A New Home: Florham Park

On October 15, 1927, we moved to Florham Park [302 Greenwood Avenue, Florham Park, NJ]. We lived in an eight room house on five acres of land, with fruit trees and a few sheds in which to raise animals. The house had hot water heat with transoms on the first floor. The furnace was fed with coal. The house was 100 years old, but it was in good condition. We liked the place very much. We rented out the second floor of our house on East Street in Madison. My sister-in-law got married and lived in three rooms on the first floor. My mother-in-law then had one room.

As a wedding gift we gave Louise a building loan certificate and free rent for one year, also new linoleum on the floors and a wedding dinner at noon in my apartment. We then all went to church and following the ceremony we went to a hall to celebrate. I have always loved my sister-in-law Louise. Until this day we are friends and more like sisters. My husband and sister Louise loved each other very much.

Florham Park was a small rural town, next to Madison, with only a general store and a gasoline station. The houses were far apart. It was like moving to the United Nations. We were the only Italian family. There were two Swedish families, one Irish, one English, and one Polish. It was like a melting pot. It took a while before we all got to know each other. I made good friends with the Swedish families, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Abrahamson and their married daughter and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. Victor Zahn. Anna Zahn and I shared all our problems. She had two sons, Victor and Bruce. Her oldest, Victor, was as old as my youngest, Ann. They were in the same grade, and they played together. If I didn't feel well Anna would bring me a jar of soup, and I did the same for her. We were good friends until I moved 20 years later. We cried the day I moved. We promised to write to each other. We also visited each other. We kept our promise until she died of cancer.

Florham Park had a grammar school up to the eighth grade. The children went to Madison High School by bus. We also had to go to Madison for church. We still went to Saint Vincent's parish. I was lonely for a while, living away from relatives and friends. I got into the routine of things and learned to enjoy living there.

We had a large garden, there was even an asparagus bed. We would pick them fresh out of the garden. I learned to cook the asparagus every way: fried with eggs, in white cream sauce poured over toast, plain boiled and added to our meal. They were delicious, fresh and tasty.

Our son John now was a very cheerful baby about 19 months old. He loved to eat. My husband and I used to love to play with him.