THE ANDOVER NEWSLETTER, Vol.3, #1

Sponsored by the Democratic Town Committee.

July 17, 1945

To the Service Men and Women of Andover, Greeting!

Blueberries are ripe and the haying is nearly done.  School days seem remote to busy children now, but very few of the spectators will forget the splendid finale of the past school year, when graduation exercises were held in the Congregational Church on June 20, 1945.  In a setting of bright June flowers, against a background of white, the children presented a program of music and recitation, which was characterized by humor, dignity, and talent.  Mrs. Chamberlain, principal of Center School, presented  the graduating class to Charles Phelps, chairman of the Board of Education, who distributed the diplomas.  The graduates were Barbara White, Shirley Lambert, Susan Birmingham, Rose Duprey, Dorothy Palmer, June Hyer, Louise Gasper, Arthur Chadwick, Richard Bausola, Robert Friedrich, Earl Palmer, Thomas Smith, and Charles Van Deusen.  Earl Palmer was ill and unable to attend graduation, so his very little sister, Alice, received his diploma for him.

Since school closed, Ray Goodale has started repairs on the poor old school building.  He began by giving it a shiney new coat of red paint, with white trim.  There will be a new cement floor in the basement, a new drainage system, and sinks installed for the use of the cooks for the hot lunch program and for the home-making class.  Blackboards will be sanded, and desks will be varnished, and the whole plant put in working condition for another year.

Did you hear those wedding bells on June 23?  Warren Jurovaty and Evangeline Ann Czelusniak were married at St. Joseph’s in Willimantic, with a good many of their friends looking on.  After the ceremony, a large company went to the home of the bride for a wedding breakfast, and then returned to Andover Town Hall, where the groom’s mother served a chicken dinner and liquid refreshments, such as go to make a party merry.  If you have compared the names given by this Newsletter to Warren’s bride, you will notice that our previous announcement did not carry the same name as appears here.  Don’t be confused, or worried.  The Wanda of Vol.2, #12, and Evangeline of this issue are one and the same.  This mistake was ours.  Here’s luck to the happy couple, who are making their home with Mrs. Anna Jurovaty on the Boston Road.

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Jurovaty have announce the birth of Paul Joseph Jurovaty, their first baby, at Windham Community Memorial Hospital, on June 30, 1945.  Margaret and little Paul are at home now, and both of them are doing very well.  Congratulations to the proud parents and best wishes to the baby.

The Andover Fire Department was called out in a hurry on June 17, when Mr. Percy’s barn, on Long Hill Road was struck by lightning.  The barn and its contents were destroyed completely before the fire eaters got there, but the house was saved through the valiant efforts of the AFD.  Fortunately, the stock was out to pasture.

Ellsworth Mitten celebrated the Fourth of July by building a huge fire in the fireplace which backs up into the chimney attached to the house.  The chimney caught fire, and the interior of the house followed suit.  The AFD swung its axes merrily and laid hose to the nearest water supply and saved the building from any but minor damage.  Russell Thompson happened to be shooting pool at the fire house when the alarm was sounded, and the trucks roared into the Mitten driveway before Ellsworth had relinquished the ‘phone.

Emily Yeomans Barefield is conducting swimming lessons for all the school children again this year.  The program is sponsored by the PTA, and heartily endorsed by about 40 youngsters.  Emily has Jean Gasper, Helen McCarroll, and Doris Chamberlain for assistant instructors and a shore patrol of watching mothers.

There is a new white flagpole at the Honor Roll, on the Library lawn.  It was installed there by members of the Democratic Town Committee, which presented the pole to the town—a replacement of the temporary flagpole, which was erected for the Memorial Day program.

The population of the old home town has been increased by about 50 summer residents at the Wellsweep Inn.  High school girls and their teachers from Fort Meyers and Punta Gorda, Florida, have come up to Connecticut to work in the tobacco industry, as a part of the Connecticut Land Army.  They had a very difficult trip up here by train, but they are young and spirited, and the trip seems like a good joke now.  They are delighted with the scenery of Connecticut, and some of them innocently wrote to their parents about the beautiful mountains they could see from the Wellsweep.  They were quite disappointed to learn that the mountains were only hills.  Other things which take their fancy are the fields of daisies and the profusion of rambler roses.  They are a grand bunch of girls, and they are making a patriotic contribution to one of our important industries.

Frank Paro has had an honorable discharge from the Seabees, after three years of service, and you should hear the happiness in Mrs. Paro’s voice!  Frank had experienced mud and mosquitoes, hunger and jungle fever, down there in the Pacific, but he was not actually injured until he returned to the good old U.S.A., when he sprained his ankle during one of his last days in camp.

We are also welcoming Lawrence Moe back to Andover.  He received his honorable discharge a short time ago, and Alice has joined the ranks of happy wives.

