Children’s books by widow of late Graniterock president carry on husband’s legacy

 
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Sept. 23, 2014 - PRLog -- Book signings for “Big Bill & His Little Mixer Truck”:

5-7 p.m. Oct. 2 – Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce mixer at Graniterock headquarters, Watsonville

1-3 p.m. Oct. 8 – Crossroads Books, Watsonville

11 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 11 – Watsonville Fly-In

Watsonville
– When your husband, a visionary of the region’s construction industry, dies in a tragic accident, how do you pick up the pieces and carry on? If you’re Rose Ann Woolpert, you begin to write children’s books with themes inspired by his love for the Monterey Bay region, the people and its history. Her late husband, Bruce W. Woolpert, led the company founded on Feb. 14, 1900 by his grandfather A.R. Wilson. The business expanded from a rock quarry near Watsonville to include other construction products and services, and thrives today across the Central Coast and San Francisco Bay Area.

The books – “Engine Number 10” and “Big Bill and His Little Mixer Truck” – are the first in a series of “Yes, We Will Books” dedicated to Bruce and his positive attitude toward work and the community They tell stories of the local construction industry and how it got started.

“Writing these books was very therapeutic for me,” Rose Ann Woolpert said. “That’s how I functioned.”

Bruce and Rose Ann were married 24 years when he died in a boating accident at Lake Tahoe in 2012. Rose Ann, a writer and artist, had been Graniterock’s historian for many years before his death. Creating the books was a way for her to share the company’s long history while keeping Bruce’s spirit alive.

“Big Bill and His Little Mixer Truck” is Rose Ann’s second book, released in August. The book is set in the 1950s, following the “nearly true” story of Bill Van Sandt, who came to work at Graniterock as a mixer driver after serving in World War II. The book, which introduces children to concrete and construction, tells a cute tale of Van Sandt and his  2-yard orange and green 1950 Ford chassis Willard concrete mixer truck. The truck has been restored to mint condition and is part of Graniterock’s fleet of historic vehicles. The truck often appears in parades and community events throughout the Bay Area.

“Engine Number 10,” published in 2013, is a story about Graniterock’s steam engine, now in use at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento. It is a tale of rock mining, California history, the power of hard work and belief in the possible.

Both books are geared for kids ages 3-8 and available on Amazon, Graniterock retail locations and select bookstores.

Graniterock is a private, family-owned company that was founded on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1900. Graniterock has operations in Watsonville, Santa Cruz, Seaside, Salinas, Hollister, Aromas, Felton, Oakland, San Jose, Redwood City and South San Francisco. The company supplies high-quality construction materials and its Construction Division is a significant regional heavy engineering contractor building roadways, airports and private commercial and residential projects.

Contact
Shanna McCord
***@graniterock.com
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Tags:Construction, Children S Books, Books, California History, San Francisco Bay Area
Industry:Books, Construction
Location:San Jose - California - United States
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