Abstract
Clara Zelinski Muldowney, born in Boston Mills on February 5, 1923, shares her memories of growing up in the Cuyahoga Valley. Her parents, Chester and Julia Zelinski, moved to Boston Mills in 1918 to run the company store for the Cleveland Akron Bag Co. The store sold a wide variety of goods, including groceries, fabric, household items, and meat. Clara describes a close-knit community where neighbors helped each other, with a particular emphasis on the inclusive and accepting environment of the area. She recalls her family's store, their living quarters, and the surrounding properties, highlighting the simplicity and contentment of rural life during that time. Clara's stories emphasize the community's spirit, including memories of local businesses, social gatherings, and the unique culture of the valley.
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Interviewee
Zelinski Muldowney, Clara (interviewee)
Interviewer
Jones Macko, Rebecca (interviewer); Farinacci, Ashley (participant)
Project
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Date
6-9-2017
Document Type
Oral History
Recommended Citation
"Clara Zelinski Muldowney interview, 09 June 2017" (2017). Cleveland Regional Oral History Collection. Interview 343012.
https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/crohc000/1436
Transcript
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:00:01] Ready? All right. So it is June 9th in 2017. This is Rebecca Jones Macko. And I am here with Clara Zelinski Muldowney. And you were just telling me that you were born here in Boston Mills in-
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:00:16] […] 1923.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:00:20] And you were about to tell me in what room? In the store.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:00:23] Not in the store, no. The house part was next to the store. You could enter the store from the living room, but we had a huge dining room, and it was against the one wall. My parents had a small bed, I assume, for the children to nap. And I was told that’s where I was born. So, yes.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:00:56] All right. So how did your mom and dad come to be here in Cuyahoga Valley?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:01:05] They at one time. Well, to back up, before they came down, they lived in, I guess you would call the ethnic part of Cleveland, which is south, a little bit west of the city. And like most communities that lived in their own. What would I call it?
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:01:29] Neighborhood.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:01:30] Yes, neighborhood. Their comfort place. Oh, I would say every fourth or fifth street, one of the houses in the front of the house would have a little store, a little grocery store, and they had one. And they were approached by the Cleveland Akron Bag Company. If they would be willing to move down to Boston Mills and be proprietors of the store, the company store. And after much thought, they thought my brother and sister would really enjoy living out in the country and out of the city. And so they did. And that’s how they happened to arrive.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:02:24] And that was about what year?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:02:27] I have that written. Here we go.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:02:33] According to this paper that you’ve given, 1918?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:02:36] 1918. Yes. And then they took charge of the store on September 18, 1918, and they bought the store business, just the business, in 1924, and the next year purchased the entire property, the store and the two houses.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:03:05] So tell me about your father. What was his full name? What was he like?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:03:09] Chester Zelinski. A gentle, gentleman. Wonderful dancer. Oh, he and my mom were a treasure to watch. Dancing. Yes.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:03:24] What kind of dance? What kind of dance?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:03:26] Any kind. Waltzing. Oh, a wonderful waltzer. They just floated, you know. And there was always music in our house. We had a player piano. I couldn’t guess how many rolls. And our house was always, always full of people, relatives, and the cousin whose dad just took off one day, never to return. And my mother passed at the age of 14. And, of course, Celia had nobody. So my mom says, come on. And so she lived with us. The house was always a happy place. Yeah, it was happy.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:04:19] So tell me about your mom. What was her full name? What was she like?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:04:23] Mom. Mom, I think, was born way ahead of her time. She was a fantastic mother. Had a good lap. And she was not one who enjoyed being in the kitchen. She enjoyed being in the store, in the business. Fabulous bookkeeper. That was her thing, to be in the business. And she is the one who did the ordering for all the things and choosing what should be in the store for the people. But love to laugh. Yeah, love to laugh. It was a happy house.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:05:15] So you mentioned a moment ago you had a brother and a sister.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:05:20] My brother was much older. I was trying to think today how old. My sister was 12 years older than I, and my brother was older than that. So back in my memory, he would be almost a young adult. And so I really. He was a terrible tease. I remember that. You never forget that.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:05:48] What were their names?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:05:50] Sophia and Edward. Yeah.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:05:55] What was your mom’s name?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:05:57] Julia. Yeah.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:05:59] And what was her maiden name?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:06:02] Pardon?
