THEN AND NOW: The Kelly residence at 34 Honeysuckle Lane

The Honeysuckle Lane house in the 1950s.

Teenage Sandy in front of the house. The family name is behind her.

Photo of the house taken by Marilyn Monsrud Frese in late March 2012.

Click on pix to enlarge

By SANDRA KELLY MINCHER

Class of 1961

Our house on Honeysuckle Lane holds many fond memories. We moved there in the summer of 1952 after renting a house on Cornflower Road for a year. By the time we moved to Honeysuckle the house had already been altered a bit. The second bedroom wall had been removed to make a large living/dining room area. The attic had a large finished bedroom and a small partially finished one. My sister and I shared the large bedroom and my brother had the smaller one. The house was cozy and bright, at least compared to our home in Everett, Massachusetts.

Outside I remember the forsythia bushes and the trees along the road. The yards were all connected, which made our play space seem large and open. The walk to the front door was just flagstones set in the lawn. Although originally gray, we eventually painted our house a blue-gray and the shutters pink. It seemed a bold choice to me but I loved it.

I especially enjoyed that everything was so convenient to our home and we could walk almost everywhere we wanted to go. If the weather was good we were usually outdoors. When I look back the thing that strikes me most is a sense of freedom.

In the summer of 1958 we moved, this time to Haymaker Lane. One of the main reasons was space. I was going into 10th grade and my sister into 4th and I really wanted my own room. Our new home was beautiful and much larger, but I will always remember the Honeysuckle house with great fondness.

THEN AND NOW: Sandy Kelly's residence at 26 Haymaker Lane in Levittown NY

Sandy's 26 Haymaker Lane home in around 1960.

What the 26 Haymaker Lane house looks like now, 52 years later.

Sandy in 1958 with a background of Levittown houses. She was 15.

Looking down Haymaker Lane from Blacksmith Lane corner.

Click on photos to enlarge

BY SANDRA KELLY MINCHER

Class of 1961

After renting on Cornflower (1951 or 1952) for a year, we bought the house at 34 Honeysuckle. I'm not sure of the dates, but around 1958 or 1959 we purchased 26 Haymaker Lane.

The photos here are of our house on Haymaker. A World War 2 veteran owns it now, according to Marilyn Monsrud Frese who took photos of the place on April 17. I spent most of my teen years here. Many fond memories were made during this time. After I graduated college I remained in Oswego to work and never returned home except to visit. My mother eventually moved to Great River, LI.

My husband John and I went to see the house while we were in the area for my 25th Division Avenue reunion. At that time it had not changed much.

I love seeing the old houses compared to the remodeled versions.

Current photos by Marilyn Monsrud Frese

Was Division Avenue's class of 1960 at the right school at the right time? Early alums share their opinions and memories.

Cowgirl Jane Alexander and cowboy Bob Cotter '64 (right) play with two friends on a summer's day in 1956 Levittown. Bob wrote, "All the kids were great, we were originals, products of a grand experiment that did not go awry."

Some of our blog readers were asked to comment on the following written by Sandy Kelly Mincher, class of 1961.

Sandy wrote:
This blog always has interesting points of view but Dewain Lanfear's story "Division Avenue's class of 1960 was at the right school at the right time" really strikes a chord with me. I have often thought of this right time, right place idea.

Even though I followed the class of 1960 four-year seniors by a year, the idea that we were not the usual school rings true to me. There was something created in Levittown that was different from other towns. To me it was that there was no class system previously established, no "good section" of town or divisions by ethnicity or religion that occurred in many places during that era. The playing field was even.

I was never even aware such things existed until I moved away from Levittown.

BLOG READERS COMMENTS:

Arnie Galeota '61
What Sandy has stated is so true. The economic status of the residents was never an issue. The fact seems to be that while some people probably had higher incomes than others, it was not obvious or even important. I don't think it mattered to anyone.

We seemed to be equal partners in a terrific place to grow up. No jealousies, no competitions, just a good daily life where neighbors spent quality time together and the family unit was still important. We ate together, went on trips together, the parents attended school functions, especially sports.

I remember for my junior prom the parents put together a beautiful breakfast spread at the Division Avenue High School gymnasium, decorated it, so when we got back from the dance we had entertainment for the rest of the night and breakfast was served by our parents before we went home that morning. Can you imagine any school these days doing that?

