ANDOVER NEWSLETTER, Vol.3, #7

Sponsored by the Democratic Town Committee.

Andover, Connecticut,

January 1946 Issue.

To the Service Men and Women of Andover, Greetings!

Long icicles sparkle and drip, while blue shadows accent the clean whitness of the snow.  Then, presto, it’s gray and ugly again.  A breath of spring steals over the hills, melting the ice and snow, and then the temperature drops to zero.  A few of the youngsters brave the bitter winds to skate on the Lake or the flooded swamps, and a small fall of crusty snow spoils their fun until the weather runs another complete cycle.  That’s January in Andover.

We were shocked and grieved to learn that Mr. Albert Samuel passed away quietly, in his sleep, on the morning after Christmas.  The family had had a jolly holiday together, and it must have been dreadful for them to have him leave them so suddenly.  Our sympathy goes to Mrs. Samuels and their children, as well as our praise because they are taking their loss so bravely.

We told you that the stork had been granted a short furlough, and it turned out that he took a “postman’s holiday”, and went out to Hollydale, California, where he deposited Sylvia Gale Savage, daughter of Doc and Tee (Mr. and Mrs. Clarence) Savage, on the proper doorstep.  That was way back there on November 20, 1945.

Jimmy Grey and Walter (Fuzzy) Tedford spent Christmas day in the hospital at Bainbridge, Maryland.  They both had a long siege--Fuzzy with influenza, and Jimmy with pneumonia.  They are both up and at it again, now, and Jimmy has been home twice on 48-hour passes and Fuzzy had one weekend at home.  We hope their stay with the Navy will be pleasanter from now on.

Pfc. Don Parks sent us a short but cheery note from Manilla, and we quote:  “I am right in the center of Manilla.  I got here the first of December, and I had one thing that you have out there--a plate and a cup to eat out of for Christmas.  First in a year.”  If anyone needs to be reminded that the war isn’t over for a lot of the boys, that should do the trick.  Don, we can’t tell you where to find George LaChance in Manilla, because he arrived in Andover on January 7, with his discharge papers safe in his possession.

George, who spent 18 months in the PTO, was discharged from the hospital in Manilla, where he had had an operation for appendicitis and another on his throat, weighing only 128 lbs., which isn’t good.  When he got as far as San Francisco, he was held up for a long time in the transportation tie-up. Right now, he is visiting a young lady, Miss Helen Shine, of Wellsville, N.Y., who will become Mrs. LaChance before very long.  His plans aren’t definite yet, but he is giving serious consideration to a college course.

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Savage announced the engagement of their daughter, Wilma, some time ago.  She and Bob Grenon are planning to be married as soon as Wilma finishes her training at Hartford Hospital.  You can almost see a golden glow around those two, when they’re together.

George Tedford, GM 3/c, has come home from the Pacific, wearing the discharge button.  He’s glad to be here, and he has already started going to veteran’s classes at Manchester High School.  He plans to acquire enough points for graduation during the next few months, and go on to college in the fall.

Betty Tedford Dowling’s husband, Don, has been discharged from the Marines, and they are now living in Boston.

We were expecting John Bausola home from France, where he has been for well over a year, but his wife has heard that his return will be delayed, and he may not be home for a couple of more months.

Russ Murray has been discharged from the Navy, and he hadn’t been home many days before he and Skipper bought the Rankin place on the Cider Mill Road.  It has been entirely rebuilt, and it’s very attractive little cottage.

Emily Yeomans Barefield is back in town, and we are glad to have her here, even for a few months.  Benny has been discharged from the Army, and he is busy getting a home built for his family at Miami, Florida.  That seems to be the only way to get a home in Florida at present, and as soon as it is done, Emily and Rusty will go there to live.

