> RANCHO CAMULOS - RÜBEL PERIOD

Oral History Project: Shirley Rubel Lorenz.



Shirley Rübel Lorenz. Click to enlarge.

Shirley Rübel Lorenz — the inspiration behind Rancho Camulos Museum and its first president — was born April 16, 1927, three years after her parents purchased the ranch from the Del Valle family.

Nicknamed "Pete," she was one of five surviving children of August Rübel, a Harvard-educated dairy farmer, and wife Mary. (A sixth child, August Jr., died in infancy.) Shirley grew up on the 1,800-acre ranch, and wherever life took her, she always considered Rancho Camulos "home."

After graduating from Occidental College, Shirley attended the American Institute for Foreign Trade in Glendale, Ariz., where she met Robert M. Lorenz, a Stanford graduate who was preparing for a foreign assignment with National City Bank (later called Citibank). In the summer of 1955, the couple married in a double wedding on the steps of the historic chapel at Rancho Camulos alongside Shirley's sister Nathalie (Robert E. Trefzger) in front of 500 guests. Shirley and Robert raised four children.

After the January 1994 Northridge earthquake, Shirley, along with Nathalie (nicknamed "Boo") and other family members and associates formed the nonprofit museum to preserve, maintain and share the historic ranch property with the public. "My father brought us up to know that this place was a trust, and he wanted to make it into a museum," Shirley told reporters in April 1995. "That was his dream and now it's become mine." Shirley spearheaded efforts to secure state, federal and private grant funds to restore the earthquake-damaged buildings, and she led the drive to make Rancho Camulos a National Historic Landmark, which designation came in 2000.

Shirley poured her heart into Rancho Camulos before and during two full decades of active service on the museum board. In her later years she could still be seen at the ranch twice a week, tending her cherished rose garden — where yellow roses were a "must." Shirley died in her sleep at her Rolling Hills Estates home on the Palos Verdes Peninsula on May 17, 2017. Her ashes were spread in the rose garden on the north side of the chapel where she wed.


Download pdf here. Rancho Camulos Museum collection.
RUBEL FAMILY of RANCHO CAMULOS

SEE ALSO:
August Rübel, AFS


thumbnail

Oral Histories: Mary Rübel Burger, Jaime del Valle, Glenn S. Dumke 1958

thumbnail

Shirley Rübel Lorenz Oral History 2002

ALSO:
Oral History 2008

thumbnail

Prince Aaggie 1920s

thumbnail

Billiwhack Dairy Can

thumbnail

Shirley with Bulldog ~1928

thumbnail

5 Church Bells 1920s

thumbnail

Fountain at Cocina ~1920s-30s

thumbnail

Shirley & Nathalie Birthday ~1931

thumbnail

Ranch Photos 1935

thumbnail

Garden Parties 1936

thumbnail

Del Valle Stagecoach 1938

thumbnail

Property Appraisal 1939

thumbnail

August's Library n.d.

thumbnail

Rübel & Carey Kids ~1940

thumbnail

Foreman Charlie Rycroft

thumbnail

August Rubel at Desk

thumbnail

Johnny Dingtoes

thumbnail

August & Gerald 1942

thumbnail

Double Wedding 1950s

thumbnail

Peter Rubel 1935-1957

thumbnail

Grave Marker, Baby August ("Little Boy") 2013

RETURN TO TOP ]   RETURN TO MAIN INDEX ]   PHOTO CREDITS ]   BIBLIOGRAPHY ]   BOOKS FOR SALE ]
SCVHistory.com is another service of SCVTV, a 501c3 Nonprofit • Site contents ©SCVTV
The site owner makes no assertions as to ownership of any original copyrights to digitized images. However, these images are intended for Personal or Research use only. Any other kind of use, including but not limited to commercial or scholarly publication in any medium or format, public exhibition, or use online or in a web site, may be subject to additional restrictions including but not limited to the copyrights held by parties other than the site owner. USERS ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE for determining the existence of such rights and for obtaining any permissions and/or paying associated fees necessary for the proposed use.
comments powered by Disqus