It's too bad no one documented on video the many great things that Levittown and our school had to offer. We can tell our kids and grandkids, but they could never really understand how good things were and that's why so many succeeded rather than going to jail, or overdosing. We will never see such a time and place like that again.

Jack Jacobsen '62
I agree that Levittown did not have a class system and that we were all equals. I didn't realize that there were different levels of society until the ninth grade when I was on the cross country team and we had a meet at Great Neck North during half-time of the football game. Their students had MGs, Triumphs, and other foreign cars in their parking lot. Plus their school was a campus compared to ours. It was always great to beat them in their own backyard.

Bob Cotter '64
A lot of what has been said has had a lot to do with memories that could have come from anyone's youth. But Levittown was unique. There was no "across the tracks"; there wasn't anyone from the "other side of town", and there wasn't the wealthy family who lived up on the hill ...we were all in the same boat.

There was no downtown. We had "The Stores"....the strip anchored by Whelan's on one end and later Mays department store at the other end. We had the Village Greens...all the same on the outside, but each had its own personality and character. Remember the Cane Lounge?....very dark and mysterious to me.

Hempstead Turnpike was Main Street...I remember drag racing GTOs from light to light on my Triumph motorcycle (Joe Detore was my idol...the original Fonz)....Levittown was one of, if not the first, fully planned community; the first official, organized pursuit of the post-war American Dream. Our parents came from all backgrounds, and we as their offspring, started our lives literally living in the same house, well, some lived in ranches, some in capes, but the same nonetheless. All the kids were great, we were originals, products of a grand experiment that did not go awry.

Marilyn Monsrud Frese '63
Levittown still has no "class system" differential. Everyone still makes a mid-level salary so most neighbors are on equal footing there. There are no religious divisions in town...all live peaceably and happily side by side.

We've had a recent influx of Middle Eastern homeowners, but for the most part, they are peaceful, respectful good neighbors. Teenagers are no different here than in many smallish towns. Again, since there is so little difference in household earnings, there are really no "haves" vs. "have-nots" among the kids or the parents.

Honestly, it's amazing how Levittown is still very much the same as it was six decades ago. Sure, there are more drugs around now than there had been in the early years, and houses do get robbed occasionally, but it is mostly minor and most of the time the perpetrator is from another town. The only competition between "classes" here is Division Avenue vs. MacArthur High School. There is a sports rivalry here just as there was when Division and Levittown Memorial competed many years ago. .

We moved to Levittown in 1949, and except for seven years that I lived in Massapequa as a newly wed (a whole three miles from Levittown) I've had my roots firmly planted right here. And since we were so adamant about not leaving Levittown, three of our children live within three miles of us with our six grandkids. This is home to me, and always will be.

Patricia Kraft McDonald '60
The class system was established in Levittown from Day One and everyone was treated equally because everyone was the same. Do I still remember Levittown fondly? More than I can say. Was it a wonderful place to grow up in? Absolutely! When you eventually moved on were you well prepared for the world that would greet you next? Not really.

Keep your memories as I do mine, but I do believe it was a slice of Smallville we were tasting all those years. Dewain, you may have been a catcher, but you're batting 1.000 with your essays.

Kathy Stahlman Zinn '63
I agree, especially for our time. This is what I was saying on this blog, in part, about my religious experience in Levittown. Sandy is right about their being no "right side of town", or other artificial separations. Although teenagers will always find ways to distinguish ourselves, and we did have, "prep", jocks, smart kids, greasers, etc., but no one was the rich kid or the poor kid. I don't think this was always the case later on.

I think our egalitarian attitude was largely due to our parents and teachers just having survived WW II, where they learned a lot about themselves, the wider world, and what democracy truly means. They wanted to live that way and raise and teach their children in that kind of environment.

Michelle Fromm-Lewis '63
When my family moved to Woodcock Lane in November of 1949 I had just turned four. Our street pretty much constituted my world since I hadn't yet branched out to the world of school. Our street, by happenstance, had a goodly number of Jewish families, including ours, as well as Christian families of many different denominations.

Our street was a community within the greater community, everyone knowing each other, looking out for one another, and even sharing family traditions. Fond early memories include my family visiting many neighbors on Christmas Eve bring with us little gifts, and a neighbor dressing up as Santa and visiting homes (including ours) bearing small gifts for the children.

