Last month’s Observer included a photo from a class of children from the former East Street School where the Thompsonville Road fire station is now located. Resident Alice Czyz was able to identify the first name of the Elcock girl in the photo. The photo is of the school’s two classes. Alice is in the far right in the second row. The girl next to her is Jean Elcock. Alice felt sorry for her as Jean’s brother was a terror.
Alice revealed other information about some of the other students as well. Joe Reynolds (first row, far right) was also a class terror. Dorothy Larson (2nd row, 3rd from the left) became a long-term selectman for a town south of Boston. She married someone who graduated from Suffield Academy. The daughter of Marianne Bielonko (just to the right of Dorothy) was once the mayor of Enfield. She was known by her married name, Panella. At one time Alice heard that it would be impossible to become a mayor with a Polish name. Italian names, like Panella, must have been okay.
Thanks to John Buckingham for letting us know about the misspelling of Anna Danise’s name.
Photo is circa 1940
1st row – Buster Young, Donald Galetta, George Alexopolous, Richard Buynicki, Joe Reynolds
2nd row – Margie Galetta, Jean Zukowski, Dorothy Larson, Marianne Bielonko, Genevieve Boroski, Frances Matyskiela, Anna Danise, Jean Elcock, Alice Czyz
3rd row – Richard Clark, Raymond Czyz, Ronald Brodeur, Betty Aldred, Jean Reale, Irene Kida