Herman and Amelia Fayal celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary on December 26, 1964, as guests of honor at a party given by their daughter, Jacqueline McDonell, at her home on Kelly Street. L – R: Herman Jr., Marie, Herman Sr., Amelia, John, Jacqueline. (Kelley House Collection, Kelley House Photographs)
December 26, 1914 – Miss Amelia Costa became the bride of Herman C. Fayal. The ceremony was performed at the Catholic Church in Mendocino by Rev. Father Raymond at 11 o’clock in the morning.
Amelia was born in 1898 on the island of Terceira, Azores and had only recently arrived in Mendocino. Her sister Gertrude was the childhood sweetheart of Manuel Correia-Silva, who had left the Azores with his family in 1906 at the age of 12. In 1912, Manuel sent for Gertrude to join him in Mendocino. Gertrude’s parents wouldn’t allow her to make the long journey alone, so Amelia accompanied her to California. Following the sisters’ arrival here in 1914, Herman Fayal fell in love with Amelia.
Herman was born in Mendocino in 1893, the son of Manuel and Maria Fayal who had immigrated to California in 1892. After attending Mendocino Grammar School through sixth grade, Herman quit to go to work. This wasn’t unusual among descendants of Portuguese families of Mendocino. Many were called upon to seek work to help support their families after completing the sixth grade.
Herman’s first job was in the cookhouse at Greenwood. He later worked for the Mendocino Lumber Company, learning the carpentry trade and that became his life’s work.
Amelia and Herman had four children: John, Jacqueline, Marie and Herman, Jr. Amelia passed away in 1979. At the time of Herman’s death in 1988 at the age of 95, the couple had 20 grandchildren, 52 great-grandchildren, and 33 great-great-grandchildren.
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