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Our first born son, Carl Jason Jonard, has the distinction of being the first Jonard in our family tree. I remember us driving on Mountain Ranch Road when Chuck & I created a way for us blend our last names for the anticipated birth certificate.
My name at the time was Lorinda Beth Jones, known as Lorie in my childhood, and then, Lori as a teenager until I left home to begin a new chapter in my life as Lorinda Jones at UCSanta Barbara.
I wasn't ready to make a commitment of marriage to my baby's father, Charles Kenneth Maggard, I didn't want to use Jones or Maggard.
Jonard sure sounded better than Maggones, don't you think?
Chuck and I began using Jonard as our last names when we got a marriage certificate in July 1979,( prior to my active duty years in the Army Reserves for nurse's training & income.)
Only recently have I discovered that my parents chose Lorinda for my birth certificate because it's is a blend of Lorin and Clorinda, my mother's great grand-parents' first names. I was called Lorie until I left for UCSB after high school but I spelled it Lori when I entered 7th grade at a new school. I really liked the uniqueness of Lorinda rather than introducing me as Lori Jones. For seven years now, I've had a second name (that is my favorite): "Nana". When I was a little girl I had a Nana, too, named Grace Vaniman Ingalls, and I have wonderful memories of her to share someday (and her poetry, too).
Do you want to know family history about our names?
My mother was named Roberta Ethel Ingalls after the first names of three of her four aunts:
Rowena Vaniman Sargent of McPherson, Kansas,
Elberta (known as Bertie) Vaniman Reed of Wichita, Kansas, and
Ethel Gunning Ingalls of Los Angeles, California. I called her Mommy, then later, Mom but she was Robin ( in her childhood & adulthood), except by her life long friends from Occidental College or UCLA, especially the ones in her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma)
By the way Nathan Chandler Jonard's middle name, Chandler, was Mom's eldest brother, Chandler Ingalls, first name. Rosco Chandler Ingalls PhD was her father and my Grandpa.. My brother, Kent Chandler Jones, and I have great memories going to "the beach house" on weekends with our parents. Perhaps, you'll see pictures of us someday....
Carl Jason Jonard has the middle name Jason because I really liked that name ever since I was 13 years old or so. I had a crush on Jason who was in the TV show, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers....
Scott Edward Jonard's Grandpa, Ernie Edwards Philo, never had children of his own so it was special to give his precious grandson, Scott, his middle name.
My middle name Beth was chosen because Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain.was crowned in 1953, the year I was born.
"Grandpa Jonard'" was given the middle name Kenneth and I don't know if he knows why, you'll need to ask him. His mother, Lillie Russell Philo called him "Kennie" always as far as I know.
Oh, I thought of another one....My Dad, William Converse Jones, was given the middle name, Converse, a name used on his mother's side of the family for generations. His cousin,"Aunt Bettie" (Beatrice Whittaker) or her sons, David & Brian Whittaker, could tell you more, plus our family has the Chandler book, that Uncle Kent gave to me to keep.
That's all for now.....I'm Nana from Lodi, California (located between San Francisco and the Sierra Mountains about an hour's drive from Sacramento, where Scott & Summer Shebley-Jonard live with their precious baby, Janelle. What do you know? They created a blended name, too!