A strange flash

I wrote this in 2013 soon after talking with my brother Tommy about it.

Tommy and I remember an incident in the early 50's when there was a flash that went through our house and Anna's house.  There must have been a party going on, as there were a lot of people in our kitchen and in Anna's kitchen.  I was at home and Tommy says he was at Anna's, when a flash came  through a window in Anna's closet, which was off the kitchen.  It then went through her kitchen and out the kitchen window, and then into our kitchen window and across the kitchen and down the long narrow closet off the kitchen, and out that window.

I remember that everyone came over to our house from Anna's to tell us what happened over there, and we said that the same thing happened here.  I remember that they all decided that it was a flash of lightning.

As years have gone by, I have begun to wonder if this really happened or was it a dream or something, but Tommy confirms my recognition.

I remember that it passed within inches of us in our kitchen.

This picture of my brother David, which was NOT taken at that time, shows the closet off the kitchen.  The second picture shows the kitchen window at Anna's house.

The last time I saw Grandma

I think that the last time I saw grandma was probably in August 1950. I remember that she had been in the hospital, and had just returned home. It was late afternoon or early evening, and she was in the bedroom off the dining room at 505. A number of the family was there to see her. I can remember thinking that she looked so yellow. Later I heard someone say "yellow jaundice", which has always stuck with me. I think as a way of trying to cheer her up, someone asked if she'd like to have a beer. I don't think she did, but we didn't stay very long. I was eight years old.

Her death certificate states that a carcinoma gallbladder lead directly to her death.  She died on September 4, 1950.

This picture was taken in 1944.

An Erie Irish family

Taken from an article published in the April 1987 edition of the magazine "The Erie Story".

509

I recently went to a presentation Erie Insurance held for the retirees.  They discussed the new Technical Learning Center, which they will be building on East 7th Street.  They also discussed plans to restore the building  on the southeast corner of 6th and French, which was the Erie office from 1938 to 1956.  Another building to be restored is the Armory on 6th and Parade.  It will be used for offices.  They also had many pictures of the  restored mansions at 502 and 510 Parade Street.  After the presentation I hung around and talked to the program presenter.  I told him that I lived at 501 when I was a kid, and that my great-grandmother built 509 and the five "cottages".  I told him that 509 was my grandparents house.  He then told me that Erie Insurance is buying 509 and that it will be demolished this year.  

For more information see the September 2007 blog posting that Nancy made called "The Big House"  The house was built in 1892.  The wraparound front porch was removed in the late 1940's when the gray shingles were installed.                

Then and Now

The year was 1964, it was the first day for the introduction of the Mustang. Much fanfare and publicity about it compelled me to visit the local Ford dealership that evening. There was cake and soft drinks being served and balloons all about. Lots of people and good prices for the new offering. Prices starting at around $2400 stick in my mind.

Serving in the Air Force at the time, near a community called Newburgh New York, $2400 may as well have been $60,000, because military pay was next to nothing then.

After my visit to the Ford dealer, I thought I would stop at the local Studebaker dealer and see my favorite marque’s offerings. My memory is still very vivid of that evening 49 years ago. It was a dark side street, that reminded me of a Sherlock Holmes movie scene. I was greeted by a very well dressed elderly gentleman. On display in a one vehicle showroom, that looked more like a converted horse shed, was a black 63 Hawk. This was the only vehicle they had, and it was way more than the new Mustang. Needless to say there was not going to be a purchase that evening or ever for a new Studebaker.

Like so many things in life, when you would really like to have something, you can’t have it and when you can have it, it’s no longer available or it’s not important anymore. I knew it was just a matter of time before there would be no new Studies forever!

Now to the present time as I look at Hawk’s for sale on the internet, you read ads that say was running when parked 30 years ago, ready for restoration, good glass or has small rust hole in trunk. Don’t forget that galvanized sheet metal claim. One look at the photos of these cars means there will be no new purchase in 2013 either!
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Blogged by By Tom Barron

A very special 100th birthday…

On November 20, 2012, it was the 100th anniversary of the most loved, and loving aunt for all of us. Anna would have been 100 on this day!

Mike Crotty and I talked about the anniversary of her birth, and felt that it should be noted in our blog for November.  Life, as it usually does, got in the way of our good intentions to make sure this was properly noted and honored.

I cannot think of one of us, living or not, that did not benefit from Anna’s unconditional love and extreme generosity. She truly was our ‘Auntie Mame’.

Where else but Anna’s house could kids of the ‘50’s enjoy such exotic and expensive food items such as boiled shrimp, lobster tails, pheasant, duck, and tenderloin roast. Plus you cannot forget the endless supply of Rola Cola!  Ours for the taking from the back shed!  All kinds of flavors too!  She always had peanuts for munching and the block of moldy Swiss cheese sitting in the covered cheese dish. She taught me just to slice off the mold and the cheese was even sweeter underneath!

When I turned 14 or so, Anna gave me a key to her house…as she did for several of us. She always wanted to make sure we knew we always welcome.

Anna, from all of us to you, thank you for making our ‘growing years’ ones of great memories. Love you and think of you often.

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Blogged by Dede

Christmas when we were little (1947)

We never got our Christmas tree until the day before Christmas.  It seems like there were a lot of places on Parade Street that sold them.  Dad had a wooden box about two feet square which was turned upside down and had a hole in it for the tree trunk.  After he put the lights on, Tommy and I would put the other decorations on along with mom's help.

Another decoration we had was our "fireplace".  They sold rolls of paper that had a brick design, and that was taped to our desk, which made it look like a fireplace.  Did we think that Santa came down the chimney through it?  I don't remember, but we did have a place to hang a couple of stockings.

On the night before Christmas I remember being unable to fall asleep for a very long time, and that Tommy didn't have this problem.  It then seemed like I had just fallen asleep, when Tommy was waking me up saying 'Santa Clause came!'.  We would get up and go to the living room to see.  Mom and Dad would hear us and get up, and then we opened our presents.  When all was done, it was time to play.  Mom and Dad would sometimes go back to bed as it was still dark outside.  As I remember it now, it seems like it was a long time before it got light out. 

Richie