The traveling bench

Many of you will remember the infamous cemetery bench. As I can recall the facts from my mother, the bench was purchased by our grandmother, Julia Sullivan Crotty, and was placed at the grave site in Trinity Cemetery of her parents John and Anna Dillon Sullivan.

The first picture shows their grave site. Their stones are in the upper right in front of the big stone. In the foreground is a cement pad. I bet that is where the bench was. The second picture shows the tomb stones.

The best we can do is surmise that this probably occurred in the late 1920's or early 1930's. During the 30's, families were advised that these benches needed to be removed. It was then taken to reside for a number of years at 509 Parade Street. Sometime around 1946 the bench was moved to my parents house - one of the 'cottages' built by Lucy Horrigan Crotty Smith at 411 East 5th Street. My family later moved to Eagle Point Blvd in the early 1950's, and the bench travelled to the new Jackson homestead.

The bench stayed at Eagle Point until 1977 when my father moved to Houston to be near me and my family. I recently (May 15, 2010) moved to Jacksonville, Florida to be near my daughter and her family. The bench made the journey with me.

Since I live in an apartment now, the bench is at Robin and Anthony's home. It is being given a place of honor. It will go to their daughter Aubrey. A picture of Aubrey, on the bench will be added later. Aubrey is the great-great-great-granddaughter of John and Anna Dillon Sullivan and the great-great-granddaughter of Richard and Julia Sullivan Crotty. This bench will survive us all. I wish I knew more of the history.

This bench has traveled more than Grandma Crotty ever did, or even thought about it in her lifetime. An old iron bench is the legacy for the generations to come.

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co-posted by

Dede & Rich

The Crotty Estate via a 1943 Wheat Penny

Any cousin who ever went to Anna’s house was familiar with her ‘pennies.’ On her buffet was a chrome wine set with what I think today, was an ice bucket. Anna gave permission for all of us to take some of those pennies from the ice bucket and make a trip to the ‘PX,’ a convenience/candy store on 6th and Parade. This store used to be owned by a family member in years gone by. It had changed hands several times. At that time, the ‘PX’ had a cadre of wonderful penny candies to include wax lips, bubble gum, tootsie rolls, amongst a host of other candies.

One Saturday afternoon, my brother Mike and I were joined by either Dave Barron, Tom Barron, Dave Callahan, or all of the noted. One of us had seen an article in the Erie Times under coin collection. It indicated that there was a rare wheat penny from 1943. This penny was worth over $100,000. Needless to say, in the late 50’s, this was a lot of money! The group of us that day told Anna that we were going to see if any of her pennies, surely over 1,000 pennies in that ice bucket, were of this vintage. Anna supported us with Rola Cola, potato chips, and Swiss cheese while humoring our enthusiasm. We spent several hours going through the entire pot. And, low and behold, we found a 1943 wheat penny!

What a thrill! We then decided how Anna would spend her newly-found money. First, she would purchase a large estate, the ‘Crotty Estate.’ This would allow all Crotty families to have a family bedroom in this mansion, probably in Glenwood Hills. We would enjoy this on weekends. There would be a swimming pool. (We no longer had to go to Chestnut pool to swim) The boys wanted a baseball diamond and a basketball hoop. We’d no longer go to the CYS Club for bowling on Sunday, we’d have our own bowling alley. Then there would be servants. One of us decided that we would ask the servants to ‘peel our grapes.’ We laughed ourselves silly and went onto other modes, totally enjoying being amongst the rich and privileged. We would return to our own homes for the daily week, going to school where we were enrolled, to return on weekends.

After all of our enthusiasm, planning and expectations, as all luck would have it, our penny lacked the final demarcation needed to command the $100,000. We again convened at Anna’s. There would be no estate, no family rooms, no swimming pool, baseball diamond or basketball hoop, nor having our grapes peeled, or fancy dinners. Looked like it was back to the CYS Club on Sunday for bowling. However, all was not lost. We still had carte blanche to Anna’s house and her penny pot with our choice of penny candy at the PX.

It’s December, 24th, 1974. I am sitting in a church in New Jersey for Christmas Eve Mass listening to ‘Silent Night.’ I am holding my new baby, 1 month old. (This baby is now 35 years old) We came home, to receive the ‘Christmas Eve Call In’ from Anna, et al. Anna always had the entire family for a Christmas Eve party. Passing the phone from one family member to the next was both a fun and sacred experience. Your first Christmas without your family is a tough one, but the call allowed for continuity in spirit.

Thinking back on the many events Anna hosted for her family, be it Christmas Eve, St. Patrick’s Day, a new chair, or a lava lamp celebration, the ‘Crotty Estate’ was up and alive. Needless to say, Anna didn’t need to be amongst the rich and famous in a palatial mansion to behold the “Crotty Estate.’ It was there all the time.

Lucy Rastatter Cappello
April 8, 2010
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Hot Fudge Sundaes at Norma and Johnnie’s

Lights, Cameras, Action and Hot Fudge Sundaes at Norma and Johnnie’s

I lived in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey for some of the best years of my adult life. I shopped in a neighboring town, Westwood, New Jersey, and always managed to make my way into a little sweet shop called Conrad’s. Their homemade candy rivals Stefanelli’s in Erie. They have an ice cream soda shop that takes you back years in time. It still looks like 1959. Westwood has the charm of suburban New York, offering a variety of venues for the shopper and palate. Conrad’s still holds old charm.

