The Broomell’s of Tustin can be traced back to Samuel H Broomall who came to Pennsylvania in 1682. For several generations the family resided in southeastern Pennsylvania bordering New Jersey. They were prosperous in their agricultural and business ventures. They were devout members of the Society of Friends. (Quakers).
This story will begin with James Henry Broomell (8/2/1837-9/6/1896). Due to a clerical error, the spelling of the name was changed from Broomall to Broomell which James ’s grandfather Isaac did not bother to correct. James was the second of six children born to John and Ester Broomell. After attending school, he became a teacher. He enlisted in Company C, 124th Pennsylvania Infantry on 8/11/1862 during the Civil War achieving the rank of Corporal. He saw action at Antietam and Chancellorsville. After he mustered out, he resumed teaching. He then leased an abandoned plantation in Arkansas from the government, but this was not a successful venture and became dangerous due to roving guerrillas in the area.
While in Arkansas, he met Mary Annis Wickersham (4/24/1841-1/7/1913) from Indiana who was teaching in Arkansas. They were married on 7/13/1867. She was 26 and he was 29. Mary’s family came from Sussex, England around 1700. James and Mary settled in Chicago where their four children were born. He was a school principal for ten years.
Due to health problems, he quit his job and moved to Kane County, Illinois prior to 1880 and he became a cheese manufacturer. Kane County is in rural northern Illinois. The family again relocated due to his health to Phoenix, Arizona around 1886 where, on his farm, he was a beekeeper among other agricultural endeavors. He was also a founding member and treasurer of the Farmer’s Alliance Exchange and a president of the Board of Directors of the Normal School. He died at age 59 in 1896. He is buried in Port Cemetery in Phoenix.
Mary’s two sons operated the ranch until it was sold in 1903 and at some point, the family migrated to Southern California. Mary lived at 134 Breed Street, Los Angeles, California (currently located east of the 5 and south of the 10 freeways) until she died at age 71 of pneumonia. She is buried in Fairhaven Cemetery in Santa Ana. She was a member of the Society of Friends.
There is evidence that the two sons continued to have business interests in both states before settling in California.
The story of their four children follows:
Mary Etta Broomell (3/25/1868-12/24/1935) married John Webster Johnson (2/9/1863-2/11/1941) In Phoenix, Arizona on 9/6/1889. He was 26 and she was 20.
John was born in Worcester Massachusetts, the son of Honestus and Anna Mercer Johnson. The family relocated to Marshall County Iowa where John’s father died in 1870 leaving John age 7 and his sister Anna age 5. John’s mother married Arthur Walsworth. John was sent back to Massachusetts to receive his education at Phillips Academy before he found his way to Arizona at age 23. He was a farmer involved in bee keeping and raising poultry. The family along with her brother Charles and sister Emily moved to Stafford Arizona (located in eastern part of state known for copper mining, cattle and cotton) This was short lived, and they moved to Los Angeles in 1903 where he worked as a bookkeeper. They lived at 144 S. Soto St very close to her mother. They had three children: Vera, Lucile and son Maxwell who were all born in Arizona.
Charles Albert “‘Al” Broomell (12/15/1870-8/14/1953) managed the family ranch along with his brother. He helped form the Cantaloupe Association and was involved in other business ventures. He managed the Homecraft Ranch after returning from Stafford, Arizona. He married Nellie L Cloverdale (1875-4/16/1945) in Maricopa County, Arizona on 6/3/1909. Nellie was the daughter of John Wesley and Sarah Cloverdale. The two families were neighbors. He was 39 and she was 34. They moved to Los Angeles and lived with his mother and sister Emily. until he purchased land in Orange County. Charles had several real estate transactions in Orange County beginning in 1907. It can be established they lived in their home on Mabury Street in 1914.
Nellie died at age 69. Charles remarried and died at age 82. Charles and Nellie are at the Mausoleum at Fairhaven Cemetery.
They had two children. Helen Alberta (9/22/1910-10/26/1963) graduated from Pomona College, married three times, and did not remain in Orange County. Robert Cloverdale (10/8/1913-3/12/1990) attended the University of California at Davis, married three times, and retired as a mechanical engineer for Honeywell Aircraft. He died in Arkansas.
Emily Alice Broomell (9/30/1876-2/6/1953) was a member of the debating team in her school in Arizona. She came to Los Angeles and lived with her mother until her mother’s death. She then lived with her sister Mary. She continued living with her brother-in-law, John Webster Johnson, after her sister died. After his death she came to Santa Ana to live with her brother Charles. She never married. She died at age 76 and shares a headstone with her mother in Fairhaven Cemetery
John Wilfred “Fred” Broomell (8/10/1873-10/23/1959) was valedictorian of his normal school graduating class in 1884. While managing the ranch with his brother Charles he was involved in the incorporation of the Salt River Valley Water Association. He married Catherine Ida Belle Mills (1/11/1866-1/10/1951) on 8/30/1905 in Indiana where she was born. She was 39 and he was 32. Catherine was a schoolteacher. They were members of Society of Friends. Their son George was born in Arizona shortly before they moved to Tustin in 1906. They also had an infant son, Donald, who died in 1910. They rented a home on the south side of 17th St near Yorba. They retired to a home at 2323 Bush Street in Santa Ana.
