She and her family moved to the hills of Piedmont , California in 1902 . By age 16 , Whitaker was a " free-spirited artist . " Whitaker met painter Xavier Martinez at Coppa 's Restaurant in San Francisco . Finding her a perfect subject , he sketched her and began his Elsie series . After the earthquake of 1906 , Martinez moved to Piedmont . Months later , he proposed to an 18-year-old Whitaker , who had already promised to marry at least four other men , who were friends of her father . Choosing Martinez , she said , " I decided to pick the one who would give me the most interesting life . " Martinez , at 37 , was only two years younger than Elsie 's father Herman Whitaker . The couple married in October 1907
earthquake of 1906
1906 San Francisco earthquake
Elsie Whitaker Martinez