#blanche ryer nixon

[bleedingcoffee42]

do you have any interesting facts about blanche nixon? we know so much of her death but not all that much about what she did in life. didn't she attend standford?

She did! Blanche attended Stanford and majored in history.

Here is the list of info from the incredible @winnix85 who has been chronicling the Nixons.

The lovely drawing of 15 year old Blanche and her Birthday Party

The House on Chestnut Street

She went to Santa Barbara Girls School and was an Equestrian

Opera Season

Blanche decides to go to Stanford and Doris *has* to find a house

and my tag of all things Blanch Ryer Nixon. Plus more under the cut because we need to talk about the girl she left her ring to. It's the one connection we know she had outside of her family.

She was born in Fair Haven, NJ according to the birth index and her death certificate and may have been born at the house on Grange Ave which I believe Stanhope bought after Doris was pregnant again after losing Fletcher. One of those 'get out of the city and to the country' ideas as if a congenial issue would be thwarted by New Jersey scenic river view?

Blanche was probably named after Doris's Mom , Blanche Ryer. (her brother that died named after Doris's father.) And like her Mom, Doris kept her daughter close and travelled with her. In fact, Doris moved as close as she could when Blanche was anywhere. These two were tight.

She also lived in this house on Lombard street which has a bunch article about being haunted by a later resident.

She left a ring to her friend in her suicide note. ---

Found her. It's Pat Woodard, wife of Clarence J. Woodard. Formerly Patricia Roberts. Born Oct 18, 1923. The newspaper is kind enough to give you an address in case you want to rob someone of this ring from a wealthy socialite. Patricia's father was a fruit farmer(1930) Then working for Sheldon Oil (on his draft card in 1942) in Suison City which is north of Ryer Island.

Lew buried his sister with his Mom, which speaks to the bond between them. Blanches death comes a year and a few months after she turned 30, and Doris's will stated her estate to be held in trust until Blanche reached 30. I'm sure dealing with the estate opened old wounds. She's still living in the house she shared with Doris. Lew and Irene were out in California with her after she had been seeing a doctor about her depression. They were planning a party the day they found her.

Who was Blanche Nixon? She was very much Doris Ryer Nixon's daughter. Was it because the depression was a lifelong struggle or because Doris was recreating the life she had with her own Mom, Blanche Ryer? Not sure. Doris was very active, it's not like she hovered over Blanche, but they were never separated for long. Kinda like how Lew could always be found at Dick's side.

I'm sure I'll dig up more but wanted to get this posted before it got too long or too long from your ask. :)

[lupoteodoro]

The original shooting plan in the BoB bible is a treasure itself!  

These were how they got to Toccoa with an epic flirt from Nix and the very first "Going my way?".

They also had had the scenes when Dick and Lew taking breaks home. I mean, Doris and Blanche were in the plan?!!! Bring them back Hanks!!!

https://emu.usahec.org/alma/multimedia/560710/20184942MN000173.pdf

[winnix85]

An interior photo of Lewis Nixon’s home in San Francisco, 944 Chestnut Str. The photo was taken in 1949. Description:  "In one of the bedrooms of the Nixon house on Chestnut st., which will be one of six local residences shown on a centennial home tour Wednesday by the Women's Architectural League, Judith Kirby catches the spirit of last century San Francisco living by stretching her toes for a glimpse of herself in a hoop-skirted gown of that era. The house was purchased by Peter Spring from the Eduoard family some time in the 1860's and was known for years as 'Spring Garden.' It was taken over by Bruce Porter from Mr. Spring's heirs in 1918 and subsequently remodeled. The late Mrs. Doris Ryer Nixon became its owner seven years ago, and at that time it was restored as nearly as possible to its original design and interior decoration."

[pookielious]

I just found out about Blanche nixon and her death i just thought I'd share the news articles !!

Below cut is the Transcript

(Picture 2 )

Miss Blanche Nixon, member of a socially prominent and wealthy San Francisco family. ended her life by firing a bullet into her head only a few hours before she was to preside at a cocktail party in her home yesterday.

Miss Nixon, 31, the daughter of Stanhope Wood Nixon and the late Mrs. Doris Ryer Nixon, was found in her bed in a sec- ond floor bedroom of the family home at 944 Chestnut Street.The bullet had penetrated her temple. A pistol was clutched in her right hand, police said.

Police and the coroner's office said the motive was not immediately determined. Miss Nixon's brother, Lewis, said his sister had been under medical treat ment for a depressed mental condition for some time.

Arrangements for the cock- tail party were completed Thursday evening, he said, after which he, his wife, Irene, and his sister retired. Miss Nixon apparently was in good spirits at the time, he said.

