Rene Steinke has opened a glass art studio called Sacramento Art Glass, located on Sutterville Road near Sacramento City College, where he offers classes to the public. // Photo courtesy

For Rene Steinke, nothing comes close to the enjoyment he gets from glass blowing. To this Land Park glass blowing guru, the challenge of the art form is both creative and physical.
“There is a kind of a magic involved every time I make something beautiful out of a simple gather of molten hot glass,” he said.
Started blowing glass at just age 17, Steinke has worked with fire for 15 years now and recently, he started offering classes inside his studio near city college on Sutterville Road.
Steinke has been teaching for about four years – starting at Rainbow Glass (on Auburn Boulevard ) where he built the entire glass blowing operation to now being able to teach in his own studio he named Sacramento Art Glass.
“I am now able to ‘give back’ by working with a couple of charities and share my enthusiasm for glass blowing,” Steinke said.

Steinke has been teaching for about four years – starting at Rainbow Glass where he built the entire glass blowing operation to now being able to teach in his own studio he named Sacramento Art Glass.

Steinke said it’s generally difficult in Sacramento for an aspiring glass blower to get practice and guidance, but luck came his way. He said other glass blowers have helped and mentored him and his mother, Darby Patterson, sent him to workshops in Seattle, Oregon and Corning, New York. Last year, he was an artist in residence at a major gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona.
From understanding glass blowing techniques to actually practicing them, it’s not surprising that it would take a long time to master the art of blowing glass. Of course, Steinke teaches safety because students are working with glass that goes in and out of a furnace hotter than 2,000 degrees. He said they start by making something simple, just for practice and work their way up to a final piece that they will take home after it cools down.

Sharing the experience with students , Steinke teaches them to keep the hot glass at the end of the pipe rotating and moving at all times as well as have them understand the temperature of the glass and the effect of gravity when handling it when it’s hot.
While most of the equipment Steinke uses is quite expensive, he said he was fortunate to know about metal working and fabricating that he built almost all of his own equipment over a period of a few years. Other tools he has had to purchase little by little, such as: blow pipes, punys, cherry wood paddles and of course, he buys a steady supply of clear glass and also colored glass in the form of frit and powders.
Steinke is excited to rent the use of his studio to qualified people and to do glass blowing demonstrations on Second Saturdays – along with inviting beginners to experience classes.
“There is something very special about the allure of glass blowing and I hope that Sacramento learns to embrace and appreciate the art form more widely,” he said.
The Sacramento Art Glass studio is located 2500 Sutterville Rd.

Interested in blowing glass? Rene is now enrolling. Each class limited to four students. All materials are included in the $125 fee. Reservations at 443-2397.

East Sacramento centenarian Genevieve Cobb recently discovered a dozen black and white, family photographs that she had once intended to throw away. Some of the photographs are more than 100 years old. / Valley Community Newspapers photo, Lance Armstrong

Oddly, however, it was not until last week that Genevieve, who last June turned 102 years old, was aware that she had these photographs in her possession.

Explaining that she had never had any children and that it was her belief that no one would ever want her old photographs, Genevieve made the decision to throw away her old, family photographs about two years ago.

Forgotten photo album

Last week, while looking through a photo album from her 99th birthday celebration, she was surprised to come across a dozen black and white, family photographs, ranging from 1908, which was the year of her birth, to 1948, the year she married her now-late husband, Rodney Cobb.  

Genevieve (Moore) Cobb’s parents, Delbert and Effie Moore, are shown around the time of their marriage in 1907. Genevieve said that although she is not certain, she believes that her parents were married on May 16, 1907. / Photo courtesy, Genevieve Cobb

“I was surprised that I had these (photographs) and that they hadn’t been in the ‘throw outs,’” Genevieve said. “If they had been in the drawer where I had all my other pictures, they would have been thrown out. Nobody wants them, so finally I just went through the drawer and tossed them out.” 

When asked why she had not valued her old, family photographs for her own remembrance, Genevieve quickly responded, “Well, I don’t ever look at them. I hadn’t looked at this (99th birthday photo album) for so long, I didn’t know these (old family photographs) were in (the album).”

Genevieve Moore is shown with her parents Delbert and Effie Moore in this 1908 photograph. / Photo courtesy, Genevieve Cobb

Early childhood years

Genevieve, who was the first born of the five children of Delbert Howard Moore and Effie Belle (Wotring) Moore, lived the first three years of her life in Greeley, Colo. 

Although Genevieve said that she does not have any memory of residing in Colorado, she can now observe five different photographs from this time in her life.

