Hoosick Township Historical Society

Backyard History 

Project Discover 4th graders from Hoosick Falls Elementary School in Hoosick Falls, NY, were asked to interview an older relative or research the life of an older relative.  They then took the information gathered and wrote a biography on that person. The biographies were illustrated and bound into a book. Attached you will read these interesting stories. Each story includes one of the illustrations.

 

Biographies 2001

 

 

The Story of My Grandmother’s Life

By Kayla Snyder

 

Doris Reichelt was born in Montague, Mass. on July 18, 1940. She lived in Tuners Falls, Mass, until she was four years old. Then she moved to Berlin. The sports she enjoyed were roller-skating, shooting, jump roping, riding her bike, and playing golf. Doris Reichelt’s parents are Dorthy Beckerich and Wesley E. Sandburg. Her mother’s job was being a housewife. Her father’s job was a carpenter who made cupboards. Her first marriage was to Arnold Goodermote. She married Arnold in the year 1959. Her first child was Greg Goodermote. Greg was born August 29, 1961. Her second marriage was Charles Reichelt. She married Charles in the year 1973. Her second child was Tammy Reichelt. Tammy was born on June 15, 1974. Doris ‘s jobs were working at Taconic Valley Bank and typing a cookbook. Her granddaughter is Kayla Snyder. Kayla was born on April 4, 1992. Doris enjoyed typing, short hand and taking business courses. Some of the things that I enjoy with my grandmother are when I sleep over, go shopping, play games, pick vegetables out of her garden, go to Circus Smirkus, play in the snow, go for a walk down to get the mail, and baking.

 

 

 

Dorothy Marie Rogers’ Life In A Book by Kelsey Rogers

 

 

 

My grandmother, Dorothy Eggsware, was born on March 11, 1945 at Putman Memorial Hospital. Dorothy’s nickname was Dot. Dot’s parents were Beatrice and Kermit.

Dot had 11 brothers and sisters. Their names were Barbara, Janet, Kermit Jr., Thomas, Theodore, Nancy, Donna, Gary, Steven, and Diana. They lived on 320 Main Street.

As a young child, Dorothy lived on 320 Main Street. But now her mother Beatrice worked at Bennington Paper. Her dad worked at Bijur as a machine operator.

Dot went Cora B. Whitney School for 1st – 3rd grade. Her interests were bowling and crocheting. Dorothy moved to 100 North Branch Street for 1 year or until she was 14 years old. Then after she moved to 1008 County Street.    She went to Elementary school until 6th grade. Then she went to Benn High till she graduated. Her interests were bowling and crocheting. Dorothy was married at St. Francis de sales church in Bennington on July 17,1964.She was married Roy Edward Rogers. Then dot moved to 159 Benmont Avenue the front side of Roy parents house. She had 4 children their names were Jeffery, Matt, Todd, and Shelley. Dorothy had a lot of special trips with her 4 kids and husband. They would go up to camp in Sandgate with her family. Dorothy worked as a Chamber Maid, at the Bennington Paper, at a Laundry Mill, and as a waitress at the Nook. Dot had special memories of when she went to Florida with son Todd’s Family. Also to Tennessee with friend Marie to see where Elves lived. My grandma and I are really close. I remember when I would take showers in her tub.

 

 

 

My Grandmother

By Patrick Mulvihill

 

   My grandmother, Jean Mulvihill Every was born at the Bennington Vermont Hospital on June.6, 1938. She was born at the same hospital as I was. My grandmother has many brothers and sisters. Her parents were Percy and Edith Andrews.      She has five brothers, Harry, Roger, Leroy, John and Leon.  She has two sisters Irene and Barbara. My grandmother grew up in Bennington. Her father was a mechanic and here mother was a housewife. When she got older she went to school in Bennington, her school was called Bennington High School. In her young adulthood she still lived in Bennington. She went to college. It was called St. Joseph’s College. At the age of 30 she moved to Hoosick Falls. At this age she liked to cook. When my grandmother was an adult she lived in Hoosick Falls. Her husband‘s name was Frank Mulvihill. My grandmother has three children. One is my dad Frank the others are Rob and Margaret.  She worked at Rensselaer County Department of Aging.  A few years ago she went to  Reno.I have many feelings about my grandmother. Here are a couple. Every weekend I see her and we both give each other hugs and kisses. Also I went to Virginia and we had a blast with her. I love my grandmother very much. I hope you do too.

