Mary Anna Dontanville, second of seven children of Wallace Dontanville and Josephine Elbert, was born in Los Angeles County July 27, 1883, shortly after her parents arrival in California. In 1884 her parents completed construction of their home on Lester Street in Pasadena and Mary grew up there. She completed primary school at St. Andrews in Pasadena.

Eugene Joseph Fischer was born in Bernweiler, Alsace in March 22, 1877. He was among the eldest of twelve children Ignatius Fischer and Mary Anna Lorentz. In early 1891 his parents immigrated to the United States with their seven surviving children. They arrived at the Port of New York in May and continued to Rochester, New York. Eugene completed his education in Rochester and served his apprenticeship as an osteologist in Ward's Natural Science Museum in Rochester. He later served the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. There he worked with a group of skilled artisans who became world famous.

Eugene moved to Los Angeles in 1907. His attention was directed to the tar deposits at Rancho La Brea where he started collecting skeletal remains for the University of California, Berkley. Eugene's Younger brother Paul had come to California several years before him. It was likely that Eugene met Mary Anna Dontanville through his brother, who was courting Mary's younger sister Philomena. Eugene and Mary were married in St. Andrews Church in Pasadena in 1913.

That same year Eugene and an associate began digging for the Los Angeles County Museum. He assembled the skeletons of the giant Imperial Elephants, Saber tooth Tigers and other prehistoric beasts that stand in the La Brea Room of the Museum. When Mary and Eugene were first married they lived briefly in Pasadena. Joseph Eugene was born there, March 19, 1914. They moved to Los Angeles, where Virginia Marie was born on July 24, 1917. In 1918 the family moved back to Pasadena. Their third child, Raymond Arthur, was born there September 3, 1918. In 1929 they moved to their home at 270 Clinton Street built by John Leuer, brother in law of Mary Anna's sister Bertha.

Eugene spent 36 years with the Los Angeles County Museum. For his extraordinary service the Museum named Fischer Hall in his honor. He retired in 1947. Eugene died at his home in Pasadena May 39, 1953.Mary Anna died March 17, 1964. Both are interned at Calvary Cemetery on Whittier Boulevard in Los Angeles.

222.1 Joseph Eugene Fischer 1914 - 1980
was born in Los Angeles , March 19, 1914. He married Suzanne Hanrahan. Sue died in Altadena on October 8, 1980.Joseph died of heart failure on the evening of Sue's funeral, October 10, 1980.

222.2 Virginia Marie Fischer 1917 -
born in Los Angeles July 24, 1971, never married, lived at home with her parents in Pasadena and and in later years with her brother Raymond. Moved to a nursing in 1994, and continues to live there at this writing in early 2004.

222.3 Raymond Arthur Fischer , 1918 - 1987
born in Pasadena, September 3, 1918, never married. Lived with his sister Virginia in the family home in Pasadena until his death on December 26, 1994.

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