Wife Number One

In 1922, at the age of twenty-one, Grandpa married a woman named Marie Barbara Nutsch. They lived in the San Fernando Valley of southern California. Marie was the daughter of Frank and Josephine Nutsch, German immigrants. Josephine came to America when she was twenty-one and met Frank in the mid-west. Frank was a farmer and staked his claim in the great Oklahoma land rush. The land he claimed turned out to be poor for farming and he soon disposed of it and moved to Utah where Marie was born in 1904. Eventually Frank and Josephine migrated to Roscoe, California in a region called Sun Valley. Here Frank entered the construction business as a road grader operator. When Marie was seventeen, she worked as a housekeeper for Grandpa's brother Jack and his actress wife, Marin Sais. All of this information was taken from The Hoxie Boys, written by Edgar M. Wyatt, 1992. On September 16, 1922 Grandpa and his young wife Marie gave birth to their only daughter, Doris Mae. My Aunt Doris was born prematurely, in the seventh month of gestation and weighed only three and a half pounds at birth. It is a miracle she survived. I always enjoyed visiting Aunt Doris and my cousins in San Fernando Valley. They lived in a two story house, there weren't many two-story houses where we lived. It was different in San Fernando. I loved the yard and the stairway inside the home. I loved climbing up to my cousin's rooms and playing with their toys. I think it was 1971 when the great San Fernando earthquake hit. The bricks on the fire place fell, crumbled off the side of their home. The family survived the quake, my cousin said one of his dressers rolled over him while in bed. Aunt Doris had a daughter Doreen, I remember one of Doreen's doll closets, it was wonderful, pre-Barbie, with little tiny clothes hangers and little tiny drawers to hold the little tiny clothes. I remember hearing that Doreen had many sons and lived in Mexico City, the home of her husband's family. My Mom recently said that Doreen is traveling the United States in an RV with her husband, enjoying life.

It's getting close to Christmas, always a time to remember Grandparents. I wish my first holiday memories were of happy childhood times but the first thing that comes to mind when I think about Grandpa is the emotional support he offered after the death of my husband. My husband died December 9, 1977. Grandpa and Marie held my hand through the entire grieving process. They were the only relatives to visit on a regular basis after the funeral. We'd have coffee and they would tell me about their lives. They were so good to me and my little boy, Jack, Jr. Looking back, I don't know how I would have faired without their emotional support. What a beautiful gift, better than any wrapped package under a lighted tree.

Grandpa's handwriting on a card I found that he sent to my Mom. I don't know much about handwriting analysis, maybe someone out there does. I'll try to find more examples of his handwriting to post here.

Somebody once wrote that cowboys never die. Grandpa was a real cowboy when he was young. When he used those cowboy skills in Hollywood, his clothes and hat changed to give him a more glitzy image. Even though he was the rough 'em up stunt double for his brother, Jack, he could clean up for a photo shoot.

Great Grandma Hoxie (Stone)

Grandpa's surname comes from his stepdad, Bart 'Doc' Hoxie. His real birthname was Stone, he later changed it for reasons I will explain in a later post. The Hoxies moved to Oklahoma from Virginia around 1878. They lived in a small cabin on Kingfish Creek between Kingfisher and Guthrie, Oklahoma. Doc was a veterinarian, having attended veterinarian's school in Virginia. Doc Hoxie's demise was told by Bonnie Hoxie, grandpa's sister-in-law, "Matilda and the youngest of her four boys (the other three were in school) had walked the short distance to the town of Kingfisher to buy a few necessities. While they were gone, Doc attempted to treat a cut foot of a 'not-too-well-broke' Morgan stallion. When they came home, Matilda went to the corrals to look for her husband. She found him half outside and under the fence, beyond all earthly aid. The stallion's kick had nearly decapitated Doc. He died instantly" -- The Hoxie Boys by Edgar M. Wyatt, 1992. After Hoxie's death, widow Matilda moved her five children near Nez Perce lands in Idaho where she met and married a hog rancher named Scott Stone. My Grandpa, Al, was born to Matilda and Scott Stone, October 1, 1901.

Grandpa always won the heart of the leading lady. Even though the movies were silent, his charm came through in the eyes and smiles of his co-stars. If anyone knows the lady on the right, please email to have her name included here.

In 1919, Grandpa left his family in Idaho to work as a stunt double for his brother, Jack Hoxie in Hollywood, California. He would earn an extra $10.00 a day or stunts, often bringing home $17.50 day. In 1920, Grandpa landed his first role in the film Kentucky Colonel starring Joseph Dowling with Elinor Field and Francis McDonald.

A place to share Grandpa

There is a box and a binder full of black and white stills from Grandpa's movie days sitting in the corner of my living room. I have a terminal illness, what better activity to replace my job with than that of scanning Grandpa's photos and putting them here in a place where they can be viewed by family and friends. I should tell you that I admired him more than any other man in the history of my family. Maybe this admiration comes from the innocent eyes of a child who sat on the floor for hours and hours watching Grandpa jump off horses or balconies on to trains or cars and always, always making sure the lady was saved. Yes, Al Hoxie is my hero. I will attempt to write captions for each of the photos, however many are of people unknown. Maybe people can write with identities of those I do not know. That would be good. I guess it's important to note now I came to be Al's Grandaughter. His first daughter, Aunt Doris is my half-aunt. I came through Grandpa's second marriage to Merlene Hull. Together they had three children, two sons, Robert and Roger, and my Mother, Helen. I am Helen's first born. I have two sisters, DeEtta and Tracy, and two brothers, Tim and Joe. We grew up knowing Grandpa in law enforcement. He had many careers, beginning with his time in Hollywood B-Western silents. From there he worked in Anaheim as a Sheriff. After working as a Sheriff he was promoted to Detective, after which Grandpa worked for the Forest Service. Prior to retiring, he worked as a Security Guard for Patton State Mental Hospital in Redlands, California. I don't think I have photos that show all of Grandpa's life, I will know more when I open the box.