 

 

 

The Biography of

 Dorothy Pepoon Tiene

By Sarah Gleason

Dorothy Pepoon Tiene was born on September 1, 1924 in Orange, New Jersey at home.  Her father’s name was Alfred Pepoon, and her mother’s name was Catherine Condit. For two years Dorothy lived in Orange, New Jersey with her father’s parents Lillian and William Pepoon.  Her mother’s parents were Catherine and Frank Condit.  One grandfather drove a truck, and the other grandfather was a chauffer. Her grandmother Lillian Pepoon died when she was one.  She had one sister Lillian. Dorothy grew up on the first floor of a two story house in West Orange, New Jersey. near her mother’s family. When her father was young, he worked for Thomas Edison in his laboratory. Later, her father worked in a hardware store, and her mother stayed home. She went to elementary school at Washington, Edison. Dorothy went to Edison Jr. High and West Orange High School. She was her high school valedictorian and was awarded two scholarships. She went to Montclair College and studied mathematics in college.  She was on the college volleyball team, and graduated magna cum laude. After she graduated, she worked for Prudential Insurance Company in the actuarial department. Dorothy married Charles Tiene.  She met her husband in college.  He became a college professor. First, they lived in New Jersey, then New York, and last Virginia.  They had seven kids: Drew, Mary, Joanne, Greg, Cathy (my mom), Kevin, and Rick. All her children earned college degrees, and among them they earned 13 college degrees in the family. After all her children were in school she took computer courses.  Later she ran a computer lab at a community college. She worked at a library until retirement. After she retired she and her husband went on three big trips.  Here is what she said about them: “After grandpa and I retired we took several sight-seeing trips.  One was to Yellowstone National Park and Glacier Park. The mountains, rivers, glaciers and many animals were exciting to see.  We actually spent some time climbing a glacier.  We were there the summer after the huge forest fires that burned most of the large trees in Yellowstone, but it was amazing to see how quickly the new vegetation was growing.  The colors of all the hot springs and geysers in Yellowstone was my favorite excursion.  Another trip was to the Grand Canyon and the Canyon lands of the Southwest.  The miles and miles of pink cliffs that you see in many cowboy western movies were beautiful.  We had dinner with an Indian tribe and learned about their homes and schools.  In the desert many of the cacti were spectacular. 

            One fall trip was to Maine and Eastern Canada.  The trees were turning color so the entire trip was very beautiful. We took a ferry to Prince Edward Island in Canada and traveled to the site of the home of Lucy Maud Montgomery who wrote the Anne of Green Gables books that you may already have read. The home that is open to visitors is the home of her cousins and is furnished as it was in the Green Gables storybooks.  Her grandparents’ home, in which she lived for 34 years and wrote the stories, is gone.  The stories are so popular with the Japanese that many, many Japanese travel to the present house to be married.  After traveling trough Nova Scotia we took a ferry ride (6 hours) back to Bar Harbor, Maine and spent 2 days before returning to Virginia. When she was young she liked art, sewing and reading.  Now she enjoys sewing and needlework and crossword puzzles.

 

 

 

 

The Life of Margaret Ann Gleason

By Hannah Caron

 

            Margaret Ann Gleason was born May first 1934 in Bennington Vermont at Putnam Hospital. Margaret was the youngest of four children.  May was the oldest sister, then John and Francis.  Her mother’s name was Rose Odelia and father’s name was John Edward. Margaret grew up at 110 Dewey Street in Bennington. Her father was a teamster and drove horses. Her mother was a bookkeeper. She went to St. Frances De Sales Academy from first to eighth grade.  Growing up during the depression, Margaret and her friends did not have a lot of toys. They played hopscotch on the sidewalk and played outside a lot. There was no TV or computer games. They listened to the radio. Margaret continued her education at Bennington High School.  She had lots of friends and interests.  She was a cheerleader, played basketball, softball and was in the school band.  In her senior year she was a student nurse.  She enrolled after graduation in Putnam School of Nursing. In 1953 she married Roland J. LaCroix.  They moved into a house on Bradford St. in Bennington, Vermont.  Together they had six children, John, James, Mary Margaret (Peg), Jeffrey and Andre. Margaret worked as a bookkeeper and later as a payroll clerk.  During her young adulthood she was very busy as a Mom and homemaker.  When her children were older, she became a Sunday school teacher and has donated a lot of her time to church functions. Today she volunteers at the Vermont Veterans Home. In her later years, Margaret has had more time to travel. Some of her special memories, besides the birth of her children, were traveling with her husband.  They have visited Vancouver, Canada, California, Florida and Las Vegas.  She has also been to Yosemite National Park and Hoover Dam.  She still enjoys good health and spending time with her grandchildren. Her saddest memories were the passing of her parents.  Her dad died of an unexpected heart attack when she was only twenty-three.  Her mother lived ten days shy of her eighty-fifth birthday.  Other sad memories were the death of her godmother and the most recent death of her beloved sister, in 1998.