Genevieve Moore – now Genevieve Cobb – is shown in the arms of her mother in this 1908 photograph. Also shown in the photograph are Genevieve’s father (seated next to her mother) and her grandparents. / Photo courtesy, Genevieve Cobb

The photograph is especially significant, since Genevieve believes it represents the only existing photograph of any of her grandparents.

After leaving Colorado, Genevieve resided with her family in Roseburg, Ore. from about 1911 to about

Genevieve Moore is pictured with her doll in late 1909. / Photo courtesy, Genevieve Cobb

While in Oregon, Delbert, a former railroad worker, supported his family by cutting wood in the forest.

In Roseburg, the family had a farm. And to help the financial stability of the family, who Genevieve said was poor, Effie, in Genevieve’s words, “canned fruit like mad.”

Oklahoma in the 1920s

With hope of improving their finances, the family relocated to Oklahoma, first residing in Skiatook and then moving about 20 miles away to the town of Bigheart.

Delbert was able to obtain employment in Oklahoma as an oil field worker.

Genevieve Moore – now Genieve Cobb – is shown with her dog in this photograph, which was taken in about 1910 in Greeley, Colo. / Photo courtesy, Genevieve Cobb

Genevieve said that she remembers when Bigheart was renamed Barnsdall in 1922.

“They changed the name to Barnsdall, because the Barnsdall (oil) refinery was there,” Genevieve said. 

The traveling years

Soon after Genevieve’s marriage, she was left alone, as Rodney served in the Army in Panama for 13 months.

Genevieve Moore is shown at the age of 5 in this 1913 photograph. / Photo courtesy, Genevieve Cobb

Eventually, Genevieve moved to Fresno, where Rodney was stationed.

Following the war, on Dec. 24, 1945, Genevieve and Rodney moved to Colorado Springs.

The suitcases were packed once more, when Rodney, after earning his master’s degree, obtained employment at the world-famous seed supplier, W. Atlee Burpee and Co., in Lompoc, Calif.

East Sacramento

After residing for 10 months in downtown Sacramento, Rodney and Genevieve purchased a house at 89 Coloma Way, off Elvas Avenue, in East Sacramento in November 1953.

Genevieve also became employed by the state, first working for the Division of Highways. For the majority of her 13 years with the state, she worked for the California Public Employees’ Retirement System.

Randall, Meredith and Genevieve Moore pose for this 1913 photograph. / Photo courtesy, Genevieve Cobb

Both Rodney and Genevieve retired from the state on July 1, 1969.

Mercy McMahon Terrace

In 1995, Genevieve and Rodney moved into Mercy McMahon Terrace, an independent and assisted living facility at 3865 J St., near Mercy General Hospital.

Although Rodney passed away at the age of 93 in 2000, Genevieve has continued to live at Mercy McMahon and has a reputation of being an outstanding person, as well as an excellent bridge player.

Genevieve, who is of Dutch and Irish ancestry and is related to the second U.S. president, John Adams, said that she appreciates the opportunity she has had to live such a long life.

Good genes and good food

She added that she mainly attributes her family’s genes to her longevity.

“My mother lived to be quite old,” Genevieve said. “She didn’t live to be 100, but she was in the upper 90s and her family was long-lived. My father died young, 65, but he had some health problems. His sister lived, I guess, to be in her 90s and my sisters are in their 90s. But I know genes are what do it. Also, I never smoked or drank and (growing up) I just had the food that our family could raise or buy. It was quality food and never junk food.”

The Moore family is shown in this c. 1921 photograph. They are (left to right): Meredith, Juanita, Delbert, Genevieve, Effie and Randall. The fifth child of the family, Darrell, was not yet born at the time when this photograph was taken. / Photo courtesy, Genevieve Cobb

Active centenarian

Genevieve, who has been very active in the resident council and is Mercy McMahon’s only centenarian, is well known among residents and staff at Mercy McMahon as a model of longevity and one of the facility’s most kind-hearted and friendly people.

Among the residents who are most impressed with Genevieve is Sheila Mahoney.

“You wouldn’t even know she’s 102,” Maloney said. “She does everything. She does her own laundry. I’m 92 and I don’t even do my own laundry. She is quite a lady.”

Genevieve and Rodney Cobb are shown in this June 8, 1948 photograph, which was taken just one day following their marriage. / Photo courtesy, Genevieve Cobb

Nicki Bagley, assistant administrator at Mercy McMahon, said that she is also very impressed with Genevieve.

“She is a very amazing woman,” Bagley said. “She represents her generation quite well. She’s a very classy woman and kind of old-fashioned in her being. She’s also very bright and still very alert mentally. She is certainly as bright as anyone 20 years younger. We are so fortunate to have Mrs. Cobb here at Mercy McMahon.”

lance@valcomnews.com