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:06:02] What was her maiden name? Julia?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:06:05] Pawlowski.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:06:06] Pawlowski.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:06:10] And her mother was still alive when we moved, and her maiden name was Deja. And now I don’t know what in the world that is. I never asked. And she was so tiny, and the rest of the family was very tall. I was just the shrimp in the family, you know.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:06:37] I can relate to that. So were you or your husband related to anyone here in the family or here in the Valley? Excuse me?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:06:45] Oh, no, he’s from Cleveland. And his parents divorced and, I mean, stayed friends. That was a joy. But she remarried a doctor who. They decided to move down. Well, it was needed. The other doctors lived in the surrounding areas. He was, I think, 11 when they moved down to Peninsula. Across from the- Well, at first, next to the nightclub. What was it called? The Peninsula Nightclub. Yeah. And then he became part of my high school class of 12. And, yeah, that’s how he happened to be part of this scene down here.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:07:46] So I want to back up to your parents just for a moment. How was it that your parents were selected or were approached? How did the Jaites know? Or not Jaites. But how did the owners of the Cleveland Akron Bag Company know them?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:07:59] I don’t know at all about that part of the history. Perhaps they just went up and down the streets in the neighborhood, or if someone. I don’t know.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:08:17] I know the Jaites recruited from the same neighborhood because they recruited people. They knew some.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:08:21] Maybe I. Oh, that could be right. They were a neat couple, the Jaites.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:08:30] So were your parents involved in the community?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:08:35] Only to the extent, I believe like the Catholic Church, once a year would have. I guess you’d call it a cookout for fundraiser. And it was always beef. And I remember that. And it was always given. And there was a- What was that? A volunteer. That was the name of the store at one time when I first remember. But anyhow, a volunteer camp on Boston Mills Road at the- Let’s see, Hines Hill. Yes, Boston Mills Road. As soon as you get the top of the hill on the left was the volunteer camp for children. I guess, I don’t know if they were all close to the poverty level or not. I don’t know. We never asked that kind of question. But anyhow, I know they gave a lot because I can remember at one time a trunk full of bedding. We didn’t sell that. So I know they bought it somewhere and took it up. So that part they did. But socially, I think the only family was a family in Peninsula, the Tesmers. And I know they traveled together. I can remember one time, Pauline and Tony came down. You would always see them all dressed up with he with his hat and she with her heels. But the laughter that I will never forget. It was on the floor laughter and, you know, they were very, very close. And to this day, now I understand. Never thought about it. But one of our close friends, we’re Chick and Patty Tesmer. So it kind of dribbled down, you know, so it was. Yeah.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:10:56] Oh, Chick and Patty.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:10:59] Yes.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:11:01] I’m not hearing well myself.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:11:07] So he has passed, but she’s still alive.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:11:17] So tell me about the store. What did you sell? Specific product. Specific.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:11:24] You name it, whatever. That would be a chore to get if you had to go out of the neighborhood. Like, my dad was in charge of anything on repair work. Like, you know, when they had chimneys in the house from the furnace to the whatever. And then when they remodeled or anything, there’d be a hole. Well, it was a silver hammered thing. He sold those. I mean, just odd things. Also, he would take orders for boots. Oh, golly. What else? Of course, he was in charge of the meat department. Totally. I would go with him on occasion into Akron to pick out the side of beef. You know, you go in the cooler and they had hanging on the thing. And he was so careful, he would say, no, no, not that one. That’s the one I want. You know, and everyone marveled at his ground beef because it was so juicy and tender and wonderful steak. So, yeah. But in the other store part, my mom. Oh, my goodness. Besides food, cereal, wonderful. The biggest oranges I have ever seen. And someone, a friend that we had for lunch about a month ago said, I’ll never forget the oranges. And near store. Yes. And yard goods. She’d have about six bolts of mostly cotton fabric for dresses because the women sewed. And as far as for health, all this is in there. We had aspirin, paregoric, quinine, cod liver oil, some other kind of oil. What was that? Just what people would be allowed to sell at that point. And needles and threads and beautiful silk Berkshire hosiery. And
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:14:06] Berkshire?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:14:07] Mm-hmm. Berkshire hosiery. And just about anything people, buttons, needles. I’m trying to picture. I’m going down each shelf. Some cereal. Very few vegetables in a can. Fruit in a can. Because I don’t remember any peach tree in the Valley. But I do remember many, many years ago, a friend of mine whose family lived, and she was one of four girls lived across the bridge from us. And she said we were doing some kind of. Not fundraising, but anyhow, I was slicing tomatoes for this big table, and we were talking about living in the valley. And she said, you know, I’ll never forget your mom. I was walking with my mom to the store, and she was looking around in your store at the fabric and then walked away and waited for her receipt. And your mom said, didn’t you want some fabric? And my mom said, well, school’s going to be starting. And I was thinking maybe the girls could use new dresses. But she said, maybe later. And she said, then my mom took the receipt and also an entire bolt of fabric that your mother gave her. And she said, I’ll never forget walking across the bridge again and looking up and seeing tears. And I said, oh, Mama’s sad. She said, you can have happy tears. She said, I’ll never forget that. Yeah. So where were we? The store pretty much sold it sold well, of course, all the things that you don’t want to think about. Cigars, chewing tobacco, cigarettes. A wonderful candy display, penny candy. And the cookies came in a heavy cardboard square box. But also there was a hinge mechanism on this glass cover that opened. You could open it up and this whole thing fitted over the cardboard box. So we would keep- When we would order, we would keep the top with the hinges. And then when they brought new cookies, it would already fit. I don’t know if it was just all one company or what, but that was below the candy company so that kids could snitch a cookie.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:17:33] What kind of candy do you remember that?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:17:35] Oh, my goodness. Gum, of course. Bubble gum. I remember Milky Way then. Or some kind that looked like it. Oh, and licorice. The sticks. It was a big-
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:18:01] Big counter display.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:18:03] Pardon?
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:18:03] A big counter display.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:18:05] No, it had glass. I mean, Mom didn’t want anyone- The kids, they could have a cookie, but not the candies. But they were able to- Pardon me. By the time they’re six, they could look in the window and take out their penny candy. Some type is a chocolate. I forget what it was. And then next to that was- This was a flat glass display case, and that’s where the cigars and that type of thing were inside of that.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:18:42] So you had kids treats, children’s treats, and then adult treats.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:18:46] Right. Mm-hmm.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:18:49] So for the store itself, your father worked there, and he was primarily- He did the meat, and your mom was managing the books and managing the other stuff. Did anyone else work there?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:19:00] No, just us.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:19:03] And did- Well, as you as a child, did you help out?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:19:06] Oh, absolutely, yes.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:19:09] So what would you- Would you be doing the receipts for people when they came in?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:19:14] Not until maybe I was 12 or so. Right, yeah. Oh, yeah. We all had a part of it.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:19:27] So, as you know, we’ve got it. And I wish I had better drawings. I don’t.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:19:35] If I could draw, I could draw the entire inside.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:19:39] But I have this layout. This is a tiny layout. So here’s the store part. With the green.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:19:51] Yeah.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:19:53] So this is- So we’re looking here at the northernmost room. What was in this room?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:20:00] Oh, there. This isn’t. Right.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:20:02] This is- This is the new configuration, but.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:20:06] Oh, I see.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:20:07] So it’s not quite. Was this all one, one space?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:20:10] Oh, no, no. There was a wall. But maybe to here, to the end of that red. This side of it, yes.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:20:21] So the wall was here or-
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:20:24] from here to here?
