Otto-Eldred H.S.

Papa’s World – Early years in Eldred,Pa.

/ Tom / Leave a comment

LOL- I do keep lists of things, places, and appointments –

Simple reminders as I go through each day.

I can honestly say I LIVE ONE DAY AT A TIME!

I spent the first 30 years of my life-

In a little town near the WNY border called Eldred in NWPA!

Small Town – maybe 800 inhabitants.

It was you know everyone, and everyone knew your parents and family!

The Eldred Boro Elementary School.

Right across from the town’s ball field.

Where we would go to watch the baseball teams play.

The first four years of school –

I went to a combination H.S. and Elementary school.

Grades one through twelve.

It was a good mile from my North Main Street home.

Sometimes I would walk the railroad tracks to the Barden Brook Creek and then cross the bridge –

And the main street and walk on the sidewalk to the school.

Then, in grade five, they opened this school, and I was in the first class to go there.

Fifth grade and Miss Cawley.

She ruled her classes with an iron fist.

She had also taught in the other H.S. – Elementary school.

Mr. Harrington was the school Principal and also taught sixth grade.

We had a combination gym and cafeteria.

It was in the gym that, while running from being tagged –

I was pushed and slammed into the wall, and broke my right arm!

It was also in this gym that stages were set up for school plays around the Holidays.

I played the Angel Gabriel!

NERVES abounded in those early years, as I was and am a horrible singer.

I also signed up and took drum lessons.

I was given two drumsticks and some sort of board to practice on!

Didn’t last long! LOL

It was here that instead of walking –

I rode my bike as I was used to that, having ridden the same path to the park to play!

I also walked to school, meeting up with friends along the way!

Later in life, I took my youngest son, Shawn –

To sign up for kindergarten,

Unknown to me –

On the way, he had picked up worms and stuffed them in his pocket.

To my surprise, he reached in and brought them out just before we were to meet the teacher in the lobby!

We made a quick exit and got rid of them, and I cleaned his hands off with my hankie!

All part of growing up in Eldred!

We lived in the valley of the Alleghany mountains(foothills)-

The Alleghany River ran through on its way through Pa. –

To NYS and back down again through to Pa. and eventually Pittsburgh, Pa.

I have canoed down that river twice.

The first time was with a group called the EXPLOYERS!

Between our Sophomore and Junior years in H.S.

While the girls of the Sophomore class went to the prom –

We went canoeing on the river.

My partner in my canoe was Bobby Goodman.

To this day, we remain good friends and play golf together.

The second time was with the church youth group –

I think we had fourteen youths and three adults!

Otto-Eldred High School, where I went seventh through twelfth grade and graduated.

We did not have a big class –

Somewhere over 100 kids.

Quite a few have passed away.

In my senior year –

After playing two football games-

I was in a car accident-

I spent 51 days in the hospital in traction.

I did not know if I would ever walk again.

I was in a wheelchair for months after being released.

I was reclassified for the draft –

The VIETNAM WAR was raging!

Then I went to crutches and to a cane.

I walked for my graduation.

One week after graduation –

I was hired at American Olean Tile Plant.

I was married with a small baby boy who was named Troy!

I ended up working for this company for 47 1/2 years.

I worked in Olean, N.Y. –

In 1999, I transferred to Alexandria, VA, near the Springfield Metro.

During my time in Olean, we were owned by National Gypsum.

!980 some I was divorced and met Sherry, who worked in Payroll.

We were married on 6-25-1982 – she had also divorced.

I had two sons, and she had two daughters.

All young!

We raised both sets, although the boys lived with their mother.

After they all were gone from the houses-

We both transferred to NVA!

She went to Chantilly –

And at this time, we were owned by Armstrong!

She managed two different locations – the last in Chantilly, across from the Dulles airport.

She then took the outside sales job encompassing NVA and some of WV.

By this time, we were owned by Mohawk.

I worked at four different locations.

We both retired with a combined 79 1/2 years of service to the same company!

My early years in Eldred, Pa.

A lot of memories – experiences that I would never trade away!

It seems like every year it floods –

But 1972 was the worst,

It reached the second floors of most homes –

We were lucky – we lived on North Main Street-

Which was higher and out of the flood waters.

Sherry – Papa – Pam, and my grade school buddy – BOBBY!

It has been a long road since those early years in Eldred, PA.

Looking back to the early years.

Memories of life as I recall it.

Thanks for reading my blogs-

PAPA’S WORLD –

My site: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog

Our journey together has continued for over twenty years.

INFORMATION: www.https://sfitzsimmons.juiceplus.com

Living our dream and married since 6-25-1982.

PAPA’S WORLD –

SUBSCRIBE – IT IS ALL FREE!

Papa’s World – A look at early years to now!

/ Tom / Leave a comment

Way before I was born –

The roaring twenties of my hometown –

ELDRED, PA.

Here is Main Street –

Some of these buildings were still there when I was young.

Some had new store Fronts while others looked as these do.

It has always, I think, had that small-town feel.

I believe this might be even earlier.

Perhaps sometime in the 1800s?

This looks to be late 30s?

Or even 40s?

I recognize many of these stores!

An early picture of Scotty’s Eldred softball team.

Many of these men I knew growing up.

My best friend Bob – his father is lower right side.

I would assume this to be late 40s to mid 50s?

This was in the 1880s –

Our little town experienced yearly spring floods –

Into the summertime.

The Alleghany River ran in the upper center right of this picture.

Heavy rains and snowmelt seemed to always cause flooding.

The Eldred grade and high school!

First grade through twelfth grade.

I went to my first four years here-

And we combined school districts –

With Eldred- Duke Center and Rixford.