Over twenty five years ago, while shopping, I was craving a hot fudge sundae. I went to Conrad’s. I took one taste and went back in time. Could this actually be happening? The time was the late 50’s and early 60’s, at Norma and Johnnie’s house.

After putting on our Sunday finest, Mike, Ann and I, in my parent’s Ford, were excited to be on Greengarden Blvd, knowing ‘the turn’ was coming. We walked into Norma and Johnnie’s greeted by Norma. She always had perfectly coiffured auburn hair, with a “Gibson Girl” twist in the front. She wore a crisp apron and always, red nails with an understated yet beaming smile. Johnnie was always gentle and warm.

We kids (Patty, Mike, Ann, Mike and I) could care less what the adults were going to do for the afternoon. We went downstairs to the basement stage and had a ball creating an original play. How I loved that time in their great basement! After much planning and practice, we put on our original play. Our audience of parents gave rounds of applause. We had succeeded. Look out Broadway.

Before dinner, I’d admire Norma’s original art work. I thought it was so cool. She had oil paintings, some by numbers, beautifully framed throughout the house. Then, time for a great dinner. Yes, a great dinner, but I couldn’t wait for the dessert, a hot fudge sundae. You could smell the sauce cooking. God, nothing could compare, except tasting it! It had a rich chocolate flavor and a moderate creamy consistency dripping over pure vanilla ice cream. I’ve tried many times to recreate the sauce with the Hershey’s cocoa hot fudge recipe, and maybe I’ve come close. Then I went into Conrad’s in Westwood, New Jersey. No matter what diet I tried to be on over the past 25 years, I’d give myself a reprieve and have that hot fudge sundae. I am amazed. How can I be so lucky? It’s just like Norma’s! I enjoy my sundae. I go back in time. I relive my childhood memories. I reconnect with what’s good and important. Conrad’s, please never go out of business.

Lucy Cappello
March 2, 2010

I am REALLY a Crotty..

As I begin the next phase of my life, I find that those Crotty 'no frills' genes are really part of who I am.

When I started looking thru the accumulation of over 40 years of marriage, I initially wanted to save everything. As I go thru it each time, more and more 'stuff' is getting discarded, ready to be sold at a garage sale, or donated. I finally realized that my memories are not in 'things', but in the memories I will carry with me wherever I go.

I recently sent my daughter Robin a text asking her if she wanted something. She replied that yes, she would like it, but the Crotty in her says no!! So, she declined whatever item it was, and really only wants things that remind her of her home here and her Dad. I think Kevin is realizing too that it is possible to have too many things that really don't mean that much.

Another "Anna" thought...I have decided to take minimal furniture mainly because it seems foolish to drag with me what I will not need. I will be starting my apartment in Jacksonville with only my recliners, no sofa! It reminded me of a post Mary Ann made that Anna was the only person she ever knew who had no sofa in their living room. Mary Ann...I know you are up there laughing!!

I will never start pitching family heirlooms and pictures out of the attic window though!!

Daniel Cappello

Daniel Cappello is a great-grandson of Richard and Julia Crotty. He is the founder of 47 Ventures - a creative consulting company. Dan draws on an encompassing career that has spanned the worlds of media, politics, design, philanthropy, fashion, and the arts to offer clients a uniquely customized experience for their personal and business development needs.

Dan is currently the Fashion Editor of Quest Media, which publishes the cultural magazine Quest and the fashion magazine Q. He has worked on the editorial staffs of The New Yorker, George, and Harvard Current. He has covered and written about science, politics, literature, fashion, and etiquette for publications such as Playbill, Absolute New York, W, Ralph Lauren’s RL Magazine, and www.newyorker.com/. He has been a ballet critic for Dance and Pointe magazines, and has written and photographed for New York Social Diary.

Dan served President Bill Clinton as Director of Specialty Press and has worked on such creative projects as the redesign and installation of the permanent exhibit “Jacqueline Kennedy: First Lady,” at the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, in Boston, and Richard Avedon’s final photographic portfolio, “Democracy.”

Dan Cappello received his B.A. degree in Government from Harvard University, where he also earned a Citation in French Language.

http://www.fortysevenventures.com/

The Clubs

Sometimes on Sunday afternoon we would go to the East Erie Turners on 9th & Parade. When I was very young the club had slot machines, and I can vaguely remember grandma playing the penny machine. When we were a little older, Pat, Harry, Tommy and I would play around the club. Pat and I would look for Tommy and Harry or the other way round. There was the main club room, a smaller dining room, the bar room and the bowling alley downstairs. It was a crowded place and so it seemed easy to hide from each other. As the day passed the building got very smokey, and your eyes would burn. Who ever heard of the dangers of second-hand smoke?

By the mid 50's we started going to the CYS club on East 2nd Street between French and Holland. We called it the Russian Club. I'm not sure why we started going there, but I remember that they had chicken in the basket - 1/2 chicken and French fries - for a dollar. In the early evening they had bingo, and Anna would get extra cards so the kids could play.

Razanauskas Brothers in WWII

On the left is Eddie. His rank was Petty Officer Third Class and served in the engine room on the aircraft carrier USS Franklin.

Bill is the guy in the middle. In his wife's Crotty family he is known as Willie. He was a Staff Sergeant in the Army, and was stationed at Frederick Army Airfield, Frederick, Oklahoma. He was a Physical Training Instructor for pilots.

Walter's rank was Ensign. He commanded a Navy Landing Craft. These boats were used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. He was stationed in the Pacific.