In 2010 while visiting a Christian neighbor whose sons I babysat for as a "tween", I was presented with a tin of homemade rugelach (a Jewish pastry). She told me my mother taught her to make them and she used my mother's recipe. We respected our differences and shared our traditions.

I really like Sandy's words, "no class system", " no good section of town or divisions by ethnicity or religion".

Lillian Smith '62
Interesting thought about the Levittown neighborhood's lack of stereotypical divides. I think there were no ethnic or religious divisions, per se, because Levittown was still relatively new, originally built without preconceptions of race, religion or nationality. It embraced the post-depression "huddled masses yearning to breathe free" (to borrow a phrase from Emma Lazarus), and seemed to be a mixed composition, without prejudice or forgone ethnic bias.

Statistically, the longer an area is established, the more it tends to become divided along those lines, and patterns become established. Like they say, birds of a feather flock together. It's too bad, really.

David Amster '63
Sandy is right, in so many ways. My parents moved to Levittown, 35 Woodcock Lane, when I was four in 1949. As part of the Class of 1963 I was really the younger kid until I became a senior. I lived in a cocoon and was watched over by parents and teachers and even other parents. I truly was naive about life outside of Levittown until maybe my junior year.

My family belonged to a synagogue in Westbury, Beth Avodah, where I was learning about Jewish life. I was Bar Mitzvahed there and was now joining in the social world by being part of the teenage group. We had events with other groups from towns all over Long Island. It was then that I realized how sheltered a life I had in Levittown. Personally this was great for me, as I was not the outgoing person I developed into many years after high school. It was good to be sheltered and cared for by this town.

I was never afraid to go anywhere or do anything. When I went by car or bus to other congregations for weekend events or parties I did not have this secure feeling, even though I knew these kids.

When I got my license and began to drive all over Long Island did I see the differences that were not in Levittown? I saw poor and rundown areas, wealthy areas, even some undeveloped areas. At Jones Beach we mingled with people from “the city” and saw the wide variety of people and backgrounds. Somehow, even though Levittown had people from all backgrounds as well, it was not as obvious since we all “blended” so well. Being at Azalea Road Pool was soooo different than when we went to Jones Beach.

Frankly I must agree, we were in the right place at the right time. I cannot think of why I would trade it for any other upbringing. When I met people later in life and “where are you from” came up, I was always so proud to say LEVITTOWN.

Wally Linder '61
The fall of 1960 and the spring of 1961, was a major turning point in the history of the United States.

The election of John Kennedy and the defeat of Richard Nixon signifies a major change and turning point in the political and social history of the United States. Kennedy's election was a bigger change then Obama's election is today. It felt like the "old guys", Eisenhower and Nixon, were being replaced by the "young guys", Kennedy and his brothers.

Look at all the change that happened in the 60's and 70's. Women, Blacks and minorities rebelled against their previous cast status in society. Sitting in John Fitzsimmons's living room, election night, in 1960, you could feel that something great was about to happen. There were a bunch of us who stayed up all night waiting for the election results.

I felt that going out into the world in June 1961 was the start of an exciting adventure. I did feel that I was in the right place at the right time.

Q & A with Sandy Kelly Mincher, class of 1961; enjoyed her teachers and taught for 34 years

Where did you live in Levittown, when did you move there and where had you lived before:

I was born in Everett, MA and lived there till my dad got a job as a cameraman at NBC in NYC. I believe it was 1951. I was seven years old and going into third grade. We first rented a house on Cornflower Lane. After a year we bought a house on Honeysuckle Lane. We lived there till I was in ninth or 10th grade (I have no memory for dates or numbers). We then bought a house on Haymaker Lane.

What were some of your earliest memories of Levittown:

My earliest memories are of catching fireflies in the backyard on hot summer nights, rides along the parkway to look for rabbits and enjoy nature (we came from a city environment), spending all day at Jones Beach, climbing the tree in our front yard, the smell of honeysuckle and roses, playing in the neighbors backyards, walking to the movies, pool, and Village Green, and sledding at Bethpage Park.

