The cherry tree

I thought that because I have a couple of pictures that show the cherry tree in the yard at 509 Parade, and because I have a block of wood from that tree, that I should put it in the blog. I can remember eating the cherries, but it was probably when the Filipkowski family lived there.

The B&W pictures were taken about 1939. With the bench (which Dede has in Houston) are Lucille, Nancy, Betty, grandma (Julia) and Anna.


About 1980 the tree succumbed to old age, and the man that owned 509 at that time told my dad that I could cut it up for my wood stove. I saved one piece for posterity.







P.S. After talking with Nancy, we've decided that the tree in the second picture is a different tree. It would have been taken from about where the bench was.

Summer time in the 1950's....

What was it like in July in the 1940’s or 1950’s??

My earliest memories are of picnics at Lucy Crotty’s Cottage (former schoolhouse) in North East. This is now the home of Lucy’s niece, Judy Hart Coughlin and her husband Mike. I remember the cherry tree, the porch and I recall a big open area in the house.

I remember later years with picnics at Turnwald. There was always a constant theme to the food. My mother would make her baked beans, Julia would make potato salad and Anna brought the Planters Peanuts in the shell. Plenty of beer and Ox Roast and of course pop for us kids.

Other fond memories are of taking Nolan’s ferry to the peninsula to swim, and also going to Chestnut Street Pool to swim. Julia and Harry’s house was our ‘home base’ for these excursions.

I seem to recall that the stores in downtown Erie were closed on Wednesday afternoons.

Each July, my parents and I would hop in the ole family jalopy and head east to Avoca, Pa. To visit my grandparents, the Jacksons. It was a trip I looked forward to every year.

Johnny and Norma would have family picnics at the house on Charlotte Street. Norma always made sure us kids had plenty of treats.

Conneaut Lake Park……..nickel day……..spaghetti dinners aftewards. I also remember the trip we took with the Callahans and Anna to Niagara Falls. David and Bumpy and I had a good time buying souvenirs and enjoying a picnic lunch that our Moms had made.

I guess the most significant memories of summers past were just the families getting together…

Birthday party

My grandmother, Madeline Froess Barron Yorke, had her birthday on June 15th, and mine was on June 16th, and so we often celebrated together. These pictures are from my 4th birthday in 1946. The party was in the yard at 509, and were taken by my dad's cousin Jim Barron.

Party goers in the first picture are Judy Hart, Betty, me (Richie), Grandma, Tommy, Diane, Julia, Eileen (my cousin Diane's mother), Pat, Nancy and Mary Ann. Anna and my mother (Lucille) show up in the second picture.

The tradition continues - My grand-daughter Meghan was also born on June 16th. Each year as the day approaches, we discuss the kind of birthday cake we want. Meghan always says she wants chocolate, and to be contrary I say I want cherry. In this picture she was 8 and I was 64.

Decoration Day...

Decoration Day, now known as Memorial Day, brings back memories. In my youth, Decoration Day was always celebrated on May 30 (until 1968). Since then, it is now observed on the last Monday in May.

Decoration Day always started out for my family by a visit to Trinity Cemetery to visit the Crotty graves. I remember my mother telling me about her father being in the Spanish American War. The family urn was there (Richie has this now) and I remember it always being filled with geraniums. My mother would then tell me that the cemetery bench that we had at our house was originally at the cemetery. This bench now resides in Houston. She then told me that it was considered an "outing" when she was a kid to go to the cemetery, place flowers, and neaten up the grave sites.

As a kid, the day progressed to a family picnic at Turnwald. It also symbolized the beginning of summer, even though we had more school before the end of the year.

It always made me proud to see a flag on my grandfather's grave...still does.

Butchie Dog - submitted by Tom

His name was Butch, but we often called him Butchie Dog.

The floor mat that is in the picture with Butchie Dog came from Mike Jackson when he worked at Continental Rubber. It was made out of some kind of scrap material from one of the rubber molds they had at Continental. Butchie Dog never liked to step on the floor mat for some reason, so he walked around it whenever he went in or out of the house. Hmm, wonder where the rubber mat ever went?

Do you remember milkmen and milk boxes? The milk box in the picture was from either Dairyland or Bernie Cosgrove's Dairy (we had two different milkmen - one delivered early in the week and the other later in the week). Trish still had a milk box when her children were in their early years. She thinks that she had a milkman (Meadowbrook) until the twins were 5 or 6 years old. She hated to see that go as she really liked having a milkman. She misses the personal touch, and still remembers it fondly.

1956 Thanksgiving snowstorm

No matter how many snowstorms Erie has had over the years, none of them seem to measure up to the 1956 Thanksgiving storm. I remember that on Thanksgiving morning we started to notice the surprise snowstorm outside. The Wednesday newspaper had said that 'Erie was due for flurries, rain and snow squalls, and a wet Thanksgiving. The Thanksgiving Day's paper said that 'High winds and low temperature under an overcast sky promised dismal conditions for those who venture outside'. I really don't remember too much about that Thanksgiving, except that we seemed cozy in the house and there was a snowstorm outside.

By sometime Friday, after 36 hours of snowing, there was two feet of snow on the ground. The mayor declared a state of emergency and called out the Pennsylvania National Guard Army, which was across the street from our house. Many of the Army trucks and a couple of the tanks were put into use for emergencies around the city, and to make paths through the streets. I remember that evening there was a knock at the door. It was Johnny! Boy were we surprised, as he lived up on Charlotte Street. It seems like he said that he hitched a ride on one of the Army vehicles. Anyway, after a short visit he left. I thought at the time, boy what an adventure and wished I could go with him.

On Saturday morning the city was starting to dig out. Late that morning my dad, Tommy and I went for a walk up town, to see what we could see. My dad took his camera, but I don't think that he took any pictures. Therefore, the accompanying picture is from a similar snowstorm that occurred on December 12, 1944.

65th Wedding Anniversary...

Today, March 31, would have been Virginia and Mike's 65th wedding anniversary.

As I think about my parents on this day, I recall little vignettes of that day as told to me by my parents.

It was during World War II, and the 'rules' for getting married to a serviceman were liberal. No waiting period was required, and this was before the days of the Pre Cana marriage counseling. Basically, a couple could get married whenever the military person made it home. I believe Dad was stationed in Texas (how ironic!) at that time, and was scheduled to arrive in Erie by train. When my mother knew his arrival was imminent, she called St. Patrick's (Fr. Hastings, I believe) to schedule the wedding.

When Dad came home, he went to the jewelry store to buy my mother's ring. It was a narrow white gold band with orange blossom engravings on it. It cost the princely sum of $10.00. My mother never had that ring off her finger, and was buried with it at my Dad's request.

The Crotty clan then called the 'family'.....aunts, uncles, and cousins to attend the ceremony. They were married at 5:00 on a Wednesday afternoon...Julia and Harry were their attendants. If I remember the telling of this information correctly,they had a family dinner at the Antlers Club.

Dad always like to joke that they almost got married on April Fools Day...and he wondered aloud that if they DID get married on April Fools day, would the marriage
be valid or not??

I have the newspaper clipping and will add it to this posting.

Ya got to love Mike's sense of humor. Happy anniversary Mom and Dad!!