John and Catherine’s son, George Albert Broomell (6/23/1906-3/9/2007) acquired his interest in gardening as a boy scout and was appointed chief gardener of his Boy Scout Troop. While attending Tustin High School he participated in the drama club, was a member of the school newspaper staff, was an athlete, was student body president and was on the honor roll with his future wife, Mary Dunstan (11/4/1905-11/24/1993). George and Mary graduated in 1924, and both went on to be active in the Alumni Association where he served as president. He was student body president while attending Santa Ana Junior College (SAJC) and was on the football and track teams. George then graduated from Stanford University in 1928 after studying geology and engineering.
Mary attended USC for four years and did post graduate work at UC Berkley for one year. They were engaged in December 1928. The wedding was delayed while he was in Chile working as a mining engineer. During his absence she taught teach English, History and Physical Education at Tustin High School the 1930 and 1931 school years. They were married 1/28/1932. He worked for Utt Juice Company, and they had their first son, John Del. In 1/1934 he left for a job in the Philippines. Mary joined him in April of that year. Their daughter Judy was born in the Philippines. They returned and he left in 7/1937 for Nairobi British East Africa for a job as a mine inspector. Mary divided her time living with Georges parents and uncle Charles and her parents. Their second son, Gary Allen, was born on 2/1938 while George was still abroad.
In 7/1938 George returned home. By this time the family had rented a home on Newport Road. In 10/1938 George left to resume his geological work in Africa. Mary became active in the PTA. George returned in 10/1941.They moved into their home at 440 Pacific Street in 1942.During the war years, he worked as a civilian engineer for the Army at Edwards Air Force Base, then as a public works engineer at the Lighter-Than-Air Base in Santa Ana. After the war, he worked as a geological consultant and operated the Dunstan Ranch. In 1944 he began expanding his agricultural interests to Valley Center and Pauma Valley in San Diego County. Later he acquired property in Australia.
Mary’s father, John Dunstan died in 1944. He was predeceased by his wife Elizabeth (1838-1927). They had two other children: Frances (1908-1985) and Gilbert (1903-1969). Frances and Gilbert never married and the interest in the property which the family still owned was divided three ways with George serving as the property manager.
During the early 1950’s George served as a Civil Defense Warden and was on the Board of Trustees for Tustin Union High School from 1951-1960 serving as President beginning in 1959. He was on the Agricultural Advisory Committee for the local Future Farmers of America. He became a building inspector for the City of Tustin taking over one of the duties of Police Chief John Stanton. George received the Alumni Achievement Award from Santa Ana College. He also served on the Board of Directors for Sunkist Growers Inc. for many years.
George was not shy about expressing his opinion, frequently in letters to the editor or ads taken out in the Tustin News, about such issues as zoning, school construction, the city budget, bond issues, taxes, and the termination of the Bracero program.
In the mid-1960’s, George got City zoning approval to develop a shopping center known as the “French Quarter” on the Dunstan property located on the east side of 17th generally between the 55-freeway corridor and Yorba.
George’s love of agriculture and gardening continued in his later years, and he was known for his skill at grafting citrus trees so they would bear more than one type of citrus on the same tree. He also took great care in the appearance of his yard in which he and Mary planted many flowers.
In their later years they traveled extensively including Mexico, Australia, Brazil, Chile and returning to Africa. George also became the unofficial rain gauge monitor reporting his reading faithfully to Tustin News for publication for over 15 years.
Mary, died at age 88 and George lived to be 100. They were survived by his four children, eleven grandchildren and 30 great grandchildren. They are buried in the Dunstan family plot in Santa Ana Cemetery.
They had four children who all attended Tustin High School:
John Del Broomell Known as Del. (1932-) following in his father’s footsteps excelling in athletics and being an honor student and student body president in High School. He attended Santa Ana Junior College and Stanford University where he earned a master’s degree in petroleum engineering. He worked for Richfield Oil Company for many years. John married LuAnn Shinkel the granddaughter of Schuyler Bigelow, another Tustin Area pioneer. They lived in Dallas Texas, returning to Tustin after his retirement. They had five Children.
Judith Broomell (1935-2021) attended Tustin High School, Santa Ana Junior College and Long Beach State College where she graduated. She became a physical education teacher. She married and divorced Martin Bidart. She then married Richard Kuykendall (1934-1921).
Gary Broomell (1938-) was student body president active in FFA and was on the track and football teams at Tustin High School. His nickname was “Mr. Wonderful” He attended Santa Ana Junior College, University of Idaho and California Polytechnic College He married Shiela McLean whose family had moved to Orange County from Boston. Massachusetts. Gary settled in Valley Center to manage the family ranch.
James Anthony Broomell (1944-) attended Tustin High School, Santa Ana Junior College, and California Polytechnic College earning a degree in agricultural business management. He married and divorced Dorothy Dobson. Jim moved to South Australia to manage the family business.
He met and married his second wife Sue Therese Maquire in Australia.
Created: 11/30/2023. Researched by Vicki Gray and LuAnn Shinkel Broomell
