Meet Your New Neighbors

Gladys Ennis has come to the Tehachapi area from Camarillo, Calif. where she had lived for fourteen years. Although she enjoyed coastal living, she decided to join her daughter Jackie and family in the mountains. Everyone pitched in to help Gladys unpack her three Pods.

Gladys has an extensive business background is real estate. She spent 30 years working with Southern California real estate developers as a sales manager and, at one time, she even managed a tract in Bakersfield.

Gladys was born near Omaha, Nebraska, the fourth of six children. They were brought up in an urban setting and she is very quick to remind you that not all of Nebraska is farming. She left Nebraska at the age of sixteen but still has relatives there. She also has two brothers who are now in Modesto and Cleveland. She has three children. Her son John and his family live in Eureka. Her daughter, Kathy, and her family live at Lake Malibu, an area where Gladys herself once lived. However, it is Jackie and her family who are close by. Jackie has a grown son and daughter and they have given Gladys her six great-grandchildren.

Gladys says that over the years she has seen most of the United States and Europe. Her husband was in the military so she had the opportunity to live in Germany for a while. He eventually went on to practice real estate law.

Playing golf is one of her passions. Gladys belongs to a nine-hole group and an 18-hole group in Stallion Springs. She is also a Red Hat and has started a group in her area. I was surprised to learn that Tehachapi actually has ten or twelve such groups. She would also like to form a Mah Jongg group if she can find enough interest. She would prefer not to have to teach it but realizes that she may have to in order to get a group going. With all these activities going on in her life and visits with her family, I know she will never be bored. Welcome to Tehachapi, Gladys, and I’m sure we will be hearing more from you.

When Lottie Ahrens’ doctors told her that she should no longer live alone and could no longer live in Bakersfield due to the air quality, her grandson and granddaughter-in-law, Bruce and Allison Russell, decided that the whole family should move to Tehachapi, where the air is much cleaner. They found the perfect house quicker than they thought and made the move in March. The family had lived in Bakersfield for the last four years. Bruce works in the oil fields and is still commuting daily, leaving for work in the middle of the night. Allison is the family’s social director.

Lottie was raised in Porterville and Delano, the sixth of seven children. She says that she can remember picking figs in the Central Valley at the age of three. She married a sailor and moved to San Diego in 1959 where she lived for 54 years and raised her family. She has three children, five grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.

Before moving to Bakersfield, Bruce and Allison lived in the Temecula area and all four of their girls were born in San Diego. Allison grew up in Ramona which is also near San Diego. Her grandparents who have been married 47 years still live in Manafee. At one time Allison worked for ACS Call Center dealing with student loans but now she is way too busy keeping the family organized. Their oldest girl, Shayla, is almost 21 and no longer lives at home. However Kyleigh (14), Makenly (11) and Halle (8) keep Allison on her toes.

According to Lottie, Allison loves to rearrange furniture and is likely to do so at any time, which can be very confusing for the rest of the family.

If you have moved to the Greater Tehachapi Area within the last six months and would like to know more about your new community, call 661-822-8188. We will be happy to make an appointment for a hostess to come by and give you lots of helpful information, some valuable coupons, gifts and much more. Many families and individuals who come to the area are pleasantly surprised with the amount of knowledge they gather about their new home. Publishing your welcome article is completely voluntary and is not a requirement of being welcomed.