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:20:25] Oh, just this area here.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:20:26] Right.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:20:27] Okay. So what was in here?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:20:29] That was more open. It would be open, like, to here, to the red.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:20:37] So what was in this northernmost room?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:20:40] Well, that- Okay. As you walk in, this had a big window.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:20:47] Mm-hmm. The window’s still there. Yeah. And this is- This would be that other door on the far as you’re looking at the building to the far left.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:20:56] Okay. Right here- Where’s the ice cream. We sold three flavors. And. And that was there.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:21:06] Vanilla, chocolate, and?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:21:08] Strawberry and vanilla. Or they would change. Oh, the best grape. Have you ever had grape ice cream?
Ashley Farinacci [00:21:16] Hmm. No. It sounds good.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:21:18] It was. Yeah. And you never, never see it now. Oh, I’m drooling. [laughs]
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:21:25] Ooh, we might have to, like, go up to Country Maid and look for grape ice cream.
Ashley Farinacci [00:21:32] [inaudible] 55 flavors.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:21:34] And then there was a space and then here was the display. Oh, I wish I could write on this. I could put it on. Really?
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:21:44] Go right ahead.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:21:46] Okay. Here was the ice cream. And then from here was this display meat case. You could walk through here. And then he had a small chopping block, which is now in my granddaughter’s kitchen. And then a large round chopping block. And here was a shelf with his extra knives and cleaning. He had a- Oh, my God, that wire thing. Scrape where he cut the meat before he took care of it again. Anyhow, this was just like shelves. And then back here, was the freezer, walk-in freezer. Now this was the meat case. And back here there was a door for his cleaning, all his cleaning brooms and all that stuff was back here. Anything for cleaning was back there. But that was a huge walk-in cooler. And in fact, we didn’t have a refrigerator in our living- We used-
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:23:30] The store?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:23:31] Mm-hmm. In there. And just before you went in here, there was a wooden- That had the- The big oranges were always right there. And then you could go into the meat department. But-
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:23:52] So what was in this middle room?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:23:54] This one you walk in. This was a walkway to here. And this would be of the cash register on this side. And the McCaskey would be like, here. Okay. And then of course, all of your counter space that held all of the display cases.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:24:28] So that’s where your candy and cigarettes and things like that would be.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:24:31] Yes. And then there was another counter. And on the edge of this was the coffee grinder and my mom’s stool right here.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:24:44] In the corner where she can watch.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:24:49] Yes. Oh, yeah. Because in the summer, we would have gypsies come in there. They would park across the railroad tracks in their big touring cars. All open, but big old beautiful cars. And they would come and they would take what they could if no one was watching. But both Mom and Dad never said anything. They would just stand up and watch. So they didn’t lose much. Maybe a quart of berries or something. But they never said anything. I mean, they just watched. But where was I? Oh, another counter. And then a counter that went this way. And this is where the dry goods and all that stuff was. And the needles and the threads. And above that was the stockings. And I’m trying to think what else. But then she would measure the yard goods on this counter over here. And it was pretty simple, you know.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:26:11] But it had what everyone needed in Boston.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:26:13] Right. Yeah. And my dad, they were so up on, and I don’t know whether. I’m sure they hadn’t read anything about health, you know, you have to keep things off the floor. I don’t know, but I can remember watching my dad. He would- I would say at least three times a year, if not more, everything would have to come off the floor. And then he had, this, it wasn’t a broom, but it was a long handled about this wide, but about this long at the bottom, like a rough cloth. And he would pour, after he used something to scrub the wood, pour this liquid on it and spread it like an oil. And of course, we weren’t- He would do that on a long weekend and so that it would really soak in and we wouldn’t be tracking it in the house. And yeah, one of my jobs was to. I was in charge of woodwork around the windows. And oh, the window sills from the trains, if you kept them open too long.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:27:41] Cinders?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:27:42] It’s like grease from that train. Oh, just terrible. And you’d have to use a scrub brush and Fels-Naptha the soap.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:27:52] You know, I’m familiar with Fels-Naptha.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:27:55] Yeah. And. But then you had this. It had to be some kind of oil in the bottle and an old towel and go over all the woodwork, you know, in the place. And so that was one of my jobs.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:28:12] It would take some elbow grease.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:28:14] Yeah. But it was- Our bedrooms were upstairs.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:28:21] Yeah. So tell me about this first floor room and feel free to draw on it. So tell me about how your house was laid out, how your living quarters were laid out.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:28:29] Oh, well, let’s see, you came in this way and then there was a walkway into the living room. This whole thing was the living room. This was the dining room. There was a door into it and it was a big kitchen. The stove was here.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:28:53] It is a sizable kitchen.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:28:54] And this was our pantry. That’s where the sink and everything was. All our storage from store, floor to ceiling, for all our dishes and pots and pans. And that’s where we did the prep for the cooking. And the stove was right next to the pantry. But we had a huge table. It had four leaves, 12 inches leaves. And my daughter in Minnesota has that now. And when I was nine, I had my tonsils taken out on that table. [laughs] Can you believe-
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:29:43] The doctor came to the- Boy, talk about a home-
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:29:47] Right. Yeah. And he said, now, Clara, I’m going to put something on your face. When I was lying down, he said, and you’re going to take a nap. Yeah. And it was chloroform, was it? Yeah.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:30:01] Wow.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:30:02] Yeah. And they never came back. [laughs] He did a good job. So what else? I mean, it was very simple. Well, we had- It was hot water, steam. I guess you call it a furnace.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:30:28] Radiators and furnace.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:30:29] Oh, big. I mean, my chest high, at least on us.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:30:34] Wow.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:30:35] Yeah. And about this wide.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:30:39] Coal burning?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:30:41] Yes, and wood. He’d start it with wood, but coal, which was stored in the barn. And that heated the entire building. Yes. Can you believe?
