John Tanner (1898-1975)

Dad was born in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. He trained as a landscape architect and came to America with his first wife Elizabeth in 1923. He worked at a millionaire's estate until the market crash of 1929. Elizabeth couldn't have children and died young.

Dad lost his life savings in a bank failure. He turned to selling life insurance, and stayed with that until mandatory retirement. He married our mother Mathilda in 1945. I was born in 1941, son of mom's first husband, Ted. They had two daughters, Joyce in 1946 and Naomi in 1956. My natural father, Tibor "Theodore" Schwartz died on September 30, 1955 (I was 14). John Tanner adopted me on May 5, 1958 (I was 17).

Mom died in 1968. Dad began to paint as a hobby after retiring in 1963.

Slide Show of John Tanner's art.


Dad made mini paintings like these to sell inexpensively at art shows.

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