The school building committee held an open meeting at Town Hall recently, to present tentative plans for a wonderful new school and community center for Andover.  The plans, which specify “the works”, call for an expenditure of $100,000.00.  Original reaction to such a ghastly sum:  “Wow!”  Second thought:  “Well, we need it.  How shall we go about getting it?”

We called the Jurovaty’s to find out any news they might have of Ed, and we were pleasantly surprised to have Ed answer the ‘phone!  He came home on New Year’s Eve, a veteran of two invasions in the PTO, with 26 months of overseas service.  He hopes to go back to work for Pratt & Whitney soon.

Pfc. Lewis (Bud) Brown was at home for Christmas and he took his car back to Morrison Field, Florida, where he is sweating it out, waiting for a discharge, which will probably be his by April.

Charlie Kukucka is the new boy scout leader in Andover.  The boys scouts were recently entertained by the State Police at Colchester,--a gesture of appreciation for the work the scouts did one weekend last fall in searching for a missing gun up in Bolton.  The boys are still talking about the huge steaks they had at the barracks.

Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Kukucka are living in the tenement over the store, which was recently vacated by Russ and Skipper Murray.

Ellsworth Mitten has sold his home here, and he will move soon to East Center Street, Manchester.

Andover now has a Re-employment and Veteran’s Advisory Committee, with George Nelson as Chairman.  Ellsworth Covell is secretary, and honorary members are George A. Merritt, Lewis W. Phelps, Fred L. Broad, T.J. Birmingham, John Gasper, Nathan Gatchell, and Louis B. Whitcomb.  This committee will handle minor problems, but major affairs will be presented to the Manchester Service Center, of which Nathan Gatchell is director.

George LeVesque has been discharged, and he has gone to California, where he and his wife will make their home.

Ellsworth Covell has just been made secretary of the State Grange--a job which carries lots of prestige and plenty of work.

The fire department has had two work-outs this month.  Mr. Nelson of Bunker Hill, well-known poultry man, was unable to sleep one cold, cold morning.  He went to the living room to find a cigarette, and looked out to see one of his poultry houses on fire.  The AFD arrived in jig time, and put the blaze out before it could become a major catastrophe.  About fifty chickens were lost.

Saturday evening, in the teeth of a screaming wind, the fire-eaters hurried over to South Coventry to save a house, which had caught fire from an over-heated stove.  Now, here on the fire stories, I could really use some help from the erstwhile co-editors of this sheet.  I’m sure I’m leaving out some hair-raising details, as I tell of these fires, when all I really know about them is the approximate time that the siren sounded.

Mr. and Mrs. Clifton E. Davenport, Sr. have gone to New Castle, New Hampshire, to spend a couple of months with their son and daughter-in-law.  Mr. Davenport was very ill before he left town, and we wish him a complete recovery and a speedy return.

Dot Gasper’s brother, Lawrence LaVigne, has returned from the ETO, and he is seriously considering a college course, to be started in the fall.

Ed Whitcomb has had a strenuous bout with a throat infection, which landed him in the hospital, but he’s out and around again now.

Old clothes in Andover are headed for the fire house this week, where Mrs. Chudoba and her committee will pack them for the relief of war victims in other countries.

Ed Merritt has been discharged from the Navy, after experience in the ETO and PT--enough to fill a book.  I’ve been unable to talk with him yet, and I’ll probably have more to tell you about him next month.  Whitney Merritt is expected home soon, too.

News seems to be fairly scarce in the old home town, for most of us find the weather to be our most important concern.  Here’s hoping more and more of you will be home before the next Newsletter goes to press.

Safe home!

Vera Cross Taylor, Editor.

P.S.  I left out one very important piece of news, which was actually one of the first items gleaned for this issue.  It is the good news that Duane Faulkner is home and discharged-- veteran of the CBI theatre.  He spent Christmas with his father, Major Lionel Faulkner, and his grandmother, in New York.  He was in Andover for a very short time, but it was on the day of a blizzard, and not good weather for making calls on old friends here.

Andover, Connecticut

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