Ruby's high school senior yearbook photo, 1940. |
Ruby Fern Michael was born July 29, 1922, in Jefferson City, Missouri to Edwin and Victoria Michael. In 1936, the Michaels moved to Southern California. Ruby attended John C. Freemont High School in South Los Angeles.
“At 18, she met Douglas Clide Cavanaugh, a U.S. Navy veteran, who shared her love of swing music and dancing,” wrote Paul Hodgins in the Orange County Register. “Ruby and Doug married in 1944 and had two children, Doug Jr. and Jane.” Later, the family moved to a two-story tract house on a cul-de-sac (13571 Whembly Dr.) in North Tustin. Ruby would live there for nearly fifty years.
A family photo, with Ruby on the right. |
A later photo of Ruby holding a photo of her younger self. |
Ruby died in Orange County on December 27, 2015. An estate sale soon followed, and a number of items were purchased by Lisa Baldwin of A & P Antiques in Downtown Orange. I purchased a few of these items (show in the photo above) from Lisa’s shop simply for their attachment to Ruby Cavanaugh. I picked out a plate and cookbook for their association with food, and a bright and colorful scarf which seemed to say something about her personality. I donated these items and added a current menu from the Ruby's Diner chain to the Orange County Historical Society at their annual Show & Tell program in December.
4 comments:
Enjoyed reading this as we ate our breakfast in the Orange Ruby’s. Well done Chris! :-)
It amazes me that that old bait shop could have been economically converted into a successful diner. I think many would agree. Only a few of us are true visionaries willing to take the risk. KS
Thank you so very much for sharing this wonderful history of the origins of “Ruby’s” with all of us but especially with the “Jitterbug Club”❣️����������
I miss going to the one that was at the end of the Huntington Beach Pier! Awesome pancakes...
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