LeBard name very respected in Surf City

A LOOK BACK

While researching material for the stories on Central Elementary

school, one name kept popping up: Lois LeBard, who taught

eighth-grade at the school for many years.

This week we are not going to look at Lois, but at the life of her

husband, Harry LeBard.

But to look at Harry’s life, we must first look back two

generations of LeBards.

Harry’s grandfather Joseph was a seaman in his youth before he

settled in Pennsylvania to live. When the great Civil War started,

Joseph enlisted in the Pennsylvania Volunteers.

Joseph was the father of six children, four boys and two girls and

they were all born, raised and educated in Milton County, Pa. His

oldest son John moved away from home at 18 to work as a cowboy on the

“R Bar S” ranch at Fort Dodge, Kan., punching cattle.

He later hauled freight for seven years between Camp Supply in

Indian Territory and Fort Elliot before the railroad came.

John moved to California in 1891 to live in Fillmore and it was

there in 1893 that he met Mary McDonald. Not long after that, they

were married.

To this union came eight children; Adam, Viola, Aubrey, Thomas,

Harry, Roy, Ruth and Grace.

But it is Harry Rex LeBard that we will concentrate our story on

this week.

Harry was born in Ventura County in 1901, and two years later, the

family moved south to live on the Irvine Ranch in Orange County.

It was there that Harry learned his ABCs in a one-room

schoolhouse. The family farmed some 500 acres there and when Harry

was not in school or doing his school homework, he and his brothers

were out tilling the fields.

From 1906, when Harry was 5, he spent time in the warm mineral

waters of Fairview Hot Springs. At that time it had a hotel, bath

house, boardwalk and fine homes surrounding it. This spot became part

of the Orange Coast College campus.

Harry attended Santa Ana Union High School and quickly became a

commissioner of athletics for two years. He had not found his niche

in life playing football and in track. He was a tackle on the high

school’s football team and a member of the school’s track team.

Harry found time to become president of his student body class for

two years.

He had a love for athletics in high school, but shortly he would

share that love with someone else -- for in high school, he met Lois

Sweet.

After he graduated high school Harry spent that summer fumigating

the orange trees that grew in the area.

Harry entered Pomona College, continued playing football and, in

his freshman year, was elected president of his class.

He moved to Fullerton to live in 1923 and got a job working as a

Standard gas station attendant in 1924. But by now, his love centered

on his old high school sweetheart, Lois, and the two were wed on June

12, 1926.

The two newlyweds moved that year to Santa Ana to life and it was

there that two children, Harlo (born 1930) and Darlene (born 1934)

came into this world.

While in Santa Ana, Harry joined that city’s Masonic lodge and was

a charter member and president of Chapter No. 1 of the Toastmaster’s

Club.

In 1933, Harry became a salesman for Standard Oil products. He

would continue selling their products for many years.

About this time, Harry and another man bought 10 acres of land in

Huntington Beach for $500 while Harry was driving a truck for

Standard Oil. Harry didn’t want to keep his share and sold it to his

partner. Shortly afterward Union Oil drilled there, and you can guess

what happened: His former partner became a millionaire and retired to

live in San Juan Capistrano.

In early 1940, Harry, Lois and family moved to La Habra to live,

and it was in December 1940 that the family moved to Huntington

Beach. They lived for many years at 419 9th St.

Harry joined the Huntington Beach Lions Club. In 1945, he became

its vice president and later, its president.

In April 1947, Harry filed for election to the board of trustees

of the Orange Coast Junior College along with two other Huntington

Beach residents, Louis Conrady and D.D. Lawhead.

Harry was elected in 1948 as clerk of the board.

Also in ‘48, Harry became a Huntington Beach councilman and served

on the council for the next 10 years.

In February 1958, as a member of the Orange Coast College Board of

Trustees, Harry had to vote to remove the old Fairview swimming pool

and surrounding trees that he had enjoyed so many years ago.

Lois taught for many years at the grammar school, and their son

Harlo became a teacher at the high school.

Some of you may remember that the field at Orange Coast College is

named for Harry LeBard.

When I talked to Gordie Higgins about Harry LeBard, he commented

to me that the LeBard name is very well respected in Huntington

Beach. What more could anyone ask for than being respected by the

people of your own hometown.

* JERRY PERSON is a local historian and longtime Huntington Beach

resident. If you have ideas for future columns, write him at P.O. Box

7182, Huntington Beach, CA 92615.