Virgie Fitz Oberg with her granddaughter Denise Mayfield

Oberg celebrates 100 years

By Roberta Mechalis
Virgie Fitz Oberg, granddaughter of pioneer Westside homesteader John Jordan, celebrated her 100th birthday on Oct. 29th in her retirement home Rio Las Palmas, Stockton.  Her granddaughter Denise Mayfield of Stockton and her granddaughter Laura hosted the event and invited 45 of the family and friends Virgie has made through the years.
Born in Madera on Oct. 30th she the youngest daughter of Inez Jordan Fitz, and Andrew Fitz.  When her grandfather John Jordan, homesteaded 17 miles north of Coalinga in 1908, she and parents helped with the settling process, and then moved to Blythe to begin their cotton farming.  When it was time for her to go to high school, she boarded with a family in town.  Her interests were commercial subjects and she excelled in typing and shorthand.
Virgie eventually married Harry Oberg, a sailor, and they had one daughter when they lived in San Diego. After their experiences and travels, they moved to Fresno and Harry tried farming, and using his carpentry skills, he became a school building inspector for the State of California.
Meanwhile, Virgie became a legal secretary for a firm of Lawyers until her retirement at the age of 68. At the retirement home she had been the operator of the gift shop until Oct. 1st and she still caries a supply of stamps in her basket on the walker to accommodate other residents when they need to mail a letter.

A friend brought his keyboard and entertained throughout the afternoon with songs of long ago while the buffet luncheon was being served.
Mr. Oberg’s cousin, Roberta Jordan Mechalis of Coalinga and her daughter and son-in-law Ruth and Bruce McKenna came from Oakland for the very special event.  A group of ladies from Fresno rode the train to Stockton to join the festivities and bring good wishes to the honoree.
*This article was published in the November 22, 2000 issue of the COALINGA RECORD. Submitted by Roberta Jordan Mechalis.

For more history on the Johnny Jordan Family go to the offical Jordan web site at Jordan-Family.org