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Charles "Chic" Francis Feuerstein
24 October 1919 - 17 August 2002 "Chic" Feuerstein was born October 24, 1919, in Idaho Falls, to Grace Ostenberg Feuerstein and Frank Simon Feuerstein. He joined sisters Helen, age 5, Kathleen, age 3½, and Mary, age 2. His brother John Thomas (Tom) was born when he was about 2. He was baptized at Holy Rosary Catholic Church and attended grade school at Central Elementary for grades 1 and 2 and then Holy Rosary Catholic School for grades 3 - 8. |
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Chic and brother Tom about 1926 | At 8 or 9, Chic sold newspapers on the street. He would purchase four papers for 10 cents and sell them for a nickel a piece. The papers really sold well when a boxing match was reported. In junior high, age 13 or 14, Chic worked on a ranch owned by the Poitevin family. He worked for 50 cents a day and food and lodging. |
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He had chores such as stacking hay, feeding the pigs, checking the canal for leaks,
etc. They lived in a bunk house set up for the workers and slept on cots. The bed bugs were running wild, until they brought in an exterminator. They certainly appreciated a good night's sleep after that.
About age 14, in 1933, Chic was awarded an Eagle Scout Award. He had earned twenty one merit badges including cooking, woodworking, athletics, camping, pioneering, First Aid, swimming, bird study, civics, etc. He went on to earn a total of 26 merit badges. |
 Family in yard of 14th Street House about 1926 |
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Chic attended Idaho Falls High School, where he enjoyed acting in school productions, and from where he graduated in 1937. He started working at the JC Penney Company as a sophomore in high school, age 15, and was paid 15 cents per hour. He worked in the stock room, put together toys, etc. After high school graduation, Chic moved to Pocatello to attend the University of Idaho, Southern Branch (now Idaho State University). He obtained a job in the Penney store in Pocatello where he was now earning 75 cents per hour, which paid for his room in a boarding house and his tuition. Chic attended college from 1937 to 1939 where he majored in pharmacy. He failed PE because he kept skipping class to go to work. The second half of his sophomore year, he switched his major to business. 
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 Chic about 1939 |
Chic began working full time for Penneys in 1939. In 1940 -41, he was placed in charge of the work clothes department, then on to the drapery, home furnishings and housewares department. The Pocatello store was one of the first to include a department of this type. Chic continued to have responsibilities in the stockroom.
Chic met Florence Manfredo in 1937 while working for Penneys. |
Florence was a cashier in the office and worked in the stock room part time. Chic would often send notes to Florence in the change cup that would carry the customer payment and receipt from the store floor to the office. At Christmas 1941, they became engaged. 
Florence and Chic in Pocatello 1937-1942 In February 1942, in the midst of World War II, Chic volunteered for the Army. He reported to Camp Crowder, Missouri, for two months of Basic Training. He then went to Orlando Florida to Orlando Air Force Base and was assigned to the Signal Corps in a flight control center keeping track of aircraft coming and going. The company was transferred to the Air Force in the 320th Fighter Control Squadron attached to the 13th Air Force. During his time in Orlando, he was promoted gradually from a Private to a Tech Sergeant. |
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Florence and Chic Wedding 11 January 1943 | In January 1943, while he was home on leave, Chic and Florence were married in a quiet ceremony at 8:00 AM, Monday, January 11th. Christine Manfredo, Florence's sister, was the maid of honor, Joe Jeffries, the best man. Joe had been a friend of Chic's since childhood. Jack and Jennie Manfredo, Grace and Frank Feuerstein and other family members attended. A breakfast reception was held that morning in Pocatello. A second reception was held that evening in Idaho Falls. Chic and Florence snuck out the back door in the snow to start their honeymoon. Florence had on a long dress and open toed shoes. Chic returned to Florida, and Florence was able to join him there in the spring of '43. |
