Andover, Connecticut

Hislorical - Democratic Town Committee, WWII Newsletters

ANDOVER NEWSLETTER, Vol.3, #12.

  Sponsored by the Democratic Town Committee.

Andover, Connecticut,

June, 1946.

To the Servicemen of Andover, Greeting!

The seasons have rolled around to hot, humid summertime once more, and Andoverites watch the rolling thunderheads each afternoon, wondering whether a good storm would break the spell.  In the meantime the strawberry beds and vegetable gardens flourish, and brilliant flowers nod in the shimmering heat.  Little children are given pans of water to splash in, and they are given to wearing just a little less than the law requires.  Children of a slightly more advanced age are marking time until the beginning of the swimming lessons, and the ones who are really growing up have found jobs here and there to earn some summer money, to give them something to do, and to remind them of how lucky they were back in the good old days when they could go swimming every day.

Shortly after the May Newsletter went out, Mrs. Ward Talbot’s many friends were shocked and grieved to hear of her death, which followed an operation.  Our sincere sympathy goes out to her son, Roscoe Talbot and her daughter, Mrs. Elsie Williams.

Andover has the privilege of welcoming three very young members of the community this month.  They are:  Dennis, son of Mr. and Mrs. Oakley Ames, (weight 6 pounds, 1 ounce), who arrived at the Manchester Hospital on June 8, 1946; Robert William, son of Mr. and Mrs. Leo Brown (weight six pounds, 2 ounces), who first saw the light of day at the Hartford Hospital; on June 11, 1946; and Alice Lee, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Russell Murray, who arrived via Windham Hospital on June 19, 1946.  All the mothers and babies are keeping up the Andover standards of vigor and good health.

Oscar Martino will say farewell to the rolling ocean about July 10, after more than two years in the service, so it’s  “Welcome home, Oscar!”

Major Bertram Wright is reported to be on his way home from Japan, to spend the

summer in Andover.  He expects to return to that country in the autumn, and he will probably take his wife with him at that time.  Here’s hoping his well-earned vacation will be a pleasant one.

Frank Norris has been visiting in town, and his many friends here were very glad to see him.

Stanley Gasper and Fuzzy (Walter, Jr.) Tedford of the Navy have honored Andover with their presence during the past month.

Mrs. Faulkner has retuned to her home in Andover, and Duane has been spending some time with her.

Everybody and his brother marched in the Memorial Day parade, which followed the familiar route from the Memorial Stone on the Church lawn, to the Honor Roll on the Library lawn, to the Center Cemetery, where, Mr. J.H. Hendry gave an address.  The event was blessed with perfect May weather, and the setting for the final exercises, in the corner of Mr. Bartlett’s beautiful lawn, was as lovely a site as smooth grass, brilliant flowers, and old, old trees could make it.

Real estate news of the month includes the new seven-room house, which is being built by Ray Parrish for his family. It is located on the old road, south of the main highway.  Frank Vignone has sold his house at the intersection of School Road and Center Row.  Burt Lewis has rented his house, and is living in a trailer, while he operates between his boat on Long Island Sound and a fish market in the old cider mill.  The Charles and Irving Pease families will leave their home on the Hebron Road, to move to New Hartford and Windsor, sometime within a week or so.  Les and Frannie Billings have completed the remodelling of Ellsworth Mitten’s former home, and have moved in there.

High school graduation at Windham was the main event during June for Eleanor Carlson, Irma San Giacomo, and Betty Lou VanDeusen, who received their diplomas.  Among the prizes awarded during the graduation exercises was the Class of 1918 award to the sophomore with the highest average, and Lawrence Krozel was the proud recipient.

Graduation for eight-grade pupils at Center School was held in the newly-decorated Congregational Church, in a setting of peonies, roses, and daisies.  The graduates were ushered in by the first grade pupils from Miss Bowman’s room.  They carried a daisy chain, and the expressions on their faces were entertainment in themselves.  Some of them were grinning shyly.  Others looked bored with the whole business.  Some marched in with dapper assurance, and others wore a look of suffering, as if the daisies were built of nothing lighter than railroad ties.  The program was much like all graduation programs, but it was presented with such fine spirit and poise that it was enjoyed by everyone there.  A great deal of credit must go to the teachers, Doris Chamberlain, Marian Adams, and Gladys Bowman, and to music supervisor Pearl Harrison.

The graduates were Roger Parks, Patricia E. Nye, Lynne N. Hoisington, Lorraine M. Vignone, Frances R. Lathrop, Kenneth B. Hilliard, Kenneth A. Erickson, Verlie R. Martin, Arthur E. Pinney, Jr., Herman R. Heinz, Russell E. Galipo, and Stephen I. Pease.  Nathan Gatchell gave the address to the graduates, and Fred Broad gave the invocation and benediction.  Frances Billings was organist. 

