What follows is an incomplete draft of David's autobiography. It's full of funny stories, details and his perspective on much of the early years of his life. But it is a draft and it is incomplete, so bear that in mind as you read it.
MEMORIES OF DAVID F. AND BARBARA J. DIETER
HOW “WE” STARTED
HOW “WE” STARTED
In 1948, I was in the US Navy (enlisted for 3 years Sept. 21, 1948) stationed at Great Lakes Naval Training Center for boot camp and then electronics school. In June I was transferred (with 300 shipmates) to Bainbridge MD’s officer and academy training. Late that summer, after serving 11 month and 26 days, I was given a connivance of the government discharge to accept an appointment as a Midshipman and started school in September at the University of Rochester.
During this time while home on leave I found that my mother had hired Barbara Rockcastle, a neighborhood girl and an East High Senior, (I had graduated from East in 1947 but didn’t know her) to serve supper in her nursing home.We found that we enjoyed each other’s company and soon I was coming home one weekend a month to see more than my parents.
Barbara graduated from East High School in 1949. She went to work in an auto parts store office.
I was doing ok as a freshman with 5 labs a week, going to school 5 days at 8:20 till about 4:30 and on Saturday from 8:20 till 12:30 plus homework.
Barbara Went to Rochester Business Institute and was soon taking shorthand and typing at a great rate.
When we dated we went to places like the State Theater on Main Street Wednesday nights for a movie and Bingo. Other places we enjoyed were Sea Breese Park, Roseland Park in Canandaigua and Crystal Beach in Canada when our Atlantic Avenue Church went (I was an usher and chairman of the pulpit committee Barbara and we sang in the choir). Sometimes 5 or 6 of the family would watch her grandfather’s 7” TV set.
During the year my mother was in danger of losing a large home on Buckingham Street as it be converted into a luxurious double by my uncle slowly an couldn’t be rented. I was needed to sand floors, do electrical work, etc. While I was sanding floors Barbara would read some of my homework to me. Needless to say my marks suffered.
Barbara graduated from RBI in June 1950 and started working in Mathews & Boucher’s wholesale hardware’s office.
In July 1950 I went to Treasure Island, San Francisco to start my Midshipman cruise. When I reported aboard the Cruiser Rochester I learned that although I passed my courses, the marks were not good enough for the Navy and I was released from the program. While on the train trip home, the “Police Action” in Korea broke out.
We finished the Buckingham house and it was rented.
The week of Thanksgiving I started working in Eastman Kodak’s quality assurance division as a film processor working rotating shifts, 7 days of B trick, 2 days off, 7 days of day trick, 2 days off, and 7 midnights, with a 5 day weekend. Barb and I got engaged and I spent my whole paycheck for a ring ($40).
The first week in January 1951 I got quite a surprise. I got a letter for Uncle Sam to report on January 17th for induction in the Army. What happened? I had been in the Navy 4 days too short to be exempt from the draft, making me 1A.
Barb and I decided to get married before I went into the Army so she could collect dependency allowance and we would have some money when I got out. We told our parents we were going to be married next Friday night. What a week.
The morning of the wedding I manage to talk to General Hershey, the head of the NY State draft board and explained that I didn’t want to go into the Army. How about the Navy. He informed if I enlisted in the Navy reserves I wouldn’t have to report to the Army. I went to the local Navy reserve office and enlisted but I would have to pass a physical on Tuesday night or they couldn’t take me and off to the Army I would on Wednesday morning.
The wedding was Friday evening January 12th 1951. Vyra (my sister) was maid of honor, Clarence (her husband) was best man, and the minister had married Barb’s parents. Because the nursing home patients couldn’t go to the wedding the wedding was held in front of the fireplace in one of the patients rooms (they were all crammed into the adjoining room with double connecting doors. Only family and two friends (Isabel and Marge to serve the feast) attended. Patients took the whole week to get ready for our wedding.
We left on a short honeymoon for New York City with ham sandwiches made by the cook who knew we were to excited to eat.
About midnight the old Oldsmobile I had (the front seat was rusted free from the floor and if you started up to fast the seat tipped over backward, hold on to the steering wheel tight) started to boiled over and the head lights went off and on. The temperature was below freezing so we just pulled over and let the car cool for a few minutes and then went until it boiled over again until we located a hotel in Ithaca, NY. The next day we forgot all about New York City and returned to Rochester to be sure I made the reserves physical Tuesday night. I passed the physical so the army didn’t get me..
On to starting married life. We figured we could stay in my old room for a short time. The next morning Barb told me she was going home to mothers if I didn’t put some blankets on the bed. I had always slept with the windows wide open and just a sheet on the bed and some time a little snow. My mother had always made me put a rug across the bottom of the door to keep the hall from freezing.
Perhaps if you know about our younger years you can understand a little more about us.
