to a half-body cast to protect a diseased spine and complications by tuberculosis. Because of the cast's weight, she was carried around on a small board.
She eventually grew better, but her children chalked up her indomitable spirit to that period of confinement.
She attended UC Davis, studying math and agriculture, but eventually transferred to Chico State because of homesickness.
It was at Chico State that she met Arvel Allread.
"She was one of the most independent women we knew, but she was always Mrs. Arvel Allread," daughter Susanna Myers of Folsom remembers. "She loved 'la familia.' "
Allread's children were also hard workers, tagging along with their parents on circus adventures, and joining in with chores and looking out for siblings.
When they weren't on the road, the Allreads and their children found free time often taken by serving hot dogs and cotton candy at community pools after their parents landed concession contracts.
But it was their love of small, imported toys and collections that eventually led to Allread's namesake store. An extensive collection of military figures from Europe was just one of dozens of collections the couple gathered. There were marbles, miniatures and more.
Selling some of the collections to pay for others evolved into the Handcraft House, a converted garage in the back of the family home where quality, imported toys were sold, among other foreign items.
The business eventually moved to the old Sequoia Hotel on West Fifth Street, now the home of Tri Counties Bank, and then to the small house on West Fifth Street, next to the Stansbury House.
It is named for the owner, Jr. being Grace's middle name.
Of the store, Casale said, "It's always been an eclectic mix of anything usual."
In 1986, before her husband's death, the couple followed the Carson Barnes Circus for some time, being free and on the road once more.
Asked how she would like to be remembered, her family answered in adjectives: "innovative" with "a wicked sense of humor," "a lover of diversity," and "a visionary" in a competitive retail world.
Allread was a big believer in giving to her community. When Chico State organizations, especially Alpha Chi Sorority, came knocking, she would find costumes and raffle prizes to donate. She contributed items for every Decorators Dream House, a fundraiser for health and community projects through the Butte Glenn Medical Society Alliance. She supported the Northern California Natural History Museum effort, and served on the board for the Stansbury House.
Her collections of circus memorabilia have been featured at Chico State University and Chico Museum.
Even though she was trying to cut back her hours at the store, she was there virtually every day.
"She just loved it," said Jessee Allread.
Contributions to the Stansbury House or Circus Fans of America (www.circusfans.org) are suggested by the family in care of Brusie Funeral Home.
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