Heninger Park

We're Back! by Johnnie Lopez

Aug 17, 2001

In 1984, my family and I moved from our rented home at 917 S. Birch in Santa Ana to St. Louis, Missouri to attend Graduate School. Of course, we were younger then, with five children ranging in age from 4 to 18 and not really knowing where this would take us. Our oldest daughter had just graduated from high school and was enrolled in college in Irvine, yet we (her family) were the ones "leaving home" Our two older sons were entering their sophomore and junior years of high school and our youngest two just beginning (2nd grade and pre-school). We had moved to Birch Street some three years earlier and now had these very mixed emotions. Even though she has a medical background, my wife, Sarah had decided to do Day Care in order to remain at home with the children. Although we were sad about leaving our families, friends, church, etc., we were also excited and looking forward to the next few years. Basically our move meant not only some three years of school, but also starting over in a new place. It also included returning close to where my wife Sarah was born (Marceline, Missouri) and where her parents and family had their ancestral roots.

St. Louis was a great experience for our family. It was much slower paced than Orange County, a very friendly environment, even a different attitude. As we soon learned, a huge change in weather for us "Californians". Among the regular basic differences, I not so fondly remember feeling quite isolated at Busch Stadium as we rooted for the Dodgers one evening in a sea of red shirts and rowdy Cardinal fans. But there were many good memories as well. After graduation we moved back to California (to the city of Orange for a year) then we bought a home in Riverside, where we lived for the past twelve years. Moving back to Santa Ana has been a pleasant homecoming, but returning to south Birch Street (921) an even more interesting surprise. It?’s good to be back. Obviously many changes have taken place in this part of Santa Ana since 1984, but it's good to be back home again. We look forward to our time here and despite our busy schedules we hope to contribute to the many positive features of this city and this neighborhood.