Barbara’s grandparents were Samuel and Jenny Boardman which Barbara called Dot and Don. Soon they were Dot and Don to all the family. They owned and operated the Rochester Rug Works on Atlantic Avenue. There they specialized in oriental rugs. They, also, made rugs on looms in the back of the building and sold them from the store in the front. Also in the back they had made a bowling alley.
Jenny’s family (Ross) was from Binghamton, New York and she had many relatives there. Jenny graduated in the first U. of R.’s graduation class in organ.
Samuel’s family were
. When she was one or so she was at the top of the stairs and mother was down stairs. Barbara told her mother to catch the balls as she threw down the stairs. Her balls were a dozen eggs. Barbara remembers seeing her father sitting up of the garage roof sawing the center of the garage in half, separating them the sides and filling in the middle to make a bigger garage.
Our younger years
It was early August 1929; the great Depression had just begun when a Puppy appeared at my parent’s door. They took him in and name him Bozo. Shortly after, on August 28th 1929 I was born in Rochester’s Genesee Hospital and went home to Dutch Hallow on Rt.s 5&20 just east of East Avon NY to live with my parents Earl and Cora Dieter and my 6 year old sister, Vyra – and Bozo. As you guessed we grew up together.
Grandparents Dave and Sarah Hyland (mother’s parents) lived on a farm located on Rt 15 about 4 miles south of Lima, NY and are buried in Rochester, NY’s Mt Hope cemetery.
Dave (a mason) and his brother started Hyland construction Corp which built buildings like the Temple theater, etc. Dave was from Hamilton, Ontario. They had 2 sons (Frank and Lee) and 3 daughters ( ?, Alva and “Toot”)
Sarah, like most mothers at that time, was a housewife. She was from Flint, Michigan.
Grandfather Floyd Dieter was dad’s dad (Sarah / Canout(si) Dieter had died 2 months before I was born) lived in the Avon, NY area and are buried in E. Avon cemetery.
Floyd operated a sawmill on Rt. 39 South of Avon, NY. He may have came from the Dansville, NY area.
My mother put me in a carriage on the front porch all year long for naps. I guess that is were I learned to sleep cool. Both my grandparents, Grandma Dieter had died two months before I came along, gave my parents money to put in the bank for me. Unfortunately because of the depression many banks went under and the depositors lost their money and so did I.
About a year later we moved to a farm on the Genesee River banks north of routes 5 & 20. The land belonged to State Senator Wadsworth. My father farmed and was a thrasher for other farmers. My mother had a chicken and egg route. We ate mostly from the garden and what we butchered. There was no electricity or phone, just wood heat and kerosene lamps and, of course an outhouse (in the winter the seat were kept behind the kitchen stove). Later we got an 8 party line phone with a crank on the side. You had to listen for others on the phone before you turned the crank to signal the operator. My memories are about too many cats, the outhouse toilet seat behind the stove in the winter, baths in a galvanized tub in the kitchen, swimming in the Genesee River, riding the horse to pasture, riding the Erie Railroad part way to school, in the dirt floor basement were crocks of eggs in waterglass and sauerkraut in crocks along with barrels of apple cider and adagio red wines.
Dad liked to drink, sometimes too much. He wasn’t nice when he was drunk. I remember sleeping one night in the straw stack with mom and Vyra. In the morning all the dishes were scattered around the lawn. He couldn’t find us. The next day he was apologetic.
I started going to kindergarten to Avon Central School. If Vyra and I were lucky and near the tracks of the Erie Railroad while it was turning around, they would let us ride to town with them. It saved about a mile of walking. My parents let me drive the truck, at idle speeds, in the fields as they loaded it with potatoes. They would line it up with the row and I could steer looking through door crack. I was also privileged to run the blower on the thrashing rig. Boy did guy on the straw stack get mad when I blew the chaff down his sweaty back.
Dad’s father, Floyd, Lived with us. He had owned a sawmill near Five Arch bridge on route 39, Avon. I don’t remember him good but he seemed a rough but good man. One family gathering mom was cooking the meat in the oven. My aunt kept opening the oven and taking a sample off the leg, saying it was so good. When it was served, grandpa asked my father were did you get the coon. My aunt was shocked. She thought it was a chicken. Grandpa asked if she had ever seen a four legged chicken.
On July 16th 1931 Barbara was born in a birthing house on Mt Hope Avenue, Rochester. From there she went home to 19 Gale Terrace to live with her parents, Raymond and Cora Rockcastle. When she was one or so she was at the top of the stairs and mother was down stairs. Barbara told her mother to catch the balls as she threw down the stairs. Her balls were a dozen eggs. Barbara remembers seeing her father sitting up of the garage roof sawing the center of the garage in half, separating them the sides and filling in the middle to make a bigger garage.
About 1933 the barn burned down and in it were two new thrashing machines still unpaid for and no insurance. We moved from the farm to Rochester Street on the outskirts of Avon. Wow. We had electricity, phone and an outhouse but Vyra and I now had to walk all the way to school. In the school yard was a large tree with many strong low limbs. During recess that was our playground, playing tag in the tree.
