By Norma Higgs
After reading my notes on the class of 1950, I found many similarities among the members I met at their recent luncheon meeting. Their collective stories recalled some of the history of Niagara Falls. They were all born in the mid-30s, many as children of immigrant parents, whose moms mostly stayed home to raise the family while dad worked in local industry. These were different times, when our city began to emerge from the Great Depression and employment became available in varying industries. As they grew up, the city also grew and prospered especially following World War II. They did not appear to have a problem finding employment following their graduation and most of them stayed with their original employer their entire working career.
One exception was Charles “Chuck” Monteleone who started a produce business with his brother at 20th and Pine Avenue near the A&P; Market following his military service in 1954. Stationed in Korea with Dave Gamboian, who we met last week, I found out they enlisted and served together in the Buddy Platoon. Chuck and Dave were childhood friends growing up on the old east side. His father worked at Olin Mathieson and his mother was employed at Niagara Searchlight.
Chuck married Gwendolyn in 1956 and they moved to California in 1958 where he operated a restaurant for 50 years in the San Fernando Valley. Gwen’s mother had a grocery business and her father worked at the Union Carbide. They met through a family relationship as Chuck’s brother, Steve, was married to Gwen’s sister. Together they have four children, six grandchildren and one great grandchild. He retired two years ago and they came “home” to care for his mom who is 97. At the monthly lunch meeting I attended, they were seated with Dave, who Chuck still called “hairless”, his childhood nickname. They have remained close friends all these years.
Diane Jordan, nee Gordon worked at E. I DuPont de Nemours & Co. where she met her future husband Roderick. I was employed there for a short time after I graduated in 1957 and there was a policy that if two employees married, one had to resign. She stated that was not in effect when they married but she did leave to stay at home and raise their three children until 1963 when she went to work at Bell Aerospace. Roderick passed away in 1970. She comes to the monthly meetings of the class of 1950 as it is “fun” and she enjoys the atmosphere.
I first met Ray Gruarin at meetings of the former Woodlawn Avenue Block Club and reconnected at the class lunch meeting. His wife of 55 years, Joann graduated in 1952. They have three sons and 13 grandkids ranging in age from 27 to 2. Employed at the New York Central Railroad, the Penn Central Railroad and Conrail, he retired in 1994. Ray was a locomotive engineer and had the downstate run often resulting in overnight trips away from home. Joann stayed home and raised the children and Ray was proud of the job she did. He is sentimental about his graduation year as he loaned me a very large, bound book during the summer, containing the entire Niagara Falls Gazette published in 1950. He is active on the 2010 reunion planning committee and volunteers at the Memorial Medical Center.
Nicknames were popular during this group’s youth and Stanley Horab’s was Stash. He was raised on 17th and Niagara streets, near the former Ferry Avenue School, now the Presti Apartments. An actor during his high school years, he continued his involvement at the Little Theater and played in several scenes in the movie Niagara where he met Marilyn Monroe. After his stint in the Marine Corps, he went to Iowa State and Niagara University and taught American history at North Junior and Niagara Falls High School for 34 years. He married Margaret after a five-year courtship and they have six children and 11 grandchildren, none of whom resides here. Stan’s father worked at the Vanadium and his mother was employed by Kimberly Clark. Growing up on the east side, his family had no automobile and a black and white television set.
There are three more members of this group that I will tell you about the next time as I enjoyed my conversations with them. These graduates of the class of 1950 may be the core members of this club, but they are also the core members of our society as a city. Many still reside here and some are fortunate to have their children living nearby, but most of their families have moved outside of the city. While these graduates were able to find job opportunities and have the luxury of long term employment with pensions, many of their offspring could not and never returned following graduation from college.
Norma Higgs serves with the Niagara Beautification Commission and Niagara Falls Block Club Council. Her columns appear Mondays in the Gazette.