The Mother’s Club is richer by about $100.00, because of a play, “The Dead of Night”, which was presented three times during the past month.  None of the acting would start any of the actors on their way to Hollywood, but that didn’t detract from our enjoyment.  Guy Bidwell had the brief but important part of the murdered man.  Beulah Griswold was the murdered man’s abused sister, and Tom Birmingham was her patient suitor, and a lawyer in the Vermont village.  Fred Broad was Allen Richards, the Hero, who won the hand of Clara Ursin (Ruth Nash).  Pete Mortlock as Donald Hull, Clara’s other suitor, turned out to be a black-marketer.  Sarah Watkins, friend of the family (the spiteful type) was Doris Hutchinson.  Joey Baldwin (imbecile son of Beulah Griswold--Martha Baldwin) kept “forgittin’.” Dorothy Thompson as Leloa Chapman, was revealed as a federal agent.  John Phelps, as Sherriff Adam Glassett, was found, by Fred Broad and Dorothy Thompson, to be the murderer.  Tom Birmingham directed the play; Hazel Galipo was stage manager; Joe Carter and Ed Whitcomb constructed the scenery, and Virginia Brown acted as prompter.

Pop Tedford and George T. have opened a restaurant at Watch Hill, R.I.

Ray Palmer, Jr. has been home on furlough, from Scott Field, Illinois.

Charles Johnson has been discharged, but we have been unable to contact him as yet, to find out how he likes being a civilian again or what his plans for the future are.

Charles Phelps is enjoying a motor trip to St. Louis, Michigan, and many points between here and there.  It’s the first long vacation Charles has had since the war began.

MOMM 3/C Jimmy Grey is to be congratulated on having received another higher rating within a very short time.  He is still at Norfolk, but he expects to go to Baltimore shortly, where his ship will pick up midshipmen, to take them to Havana, Cuba, and Panama City.  He hasn’t been home since February, and now it looks as if he’ll have to be away until November, at least.

The Inter-County Baseball League got under way on the afternoon of Memorial Day, as Andover dropped it’s opening game to Columbia, with the shocking score of 9 to 0.  John Pringle started on the mound for the losers, but was touched for 3 hits and 5 runs in the first inning.  Big John was relieved by Willis (Hooks) Covell in the second.  Covell gave up 4 runs in the 4th on 2 hits and 3 errors.  Len Gorman went all the way for Columbia.  A triple by Eddie Merritt featured Andover’s hitting.  Columbia, 9 runs, 7 hits; Andover, 0 runs, 5 hits, numerous errors.

After being rained out on June 2, the Grenon’s Shell Service boys hit the road the following Sunday for Old Lyme.  Andover started with 3 runs in the first and followed these with 9 more in groups of 3 in the 4th, 5th, and 8th innings.  Bill Dunnack started for Andover, but retired in the 5th, with the score 9-0 for Andover.  Bill Thornton relieved, and hurled well until the 9th, when Old Lyme suddenly came to life and scored 5 runs before Sonny Covell put out the fire.  Whit Merritt, with a triple, double, and single, led Andover’s hitting.  John Pringle and Willie Covell hit home runs.

On June 16, Andover met Hebron at Remson’s field, and lost on errors, 5-3.  A pop up lost in the sun in the first inning gave Hebron 3 runs.  Andover came back strong in the 3rd and 4th innings, to tie the score, but more poor ball-handling by Andover gave Hebron 2 more runs, and the ball game.  Bill Dunnack went all the way for Andover, and Rubilard & Kowalski shared Hebron’s pitching chores.

Andover’s gas house gang played heads up for 7 innings against Bolton June 23, but a double by Paul Managier, and an error gave the cider mill boys  2 runs and the ball game, 2-1.  Andover started the scoring in the 5th on singles by Sheehan and Gasper, and had men on bases throughout the rest of the game, but couldn’t get them home. Andover’s best chance came in the 8th, when, with 1 out, John Pringle singled and Moe Pringle hit back of the runner to put a man on first and 2nd.  “Hutch” fanned then, after a double steal.  “Scooter” Phelps fanned.  Fire Ball Bill Thornton, after giving 1 hit in 4 innings, lost his control, with 2 out, and was relieved by Big John, who finished the inning.  Hooks Covell came in in the 5th, and gave up 2 hits in 5 innings, one of which was the game-winning double.  “Heimy” Sheehan, with 3 hits, led the Andover batting.

