Alberta Gregory (1924-1990)

BIRTH: 20 Jul 1924, Lueders, Jones, Texas, USA
DEATH: 8 Oct 1990, Sacramento, Sacramento, California, USA
FATHER: William Pinkney Gregory (1873–1943)
MOTHER: Mollie Viola Crotwell (1883–1951)
SPOUSE: 3rd: Lester Edgar (1924–1998)

When Alberta Gregory was born on July 20, 1924, in Lueders, Texas, her father, William, was 50, and her mother, Mollie, was 40. She was married three times and had one son and one daughter. She died on October 8, 1990, in Sacramento, California, at the age of 66, and was buried in Fair Oaks, California.

The Life of Alberta Gregory

Alberta Gregory entered the world on 20 July 1924 in Lueders, Texas, the youngest of ten children born to William Pinkney Gregory and Mollie Viola Crotwell. By the time she arrived, the Gregory household was already full—older brothers and sisters who worked the fields, helped with chores, and looked after one another in the way large rural families often did. Alberta grew up in a world shaped by the rhythms of farm life, the closeness of siblings, and the quiet resilience of parents who had weathered hard years long before she was born.

Being the tenth child meant she learned early how to navigate a busy household—how to listen, how to adapt, and how to find her own place in a family where everyone had a role. Her childhood was marked by the simple realities of rural Texas life in the 1920s and 1930s: long days, close community ties, and the expectation that children grew up quickly.

A Young Bride in Uncertain Times

At just 15 years old, Alberta married Perry Daniel Gouge on 27 February 1940 in Taylor, Texas. The 1940 census, taken only weeks later on 11 April 1940, recorded her as Alberta Gouge, age 15, living with Perry—then 18—and Perry’s parents and seven siblings. It was a crowded household, full of movement and noise, with Perry working as a laborer in building construction. There is no surviving record of a divorce or annulment, but by the end of 1941, Alberta’s life had taken a different direction.

A Second Marriage and Sudden Loss

Alberta’s life changed again in 1941 when she met Richard W. Crews, a young soldier serving in the U.S. Army, assigned to the 743rd Field Artillery Battalion, Battery A. Richard had enlisted on 21 September 1941, and for a time he was stationed at Camp Barkley, near Abilene, Texas—a sprawling training installation that brought thousands of servicemen into the area. It was there, amid the movement and uncertainty of a nation preparing for war, that Alberta and Richard’s paths crossed.

Their connection grew quickly, and on 6 December 1941, the day before the attack on Pearl Harbor, they were married in Taylor, Texas. Alberta was only seventeen, but she stepped into the role of an Army wife with determination and hope. Richard soon deployed, serving throughout World War II until his discharge on 20 September 1945. His service record and later death certificate both affirmed his wartime duty.

After the war, Richard and Alberta moved west, part of the great postwar migration that carried many veterans and their families toward new opportunities. Richard found work as a patrolman at the U.S. Naval Annex in French Camp, California, a position that reflected his military background.

Their time together was short. On 27 February 1946, only five months after his discharge and just as they were beginning to build a civilian life, Richard died in French Camp. Alberta was widowed at twenty‑one, carrying the weight of another profound loss. She had already lived through more upheaval than most people experience in a lifetime, yet she continued forward with the quiet resilience that would define her life.

A New Beginning in Washington

Wedding day, 15 Nov 1947, Fort Worden, WA

Life carried Alberta far from Texas. In the years following Richard’s death, Alberta moved to Port Townsend, Washington and worked in a local cafe. It was there she met Lester Edgar, a young soldier from Arkansas who was stationed at Fort Worden. Their paths crossed at a time when both were rebuilding their lives, and their connection grew into a steady, enduring love.

On 15 November 1947, Alberta and Lester were married in the Post Chapel at Fort Worden, a quiet ceremony that marked the beginning of a marriage that would last more than four decades.

Together they welcomed two children: Karen Ann Edgar (born 1949) and William Rickey Edgar (born 1953).

As a military wife, Alberta lived a life shaped by movement, discipline, and adaptability. She managed the household through Lester’s long Army career, raising their children through relocations, new communities, and the constant rhythm of military life. She created stability wherever they lived—something her children would remember long after they were grown.

A Home in California

When Lester retired from the Army, the family settled in Fair Oaks, California, a place that became their permanent home. Alberta embraced the community, building friendships and routines that grounded her after years of military transitions.

She and Lester became active members of the First Baptist Church of Fair Oaks, where faith, fellowship, and service shaped their daily lives. Alberta was known for her faith, her warmth, her steadiness, and her devotion to her family.