 

 

 

A Biography On My Grandma Sinicropi

By Megan McEachron

 

            My grandma Sinicropi was born in Custar, Illinois, on August 11, 1931. She has a brother named Eugene.  He was born January 17, 1928.  Her mother’s name was Thyra and her father’s name was Clyde Scott.  Her dad owned a roofing business in Chicago, IL and her mother was a homemaker. She lived and went to school in Custar Park.  The name of her school was Custar Township.  At recess she played Red Rover and softball. At home, she would ride her pony or play with her brother. She went to Wesleyan University for one year.  Then she went to Illinois State for three years. She became a sales manager at Hartman Metal Fabricators in Victor, NY to earn money to raise her family. She married Ralph Sinicropi on June 2, 1956 on a gorgeous day. She went to San Francisco, California and said it was definitely her favorite trip. Her children were Holly, my mom, and Kathy.  Kathy was born on August 14, 1958. My mom was born December 14 1960.  She now lives in Seneca Falls, NY on Cayuga Lake on Rt. 89.

 

 

The Life of Nana Mirski

By Emily Wilwol

 

            Harriet Shaw Bromirski was born on February 15, 1936 at her Fourth St. home in the small town of Hoosick Falls, NY.  She was the daughter of Kenneth G. and Augusta E. Palmer Shaw. Kenneth worked as a truck driver for the Undergarment Corporation, which later became Barclay Home Products Company.  Augusta was a homemaker who took care of Harriet and Harriet’s younger sister, Roberta.  Harriet grew up quickly and enjoyed helping her mother with her younger sister and things around the house. When she was about 5 years old, it was time for Harriet to start school.  She attended the Second Ward Elementary School in Hoosick Falls.   Harriet loved school and loved to learn about new and exciting things.  She loved to sew. She and her sister had chores to do around the house.  They needed to do them before their father came home. Sometimes if they misbehaved or didn’t do their chores they were spanked with a twig from a lilac bush. Harriet, being the oldest, hated to see her younger sister get spanked, so sometimes Harriet took the spanking for her.  They each had to get their own switch from the lilac bush and they better not comeback with a small one or they would be punished even harder. After completing her elementary education, Harriet moved on to High School.  She attended and graduated from the Walter A. Wood High School in Hoosick Falls.  She met a young man named Edward Bromirski and they began to court each other. Harriet had a special interest in becoming a dental hygienist and after graduating high school she went to Framingham College to become a dental hygienist. Harriet’s College education was cut short when her mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in late October of 1953.  Harriet did not return to college as her mother passes away in November of 1953 at the age of 41.  Harriet felt she needed to stay home to take care of her younger sister and father. Harriet began spending a lot of time with Edward and they decided to marry.  Harriet married Edward J Bromirski on November 25, 1954 in the Immaculate Conception Church in Hoosick Falls.  They had a small reception at the home of Edward’s parents, Anthony and Amelia Bromirski.  There were family and friends there to help celebrate the special event. Harriet and Ed moved into a house on Fourth St. in Hoosick Falls.  They began to start a family. They had five children.  First came Michael and then Richard.  They were eleven months apart.  One year later came Stephen.  Harriet wanted a girl, and each time the babies were ready to be born she would ask the doctor is it a girl? And he would say no that it’s a boy.  When Elizabeth was born five years later Harriet said I know it’s a boy and the doctor said nope it’s your girl. Harriet and Ed were very happy they finally had a girl.  Harriet and Ed moved to a house in North Hoosick in 1967. Harriet went to work for a dentist in Hoosick Falls as a dental assistant.  She loved her job and met and got to know a lot of people in the town. A few months went by and to their surprise they found out that they were going to have another baby, and on May 18, 1968 Timothy was born.  He was the smallest of all of the children.  He was very sick as an infant, and Harriet stayed home, for the first years of his life, leaving Ed to work 2 jobs at a time to make ends meet.  Son the kids were old enough and Harriet went back to work doing what loved, dental assisting and promoting good dental hygiene.  She later became the office manager. In April of 1985 Edward died unexpectedly. Harriet was all alone.  Her children came to her side to comfort her in her time of need.  Harriet became accustomed to living alone.  She became very close to her daughter and granddaughter, Megan.  They spend a lot of time together.  Harriet loved to window shop at the malls and travel to the beach.  She often went on family vacations with her daughter’s family. Harriet was diagnosed with breast cancer in March of 1992. She had major surgery to remove her left breast.  Her daughter Elizabeth was there for her support. It was Harriet’s grandchildren that always gave her strength. Harriet was undergoing chemotherapy and only had a few treatments left when her granddaughter Emily was born.  Emily was only a week old when she went to the hospital with Harriet to have her chemotherapy treatment.  Harriet was so proud of Emily she couldn’t wait to show her off. Harriet’s cancer was in remission.  She celebrated Emily’s first birthday and they were planning a trip to Disney World. In July of 1993, Harriet, along with her daughter, Elizabeth and her husband and children drove to Florida. Harriet enjoyed the Disney vacation with her two granddaughters.  You would not have thought she had been diagnosed with cancer. She was like a whole new person.  She was living life to the fullest on that vacation. Harriet returned from Florida to find that the cancer had returned.  She went back for severe radiation and chemotherapy treatment. The cancer had traveled from the breast to the liver and on September 13, 1993 the doctor’s found a tumor in the brain.  Harriet passed away on October 1993 after a courageous battle with cancer. 