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:30:56] So one furnace here heated all the way over-
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:30:59] Everything.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:31:00] But then again, you would want it cool.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:31:01] And the upstairs. In my bedroom, it had, well a hole, but it had a grate on it so that all the heat would go up and heated the- And it did. And yet you didn’t boil to death in the kitchen. I don’t know what kind, but it was hot water. Hot water heat. It was wonderful. Very comfortable.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:31:33] So I think there’s a- if we go to the second. I think it’s the next page, I think. So this is the- If you look, there’s faint lines for how it is now. This is sort of the configuration it is at the moment. What do you remember about the upstairs? So here’s your steps. That’s probably the only thing that’s original, right?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:32:02] Well, the upstairs, that would be one bedroom. And at the end was a bathroom.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:32:14] And that’s still there. So there is still a bathroom here.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:32:17] Okay. All right. And then there was a door here.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:32:23] Yeah, go ahead and draw on.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:32:25] Yeah. And then that was a big room. Well, there were two other bedrooms here.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:32:41] So there were bedrooms here?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:32:43] Yeah. And then this was very- You could enter this bedroom here from- If you came up the steps-
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:33:12] There- Yeah, there’s a little bit of a hall here.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:33:16] Well, yes, if you go down the hall, you could enter the other bedroom.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:33:25] So what was in this very front area?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:33:27] Yeah, no, that’s where the bedrooms were. Let’s see. Can I draw?
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:33:37] Please, that’s the reason we brought the copy.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:33:44] Okay. You came up the steps, but you could go into the- Here’s the steps. Okay, came up the steps.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:33:59] Large bedroom here.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:34:01] Yeah. And here was a hallway which entered into another bedroom. Very small, but also you could give us a door to go up to the attic at the end of it. Okay. So it- Yeah, this has got me screwed up here.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:34:26] Yeah. So the hallway would have been here and- Yeah, there is, because here’s your steps. So there’s a hallway. There’s partially a hallway there now. Here’s the steps, and then-
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:34:36] You can get right into the bedroom.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:34:38] Mm-hmm.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:34:42] But I don’t know how far that-
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:34:45] So how many bedrooms were on this side?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:34:48] Two. This was a kitchen. And then there was a bath at the end. This was a big room and a bath at the end. And the only part you could tell was the kitchen was on this one wall. Right here was the kitchen. And then-
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:35:14] So who lived in this space?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:35:18] Well, after they closed the store, they would rent it. I think one of the Tesmer’s daughters still - she lived there a long time - rented it. Young, young lady. It wasn’t rented when the kids were still living there. My brother in this room built. My brother built an airplane. Could you believe that?
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:35:55] In the house?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:35:57] He did the wings in this room - strange family [laughs] - with balsa wood, little pieces of wood, you know, and he built the wings in that bedroom or that part of the house. Yeah. And then there were- That was like the kitchen. This was like the living room. And then two bedrooms.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:36:31] Okay.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:36:34] But these walls drive me crazy.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:36:37] And it’ll look different when we go in.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:36:40] Okay. All right.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:36:46] Well, they’ve subdivided into apartments, so
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:36:49] Well, my brother was-
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:36:52] So you were the only family that lived there when you were operating the store?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:36:58] Yeah. No, that’s not right. It was during the Depression. A lady by the name of Swanger and her adult son. It seems to me he was a writer. But I know they gave me lots of- I never got toys. I always got books. Lots of books. And I still-
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:37:35] And they lived in this upstairs area?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:37:37] They lived in that part. I forgot all about them. Very quiet, very much to themselves. But when they left, they gave us a complete- Well, we had bookcases that you lift up the glass front and it slid back in. You know, a huge thing for all our books. And. But it was a complete. Complete set of De Maupassant. Am I pronouncing that right? Must have been 12. Oh, that must be worth now, you know, a complete set of books written by De Maup- How do you pronounce it? De Maupassant. Oh, I don’t know how to pronounce the name, but- No.
