Catherine Munson: In Her Own Words
by Laurie Thompson
We were very fortunate to have had the opportunity to interview and deepen our acquaintance with Catherine Munson over the past year.
Catherine generously sat down with us twice, so we could record her life and accomplishments in a series of oral histories, part of a broader initiative to document the history of North San Rafael.
Catherine immediately became a mentor. Her passion for Marin’s rich history and the legacy of Joseph Eichler was contagious. Her commitment to her fellow man and her involvement with causes -both local and global- was inspiring.
In the first interview -December 14, 2012- Catherine described what Terra Linda was like when she first moved there in the mid-1950s:
It was a big farm. Highway 101 was a two-lane road, one in each direction. The way you knew you were at Terra Linda was [by] an old, beat-up nightclub called The Starlight Cafe, in an Art-Deco building; … that was the marker [where] you knew to turn….
In this same interview, conducted by oral historian Marilyn L. Geary, Catherine discussed her memories of the construction of the Frank Lloyd Wright Civic Center:
What a historic happening. How lucky for Marin County. How visionary…. When Mr. Fusselman and his board of supervisors put a work stop order up and the building was half built and they were going to convert it to a nursing home…we were out of our minds…. Well, we took to the streets….. I can tell you that…Terra Linda…for the most part was enraged and determined to stop that thing from happening…. I remember painting banners two blocks long and then we put them up on [nearby] fences….
The video excerpt included here, is from our second interview with Catherine on May 31, 2013. Catherine discusses moving to Terra Linda and how she came to work for Joseph Eichler.
We are grateful to have known Catherine and are honored to preserve her life and legacy for the benefit of our community and to inspire future generations.
Originally published at https://annetkent.kontribune.com.