June 30, 1946.  Andover, 8; and Ashford 3.  Rebounding from a tough loss the week before, Andover bunched 11 hits for 8 runs, to give Bill Dunnack his 2nd win.  Les Billings started on the mound, but retired in the 4th, with the score tied 3-3, after yielding but 2 hits.  Ashford came from behind twice to tie the score in early innings, but John Pringle stole home, and hits by Moe Pringle, Ed Jurovaty, and Bill Thornton gave Ashford the old 1,2.  Covell’s pick up of a hard grounder and Hutchinson’s catch of a short fly to center featured Andover’s defense.  John Pringle’s 4 hits in 5 trips topped the batters.  Andover, 8 runs, 11 hits; Ashford, 3 runs, 3 hits, more errors than Andover.

The AFD was called out for three fires since the May issue of the Newsletter.  On May 27, twenty-five volunteers helped quell a chimney fire at Bill Smith’s.  On June 7, Arnold Hyatt and John Phelps saw some distressed motorists near Monty White’s place.

When they found out that there was fire under the hood of the car, they promptly put it out with sand, before the arrival of the trucks, which had been called out.  On June 15, there was a persistent fire, caused by a kerosene hot water heater at William Moran’s house.  The trucks were called out twice, before that one was finally subdued.

The foregoing baseball and fire news was collected and written by that eminent sports writer, John Fitzgerald Phelps.

Fuzzy Tedford’s ship, the LST 512, will appear in Hartford, Conn., with the “Hit the Beach” show, for recruiting purposes.  The Exhibit includes two airplanes, big guns, and a jungle, complete with fox holes, Jap snipers, monkey screeches, camouflaged marine sentries, artificial rain and sunlight.  The most interesting thing about the show, to the people of Andover, will be the appearance of Fuzzy Tedford.

The several delays, which hindered the publication of this Newsletter, were fortunate in one respect.  They caused us to go to press after the fourth annual barbecue, sponsored by the Andover Sportsmen’s Club and the Andover Fire Department.  It was according to custom, for men only.  But the wives have gotten used to being left at home for this one great event of the year, and little grumbling was heard.  The first event on the program (after that first drink of beer) was the baseball game.  There were so many runs, that no one could figure out who won the game, nor, for that matter, who was on which side!  The food, in these days of acute shortages, was something to make the average housewife wild with envy.  They had beer, clams on the half shell, steamed clams, clam chowder, beer, chicken, beer, lamb, beer, roasted potatoes, salads, rolls, beer, water melon, and beer.  There was a spike-driving contest, which was won by Bill Thornton.  He received a cigarette lighter.  There was an auction of butter, cake, whiskey, and cigars.  Nate Gatchell played the piano until the singers became hoarse.  There were twenty-two servicemen and forty-seven other guests.  The committee on preparations included Harry Sheldon, Bill McCarroll, Andy Gasper, John Gasper, George Nelson, and others whose names I have been unable to learn.  All of this took place at the Gasper Cabin, on the afternoon and evening of June 29, 1946.  It is said that before the long, hot afternoon was over, there were some guests who could feel no pain.

This is the final issue of the ANDOVER NEWSLETTER, and it is with great reluctance that we discontinue its publication.  We have found a great deal of pleasure in sending it to you during these past three years. In closing, we wish to make a few sincere acknowledgments.  It had been our intention to list some of the more important committees on local and war-time enterprises, but we found that it looked like a roster of the entire population of Andover.  Going back over the old issues, we find that we have reported forty-nine births, thirty-six marriages, and twenty-three deaths.  Your editor is amazed to find how little emphasis was placed upon the activities of the defense council, of which Charles Wright was chairman, Mrs. E.M. Yeomans vice-chairman, in charge of women’s activities, and Dorothea Raymond secretary.  Andover was committee-happy in those days, and we thought that there would be a pleasant lull in civic duties when the war ended.  However, although the committees have changed in character, it seems that there are still too few days in each week to accomplish all that should be done.

IN  MEMORIAM

RUSSELL FRIEDRICH

WILLIAM JOHNSONwho gave their lives in the service of

MAURICE LE VESQUE                     their country.

GEORGE WILSON

APOLOGIES

For typographical errors and blurred stencils.  For downright misinformation.  For the evenings when other people must have found the 1867 line always busy.  For the times we have given the service men and women the wrong rank in these pages.

THANK YOU!

To Harry Rankin, who secured the loan of the mimeograph machine, on which this Newsletter has been printed.

THANK YOU!

To JOHN H. YEOMANS, who, with the aid of his family, has printed all thirty-six issues of the Newsletter, addressed all the envelopes, and, in many instances, paid the cost of publication.

To JOHN F. PHELPS and JOHN V. GASPER, who for many, many months, gave up evening after evening to help compile and edit the news.

To Mrs. Isabel Pfeifer and Mrs. Paul Bramhall, who took the time to make ‘phone calls to verify items of news for us.