Ashley Farinacci [00:38:33] I have no idea what you’re talking about.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:38:34] He was an author.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:38:36] But, yeah, but they lived there quite a while during this. Now I don’t even know where they came from. You know.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:38:44] Hmm. Swanger?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:38:48] I’m sure that’s what it was. Swanger.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:38:51] Okay. So, I’m gonna keep going through this little- So you had the store.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:39:02] I remember we rented what we call the big house.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:39:07] And that’s where I was going next.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:39:09] Okay. All right.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:39:14] So there’s- Behind it, there’s a building. So what was- Did you own that building or-
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:39:19] Oh, yeah.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:39:21] And so what was that building? That’s the larger-
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:39:28] The buildings would have been here.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:39:30] Yeah, there’s this. This is the smaller one. And then there’s another one beyond that.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:39:38] Well, this building would be- Not behind this. That was the river.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:39:43] Mm-hmm. This is just a- I don’t have a site layout, actually. Oh, these are the two buildings here. You’re looking at the front of the building. So here’s the one. The larger and the smaller.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:39:56] Yeah, that was rented. The Llewellyns lived there thirty-some years until I sold the property.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:40:09] What year was that? That’s okay.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:40:13] Well, I got- I sold it in either ’78 or ’79.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:40:25] So who lived in this tiny little building back here? The small-
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:40:28] The Llewellyns. The Llewellyns.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:40:30] Okay.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:40:31] Yeah.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:40:33] Who lived in the larger building?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:40:38] Let’s see. Oh, she did. Pollards lived there a long time. Mrs. Pollard did our laundry. After that. Oh, a gentleman. And I don’t know his name, but I was already out of the property, probably in school, in college, until one day the sheriff came and got him and told my folks that he was one of the top safecrackers in the country. And he was such a gentleman. The renter.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:41:35] The renter that was living in the building that will be the restroom.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:41:39] Yes. And he- I mean, he couldn’t do enough for my dad and mom. What- You know, what do you need fixed? I mean, he could just- Always doing something for my dad, fixing something. I mean, they were just, just- They were really upset because he’s such a nice person.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:42:05] We never know about the past.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:42:06] I know. Right. Yeah.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:42:11] So what were the boundaries of the property that your parents owned?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:42:16] The land went where the river and the railroad track met.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:42:21] Where the river and the railroad tracks met?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:42:25] Mm-hmm. South.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:42:28] Okay.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:42:29] Yeah. There’s a boundary. And some place- They did not know it either. You know how, ki-? Well, my toys was outside. That was just it. But back in there, there was a creek that ran through. Right? And I think it was just beyond the creek. Another gal and I were playing. And all of a sudden she yelled and she was up to her knees in this mud. And I said, what’s wrong? She said, I’m sinking. And she got up to her waist. I thought, my God, she going to be gone. Well, it was- What are these sinkholes? What are these? You know
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:43:24] The quicksand?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:43:25] Yes. We never knew it was there. And how do kids know stuff? I ran and looked for a sturdy limb and laid on my belly I can still see her. And I said, grab this. And I pulled her out. Now, my folks never said, if some kid is sinking in the mud, grab a stick and, you know, how do you-
Ashley Farinacci [00:43:51] Where was that mud pit today?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:43:53] Pardon? [crosstalk]
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:43:56] That pit was to the south of your property where the creek comes in?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:44:01] Yeah, that’s the only way it went. I mean, we were from the road to where the river and the railroad met. [crosstalk] 271 took some.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:44:16] So there was a creek that came off the hillside that used to come in further down, kind of where 271 is. If you look on old maps, you’ll see a reference to that creek. Granny Run.
Ashley Farinacci [00:44:29] Okay.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:44:32] So. So, when did your family leave?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:44:41] When they died.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:44:43] So your parents passed away on that property?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:44:45] Oh, yes. My dad died in 1971 and my mom in ’77, and then I sold it in ’78 or ’79. I mean, I was busy. I was a township trustee and I had four kids, and, you know, Jack was on the school board. We were so busy, I said, I just can’t worry about maintenance now. And so we sold it.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:45:26] Your husband, while you were talking, when you came to the open house, you were talking to our deputy superintendent. And your husband told me this funny story about the first time he came to Zelinski store. And it was something about he wound up staying at the store and you all.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:45:46] Oh, well, we were dating at the time, and my folks liked to go places with the Tesmers. And they somehow found out that Jack, while he lived in Cleveland in the summers, this was between he was going to school in Michigan and anyhow, worked in a butcher shop. And so I guess the one time they wanted to go and they said, Jack, would you like to come and stay? You know, and he said, oh, yeah. Okay. And so that’s how it was. They said, would you like to take charge of the butcher shop?
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:46:39] And then they left on vacation.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:46:44] Right. So. Yeah. So.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:46:49] So Boston. What do you remember about the little village here of Boston? What neighbors do you remember?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:47:02] Oh, my goodness. Yeah, of course, that’s called Main street because it was the main street. I mean, it went right to the Indian Mountain Cemetery, but, oh, gosh, it was just a nice neighborhood. And there again, because the store did not in the summer sell vegetables and that type of thing, because everybody had a garden and they would can and share. I mean, if you didn’t have enough potatoes, somebody did. And it was like one big family almost. I covered quite a bit of that in what I scribbled, but it was nothing wrinkled. You know, I don’t ever remember, except once I happened to look out the store window in the back and I noticed this cross. It was a huge cross at the top of my sledding hill. Well, now it’s part of 271. And it was burning. And I said, oh, my God, what’s burning? And I said, it looks like a cross. And my mom said, it is. And I said, well, why would someone burn a cross? And all she said was, he’s not well at all. That’s all she said.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:48:54] So how old- about how old were you when this happened?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:49:00] Maybe 10.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:49:05] So it was on somebody’s property and they burned it?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:49:08] No. Well, I don’t know who owned the top of that hill.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:49:13] But the person who burned it was not well, is that what she was saying?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:49:17] Yes, that’s what she meant. You know, sick in the head. I think it’s what she really meant, you know, and they lived on Main Street, but- Yeah, but there’s always one, isn’t there? I don’t know. Always one.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:49:38] Yeah, it’s just, so I just- There were some things that were here. Do you remember Boodey’s Square Deal?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:49:49] You mean the store?
