Hello fellow "OldTimers"...I lived in Jackson Heights from 1938 until I married in 1958, had three boys and moved to Springfield Gardens in 1968, just before my 4th child was born. We lived in a 6 family apartment at 32-04 82ndSt, one block down from Northern Blvd. and the FireHouse. The Brown bus stopped right in front of our building. We had fire escapes in that building and I remember sitting on them in the summer when it was too hot in our top floor apt. There were two family houses across the street with concrete steps and porches. On our side, there were probably 5 more of the 6 family apartment houses before the one family private homes began and stretched all the way to Northern Blvd. Those were the days when we really knew our neighbors...it was hard to walk to the boulevard without stopping and chatting with at least six or eight of our neighbors. There were alleys along side of these buildings and small backyards where we kids played. I went to St.Joan of Arc school with so many of my neighborhood friends, even though we were, for the most part, in different grades. There was no school buses for us & when my mother felt we were old enough to walk to school, we did just that. Once I got to the other side of the boulevard, I remember passing all of those "prewar" apartment buildings and meeting my classmates along the way. Oddly enough there are times that I cannot remember what day of the week it is, I can still remember the names and cute little faces of so many of my classmates in SJA. Sadly, I will never forget Sr.Mary Alice who taught me spelling in the 1st grade. I remember her as being a tiny nun who was very strict. I vividly remember her spelling bees & the day she asked me to spell "water". She scared me to death and even though I knew how, my nerves got the best of me and I stammered and just couldn't do it. I guess I wore her patience because she slapped me across the face & called me stupid !!!! Looking back, I'm sure she is the one person who later in life, gave me the strength to defy another order of nuns that my childen had in elementary school....so thank you Sr. Mary Alice for making me a strong, but fair and tolerant mother to my own children. I also remember the principal, Sr. Dunellen (?spelling) who my little 4'11" mother confronted with fierce anger, after she said I "needed a haircut". I guess she had something against burnettes with long curly hair! You didn't want to mess with my litlle Irish american mother!! I remember the art teacher, another little lady with red hair and freckles. There may have been a music teach/nun who had a portable organ (with wheels) that she would roll into the classroom..I think her name was Sr. Gertrude. The one num who I will never forget as long as I live was Sr. St. Catherine, who in my childs eyes, looked like what the Blessed Mother would have looked like. Beautiful & such a sweet temperament. I have so many wonderful memories of my 8 years at SJA, unfortunately not all of them were sweet and loving. Oh how I wish I could see some of the little girls I use to play with in the schoolyard at lunch time. Even the smell of the lunchroom would be welcome all these years later.
I remember Fr. Boylan and his beautiful snow white hair & his associate, (little) Fr. Mooney. Hey Fr. Boylan, guess who has snow white hair now!
Thanx for letting me walk down memory lane!
