Family
members are invited to share stories of grandparents, parents,
aunts, uncles, cousins, and so on, to add to our Steven
Hollenczer tribute. Any remembrances you have of family members
are welcome, and will be added to the appropriate pages! Please e-mail me with any stories you would like added to these pages.
The
following are some of these remembrances, by Helen Weeks Hollenczer Janice Weeks
Hollenczer Bernath, Margaret Hollenczer Spatafore, Dorothy
Hollenczer Dziomba, Steven Hollenczer Jr. and Pete Hollenczer III.
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on the thumbnail images or any of the name links to jump to the photo page)
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Margaret Hollenczer Spatafore
These are memories I have of my childhood, rather than stories about me. One of the earliest memories that I have, living in Roslyn, is of Janice coming home from school. I would meet her at the bus stop, which I guess was right outside our house on Powerhouse Road. I remember that she had a Roy Rodgers lunch box. She seemed so grown up to me! Going away to school all day, and with a lunch box of her very own! I remember that I couldn't wait until she came home. I also remember that when I started Kindergarten at Saint Mary's that I didn't want to go to school. On at least one occasion, I purposely missed the bus, and sat on our back steps for I don't know how long, until my mother found me sitting there!
I remember that our father loved auctions. There was a farmer's market in the area that had auctions. I guess I was about 8 or 9 at this time; it was December, and Pop took us to the market to shop for Christmas. We were at the auction, and they had toys and children's items for sale. I remember that there was a blue velvet clutch bag up for auction, and inside of the clutch bag was a smaller change purse of blue velvet. I was holding my father's hand, and when they presented the purse, I squeezed Daddy's hand. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, and I wanted it badly! I guess Pop bid on it, because on Christmas morning, Janice and I both found the blue velvet clutch bags wrapped under the tree!
My father taught me to play 500 Rummy. I loved to play cards with him, even though he always let me win. Whenever I wanted something from him, extra spending money, or permission to go to a dance, I would ask him to play 500 Rummy with me. He always gave in to my demands at the end of the game. At the time, I thought I was putting something over on him, but of course I realize now that he knew exactly what I was doing!
When I was 10 or 11, Daddy started working in Maryland. He would leave very early on Monday mornings, stay in Maryland for the week, and come home Friday evenings. I can still see him coming through the front door every Friday night, wearing his heavy Parka and work boots, and carrying his black lunch box. I would always run to meet him, and then ask what he had for me. He usually had a treat in that black lunch box - Tastycakes or pies, or some other treat. All week, I couldn't wait until Friday, when Daddy would come home. I also remember waking up very early Monday mornings, when Pop would be getting ready to leave for Maryland with Steve Meilinger. I would hear Mom and Dad downstairs, letting Steve in, packing lunches, and making breakfast, and would feel very warm and secure, just hearing them and knowing they were close by. This has always been one of my favorite memories.
Another childhood memory I have of my father is going to Midnight Mass on Christmas, and to the Novenas at our Church on Monday nights. I must have been very young then, as it was before Pop started working in Maryland. I could never stay awake through the Mass on Christmas, and I remember Daddy waking me up for Communion. I can still remember the year Janice and I both had red velvet hats, with red net veils that hung down over the eyes. We were so cool, or hip, or whatever the word was at that time! Of course we were wide awake by the time we got home from Mass, and watched "A Christmas Carol" on television, and opened some of our Christmas presents. I do miss my childhood! I loved going to the Novena with the family. It seemed magical to me; just ask for something, and you'll get it! I suppose, at the time, I would pray for things like a new bike, or an "A" on a test, but I had no doubt that my prayers would be answered.
Daddy usually took his vacations during the winter, since he worked in construction, and it was the slow time of the year.
When he was home for a week or two, he would pick us up from school every day. What a thrill! The nuns would line us up at the end of the day, calling the "car riders" first, then the bus riders and then the walkers. When you were a car rider, you were special!! You were the first to leave!
I remember Halloweens during my childhood. What a wonderful night! Mom made our costumes. I especially remember the gypsy costume she made. A long black skirt, with orange and green rick-rack stripes above the hem, a peasant blouse with fancy embroidery, and a head scarf. She kept that costume for years, and when my oldest daughter was a year old, Mom altered it to fit her. I also remember that Mom made beef stew on Halloween; having Mom's beef stew, and later pillowcases full of candy, made Halloween one of my favorite holidays. And of course, going to Catholic school, the day after Halloween was a holiday. We stayed up late, watching TV and trading candy bars. Not the little skimpy things they sell today, but the large, economy sized chocolate bars!