About 4:30 a, m., Nixon told police, he and his wife were [CUTOFF]

(Pictures 3 and 4— continuing from cutoff)

awakened by Miss Nixon, who said she could not sleep.

After an early morning snack, all retired again. The only noise heard that might indicate the time of death, police reported, was some time later when Mrs. Nixon said she heard what seemed like a door shutting. She did not note the time.

About 10:30 a. m., Mrs. Nixon went to her sister-in-law's bed- room to take a pet dachshund for a walk.She thought her sistern-law was sleeping, Mrs. Nixon said, and made no effort to disturb her when she opened the door to let the dog out,

A short time later, after re turning from the walk, Mrs. Nixon became concerned when she heard a telephone ringing unanswered in the bedroom.Going to the room, she turned back the covers, Mrs. Nixon said, and found her sister-in- law.

A physician was summoned and pronounced the woman dead. Police listed the death as a suicide after an investigation by Police Inspector Ralph Mc Donald.

Miss Nixon, who made her social debut at the Cotillion Bal! in 1941, had been living in the family residence on Chestnut Street since her mother died June 24. 1948. For the last sev- eral weeks, her brother and sister-in-law have been visiting her from their home in Prince- ton, N.J. Her father resides in New York.

Since her debut, Miss Nixon had traveled abroad consider- ably and spent much of her time at her family's home in Santa Barbara, friends said.

Miss Nixon and her brother had inherited the bulk of her mother's estate, estimated at $1,456,064. The major item in the estate was a half interest in 6.600 acres of Sacramento River delta farm lands, includ- ing most of Ryer Island, near Rio Vista, Solano County.

[brekkersnerd]

(In)Perfect Family

Introduction:

We all know Lewis Nixon the intelligence officer, E Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry, 101st Airborne Division, but we don't know Lewis Nixon or his personal life. This is the story of Nix. Growing up, joining the Army, his time in the war, and his life afterwards.

*Please note: This is based solely on Band of Brothers! I am not in any way, shape or form, trying to say that this is how he grew up, or write any truth to his personal life at all! This is purely fanfiction, meaning it's for fun. I may use real information that I find, but purely for story accuracy with the language, background, etc. I was not alive in any of the time that is covered in this story, so I do have to do some research. And this is based on an edit that I made and then I really wanted to write about it. I did not write this disrespect anyone. Any and all rights to HBO, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, and any other affiliates. Thanks, hope you enjoy! As a heads up, this story is rated as mature. It will deal with mature topics. It will not include smut as it's not what I write, I'm just not good at it.

Edited to add: I've decided to keep Kelly Reilly as Doris's faceclaim, only because I used her in my edit. So that might not be historically accurate, but this is fanfiction, so ig I can use whoever I want.

Ron Livingston as Lewis Nixon

Skander Keynes as Young Lewis Nixon

Kelly Reilly as Doris Ryer Nixon

Maia Mitchell as Blanche Nixon

Tom Cruise as Stanhope Nixon

Milly Alcock as Young Doris Ryer Nixon

Tom Selleck as Lewis Nixon I

Mila Kunis as Sally Nixon

Helena Bonham Carter as Blanche Ryer

Emma Watson as Marjorie Green

Ben Barnes as Joseph Reed

[lyselkatzhappynerding]

@shanghaijim, as I can't message you, I'm sending you my thanks here for making these newspaper clippings available.

Story about Lewis’s sister’s suicide from the SF Examiner. Above, the house on Chestnut Avenue in SF where Blanche died. This street view is from 2014; current street view shows as of April 2019 the house was in the process of being demolished (or “remodeled”) to make way for some new structure.

[searchingforacircuitbreaker]

The Nixons of Nixon, New Jersey and the Ryers of San Francisco (Ryer Island is named in their honor) aka Lewis Nixon’s family 

1. Lewis Nixon I, husband of  Sally Lewis Wood Nixon (Nix’s grandfather)   2.  Blanche Ryer, wife of Fletcher Ferris Ryer (Nix’s grandmother)

3. Stanhope Wood Nixon (Nix’s father) 4. Doris Fletcher Ryer Nixon (Nix’s mother)

5. Lewis Nixon III 6. Blanche Ryer Nixon (Nix’s sister)

[himbowelsh]

On Blanche Nixon

okay guys, I was doing some research and I found out a bit of... information about Lewis Nixon’s younger sister Blanche.

Apparently Blanche Nixon shot herself to death in her mother’s San Francisco home in 1955, at the age of 32.

“Miss Blanche Ryer Nixon, 31 (sic), member of a wealthy and socially prominent San Francisco family, was found shot through the temple in her bed today. Police listed the death as suicide.”

Blanche was born on August 17, 1923 in New Jersey and died on November 4, 1955 at the age of 32.