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On December 10, 1943, Chic shipped out of San Francisco and landed in February, 1944, at Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands northwest of Australia. He worked in a flight control center there for about a year. Chic was ordered with a small detachment in February 1945 to Green Island, an atoll in the Bismarck Archipelago, in the northwest end of the Solomon Islands. This beautiful, lush coral island, surrounding a large lagoon, was home to huge coconut plantations. At times it would rain hard for about ½ hour, and then within 15 minutes, it would be dry again. There was one overlook over the ocean where if you wanted to go down to the beach, you would crawl down a ladder on the side of the cliff about 50 ft. Chic was in charge of the 15 man detachment, which was attached to the 319th Fighter Control Squadron, in their own camp. They had to clear the area and build their camp. They constructed a comfortable camp with bamboo floors in the tents. They spent 3 to 4 months there. They worked in the information center, gathering flight data and plotting flight information. If a plane was seen that wasn't supposed to be there, a plane was ordered to check it. They worked closely with the radar and direction finders groups. The detachment re-joined the 320th Figher Control Squadron at Bougainville. The squadron was then sent to Maffin Bay, New Guinea for about 60 days. During this time, a tidal wave hit that took out most of their radio equipment, estimated to be worth a million dollars. They had some warning of the wave, but could not move the equipment as there was a mine field just inland of their camp. A long wait ensued while new equipment was delivered. A group of WACS that Chic had helped to train in Florida landed briefly on Wadke Island while he was stationed there, and then headed on northward.  Chic at Palawan 1944 The Japanese would often send migs over the camp. "They sounded like maytag washing machines: putt, putt, putt..." It was more of an aggravation than anything. "We got to where we didn't even pay attention to them. It wasn't worth the ammunition to shoot them down." Chic was next stationed for about a month with a small unit on Noemfoor Island, in charge of the non-commissioned personnel in the flight control center. They re-joined their squadron in Biak and all were moved to Puerto Princessa City, Palawan, the Philippines. During the trip by a troop carrier ship, they were moored about 100 ft. from a destroyer. A two man Japanese sub launched a torpedo at the destroyer, which was blown 5 ft out of the water. "I could see underneath it!" The ship was damaged, but not destroyed. On Palawan, the squadron was in the 13th Air Force attached to the 5th Air Force. They cleared the area for and build another camp, including a large recreation center. The squadron commander made a deal with the sea bees, a coast guard unit , who had all the best food, to get some fresh vegetables and beef rather than lamb or mutton. A refrigerator the size of a room was "found." They set up an information center here designed to track their own, as well as enemy planes. Flying boats, called Dumbo's, would land in the ocean to rescue personnel Chic was assigned the job of securing equipment and supplies while there, often flying to Zamboango, Manilla and Leyte on C47 cargo planes. He was then promoted to First Sergeant. On one trip to Manilla, he visited with his uncle, Frank Ostenburg who was stationed in San Fernando, the Philippines. He also visited with his brother Tom Feuerstein, stationed near Manilla. When the news came that the war was over, there was a big party with plenty to eat and drink. Chic left the Philippines by ship and arrived in San Francisco on November 30, 1945. He was supervising a large group of non-commissioned men on the trip home. He was immediately transferred to another ship, and arrived in Seattle on December 10, 1945. He received an honorable discharge from Fort Lewis on December 20, 1945. He made it home for Christmas that year. Within a month or so, Chic was back at work at Penneys, selling on the floor in the men's department and was assigned to the piece goods a women's furnishings department. Chic and Florence rented an apartment just a block or two from the store, similar to a motel. There was one room with a small kitchen area. There was a little alcove off to one side that the double bed just fit into. There was a sleeping porch, but it was winter. After a couple of months, they rented a downstairs apartment of a large home, about two blocks from work. Florence was working at Idaho Bank and Trust. Florence and Chic were members of St. Anthony's Parish where Chic was a member of the Knights of Columbus. Raymond Charles was born prematurely on February 28, 1948. He only lived a few hours. John Charles was born May 17, 1949. The family moved shortly after that to a small house, right next to Idaho State University. |
| Chic was transferred with Penneys in May 1950, to the Albany, Oregon store as assistant manager. Florence moved with John back to live with her parents, as she was expecting another child. Gary Ray was born in Pocatello on June 10, 1950. On a Friday, Chic got the message that Gary had been born. That night, there was a flood in the store from a clog in the sewer. Chic reported to work on Saturday, but his manager sent him to Pocatello to meet his new son. When Gary was about one month old, Florence, John, Gary and Jenny came to Albany on the train. They moved into a house in the Southeast part of Albany. Jenny stayed on a while to help them get settled. |
 Florence and Chic about 1948 |
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October 1, 1951, Chic was transferred to Longview as assistant manager where he helped to open a new store November 1, 1951. The morning we opened the store, the furnace backed up and there was black smoke everywhere. This was a brand new building. They did manage to open by noon.