 

 

About My Nanny

By Samantha Niles

 

My Nanny, Joan Niles, birthday is January 25th 1935. Her parents’ names were Mable Smith and Adelbert Woodell. Her sisters’ and brothers’ names were Lorraine, Norma, Mary and Dohn. My Nanny also lived in Bennington.  Her parents were mill workers.  She went to Bennington grade school.  Her father home schooled her in 7th grade. Her mother home schooled her in 9th.  Her interests are sewing, crafts, and woodworking. She was married in St. Frances Church in Bennington.  She was married to a wonderful man named Robert Niles. She worked at Bob’s garage and Bob’s Auto Parts. She had five kids, Mardi, Melissa, Kelly, Robert II and Jodi. She has many memories like when she went to Hawaii.  She went to Mexico too.  She went to Puerto Rico.  She had trip to the Bahamas, too.

 

 

Betty Kipp’s Life

By Lacey LaCroix

 

My grandmother, Betty Kipp, was born at the Hoosick Health Center on Hall St. on March 28, 1928. Her parents were Alice and Harry Cipperly. She had eight brothers and six sisters. One brother died at 2 months. She went to a one-room schoolhouse on Breese Hollow for five years. He sister Helen was her teacher. She graduated from Hoosick Falls High School in June 1945. She was married to Bob Kipp on October 23, 1954.  They were married at All Saints Episcopal Church in Hoosick, NY. Her first child was born on April 17, 1958.  Her name was Jane.  She had a second child, Jill, on March 11, 1961 and a third child, David on May 11, 1967. She has five grandchildren, Aubrie, Melissa, Luke and Lacey and Shelby. Her husband died on June 2, 1997. Her first job was as an office worker in her high school.  She worked in Troy for three months and did office work there. She then stayed home and helped her mother until she married and she raised her own children.   She worked for a time as an Avon lady.  She also worked at Brownell Landscaping as a receptionist and bookkeeper.  She also did the bookkeeping for her brother’s farm, Boiling Brook. She wasn’t able to go on any trips because it was WWII. Her interests were square dancing, going to fairs, circuses, and watching Shirley Temple movies. I remember that she is always very nice and helpful to everyone.

 

 

 

My Grandfather Robert Richard

By Taylor Ely

 

            My grandfather was born on April 15, 1947 in Exeter Hospital in Exeter, NH. When he was born he weighed 7 pounds and 3 ounces. He has only one brother named Jeffery.  His mother is Jane Burnam and his father’s name was Marcel Richard.  Jane and Jeff still live in Exeter. Marcel passed away. He cut his first tooth when he was seven months old. He started walking when he was only nine months old.  When he was a year and a half old he began talking. He started school at five years old at St. Michael’s school in Exeter. His best friend throughout school was Thomas Kochy.  They played Little League baseball together and always enjoyed fishing.  He went to Exeter High School.  He was involved in athletics from this point on.  He played varsity football, baseball and track.  He was the captain of the football team.  After graduation from high school he applied to prep school at Phillips Exeter Academy.  This where he stayed for the following year.  Following prep school, he continued his education at the University of New Hampshire.  After college, he went on to work for a food service company named Aramork.  He is still employed by this company today as a district manager. He was married to his high school sweetheart Linda Phillbrick, on March 23, 1968.  He had five children and four grandchildren so far. He still remains fond of fishing. He has been a member of Albany Bassmasters for 26 years.  He enjoys competing in tournaments as well as fishing for fun. When I was young I called my grandfather “Dumpy” because I couldn’t say Grandpa.  We go to see the weigh-ins at his tournaments. Every year he takes me fishing in a kid’s tournament.  Last year I won a trophy for third place.  He is someone anyone would be proud to call Dumpy.

