The Casa Del Adobe was built by Mr. and Mrs. Henry Mennig in 1922 or 1923 according to Mr. Frank Gigliotti (who poured the foundation) and Mrs. William G. Ritter. Mr. Gilliotti was a very close friend of the Mennigs son, Chris.

   In January 1939, I started working there with Mrs. Elva Bartlet, Lillian Cooper, Nettie Newton and Doris Ross. It was a very old fashioned and quaint place to me as there wasn't a door knob in the house. All doors opened and closed with a latch string. The double doors at the front entrance were closed at night from the inside with heavy bar across them. The patio and lily pond were enclosed by a high fence. There were seven bed rooms, five bath rooms, dining room, kitchen, library, and large living room. Also a sun proch. Two cabanas and a blue room were built near the main house to accommodate more guests.

   Their overnight, weekend, weekly or monthly guests came from Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Carmel and from all over Calif. They were Doctors, Attorneys, artists, writers, Movie Producers and Stars, secretaries, nurses and recovering patients to relax and rest as there was no drinking or blaring jukeboxes.

   The guests were greeted at the front entrance by the hostess and served juice and canapes.

   All guests had a choice of breakfast in bed, on the patio, or in the dining room. Lunch and dinner was served in the dining room by candlelight.

    They specialized in chicken cooked different ways and fruit and vegetable salads with their own special dressing made from pear vinegar which they made in the vinegar house. They also sold vinegar there and at some of the leading stores in Los Angeles and Pasadena. Pear vinegar made a delicious dressing.

    Mr. and Mrs. Mennig were always a very gracious host and hostess. She was English and he German. They always had a High School boy staying there to work after school and week-ends. My son Glenn Sheffield worked there. They helped several boys get through school.

    I worked there for over four years. During the war they quit serving meals and rented the rooms to Army Officers and their wives giving them kitchen privileges. In 1947 they sold the Case Del Adobe to be used as a rest home which was later made into a hotel.

    Mr. and Mrs. Mennig moved to Laguna Beach. They had one son, a daughter-in-law and two grandsons. Mrs. Mennig was killed in a car accident. Mr. Mennig survived a few years. One of their grandsons is on the Police Force in Pasadena.

One of the most unusual guests was Mr. Howard Hughes.
Berta Sheffield