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:49:50] The little tiny store here?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:49:52] Well, that was originally- That was our meeting building, like the town hall.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:50:01] Oh.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:50:02] Yeah. That wasn’t all Louise Boodey’s. It was where- I don’t recall there was anything like a mayor or whatever.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:50:16] But it was the gathering spot?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:50:17] Right. If there was an issue in the village, the little community, there was a step about- It was only about a foot. Not a step. It was like a platform, a stage across the whole thing. And I can recall a table and two gentlemen sitting at the table and two men on either side. It was obviously some kind of meeting for the village to discuss whatever came up. And also they would have- We would make our own entertainment. I remember my sister saying, you’re going to sing. I said, really? Yeah. She said, the next show is singing. And so, yeah, so people would stand up and sing or read something or play an instrument. And it was the gathering place, that little building for the whole community. It didn’t become the Booty’s. I think we still had the store open. But it was at the latter time of that history, because I can remember Booties had a lunch meat that we no longer carried. My dad no longer carried. It was called spiced ham. Oh, my God, it’s so good. I don’t know if they still make it, but anyhow, I would run over and get a few slices of spiced ham. That was fine. And what else other entertainment was? Well, I guess you would say they were, I don’t know, acting troops that would come through and set up a big tent where the baseball field was. Baseball field is now the ski area. And they would set up the tent and the bleachers and for 10 cents you could go over and boo and hiss at the villain and the maiden, you know. Yeah. And of course the baseball. In the summer there was a men’s team and a ladies’ team or girls’ team, whatever. And we played other, like Hudson and Richfield. Everybody would have a little team, you know, There was no animosity or anything. It was just fun to play.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:53:22] Was Marjan Dzerzynski’s garage open then?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:53:27] Oh, yeah. Joe had- Well, he had a brother too. What was his name? Not Mike, not Nicholas. Anyhow, he had an older brother. But they had that garage and they sold gasoline and fixed cars and stuff, whatever. Tractors sometimes.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:53:57] And at one point, wasn’t there a Shy’s Tavern?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:53:59] Just on the bend in Boston Mills. And, well, he originally opened- Across from our store was a one-story flat building, which was a store and also was the post office at one time.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:54:22] Hmm, sounds familiar.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:54:24] Yeah.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:54:25] The gentleman this morning was talking about the post office that was in that building.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:54:29] Yeah. And then the post office moved up south the road a little bit in a little tiny house. And Shy had a bar there and that in that building. And I don’t know what happened. I don’t remember. I could have been at school or something if it torn down or burned or what. But anyhow, he had this. It was very tiny, right on the bend. And I remember one night my mom called. Oh, it was at least 10 o’clock at night. And when we were already in our farmhouse and she said, I can’t sleep. The engineer of the train engine left in park in front and they’re over at Shy’s.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:55:28] Wow.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:55:28] I said, you’re kidding. And of course when it stops, it’s a thump. A thump. They make noise. It’s loud. And so I said, okay.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:55:39] Were they blocking the road?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:55:42] No, it was in front of the building.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:55:45] Oh, so they were heading north and they.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:55:47] Yes, they were going north. No, just the engine. No train behind it, Just the engine.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:55:55] They were shunting an engine.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:55:56] So I got in the car, came down the chaise and I said, you know what? I got the phone number of your boss. What are you going to do, ma’am, we’re out of here. And I said, you’re promising never to do it again. So, yeah, that was.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:56:24] So what about Terry Lumber?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:56:27] Yeah, Terry. Oh, my gosh, Terry. He was such a gem. Yeah, he just. Well, Terry Lumber had whatever you needed. Knobs for a cupboard or whatever. I mean, he was just one of those. He had the square nails we had to use in doing the farmhouse because it was solid oak beams. I mean, nails would just bend. And he was so good. When we were working on it, Jack worked every night and every weekend for almost a year to get it livable. And the one weekend was a long weekend that was going to be everything shut down, like the Fourth of July or something. And he said, geez, what if I need something? So he went to Terry and said, what if I need something? And Terry said, I’ll tell you what. I’ll tell you where I’ll put the key. Yes. And he said, and I’ll leave one for the truck. And he said, whatever you need. just write down what you took. And that’s what Jack did. I mean, it’s just. Yeah, it was just. Well, that’s how it was. I mean, nobody ever thought about taking something. Deliberately taking something. I mean, it was-
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:58:04] Because that was a neighbor you had to live with.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:58:07] Right. And it’s just something you did. I don’t know. I mean, like teaching the kids a great teaching, but as I said, naive. Oh, my God, we were so naive when we left. Every May 1, every child had to make a basket out of paper. Even with it had to have a handle. And then you would go pick wildflowers and put them in the basket and choose a house. It was up to- the parents didn’t tell you which house. You pick a house and you would go and hang it on the knob and knock real loud and run like hell. Heck.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:59:01] Hay baskets, oh, yeah.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:59:01] So they wouldn’t know who was. It was like a lesson of, you don’t have to say thanks, you know, or wait for a thanks. You do it because it’s fun to do, you know, to make somebody smile. I mean, the teaching down there was just amazing. Like one of our students of 12. There were three families of color that lived in the area.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:59:34] I mean, the Harris, Duncan, and Lees.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:59:37] Yes, and I’ll say Alfred. But I put Albert when I wrote it down.
