Remembering Vera Ransom

The Telegraph Hill Dwellers are sad to announce the passing of Vera Ransom, a 100-year-old resident of Telegraph Hill and a member of THD since the very beginning.  Vera died peacefully on May 6, 2013 in San Francisco.  She lived on Telegraph Hill for over 60 years, remaining in her flat on Montgomery Street until the end of her life because of the love, care and patience of her family and a strong circle of friends and neighbors.  Read her obituary written by Carl Nolte in the SF Chronicle here.

Former THD President Jon Golinger had the chance to sit down with Vera last year to hear some of the wonderful stories of her colorful life in San Francisco, New York and Paris and how she came to meet her beloved husband Bob.  You can read Jon’s Semaphore column about Vera, “Special People, Special Place,” by clicking here.

If you listen closely now at the top of Telegraph Hill, you may hear the wild parrots squawking “Vera, Vera” wondering where this treasure of Telegraph Hill has gone.  She is surely off on her next grand adventure.

SF History Expo at the Old Mint

The 3rd annual San Francisco History Expo at the Old Mint on March 2 & 3, 2013 was a big success.

Here are some photographs of the Telegraph Hill Dwellers Exhibit Room, which featured a celebration marking the 200th issue of the THD Semaphore and a collection of photographs of the historic Coit Tower murals, which urgently need restoration, preservation, and protection.

Thanks to Jon Golinger, Catherine Accardi, Dennis Hearne, Tom Noyes, Scott Elliot, Elizabeth Ashcroft, and many other volunteers for donating their time and talents to make this year’s exhibit worthy of our special neighborhood.

THD Semaphore article about 39 Coit Bus Driver featured in Chronicle column

An only-in-San Francisco story about 39-Coit bus driver “Geography John” was featured in Carl Nolte’s Sunday column in the San Francisco Chronicle.  Thanks to Hill Dwellers Jill Felton and Glenn Kersey for writing in the Semaphore about their friend, John Nelson, who drove countless Hill residents around the neighborhood for many years on the 39 Coit.  Nelson recently passed away, but will be long-remembered.

You can read the warm and colorful Chronicle column about “Geography John:  a MUNI man in a million,” by clicking here.