When I was in elementary school, we took piano lessons. Daddy bought a Gulbransen upright, which I have in my house now. I think I was in 1st grade when he bought the piano. Janice took lessons first, and I began lessons in 2nd grade. We were taught by Sister Adriana. That was a treat; the lessons were given in the convent, which was located across the parking lot from the school. Once a week, at a scheduled time, we left class to walk to the convent for the piano lessons. We had to take our shoes off at the front door; the nuns had thick, plush carpets, and didn't want any mud tracked in!
Another special childhood memory I have is of Aunt Mary coming to stay with us for a week or two during the summers. The year that the Disney movie, "Sleeping Beauty", was released, Aunt Mary took my brother Steven and I on the bus to the movie theater to see it. To this day, it is my favorite Disney movie. After the movie, she took us to Woolworth's, which was in the same shopping center as the movie theater. I remember that she bought Steven a plastic Prince Charming sword, and bought me paper dolls. I loved paper dolls! And Aunt May! I remember vividly the details of that outing; I remember what I was wearing; an orange plaid "skort" with a matching top, white, with an orange plaid collar. Janice and I both had the same outfit. (We were three years apart, but sometimes our mother liked to dress us as twins!) It was raining when we left for the bus stop, but the sun was shining brightly by the time the movie was over.
For my 10th birthday, Aunt Mary gave me a pajama bag. It was made of a pink furry material, and snapped to the top of it was a pink-pajamaed baby doll. I loved that doll. I kept it for years, and I even remember that I would willingly make my bed, so I could put my pajamas is the bag, and lay it lovingly on top of the bed, with my baby doll on top!
Janice might remember this story: I don't know how old I was, maybe 9 or 10. Janice and her friend Betsy took a walk to 5 Points, a shopping strip not far from our house, but at my age, it was a real trek! As usual, I wanted to tag along with my "big" sister(quotes necessary - she was never bigger than me.) It was winter, and we had to walk through a field to get to the shopping center. I got stuck in the mud, and couldn't get my shoes out! I remember crying and yelling, and Janice and Betsy couldn't get me and my shoes out together. I don't even remember how that episode ended, but in my memory, I was stuck in that mud for hours! I probably went home and told my parents that it was Janice's fault! (I know I was a brat at times).
When we were kids, we had a swing set in the back yard. Janice, her friend Betsy, who lived across the street, and I would ride the swings, singing show tunes. Bety's father had a collection of records including broadway soundtracks, and we would listen to them, then sing songs from "The Sound of Music", "South Pacific", and others while swinging in the yard! Strange bunch of kids we were!
Another of my favorite memories is going to New York to visit our relatives for weekends. As we drove through the Holland Tunnel, Janice, Steven, and I in the back seat, and Pete in the front with Mom and Pop, Janice and I would look for the marker on the tunnel wall showing the boundary between New Jersey and New York. When we passed that boundary, we would both become excited, and start exclaiming, "We're in New York now!". It was like a homecoming for us; displaced New Yorkers, who had finally returned home! We always stopped first at Uncle Jim's store in Roslyn, to see Aunt Mary, and received presents of candy bars and comic books. The next stop was Uncle Jim and Aunt Agnes Kehoe's house, where we would display our comic book treasures to our cousin, Jimmy, and read through his Superman and Batman comic book collection as well. The next stop was Uncle John and Aunt Anna Hollenczer's house, where we stayed for the weekend. It saddens me to think that I will never see their house again. It was one of my favorite places, and my sister's and brothers' as well, I'm sure. I have a page with some pictures of the outside of their house, and some of the icons inside, also. We had so much fun at their house in our childhood, it almost hurts to remember it.
I also remember the trip home; we kids would try to see how far we got into New Jersey before we could no longer see the Statue of Liberty. I have lived in Pennsylvania for 44 years, but have always considered myself a New Yorker! The memories of those times are priceless.
I'm writing these memories on the fly, so this is rather disorganized. I could probably go on for pages, but I'll end it here, and continue with my brothers' childhood stories.
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Uncle John Stories Aunt Mary Stories Steve Hollenczer Stories
Uncle Joe Stories Uncle Mike Stories Grandma Hollenczer Stories
Aunt Anna Whitlow Stories Grandpa Hollenczer Stories Joe-Joe Stories
Helen Stories Uncle Pete Stories Janice Stories