Rebecca Jones Macko [00:59:46] Yeah, there was an Albert.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [00:59:48] Yeah, but this was Alfred in our class. And he wasn’t Black. He was Alfred, you know, And I mean, talk about naive. When we got married in Fort Belvoir and I had taken a bus to someplace while we were. I was only down there about three months. And I got on the bus and everybody’s hanging on the straps. It was jammed with people, standing room only. And I looked at the back and it was curved. It was gorgeous wood, all solid wood across the whole back seats. Nobody was sitting in it. And I thought, you know, I’ve heard that the people down south are lazy, but they won’t even walk to the back of the bus. Well, I get back to the base and I said that to Jack. He said, you didn’t. I said, what? He said, you sat in the back of the bus. I said, well, it was empty. And I went like this to the people. Come, you know, sit down. He said, honey, that’s for the Blacks. And I said, my God, I didn’t know they had reserved seats.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:01:11] [laughs] Oh, how lovely.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:01:14] Well, see, I mean, he just- That’s what I say. So naive.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:01:23] That is a wonderful story.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:01:27] Oh, Jesus. Sounds so stupid.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:01:32] But that speaks so beautifully-
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:01:37] But that’s how we-
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:01:38] For Peninsula.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:01:39] Right.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:01:40] That is such a beautiful testimony for Peninsula.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:01:45] [crosstalk] That’s what I’m hoping. If nothing else, I hope that’s what goes out of this talk, that that’s what they taught us. I mean, it was just. And after. No, we weren’t married yet, but it was a- oh, second, or about the second year of World War II, I was working downtown Cleveland. Well, yeah, off of Third Street, the place where I tested the metals. But anyhow, turned the corner at Higbee Building and smacked into Alfred. And I looked, he grew 10 feet in that time. He just squealed. And he picks me up and we’re going round and round. And I noticed every person on Public Square stood still and watched. And I thought, oh, see, they’re so- see the happy occasion to see. Just watch happiness in this horrible time. Not so. I’m sure they all thought, what is this guy doing with this woman? You know? But I didn’t know that. I didn’t want- Well, I wouldn’t want to know it, but yeah, I mean. And he felt that way too, see, obviously, because we just. Oh, we had a great spin. Yeah.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:03:25] Two great stories. So you just spoke volumes about growing up in Cuyahoga Valley. So you went to the school in Peninsula or you went to the school here?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:03:38] Well, both. Yeah, I went here for eight grades. And then the first year I went to the school was the first year we had bus service at the high school, right. And there again we had an assembly room on the second floor next to the little tiny library. But there again, each row was a grade, just like the eighth grade was. Each row was a grade. So that continued on.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:04:18] Did you have special friends in school or who were your playmates in school?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:04:25] Well, there again down here, I happened to be the only one my age as a girl, you know, there were a lot of fellows, but not a girl. I was raised Catholic and so I was the only one going to the Catholic church. So this was Madame la Rosa on occasion. We didn’t always go because my folks for a few years had the store open on Sunday mornings only and closed at noon. But somehow the Methodist church, the kids. Well, I had friends that would go to the Methodist church. Had a- what would they call it? Just like a gathering for the high school kids, age on Sundays at 7 o’clock in their basement. And it was just a gathering, a fun time. And I was asked if I would like to come. And so I did. And they even took me to Lakeside at their summer place for the week. I don’t know how many. Well, I did that at least for three years. Never, ever once did they say, would you like to join our church? Would you like to join our religion? Nothing. At Lakeside, the kids had to go to lectures, etc. Not me. If you’d like to go, you’re more than welcome, but whatever you want to do, fine. Well, I swam in Lake Erie, you know.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:06:11] So you went to Mater Dolorosa in Peninsula, Is that what I’m hearing?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:06:14] Pardon?
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:06:15] You went to Mater Dolorosa, Mother of Sorrows in Peninsula?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:06:18] That’s where I was baptized, yes.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:06:22] So what did you do for fun as a kid and then later as a teenager?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:06:27] Oh, outside, Always as a kid, I was always outside up in the hills. I don’t know, they’re made of- They’re not ropes, but they hang from trees, grapevines, and it’s not poison ivy.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:06:43] The grapevines, yeah.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:06:45] And I would swing from top to bottom, you know, it’s just. I lived outside and then I played softball. Yeah. There were no toys, I don’t think. I never saw a toy. I mean, not just me, any place I went, we were always outside. And that’s why I’m having to take vitamin D now. The one thing in the middle of my jotting down all this stuff, I would have been maybe 11, maybe not even quite. I would say about 11. I went outside to go down by the river. I learned to swim in the river and it was, I mean, really, really wall to wall with dead fish and turtles. Yeah, I went screaming into the store and I said, oh my God. God doesn’t like us. And my mother said, what’s the matter? And I said, everything’s floating on the river. And she looked out and she said, oh my God. That’s what they were talking about. She hadn’t looked out to see this. And evidently something spilled from the disposal plant and got in the water.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:08:31] The sewage plant down here?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:08:33] Yeah, it had to be that. Someone else said, no, they thought it was the rubber company, happened to dump something in. But- but it had to be that because the attorney who lived in Peninsula, Mr. Genovese, I mean he was everybody’s attorney, if you needed one, somehow told the disposal plan, you have to give them some payment for this. That’s unusable, you can’t use it. So every month, I think it was like $100 a month or something. Everyone who was on the river would get that for whatever. But the river was never been the same. We never- We had a little beach beyond the buildings and that because it turned and made a little beach that was never used again, ever. Yeah, well, that was a horrible experience. Just awful, just awful. I had never- You can’t imagine. I mean, you couldn’t see the water. It was that solid, floating, you know. Ugh. Yeah. Terrible thing.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:10:01] So let me ask about something more happy. So you met this man named Jack. So you went to school together. How did you come to start dating? How did-
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:10:13] I don’t know. When he first moved, he was given a hard time, you know. Well, he was an outsider and everything, you know, and even me, I don’t know where. I was walking down Bronson Road by the school, and I crossed the road so I wouldn’t have to pass him. [laughs] I mean, you know, just because he was new, you know, and I don’t know, we just. In high school, we just started dating. I was dating another fellow too, who had a convertible. Oh. And he played in a band. He played a trombone.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:10:57] This wasn’t your husband? This is the other guy?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:10:59] Yes. In Bath. Yeah. In fact, his parents’ house is Hale homestead. The Jagger house. Yeah. But no, we just dated and yeah, it clicked. This month it’ll be 73 years.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:11:17] Wow.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:11:18] Isn’t that amazing?
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:11:21] So it’s this month in June, huh?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:11:23] Mm-hmm.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:11:24] You were a June bride?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:11:26] Yeah, I was trying to think. Well, I think I covered just about everything that was in that I put down.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:11:35] So was your story- In the things that you gave us, you told the story about your mom crying. Is that in there?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:11:43] Yes.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:11:43] Okay.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:11:45] My dad.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:11:46] Oh, was your dad crying?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:11:47] Thank you.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:11:48] Thank you, for correcting me. So that’s what you gave us. So what would you say was your happiest time here? Or happy times?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:12:04] I don’t- it was extreme contentment.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:12:10] Not often you hear the words extreme and contentment in the same sentence.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:12:14] Yeah, it was. I don’t know. All your needs were met, you know, the sense of belonging, you know. Yeah. You knew you had your place. Yeah. It was just wonderful. But tough when you left, because, boy, that was a different world, you know. But it was. Yeah. I just hope that feeling goes out to the public that it was.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:13:02] I think we have- I don’t know if you know this. We actually met. Did you know Evelyn Harris?
