Los Angeles County
Biographies
DR.
ALICE PAGE ASHTON
An
amazing lady with everlasting vitality and a wide variety of interests in the
arts, the community, politics and fraternal organizations, is Dr. Alice Page Ashton.
A
native daughter of Alhambra, Alice Page was born on August 1, 1892, in the home
of her parents, Abram “A. G.” Greene and Mary (Irving) Page. Her father came to California in 1874,
settling first in Pasadena before moving to Alhambra where he was a rancher and
later a businessman owning Page’s Blue Ribbon Bakery. He married her mother, a native of Scotland,
on November 13, 1890, in the First Presbyterian Church of Alhambra. They were the first couple to be married in
the original church building. An
interesting fact is that Nathaniel Greene, of historical fame during the
Revolutionary War period, is an ancestor of Dr. Ashton. Educated at Garfield Elementary School in
Alhambra, Dr. Ashton was graduated from Throop Polytechnic Institute in Pasadena
in 1910.
This
lady of action completed a course of study at the Los Angeles College of
Chiropractic, where she was graduated with the degree of Doctor of
Chiropractic. She also has a Doctor of
Philosophy degree.
In
1933 Dr. Ashton began her practice in Los Angeles, returning the following year
to Alhambra, where she maintained her office on North First Street until
1948. She was noted for having one of
the largest practices for women and children in the San Gabriel Valley. She is a past president of the San Gabriel
Chiropractic Association. An ardent
Republican Party worker, Dr. Ashton has been especially diligent during the
campaign period in election years, and served on the Board of Directors of the
Alhambra Republican Club. Republicanism
has been passed down as a heritage in her family.
Dr.
Ashton was christened in the First Presbyterian Church of Alhambra when just an
infant and was baptized in 1904. She is
one of the ruling Elders of the church.
She is active in the Presbyterian Women’s Association and formerly
taught Sunday School.
She is also an active member of the J. O. C. Business and Professional
Women’s Class at the church; Dr. Ashton had the honor of being the first
president of this group in 1938.
Extremely
interested in civic affairs in Alhambra, Dr. Ashton has spent many untiring
hours helping people less fortunate than she.
A past member of the Board of Directors of La Casa de San Gabriel, she
has devoted a great amount of time to this community project. Intrigued by all phases of culture in the
arts, she delights in attending symphony concerts. She has been a member of the Los Angeles
County Museum Association for many years.
Dr. Ashton became a member of the Alhambra Round Table Club in
1954. She has served on the executive
board in various capacities: two years
as program chairman; one year each as second vice-president and first
vice-president; and two years, 1960-61 and 1961-62, as president of its
literary club. The object of the Round
Table Club is intellectual improvement, social enjoyment and the promotion of
the best interests of the community.
Fraternally
Dr. Ashton is a charter member of the Granada Chapter, Order of Eastern Star,
and was elected Worthy Matron in 1929.
She is a very active charter member and in 1959 past president of the
San Gabriel Valley Parlor No. 281 of the Native Daughters of the Golden West,
joining when this body was organized in 1945.
Through the years she has held many of the various offices; actively
participating in all activities of the organization, whose prime philanthropy
is the Children’s Foundation. The Native
Daughters of the Golden West was founded on the basis of preserving historical
landmarks throughout the State of California, the organization being the first
patriotic women’s organization in the state.
During 1960 Dr. Ashton served as Deputy Grand President of the Pasadena
Parlor No. 290, and in 1961, she served as the Deputy Grand President of Los
Angeles Parlor No. 124.
This
indefatigable lady served as president of the Garfield Elementary School
Parent-Teachers Association from 1926 to 1928.
Serving as vice-president of the Alhambra Council of the Parents and
Teachers Association, she was 1930-31 printing chairman for the Los Angeles
First District of Parent-Teachers’ Association.
Dr.
Ashton has two sisters, Mrs. Mable P. Bach, who is a resident of La Jolla,
California, and Mrs. Mary Agnes Goss, a resident of San Clemente,
California. She has two nieces who are
natives of Alhambra, Mrs. Winifred Blanchard of New Haven, Connecticut, and
Mrs. John Edward Haggard of San Clemente.
On
June 1, 1911, Alice Page was married to Ralph C. Ashton in a ceremony which
took place in the home of her parents, 16 North First Street in Alhambra. Dr. Ashton’s father built the family home and
presented it to his wife as a wedding gift.
The Ashton’s celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1961, with a
reception held at the First Presbyterian Church in Alhambra. Mr. Ashton, prior to his retirement, was
engaged in the electrical business in Hollywood and Alhambra for many
years. They are charter members of the
newly organized Alhambra Friends of the Library, which was founded in 1961.
Mr.
and Dr. Ashton are the parents of one son, James Bruce, who was born in
Hollywood, California, on December 26, 1918.
He attended Garfield Elementary School as did his mother and is a 1936
graduate of Alhambra High School, and a 1939 graduate of Pasadena Junior
College. He attended the University of
California at Los Angeles and was graduated from the University of California
at Santa Barbara in 1942. Enlisting in
the United States Marine Corps in 1942, he attended Basic Officers’ Training
School in Quantico, Virginia. During
World War II, he served in the South Pacific Theater, taking part in the
invasion of Guam. At the close of the
war, Bruce Ashton retired with the rank of Captain. He is the general manager of Spede Tool Company in South El Monte and resides with his
parents at 901 North Atlantic Boulevard in Alhambra.
Transcribed
by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Historical Volume & Reference
Works Including Alhambra, Monterey Park, Rosemead, San Gabriel & Temple
City, by Robert P. Studer, Pages 462-465,
Historical Publ., Los Angeles, California.
1962.
© 2013 V.
Gerald Iaquinta.
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