A new elementary school was built right across the street from the ball field.

I went to fifth and sixth grade and then was bused 7 or 8 miles to –

The Otto-Eldred High School in the seventh grade.

The old school – built sometime in the 1800s-

Being torn down.

My brother Roger –

Second bottom row from the right-

On the Eldred H.S. basketball team.

I knew many of these guys growing up.

My father – Bob- second from left –

Part owner of the Western Auto-

A supervisor for the South Penn Oil Company.

On the school board, when uniting the three school districts along with the township.

Here is the picture of when in Buffalo –

The Eldred team won the championship!

The Eldred fire department, as I knew it growing up,

I lived just up the street on the opposite side.

There was and still is –

A ten o’clock curfew –

The siren would sound every night, and you had to be home and off the streets!

My Junior year of H.S.

I am second row –

Third from right –

Number 65.

My senior year – I was in a car accident-

And spent 51 days in the hospital.

Not knowing if I would ever walk again.

My older sister, Donna, and her husband, Bill.

She worked for the town.

Bill was the Police chief when I was growing up!

And later became Mayor.

Today, this little town of Eldred, Pa.

It is home to a huge WWII museum.

All in this picture is the building.

Many tour buses make a stop here.

They come from all over the country to see the exhibits!

It is a marvel and a bucket list to see!

I have a lot to smile about!

Growing up here –

I would not trade.

This was home to me for 30 years.

Sherry and I – July 2024 – celebrating our 75th birthday on the beach with our families.

Growing old and aging as healthily as we can.

www.https://sfitzsimmons.juiceplus.com

PAPA’S WORLD – A LOOK BACK AT THE EARLY YEARS OF WHERE I GREW UP – ELDRED, PA.

Papa’s World – The many folks of the past- Eldred!

/ Tom / Leave a comment

Good day – this blog is my memories-

Growing up in Eldred. Pa.

As a young lad,

I had roller skates before I had a bike!

It was a chore to skate the sidewalk down to Slavins’ auto store and furniture store.

The sidewalks were uneven!

That was as far as I was allowed to go!

Today, this building is the WWII museum.

And to the right and behind it –

Slavin’s auto garage and furniture store.

Back in my youth, this was Frisbee’s insurance building –

And Penn Electric is in the back.

They parked their trucks –

In the lot in the rear.

Today, all that has changed- the two buildings are now connected-

And are in the museum!

I could not skate to the insurance office.

And almost directly across from the insurance office-

Was the Eldred Fire Hall!

I was not allowed to cross Main Street and skate on that side either!

But growing up in such a small town – 800 to 1000 residents-

I knew many of the men and women,

And they knew my parents.

I knew most of these men growing up –

On the far right, bottom row-

Was my buddy Bob – his father Lyle!

This was “SCOTTY’S” softball team.

“SCOTTY’S” was one of the bars in town and a hangout for the men of Eldred, along with Slavin’s!

The Gold Eagle is another one.

I grew up knowing Lyle because of Bob,

And he, in turn, knew my parents.

We would eat and sleep at each other’s houses!

In my Junior year, we started riding to school with Lyle-

And take the bus back home, six or eight miles away.

My father -“FITZ”- second from left –

The tall man in the middle- Don – who was related to Bob-

Had the insurance office and building.

Eddie – second from the right – is to Lyle’s right in the softball picture.

So you can see how small the town was and all the connections.

Here is a picture of the ELDRED HIGH SCHOOL basketball team –

Before the merger with OTTO Township to form OTTO-ELDRED.

Which comprised ELDRED- DUKE CENTER and RIXFORD.

My older brother Roger is second from the right!

He graduated from EHS in 1957.

I knew more than half of these older boys while I was growing up-

And the coach, Joe,

He was my Little League coach and teacher at the school.

Many would be at our house!

Today – my buddy BOB – his wife Pam –

Our neighbor Diane and Sherry, and I.

We still get together after all these years!

Bob and my varsity high school football team when we were juniors!

I am second row, third from right –

Number 65 and Bobby are to my right –

I believe number 83.

He started at end-wide receiver and safety on defense.

I started at left guard and linebacker on defense.

The JV and Freshman are not in this picture.

Memories in pictures of long ago in little ELDRED, Pa.-

And OTTO-ELDRED HIGH SCHOOL!

Papa- Pam – Bob and Sherry.

Thanks for reading my blog –

Papa’s World –

My site- livinglifedoingitmyway.blog

For over TWENTY YEARS-

AGING AS HEALTHY AS WE CAN

http://www.sfitzsimmons.juiceplus.com

Papa’s World – Golfing Sea Trails with childhood buddy!

/ Tom / Leave a comment

We had planned this since last year – when they came to a campground near us – we would play golf!

Bob and I lived in the same town growing up – grade school – Jr. High and then High School!

We both graduated from Otto-Eldred H.S.

Grade school – Eldred Elementary School – we went here for fifth and sixth grade!

Our first four grades were spent here in the old grades 1 through 12 High School!

Otto-Eldred H.S. where we played sports – and graduated in 1967 – a very long time ago!

We had stayed in contact through class reunions and then the past five or six years –

when they decided to tour the country in their RV.

Since then they have stopped and at times stayed with us or in a campground!

Sharing many old memories and creating new ones –

Best buddies for all these years!

Bob about to hit the green – we played a scramble – for two old duffers who can not putt-

we left about 5 strokes in putting on the first nine – we managed a 41!

Thanks for reading PAPA’S WORLD – my site: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog

PAPA’S WORLD – GOLFING SEA TRAILS WITH CHILDHOOD BUDDY! MEMORIES PAST AND PRESENT!