 

 

The Life of Walter Kidde

By Hutton Rasmus

 

            Walter A Kidde was born March 7, 1877 in Hoboken, NJ. His parents’ names were Franz Emil Kidde and Mary Oberdorfer Kidde.  Walter grew up in Hoboken, NJ. Walter often swam in the Hudson River in the morning. In the afternoon, Walter and his friends would play baseball or tennis.  His dad would ask Walter and his friends questions.  If they got them right, they would be able to go swimming the next morning. Walter attended Hoboken Academy for grade school.  It was an all boy school.  He went to Steven’s Prep School until 1892.  His early interests were physics and music.  He went to college at the Steven’s Institute of Technology in this hometown of Hoboken. He started three businesses in his lifetime. First, he started a business called Eastern Granite Roofing Company. The other businesses he had were the Kidde Fire Extinguisher Company.  He also ran a construction company.  He was a hard-working family man who had big dreams.  He built up his businesses to be large empires.  The Kidde Fire Extinguisher Company is still being run today, many people have one in their homes for protection. He moved to NYC in 1900. shortly after that he married Louise Carter.  They were married in Montclair, NJ.  He was 25 years old when he married Louise Carter. In 1903, he had a son named Walter Kidde II.  In 1905 a second son was born, his name was John. A daughter was born in 1907. Her name was Mary. He was given an honorary doctorate from the college of Steven’s Institute of Technology for his many donations.  In 1950, he died unexpectedly in his sleep at his home in Montclair, NJ.

 

 

 

My Grandpa

By Leah Smith

 

            Lawrence Earl Harrington (Moe) was born April 19, 1933. Moe was born in Dean Emergency and was given the name Lawrence because his mother liked the name Larry.  His middle name was given to him because it had been his father’s name. His mother was Delia Albina Maynard.  She was born in Harrisburg, RI around 1900.  She grew up in North Adams and Bennington. Moe says she was a good piano player, good mother and common good person. His father was Earl Harrington. He was born in Bennington, VT and grew up there.  He was born in the year of 1895.  He worked in a needle shop and fought in WWI.  He was also a very funny guy. Shirley Ann Harrington was his only sister. She was born in 1938 when Moe was 5 years of age.  He didn’t have any brothers but he did have a police dog named Jack.  Jack could jump and catch stuff in his mouth. Hi grandfather on his dad’s side was Alonzo Harrington and was born around 1860. His grandma on his dad’s side was Lucina Warn and was born around 1860. When he went to school, he still lived in Bennington and parents had the same job.  He went to Sacred Hear School in grades K-3.  His favorite subject was history and he liked all his teachers because they thought him well. At recess, he played cowboys and Indians/ He was in one school play about a kid who bought magic shoes.  Once he went on a school trip to Burlington, VT.  In school he played football, baseball and basketball. He wasn’t good at basketball.  In the band he played bass drum. His best friend was Mert Snow and they played sports, square danced and played music together. The biggest winter storm was on October 3 and it snowed two feet. When he was 10, he still lived in Bennington and went to Sacred Heart School from grades 4-8.  He still liked history and his teachers.  He liked the same sports and Mert was still his friend.  He went to school football games and still played bass drum. In 9th grade he met Millie F. Morse.  He now went to Bennington High School. He stayed there in grades 9-11. Then he went to the army for 2 years. He was in the army during the Korean War, but was never in combat. Then he went to Lassel Extension University to study law. He and Millie dated 4 years until they got married. They had their first child in the year of 1950.  They named him Mike. Kim was born in January 19, 1952. Chris was born June 22, 1954.  My Mom, Bonnie, was born august 9th. Colleen was born June 1st 1960. Moe’s first job was in a laboratory as a formulator color matcher.  Now he lived on White Chapel Road.  His second job was to take care of champion racehorses. He now lived on Squaw Hill.  His third job was a construction worker. Moe says he remembers when all his kids were born and when they married.  He also remembers when some of his kids joined the army.  He remembers when he was in the Army too!