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:13:11] Oh, I knew- Yeah. I mean, we didn’t socialize or- pardon?
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:13:15] But you knew of- You knew of her. Yeah, we actually- Recently, about three weeks ago. Her children are still living. Oh, her husband is still living.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:13:30] Really?
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:13:30] He’s like 98. So they came down to the Valley, and we talked to them. And that’s what you’re saying about Peninsula was exactly what one of the daughters said. She says, we didn’t know what Black was until we left, and then we found out we were Black.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:13:50] See? Oh, I’m so glad. That gives me goose flesh.
Ashley Farinacci [01:13:55] Yeah, Bertha Jones said the exact same thing. And I just did an oral history with her.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:14:00] What was Bertha’s maiden name? Do you remember? She was- She married Tom Jones, but-
Ashley Farinacci [01:14:09] No.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:14:10] Okay. Yeah, I didn’t do the- I can’t remember.
[Unknown Voice] [01:14:13] Oh, they’re the ones who- Do you know them? They used to own the-
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:14:16] The Harrisons?
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:14:19] No, Tom and Bertha Jones.
Ashley Farinacci [01:14:21] What was that place called? The camp place?
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:14:27] Oh, they used to own Tamson Camp.
Ashley Farinacci [01:14:29] Tamson Park.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:14:30] Tamson Park, the big campground.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:14:33] Yeah.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:14:34] Tom and Bertha Jones owned that at one point.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:14:36] Oh, all right. Yes. Okay. Yeah.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:14:40] Was she a Carter?
Ashley Farinacci [01:14:42] No, but she grew up in the Valley. I’m having a blank as far as what her name was.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:14:46] So she said some of the, she, we had an oral history interview with her not too long ago, and she said the same thing.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:14:53] Mm-hmm.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:14:55] So. So anything else you’d like to share? I think you just said something beautiful.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:15:02] I don’t. I can’t think of anything else. I just-
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:15:06] We have a lovely set of notes. And to reiterate, when we get into the building, we would like to invite you and your husband and your daughter down and maybe do a walk through of the building. And maybe then as we’re walking through, you can point things out. [crosstalk] And that may trigger a memory.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:15:26] Yeah, well, that would be good. Yeah, yeah, I can.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:15:46] And if we have it here, you don’t need to necessarily read it off again because we’ve got it.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:15:49] Okay. All right. Okay.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:15:52] I hope your husband gets the- the cough has been nasty and some people have had it for. I hope he gets to feeling better.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:16:01] Yeah. He just- He was getting better. He went to the doctor.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:16:07] That’s why her husband didn’t come. He’s got the coughing.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:16:10] Yeah.
Ashley Farinacci [01:16:12] It’s been going around here, too.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:16:14] Really? Oh, I’ll have to tell him that, because when he woke up, he was just- Oh, this is yours.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:16:22] You can have that if you’d like.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:16:23] Okay.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:16:23] If it triggers something later on.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:16:25] Okay. Yeah. Oh, when he got up, I said. He says, oh, I can’t go. I brought this in case I wanted to take notes. It’s funny, at the time Birdsall was charged there, a big guy, you know.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:16:53] He was something like 6 foot 4.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:16:55] He and I were hammer nails all the time, you know, but yet we were friends. Does that make sense? You know-
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:17:03] It does.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:17:05] Yeah. I mean, he was doing his job as he was told, you know, And I understood that, but. Oh, the one time I was representing the township of the Communities Council World, every community had someone and we would meet, and it was in Brecksville at their offices. And it’s a round, gorgeous podium, semicircle. And we all sat in the semicircle, and I was on the end and Virgil was in the middle. He was going to answer questions and someone said, well, have the notices been out to the people who have to leave? Because not everybody had to leave. It was pick and choose. And he said, well, no, that hasn’t started yet. I was sitting at the end and I said, damn it, I knew we should have brought ours. He got white because we did. We just got ours. Yeah, we were, I think, the first. We had three months to get out. Three months to get out, I think, because I was such a mouse, you know. But yet another time, we would be walking to a meeting, and I remember I was getting out of the car and walking this way, this way. He picks me up and he spins me around. And when he was going to leave, he was going to leave on a Monday. And that weekend, Jack and I went up and spent the weekend with our friends in Vermilion and the Sunday paper, it said, Mr. Birdsall died of a heart attack. And here I had asked him, how about I take you for lunch on Monday? And I thought, oh, my God, you know? Yeah, yeah.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:19:15] He pretty much in his office, at his desk.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:19:18] Yeah, but I mean, he? Yeah. Oh, yeah. We were at it tooth and nail. Yeah. Anyhow, that’s passed. Here’s your paper. So. Anything else, just feel free to call, you know, if something comes up and say, well, now, what was this or that or whatever.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:19:42] And hopefully, you know, if there’s anything as we’re going through the notes and we come back and wait, we should have. Wait, wait, wait. What? Then I’ll bring some of that to the- to when we meet, when the building’s open.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:19:52] Okay.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:19:53] So we can maybe get at that then.
Clara Zelinski Muldowney [01:19:56] Yeah. Well, I’ll tell Pat she’s welcome to come when you have it. She’ll be delighted. Yeah. This mine? No.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:20:06] I think actually belongs to Ashley.
Ashley Farinacci [01:20:09] No, it belongs to Arrye.
Rebecca Jones Macko [01:20:11] Oh.
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