To all the other cheerful people, who have been called from the garden, an easy chair, from care of the baby, and even out of bed, to answer our inqiries.

To the service men and women, who have written interesting letters and cards to the editors.

To the Andover home-fronters, who contributed financially to the cause.  They are:

Miss Nathalie NewtonMrs. W.B. Talbot

Max AsherMrs. C.A. Faulkner

Dorothy RaymondMrs. Frank Paro

L.W. PhelpsE.L. Covell

Mrs. E.W. MerrittL.B. Whitcomb

Alvin WillisMrs. Francis Schildge

John B. HutchinsonT.B. Lewis

George A. MerrittCharles Pease

John MachHerman Heinz

Mrs. Charles PfeiferMrs. Arliene Friedrich

Alton LathropMrs. Eva White

Harry SheldonHarry Erickson

E.K. SeydAlfred Cocking

Mrs. Harry MilburnMiss Frances Cohane

Mrs. A.E. SamuelsHarry Scherse

J.R. ThompsonHomer Smith

Rufus O. GrantElwood Hudson

Steve UrsinE.H. Grenon

Charles FriedrichMrs. Carolyn Smith

Mrs. Julian KrzewskiA.H. Helmer

Miss Anna LindholmFred Demers

John FaganLincoln Bathrick

Walter SmithArthur Nye

Nathan KoonigMrs. Dina Fox

Mrs. Hazel HutchinsonFrank Hamilton

Mrs. Mollie ParentFrank Brown, Jr.

Mrs. Mary ReedMarion Stanley

Mrs. W.McA. JohnsonWalter Tedford

Mrs. Paul JurovatyDavid Yeomans

Andrew Gasper

Helen O. Gatchell

George S. NelsonAlice Yeomans Moe

A.H. Benton

H.A. Stanley

C.L. Wright

J.F. Bausola, Sr.

William Moran

To the servicemen and women,They are:

John BausolaC.E. Davenport, Jr.

George, Harry, and John BonkowskiWilliam, Stuart, and Earl Dougan

Lewis A. Brown, Jr.C.M. Friedrich

Paul BramhallDuane Faulkner

George BreenHenry Hilliard

Willis CovellEdward Heimer

Walter CornwellEdward Jurovaty

Kenneth ChadwickCharles Johnson

Howard ChudobaEdward and Nathan Gatchell

William DunnachGlenn Griswold

Maxwell HutchinsonFrank A. Paro

Joseph Gasper and Stanley GasperDonald and Walter Parks

Albert HeinzFrank Morris

Robert and Willard GrenonMorse Pringle

James GrayJohn Phelps

Lucien LeVesqueWalter Tedford, Sr.

Walter KrozelWalter, Jr. And George Tedford

Lawrence MoeLawrence and Edward Sheehan

Andrew, Charles, and John KukuckaFrancis Schildge

Paul KralW.S. Smith

Edward and Whitney MerrittJoseph Remisch

William MerrittCarrol Wright

George LaChanceBertram Wright

Julian KrzewskiIrene Willis

Oscar MartinoEdward Whitcomb

J.H. MerchantTheodore Watts.

FORMER ANDOVER MEN IN THE SERVICE, who received the Newsletter:

Lionel Faulkner, Harry and Alex Fox, Charles Michalik, George W. Brown, Walter Hendrich, Eric Nielson.

Nearly all of the servicemen have been discharged from the various branches of the service.  There are some names on the honor roll of men whom we have been able to learn nothing, and we, therefore, do not know whether or not they are still on duty for the United States. We believe that the following list of men may still be found in Uncle Sam’s service:

George Breen

Stanley Gasper

Glenn Griswold

James Gray

Walter Tedford, Jr.

Bertram Wright

Dale Smith

Raymond Palmer, Jr.

Our best wishes are with you always, and we wish you

Safe home!

Vera Cross Taylor, Editor.

Members of the Democratic Town Committee, who have contributed money, news, and moral support to this enterprise:

Mrs. T.J. BirminghamHarold Smith

Mrs. V.H McBrideDonald Smith

Mrs. Anna JurovatyNathan Gatchell

Harry RankinKatherine Mitten

Clifton E. Davenport, Sr.Mr. & Mrs. Ellsworth Mitten

Paul KralovichClarence J. Goss

Benjamin San GiacomoMiss Waity Brown

John V. GasperMrs. Clarice R. Yeomans

John PhelpsEmily Yeomans Barefield

John YeomansFrank Vignone

Vera Cross TaylorJoseph Carter

Harold SmithMrs. Earl Galipo

Mrs. Raymond Parrish

If there are ommissions or errors in the foregoing lists of acknowledgments, we beg you to excuse us on the grounds of faulty memory and unintentional oversight.  We are grateful for all that you did to make this a success.   VCT