DAR Dedication for Janet Gould

Janet Gould was honored yesterday for her work in the Auranta Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She died in 1964 after doing much historic work for Southern California. She was the first in Corona to recognize that local historic sites need to be marked. She was the driving force behind placing several monuments around the city of Corona. She loved to wear dangly earrings and multitudinous braclets which make a tinkling sound when she moved her hands. She lectured about events that took place in Corona and Southern California.
Several ladies of the DAR came dressed in colonial clothing to place a DAR marker on her grave. The caretaker cleaned and shined her stone as well as that of her husband and son. A ceremonial prayer was said as the marker was dedicated.
DAR Chaplain, Diane Stephens, spoke about the life of Janet and her love of history, genealogy and of teaching others of importance of the past.
A story in the Golden Jubliee Edition of the local paper on April 27, 1936 sums it up well. “Author, lecturer, researcher, into early Californiana, Janet Williams Gould of this city (Corona) has devoted many years to the absorbing study of Southern California with the result that she is considered an outstanding authority. Tireless in her search for factual information about the early days, she has been recognized by the Southern California Historical Society as one of its most interested members.”
It was a honor to pay tribute to this charming lady who was known as Corona’s “Duchess.”
To read more of her life go to the Corona Genealogy Society www.coronagensoc.org/sunnyslope.html and read about her as she was portrayed at a Cemetery Stroll.

Janet Gould, DAR Marker Dedication

This very unassuming stone belongs to Janet Williams Gould. If you walk past it at the cemetery it is just one of many graves, row after row. Under the ground rest a lady that is one of us. A historian, a researcher, and a genealogist.
Janet Gould was known as the “Duchess” in Corona. She came from an old eastern family who were prominent in Missouri’s history. She continued the history when she came to Corona as Mrs. Walter Dean in 1910. Mr. Dean died in the flu epidemic in 1918. Janet remarried to Chester Gould.
The Duchess did many years of research into the history of the area which is now Corona, CA. She studied the Luiseno Indians who first inhabitated the land. She marked historical events and drew attention to the landmarks. She spoke at many groups in Southern California. She wrote plays and articles for newspapers. When she passed away she donated her many years of work to the Corona Public Library. It is called The Janet Williams Gould Early California Collection. The scope of the collection is amazing.
She joined the Daughters of the American Revolution on January 6, 1903 in Missouri and continued her activity in the Aurantia Chapter when she moved to Corona.
On January 6, 2010 the Aurantia Chapter of the DAR will be marking her grave at 2:00 in the afternoon at Sunnyslope Cemetery. All members will be dressed in Colonial clothes to proudly honor this remarkable woman.