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Family in Kelso about 1955 | In Longview, the family lived in a rented house for about 2 years. Mary Jo was born on November 13, 1952. They moved to a three bedroom apartment and Robert Gene was born on January 25, 1954 in Longview. Weeks after Rob's birth, Florence had major surgery for a kidney stone. Jenny, Crissy, Diane, Jen and Mike came from Pocatello to live and help care for Florence and the children. |
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This was quite an accomplishment: 4 adults and 7 children living in a three bedroom apartment with one bathroom. Since Diane was school age, she was enrolled in the Catholic school with John and Gary. They stayed about six weeks.
In the summer of 1954, Chic was transferred to the Kelso store as manager. The family bought their first house in Kelso. They paid $10,000 for it and later sold it for $10,000 plus the price of the new furnace. They lived there until the fall of 1955, when Chic was transferred to Butte Montana, again as store manager. After the house sold, Florence and the children moved to Pocatello with her parents until after Christmas 1955. Florence and Chic purchased a new house in Butte, paying $19,000. Seemingly, it was the only house for sale in Butte at the time. |
 Family in Butte August 1958 | The family had very little savings, so they borrowed the small down payment from the bank and settled in. First on the agenda was a shopping trip to Penneys to purchase warm winter clothing for the children including snow suits and boots. John and Gary enrolled in St. Anne's Catholic School, just four or five blocks down the street from the house. Florence did not drive at the time and she was concerned about the children walking to school. |
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She and Chic decided that she should learn to drive, so they purchased a second car, a grey chevrolet. Chic tried to teach her to drive,
but it didn't work too well, so she found another teacher. She'd load all four children in the car and drive around to practice. Another transfer in the fall of 1959 moved the family to Aberdeen, Washington. Again, very few houses were available to purchase. The manager who was moving away rented and eventually sold a house on Bel Aire Avenue to them. They paid $19,000 for it. John, Gary and Mary Jo were enrolled in St Mary's school.  Family in Aberdeen 1959 Chic participated in many civic organizations during his years in Aberdeen. He served on the Boy Scout Council as president for two terms. He participated in the Rotary Club and served as president for one term in 1969-1970. Chic was president of the Choker Club, a booster organization for Grays Harbor College. Chic had played golf a little bit in Butte, but got more serious about the sport after his move to Aberdeen. Chic purchased some stock in Grays Harbor Country Club, then four or five months later, he started paying dues and playing golf twice a week. He was served one term as president of the club. The family was active in St. Mary's Parish in Aberdeen. Chic continued his involvement in and became a lifetime member of Knights of Columbus and served on the Finance Committee for the school. In Butte and in Aberdeen, Chic was involved in the Chamber of Commerce. The family made a trip to Disneyland in the early 1960's. They stayed in a motel that fronted right on to the parking lot of the park. We were driving a Pontiac station wagon. It was raining very hard and the road was under construction. We hit something and the muffler almost fell off. Gary crawled under the car and tied it up with a shoe lace. We also visited Marineland, Knotts Berry Farm, and Hearst Castle. We attended a baseball game at Candlestick Park. The family visited British Columbia, Canada. On the visit to Butchart Gardens, John and Gary were outraged that they would be taken to such a place. They sat on a bench outside and waited for the rest of us to return. On January 31, 1980, Chic retired from the Penney Company after 45 years of service. He golfed 4 or 5 times a week and encouraged Florence to take up the sport. They enjoyed playing in golf tournaments. St Mary's Parish