Who were some of your first friends:

I was a very shy and quiet child and did not make friends easily. My earliest friend was Sally Mann. We met in Girl Scouts, I believe. Her mother was our leader. Since I was a nature lover, I loved camping with the Scouts. Sally and I were also in band and chorus together. She did not live in my neighborhood, however, so we were limited to occasional visits. Her parents were very good to me and took me places I wouldn't have had the opportunity to go to otherwise.

The kids on my street were all younger as far as I could tell. I was the oldest child in my family. My mom went to work when I was 11 or 12 and I had a lot of responsibility after that. My brother, David, and sister Karen were frequently in my care.

When we moved to Haymaker Lane I lived next to Daria Marusevich who was also in the class of 1961. This was a lucky break for me. Since Daria is so outgoing and cheerful my experiences were broadened a bit. We had a lot of good times together listening to records, going to the beach, and spending time at each other's house. We went to football, basketball, and even wrestling matches a few times. I loved watching our teams play.

Was attending Division Avenue High School a good experience, any teachers you really enjoyed:

I have fond memories of Division Avenue. My teachers were good, at least for the most part. It was a shock to me that I could no longer get away with not studying or doing homework. My favorite math teacher was Mr. Simes. He taught geometry in a way that I, a weak math student, could master and even enjoy.

Mr. Reggio made biology interesting and he taught me how to organize information and take notes. I felt like he cared about me as an individual, something I needed as a student. Miss Eisenhauer intimidated me but I learned papers had to be turned in on time or you would pay dearly. She liked my papers so I didn't fail, as she had threatened, but I got a poor final mark.

I enjoyed Mr. Chapman's English class. That was my best subject and I liked the way he taught. My favorite teacher of all was Mr. Streb. Anyone who can make history enjoyable to me gets my approval. His classes were fun and sometimes funny. He made history relevant and allowed for good discussion.

Playing trumpet in the band and orchestra was my favorite activity. Not following through with that is something I have come to regret. I had a great trumpet teacher. I can't recall his name.

A highlight of your high school years:

Winning a top mark of A and a medal at the Music Association's competition was a highlight for me. I played "Bugler's Holiday" with Jeff Rasmussen and Bob Larson.

Did high school prepare you for the real world:

Probably not, but I'm not sure that is possible. I did a lot of maturing though, as well as learning better study habits.

What did you do immediately after high school (job, college):

Due to my parents separation and divorce my mom had no money to help me with college. A stroke of good luck came when someone did not use their Regents Scholarship and I got one. Some donations from my brother and grandfather bought my first books and I was able to attend Nassau Community College. I took a bus, train, then bus to get there. Afterwards I took another bus to Times Square Store and worked in stationery until 10 PM. This gave me a good work ethic. I finished my education at Oswego State College.

Is there anything you would like to mention about jobs you have had:

The most adventurous job I had was working at Schrafft's in New York City the summer after high school graduation. Daria and I lived in her grandparent's apartment and got jobs there as waitresses. We had some interesting adventures. I also learned I am not a good waitress.
I worked one year as a social worker before I began teaching elementary school. I taught for 34 years.

Where do you live now, and how long have you been there. Where else have you lived:

My husband and I moved to Palm Coast, Florida in 2004 after snowbirding here since 1999. Previously we lived in Oswego, NY.

Family--spouse, children, grandkids:

My family includes my husband, John, my daughter Kelly (my maiden name), and two step-daughters. We have no grandchildren.

If you are retired, what do you do keep busy:

Two things I love are my Tai Chi and organ classes. I also do some ministry at my church. John and I also square dance. We love to eat out and travel whenever we can. We go to performances of various kinds, especially theater, at the local auditorium. When it's in season, we go to Jackie Robinson Ball Park in Daytona Beach to watch the Cubs class-A team. We love to walk the town's many trails and along the beach. Visits from our northern friends are enjoyable as well.

Something that your old schoolmates would be surprised to learn about you:

I was divorced, then widowed by age 32. I have been married to my first college professor at Oswego State for 34 years.

Anything else you would like to add:

I find it interesting that I couldn't wait to leave Levittown and find a smaller place to live. Now we live in a place that has many similarities to Levittown and those are the things we love here. Palm Coast was all planned and laid out in the late 1970s. It is designed into neighborhoods and the streets are laid out like Levittown's. It is large with a small town feel.