According to this comment from a since-deleted Livejournal account, Blanche shot herself in her bed while Lewis and his second wife were in the house. She may or may not have died immediately.

I don’t know, but I’ve always been kind of interested in Blanche, so this is definitely a revelation for me. 

[bleedingcoffee42]

Blanche Ryer Nixon birth announcement in the Red Bank Register Aug. 27th 1924

[bleedingcoffee42]

Mrs. Nion Tucker who is always having some party of another with the Nixons.

[bleedingcoffee42]

Neighbor House burning down on Long Island. Mr. and Mrs. Stanhope Nixon and guests tried to save the paintings and furniture. One girl ran in to get the cat on the second floor.

House of Henry Clifford Martin. ( Not sure if any relation to Arthur Martin, first husband of Mary Doran Nixon. Doubtful.)

[winnix85]

So we knew Nixons had a villa on French Riviera called "Villa Fal'Eze" and Dick Winters said in his interview that 10 yr old Lew spent a year living there. I've been digging through the internet for some interior photos for several years with no success.

However, there's a Sotheby's catalogue of "French Furniture & Works of Art of Villa Fal'eze". It's behind a paywall. I've decided it's worth it so anyway I've got the full catalogue of them and I'm happy to share it with my BOB friends DOWNLOAD LINK.

There's a brief description about the estate but it's full of wrong information. For example, on page 10 it says "it became the holiday resort of the Duke of Mecklenburg and was then bought in the early 1930s by a wealthy South American consortium. The Heinz family of industrialists bought it in 1953 and sold it to the current owner in 1977. " According to newspaper archive, the first owner was indeed Grande Duchesse de Mecklembourg Schwerin (the aunt of nicholas ii of russia) but she sold it to Lew's maternal grandmother Blanche Ryer and her second husband Erskine Bolst. In 1957 it's still in Lew's hand and he was looking for a buyer in newspaper. Kennedys definitely rented it in 1955.

Anyway, there's mind-blowing amount of antique furnitures and arts in this place. Enjoy.

[bleedingcoffee42]

Blanche Ryer Nixon from Stanford University Yearbook 1945

[bleedingcoffee42]

Doris Ryer Nixon (Lewis and Blanche's mom) Funeral Record.

[winnix85]

Mrs Nixon’s newspaper clippings

I made a post about her before but I think I may go into more details because she was such a fascinating character:

She was educated in Paris, presented at the court of Russia and Buckingham Palace.

She was an all around likable person, a real lady, vivacious, famous with her witty remarks. Whereever she went was always followed by “pearls of laughters”. She embroidered! She was also very brave. Once she entered her friend’s flaming house to save its contents.

She was an opera enthusiast. She was the president of the local musical & theater or something. She purchased a block of tickets to distribute them to students who can’t afford it. She also funded an award for the “best one act play”. Needless to say, she has a box at the San Francisco opera house and she sits through every opera season and she forced took Lew with her sometimes.

Before the pearl harbor attack, Mrs Nixon was sort of this carefree cheerful lofty social lady. The interview below was made in July 1940, after the Dunkirk evacuation, and German has occupied Paris. She was like “oh thoughts and prayers to those less-privileged european countries, but THANK GOD the concerts in New York are being well attended!”

However, AFTER the pearl harbor attack, (or maybe after her son Lewis ran away to join the army, I’m not sure which event was more important to her), Mrs Nixon suddenly changed her focus from social events to AWVS duties. She was very devoted to women’s work in wartime. She got so busy that she has to give up her box at the opera house!

She also headed the guide dog for the blind organization, which was a new thing back then.

Even after the war, Mrs Nixon was still very keen on the post-war job problems for women, and encourage women to develop more interest in world affairs instead of soap opera.

I think the fandom sometimes wonders whether Mrs Nixon loved her son. I once was not so sure. Seemingly she favored her daughter Blanche. She took Blanche everywhere. Even when Blanche was a 2 yr old she took her to France. (It’s not easy to travel with a 2 yr old nowadays). For Blanche’s birthday, she often threw a party for 20 to 30 kids. She has never done such a thing for Lew. Like in 1934, 15 yr old Lew traveled to Germany on his own while Mrs Nixon and Blanche lived in France for 6-months.  Pampered Life for the daughter, tough love for the son? I don’t know...But when Doris divorced Stanhope in 1945, she gave up alimony in exchange for Stanhope’s promise not to reduce the amount he left for Lewis (Stanhope changed his will anyway, in 1951. He hated Lew for sure).

[winnix85]

The opening of opera season in San Francisco in October of 1940 and 1941. In 1942, Mrs Nixon has to make the ultimate sacrifice of relinquishing her box because after Pearl Harbor attack she has been kept quite busy with the AWVS and Red Cross business. She returned to the opera season in 1943 though.