established a bingo game to raise money for the school. Chic was "hired" to be the treasurer for about a year. Chic became a grandfather in September of 1980. In May 1982, Chic had a heart attack while visiting son Rob in Seattle. He was in the hospital in Seattle for about a week. On May 10, Chic had triple by-pass surgery. He was in the hospital and recovery center about 10 days. On return home, after a couple months, he was back on the golf course. The first time he played, he was participating in a tournament. He met a pro there, Don Scott, who invited Chic to be his partner in the tournament. They won $50 a piece! In March 1983, Florence and Chic purchased property in the Fairway Village development in Vancouver Washington. They built a new home on Graham Rd. and moved in at the end of June. They became active members of the golf and community club, Dad serving as the first President of the Homeowner's Association, Mom as historian, photographing events and compiling photo albums for 10 years. They often played in the weekend tournaments as partners, decorating their cart, and helping to organize and run events such as potluck suppers, dances, etc. They enjoyed dance lessons, concerts, talks, luncheons. Florence even learned to swim. They lived there 13 years. Florence and Chic travelled to Florida to a Penney's HCSC convention. While there they toured old neighborhoods and places they had enjoyed as newlyweds. |
 Florence and Chic in Central Park New York City, February 1990 |
In February 1990, Chic, Florence and Gary travelled to New York City. They stayed at the Wellington Hotel and toured the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Central Park, Metropolitan Museum, Little Italy, and even saw a play with nudity. In May of 1990, Chic, Florence and Gary travelled to Italy. They visited Rome, Assissi, Siena, Florence, Pisa, Verona, and Venice. Florence met a first cousin, Maria. |
In October 1991, they again travelled to Europe including stops in Milan, Frankfurt, Munich, Trento, Florence, Pisa, Vicalvi, and Rome. Florence and Chic in Vicalvi, Italy October 1991 In 1996, Chic had another heart attack. The cardiologist placed two stints in his heart, followed by one more stint a few months later. In 1997, with more angina, Chic had one more stint placed in his heart. With these continued heart problems, and with the onset of Florence's dementia, Chic and Florence began looking at longer term care options. Chic continued to care for Florence, and, as her disease progressed, discontinued more and more of his outside activities. In 1998, Florence and Chic purchased a cottage in the Waterford at Fairway Village Community. They lived there about two years. During that time. Florence walked away from the house one morning at 5AM. She walked back to Fairway Village where a kind neighbor brought her home. In July of 1999, Florence became so disoriented and aggitated that she tried to run away. After a week of hospitalization, it was decided that Florence should be placed in a care facility. The Hampton House was a beautiful Alzheimer's care facility only 1 mile from the cottage. Chic visited her every day. In November of that year, Florence fell and broke her hip. She was in the hospital about 10 days, and then in a nursing home 3 - 4 weeks. Chic began to look at other long term care options for her and found a wonderful adult family home only a few blocks from Fairway Village, Catuna Family Home, where Florence was moved late in December 1999. The cottage was seeming awfully big and lonely to Chic, so he purchased a condominium at Fairway Village and returned "home" to his friends there in April 2000. He continued his golf with longtime friends Jim Christian and Jim Fry three times a week. Chic died in his sleep on Saturday night, 17 August 2002. He spent his last day checking the stock market on the internet, as he did after every weekday morning, (it had risen 0.4% the previous week), spent time with Florence, played his best round of golf in months (shot a 45), and had dinner with friends. 
Chic and Florence, Christmas 2000 Text written by Mary Jo Feuerstein McCann based on discussions with Chic over several months during 2001 and 2002. |