They lived–not right next door to us–but the next house–on Westbrook Road. I believe it was always yellow with a sloped driveway like ours was. Just not quite as steep. I’ve been trying to remember which houses were there when we moved into our house.

In 1949, we were living in an apartment in NYC. Each weekend we would go to open houses in northern NJ, Long Island–commuting distance to NYC where my dad worked for Met Life. I well remember the day FINALLY–you know how it feels as a kid to be loaded in a car every weekend and carted off to look at houses. B-o-r-i-n-g!!! The model home was the Bulkley house at the corner of Norgate and Westbrook Road. My parents chose the property because of the backyard and a stand of beautiful white birch trees at the top of the (later) rock garden.

We built the exact same house of the model home at 650 Westbrook Road. There was no road–just dirt. I had to wear galoshes to school, walking through the mud. I was so embarrassed, teachers looked perplexed! I wonder how they ever got a moving van in there!

We went to our home site every weekend while the house was being built. I remember my parents meeting Dessie on one of those visits. I can’t remember if they were already living there or not. I think they were also building their home but that’s just a guess. It was a long friendship. My parents and Dessie and Charles played bridge pretty much every Saturday night.

The first family I remember in the Silvers house was the Gresses. Sue Sitarsky and I played with Bonnie Gress. She was sweet. Do you buy the house from them?

I called Chas Myers today. He is a real font of knowledge about early Salem Ridge history. Wow! His memory is so so much better than mine. But his memories triggered lots of my own. He remembered that Westbrook Road (our end of it) plus Roslyn Road were unpaved for years. He rode his bike a lot and the gravel was awful on his tires. That’s how I remember it–that it was years–but hard to tell just how long it really was.

Did you know that right after our parents built their homes the builder went bankrupt? So lots of Salem Ridge homes sat unfinished. Too many workers went to Korea.

My parents moved into their home December 15, 1950. His parents moved into their home in January 1951. He remembers they were invited to our home before Christmas. A Christmas tree was up and fire in the fireplace. They thought it was so nice. Thus began a very long friendship!

Chas could go up street after street and name all the families!!! Incredible. I’m feeling really senile!

Oh and he babysat for you too, Margaret! He said Sue Sitarsky did all the hard work, feeding and bathing you guys, then called him to just come and sit! He, too, remembers it as a great babysitting job! You know how it takes a village ……………..

From Charlotte Flynn:

Hi Hank, Pat, Patti, Jim etc etc! Are you kidding me — the old neighborhoods! We lived on Eastbrook Road! My Dad, Jack Flynn, played Santa Claus for all of us and the float sat in the McDaniel’s driveway (1963 I think!) Great memories of all of you — Glen School (Mr. Linden, Miss Zink, Mrs. Prescott and Miss Nash!!!) Jim Buckley with the house on Long Beach Island (Love Ladies??) and we always stayed for the month of August in Beach Haven! Hank, I remember your wonderful Mom — she’s joined my Mom who died last April at 87 (still loved her Jack Daniels, cigs, bridge and taking at least one cruise a year! Thanks for some great memories! I’m still in touch with Pat Turnbull–yay! Let me know if there’s ever a reunion of the old neighborhood kids…that would be a scream!

From Pat Turnbull:

Hank: So sorry about your mom. I haave many fond memories of all of you. Love to you and Christy.
Pat

From Patti Pfahl Pruis:

Hank, sorry to hear about your mother’s passing. Hainvg lost both my parents now I think of them often.

I have a question, isn’t your mom the one who painted? I THINK, (but my memory is foggy, and I don’t have the painting in front of me) it was your mom that I sat for while she painted a oil of me for my parents. If it wasn’t your mom, I apologize. I will have to go to storage and find the painting and see who it was…..but it was someone in our neighborhood!

From Hank Henckler:

Hi Patti, Yes my mother Muriel was the artist in the neighborhood. We have hundreds of her artwork to distribute amongst family and friends. The task of clearing out the house seems overwhelming. Thanks for the note. Hank Henckler

From Hank Henckler:

Salem ridge-Roslyn Road lost their most senior resident on Saturday May 7, 2011 after a sudden heart attack. Muriel Henckler lived on Roslyn Road for some 55 years making her the last original owner of property on this street.She was the director of the Glen School performance of “No Space like Home” from which many photographs are available on the RR SRG site. My Mom got to attend the Glen School reunion a year or two ago and enjoyed seeing Margaret, Janet, Reed, Elsa Ege along with others. She will be missed. Hank Henckler

From Cynthia Wagner:

Sorry for your loss. My mother was in “No Space like Home” and if not for these blogs/photos, I’d have never known her involvement! Thank you

From Harrison Knight:

Hank, I’m so sorry to hear about your Mom. I’m glad I got to see her again at the Glen School gathering after 40 years. Two weeks ago Katie came to visit from California and we took a nice nostalgic drive down Roslyn Road and past your house and ours. Such nice memories. And thank you again for our pleasant evening (and wonderful wine) at your house after the reunion. Our thoughts are with you.
Harrison

If you sign up and pay by March 31, you are entered in the drawing for a free room – nice deal! And if you sign up and pay before April 15th, you save $25 per person on the reunion cost – another nice deal!

So put the date on your calendar and sign up for a great summer event!

RHS Reunion PAID attendee list now includes:

Liz Arnold, Howard Belger, Barbara Alster Decker (+1), Kathy Gabrielle (+David ’75), Barbara Bird Schneider, Hugh Blumenfeld, Ann Brogan Barbi, Bill Boyce (+1), Greg Caiola (’75), Barbara Cermak Lutke, John Clark, Liz Clark, Mike Comis, Debbie Coomb Young (+1), Mike Coyne, Leila D. Parke, Barbara Davies, Johanna DiGrazia Baccan, Dave Eilers, Jane Forrestal, Kathie Greenwood, Sue Haag Schaller, Alexis Hallam, Jennifer Hill Holterman, Teri Hillman Garrison, Eric Hanson, Pete Hoch (+1), Bob Inglima, Jeffrey Jaeggi (+1), Tim Jones, Joe Kennelly, Cindy Leber Weidman, Mitch Morrison (+1), Mark Moscarello, Andy Musci, Jane Perkins McKeon, Kathy Petras, Clare Probert, Cheryl Roelke Finger, Liz Rubenstein Fuentes, Linda Sabatino Thayer (+George ’75), Lisa Sanno, Stacey Saterson, Roy Schutzengel (+1), Mark Silver, Deborah Smart Moltisanti, Steve Tenney, John Upham, Gloria Vistica, Cynthia Wagner Boseski and Chip Wry.

The Reunion Agenda:

July 15, 2011: The Mason Jar (in Mahwah) Meet & Greet from 7pm – 2am

We have negotiated a large room for our group; a rlatively inexpensive domestic beer pricing; a few free Hors D’oeuvres; a few games including Beer Pong; k itchen open until Midnight. This is a pay your own way event.

July 16, 2011: The Lester Stables Family Picnic (next to Graydon) from 12 noon-3pm

We have rented this Building and surrounding grounds exclusively for our group.