Phyl Graduates College

It was easier to write to Phyl and Ann since they were in the same college. When I wrote to Phyl I would tell her to pass the letter on to Ann. When I wrote to Ann I would tell her to pass the letter on to Phyl. We wrote to each other quite often to keep our telephone bill down.

Both girls traveled home by bus. They had to take a few different buses. Whenever their father could get away he would pick them up and visit a few relatives at the same time. Many times they brought one or two friends home for a weekend and sometimes they went to their friends' homes for a weekend.

Phyl had a friend named Don DeCastro who graduated with her from high school. He went to Seton Hall College. Sometimes he would go to Saint Elizabeth, pick up Phyl and give her a ride home. Phyl never asked him to come in and have a drink of soda. I would say to her, “Ask Don in next time. Give him a drink. He must care for you to pick you up and give you a ride home.”

She said, “He gives me a ride because he lives in Closter. He is more like a brother.”

Don had to go out of his way to pick her up. She never took any fellow seriously.

Ann was a little different from Phyl. She enjoyed being alone at times. It gave her time to think things out. She would enjoy walking the campus and sit under the beautiful trees to study. She mixed her work with her social life. She was good in school. She was smart, but not 'tops' in her class, like her sister Phyl. Phyl would work so hard on her school work to be 'tops' that it didn't leave her too much time to socialize.

In June, 1953, Phyl graduated from college. She majored in chemistry. When Phyl was in the last part of her sophomore year, a nun called me and my husband. “Why doesn't Phyl change her major from Spanish to Chemistry?” she asked.

We said, “Why? Isn't she good in Spanish?” Phyl wanted to be a Spanish teacher.

The nun answered and said that Phyl was good in Spanish. She got A's, but chemistry didn't come easy to anyone. She said that Phyl was a gifted chemist. My husband and I said, “We don't know anything about chemistry. If you can get Phyl to change, it will be okay with us.”

The nun talked to Phyl and got her to change to chemistry.

Phyl's cousin Roseann graduated as a science teacher, Phyl as a chemist. At Saint Elizabeth's they have a Greek theater. That is were the graduation ceremony took place. Since her cousin lived near the college and all our relatives lived in those parts, we gave a combined graduation party, at my sister's home in Convent Station. It was a lawn party. Roseann had all her father's relatives. Phyl had all her father's relatives. My sister and I had all our relatives; they were the same for both of us! The day was beautiful; it was made to order. Roseann's older sister, her father and I got the whole party together. Roseann's sister and I made some dishes. We also had some catering done. My brother-in-law went and borrowed tables and chairs from the Knights of Columbus. It was a lovely party.

Phyl had applied for a chemist's job at Lederle in Pearl River, N.Y. When we got home from the graduation, just as we were opening the door, the phone rang. It was for Phyl. It was a call from Lederle. They wanted Phyl to go to work. Phyl took a few days off. Then to work she went. She took a test and rated very high. She received a good position. Her pay was very good, as good as a man's.

Phyl bought a car of her own to travel to and from work. She made many new friends. She worked there about eight years. Then she decided she wanted to try teaching. Phyl also had a teaching degree. She took a leave of one year. She received $1,000 less teaching.

Phyl had wished to become a chemistry teacher but instead they gave her sciences to teach. She didn't care for that too much, so she gave it up.

1962 In 1962 My husband and I and Phyl went to Florida for two weeks. Phyl had been to Florida with a friend a few years before. We traveled by train. It took 23 hours to get to Florida. We stopped in Hollywood, Florida. My husband rented a car and got two hotel rooms. Our daughter Phyl showed us exactly where to go and what to see. We covered a lot of territory with no time wasted.

We traveled to Miami and Fort Lauderdale. In Fort Lauderdale we saw the oldest school in the U.S. Wax figures were in the seats and a wax teacher was there. They looked like real people. On the second floor there was a small place the teacher used to live in. We also saw a large Spanish Fort. We went to different places to eat. Sometimes we would have breakfast in the kitchenette. Hollywood is a beautiful place. We stayed there one wonderful week.

We got on a train and went to Daytona Beach for another week. The beach there is so nice. You can go up and down along the beach in your car. My cousin Connie and her husband Jimmy came to pick us up with their car. They stayed in Daytona Beach for two months every year, so they found us an efficiency apartment in the same hotel. They wouldn't let us rent a car; they used their car to take us around. We also had a heated pool near the hotel. Connie had a son living in Daytona Beach who had three children. He is the same boy who was born when my son John was born.

We went to the dog races. My husband won ten dollars. It was fun watching the dogs run. My cousin's husband was a sort of a gambler. He played with a lot of money. Sometimes he would win and sometimes he would lose the shirt off his back. He said that the week before he won enough money to pay for their two month vacation.

Their son, also named Jimmy, had us for supper one evening. Another time we took Jimmy, his wife and three children and my cousin Connie and her husband to a beautiful restaurant for dinner. Everyone chose whatever he wanted. My husband paid the bill. We took a train home. It was the best vacation we ever had.

Phyl went back to work at Lederle after teaching. They did not stop any of her benefits. They were glad to get her back; she had about three weeks of vacation time each year. She would always find a friend to travel with her.

Phyl traveled to Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, Ohio, California, Puerto Rico, Bermuda, Acapulco and many other places. She received good pay, so she could afford it. She also saved a good portion of her pay. Phyl gave us $20.00 a week for two rooms and private bath, food, heat and electricity. Many times when she was busy I would wash and iron her clothes. She was good to the family. Phyl would always buy toys for her nieces and nephews. She gave large gifts to her brothers and sisters.