Sonny Covell has been home on leave (30 days, plus traveling time) and it has been fun having him around again.  Sonny, who always “had a way” with children, is thoroughly delighted with his very young son, Billy.  He is being very modest about his radio work in the Navy Air Corps, against German submarines.  He hasn’t changed, excepting to grow broarder through the shoulders.  His time will be up on July 20, and he will go to Alameda, California.

Oscar Martine is here for a 12-day leave from the Navy, having come up from Texas.  He looks healthy and contented with his job.

Many of you know Ivan Londen of Bolton, and you will be interested to hear that he has joined the Merchant Marine.

Paul Kraal of the Hebron Road left for the Army bright and early on June 17.  When we know more about where he is and what he is doing, we will let you know.

Glenn Griswold went to the U.S. Naval training center at Sampson, N.Y. on June 27.

The firemen have voted to give the siren one long blast as soon as the big truck gets back to the fire house, to let anyone who was delayed in starting to the fire that everything is under control.

Twelve little tots got a thorough check up by Dr. Clifford of the State Board of Health one day this month, at the well child conference.  Margaret Yeomans is chairman of the well child committee this year, and she is doing her usual thorough job.

Walter Krozel has been entertaining his nephews, Richard and Eddie Yeomans, at Rochester during the past week.

Congratulations to Irene Willis, for she is a First Lieutenant now!  Irene is still in Italy, and she and her husband are able to spend weekends together.

There were no letters addressed to the Newsletter this month, but Editor J.V.G. has let us in on some that he received.  George Bonkowski is back in Germany, where he finds the girls very pretty and the himself back with his old outfit.  He enjoyed hearing about Ed Whitcomb’s “moonlight requisitioning”, for he had done some of the same himself.

Julian Krzewski is somewhere in the Pacific, where it has been very, very wet.  He is sleepy and weary, but he sounds very cheerful.

Stanley Gasper writes from the Naval Air Technical Training Center, Memphis, Tennessee that he is studying like mad.  He doesn’t say so, but it’s easy to guess that his thoughts go back to the hayfield in Andover pretty often.

All roads led to the Gasper Cabin on Sunday, July 8.  The Sportmen’s Club and the Andover Fire Department were holding their annual sheep-bake, barbecue, or whatever you wish to call it.  The beer was good and the food was absolutely wonderful.  Sixty-eight men were served all the barbecued lamb, broiled chicken, potatoe salad, rolls and butter they could possibly eat.  They played cards quite seriously and baseball according to any rules convenient at the moment.  When the party was over some of the men drifted down to the fire house to shoot pool, but most of them were home (Will you believe it?) before dark!  Yes, everyone had had a wonderful time but they somehow missed the heights of hilarity they had experienced at former barbecues.  The first sheep-bake lasted (in spirit) for at least a week.  The stories about it get louder and bigger as time progressed.  The second one broke up early (in the morning).  This year the men are still talking about the glorious food, which was cooked by Gramp Tedford of the U.S. Maritime Service, home on a week-end pass, and Harry Sheldon.

Perhaps that special hilarity was lacking because this year the wives did not protest very loudly about being deserted for a Sunday afternoon.  Some of them got together to idle away the day, talking of their babies, their gardens, their husbands and you.

The Newsletter really missed a beat when it failed to report that Stuart and Gertrude Bausola Prentiss became the parents of Elizabeth Anne on May 16, 1945.  So here is our belated but warm welcome to the little lady.

Mrs. And Mrs. Frank Hamilton are proud to announce that their daughter, Mildred, (Mrs. Dexter Cross of Ohio) has presented them with a granddaughter, Janet Louise.

Sgt. John Kukucka, somewhere in Germany, is another whose thoughts are often in the hayfields of Andover.  He, too, is anxious to get over to the other side of the world to finish the war.  That’s the spirit, multiplied by millions, that will get the job done.  John sent us some German and French money for our collection.

Bill Grenon is at home after more than a year in Europe, and he said very emphatically that the sheep-bake was really something to come home for.  The Navy will be expecting him back on the job soon.

Our latest information finds Nate Gatchell still in Texas, wondering what comes next.

Buster Hutchinson is coming home to Andover soon.  He is already in the U.S.A., and he is with his wife in Pennsylvania.

Before the next Newsletter goes to print, we shall send out tracers on some of you and report on the activities of many of you of whom we have heard nothing for months.  It would be grand if you could all be home in time to make next year’s barbecue the fun it ought to be.

Safe home!

Vera Cross Taylor & John V. Gasper,

Editors.

P.S.  We almost forgot to tell you that George LaChance is now in Manilla—glad to be among buildings and civilians after months in the jungle.

VCT & JVG.

Andover, Connecticut

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