Final Years and Legacy

In the late 1980s, Alberta’s health began to decline. She faced her illness with the same quiet strength that had carried her through the challenges of her youth. On 8 October 1990, she passed away from cancer in Sacramento, California, at the age of 66.

She was laid to rest in Mount Vernon Memorial Park in Fair Oaks, the community she had helped build into a home.

Alberta’s life was one of resilience—shaped by early hardship, marked by profound loss, and ultimately defined by the family she built and the love she gave. From her beginnings as the youngest child in a large Texas family to her years as a devoted wife, mother, and church member in California, her story is woven into the lives of her children and all who remember her.

Her journey was not simple, but it was full: a testament to endurance, faith, and the quiet strength of a woman who lived through changing times and built a life of meaning wherever she went.

Legacy of Alberta Gregory

Parents

FATHER: William Pinkney Gregory (1873–1943)
MOTHER: Mollie Viola Crotwell (1883–1951)

Marriages

1st: Perry Daniel Gouge (1922–2017) married on 27 Feb 1940 in Taylor, Texas, USA

2nd: Richard W Crews (1921–1946) married on 6 Dec 1941 in Taylor, Texas, USA

3rd: Lester Edgar (1924–1998) married 15 Nov 1947, Post Chapel at Fort Worden, Washington, USA

Children

Karen Ann Edgar (1949– )
William Riickey Edgar (1953– )

Documents

Birth Records
- Birth Certificate > Alberta Gregory, 20 Jul 1924 in Lueders, Texas
Marriage records
- Texas, U.S., Select County Marriage Records, 1837-1965 > Name: Alberta Gregory; Gender: Female; Marriage Date: 27 Feb 1940; Marriage Place: Taylor, Texas, USA; Spouse: Perry Gouge
- State of Texas, County of Taylor, Marriage Record 9178 > Name: Alberta Gregory Gouge; Gender: Female; Marriage Date: 6 Dec 1941; Marriage Place: Taylor, Texas, USA; Spouse: R W Crews
- Wedding Certificate > Lester Edgar and Alberta Crews, 15 Nov 1947, Post Chapel at Fort Wordon, Washington
Death records
- California, U.S., Death Index, 1940-1997 > Name: Alberta Gregory Edgar; Social Security #: 460249479; Gender: Female; Birth Date: 20 Jul 1924; Birth Place: Texas; Death Date: 8 Oct 1990; Death Place: Sacramento; Mother’s Maiden Name: Crotel; Father’s Surname: Gregory
- Find a Grave > Name: Alberta “Peggy” Gregory Edgar, Birth Date: 1924, Death Date: 1990
- Burial: Mount Vernon Memorial Park, Fair Oaks, Sacramento County, California, USA
Census Records
- 1930 United States Federal Census > Texas > Johnson > Precinct 4 > District 0017 > Alberta Gregory (age 5) lived on Alvarado-Barnesville Road with parents Wm P Gregory (age 56, farm laborer) and Viola Gregory (age 47), and siblings Arthur B Gregory (19), Mildred Gregory (13), Rufus R Gregory (11) Wm R Gregory (8)
- 1940 United States Federal Census > Texas > Parker > Weatherford > 184-2 > Alberta Gouge, age 15, married to Perry Gouge (age 18, laborer in building construction) living at 113 Hanover Street, Weatherford, Texas with his parents and siblings: Bruce R Gouge (39), Edith Gouge (38), Louis Gouge (19), Dora Mae Gouge (17), Dortha Gouge (15), Bettie Ruth Gouge (12), R B Gouge (6), Edith Gouge (3) and Linda Sue Gouge (10 months). Census taken 11 Apr 1940.
- 1950 United States Federal Census (page 2) > Washington > Jefferson > Fort Worden Military Reservation > 16-6 > Alberta (age 25) living on Technical Sergeants Row in Fort Worden Military Reservation, Jefferson, Washington with husband Lester Edgar, (age 25, soldier, served in World War II, wages in 1949: $1400) and daughter Karen Ann (age: 8 months).
Other
- U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 > Name:
  Alberta Gregory Gouge; Gender: Female; Race: White; Birth Date: 20 Jul 1922; Birthplace: Stamford Jon, Texas; Death Date: Oct 1990; Father: William Gregory; Mother: Molly V Crottle; SSN: 460249479; Signature on SSN Card: Alberta G Gouge; Relationship of Signature: Signature name differs from Nh’s name; Notes: Aug 1941 Name listed as Alberta Gregory Gouge; Jul 1942: Name listed as Alberta Gregory Crews; Dec 1948: Name listed as Peggy Alberta Edgar; 04 Jun 1993: Name listed as Alberta Edgar
- Death Record of second spouse R W Crews > Died 27 Feb 1946 in Stockton, California, USA