One day during the move, Mom and dad went into a barn for some thing and I stayed on the wagon. Something spooked the horses and they took off. The gate out of the field was closed but as they swung around the rear wheel hub tore it open. They circled, went through the open gate, up onto the Erie Railroad tracks elevated above the fields, over the edge, then up and over the tracks into the pasture/ apple orchard of our new home. Mom got a job in the Avon Inn’s kitchen. The man across the street saw them coming and prevented them from going out on the main road. Instead they ran up a narrowing lane to the barn. When it got to narrow for the wagon the tore the whippletree from the wagon and ended up in the barn still harnessed. I was still on what was left of the wagon. My terrified parents soon arrived, glad but angry. A very large pine tree in the front yard soon was my climbing gym.
One night as I was headed for the outhouse with dad’s mega flashlight, I saw a scattering of white blobs along the Railroad tracks that ran behind the pasture. Dad and I went to investigate and found the neighbors sheep had got out and up on the tracks when a train went through. The farmer got the bodies using a handcar he barrowed from the Railroad and for helping him, we got one for meat.
July 15th 1936, Barbara’s early 5th birthday present was a little sister, Phyllis. Barb was in 1st grade at #46 School, a long walk. When Phyllis got pneumonia Barb had to sleep upstairs and she was so scared.
In 1936,We had to move to 55 Cady Street, Rochester so my father could get a job at the Merchants Dispatch in East Rochester as a millwright and mother started work for the University of Rochester’ s women’s campus as an salad chef. They were still paying for the thrashing rigs. Vyra went to Madison High and I went to #4 Schools, 2nd grade. My mother showed me how to light the gas stove, let me light it a few time and told me never to play with it. On hot summer days a man would push a cart through the neighbor selling 1, 2, or 3 penny ice cream cones.
In 1937 Ray bought the Rochester Rug Works at 182 Atlantic Avenue from Cora’s parents and they moved to Elton Street, a half block away. Although their names were Samuel and Jenny Boardman, when Barbara was young she called them Don and Dot. That had become their nicknames. The Barbara’s family moved into the apartment over the store. The store specialized in buying, repairing and selling Oriental Rugs. Behind the store were looms to make rugs (rag rugs were popular at the time), a section to wash and hang rugs to dry, and a horse shoe court. Barb transferred to #31 school on Goodman Street.
Don had beautiful roses in front and the whole side yard was a great garden. He made the front porch in a greenhouse and raised a variety of plants. One was a hot pepper plant. He told Barbara never touch that plant. As kids sometimes do she had to find out why. One day she stuffed two peppers in her Mouth and found out why. He made his own liquid fertilizer. He got horse bedding and what was in, put it in a 55 gallon steel barrel, and added water. He then used the water to water his plants. I don’t know what the neighbors though but the plants thrived.
In 1938, I moved to 182 ½ Bronson Avenue. Still going to #4 School. In the back yard were the horses and garbage wagons of the DPW. Next to them was the Big Elm Dairy. Near them were stored the horse drawn wooden sidewalk plows and dairy wagons. What a play ground. Earned a pollywog swimming badge at the Arnett YMCA. Frequently went horse back riding with Vyra at Pine Tree stables, Culver Road. I really like to play outside in the summer. What sunburns I got. In those some people used baby oil and iodine to reduce the suns effect. I would pay for those burns 60 – 70 years later.
In the middle of 5th grade, 1939, we again moved to 160 University Avenue where the University Craft Store had been and just relocated across the street. My new school was #31. Vyra had graduated the year before and was working at Commercial Controls. I found many small items in the basement that the movers missed, Scotty magnets, paper aero planes. Over the back fence was Dr. Hague’s house. His boys were grown and had left many better toys in the room over the garage. A friend and I got free run of this yard and toys.
In 1941 I bought my first paper routes and a bicycle. The paper routes were Times Union stock edition for the area from Main and Union Streets north to the railroad. The final edition route was from Main and Union streets to Birch Crescent to charlotte Streets. The bicycle had no seat until I could earn enough to buy one.
On December 7th, our families were at grandpa Hyland’s house for Aunt Alva’s funeral when we heard about Pearl Harbor’s attack. Dave and Sara Hyland, mother’s parents, lived in West Bloomfield across the road, 5 & 20, from Uncle Frank, mom’s oldest brother. Mom’s other sisters, Wauneta and Toot (I don’t remember her real name) and all their sons and daughters were there.
America was at War (World War II). The war years were lean. Many things such as meat, gasoline, were rationed or just not available such as rubber. I needed a new pair of boots, size 14. It took several weeks to get them. They came from the navy and I bet they were the only pair of gum rubber in the store.
Milk and ice for the icebox were delivered to the door. In cold weather, milk and the cream pushed the paper cap on the glass bottle up in the air. Frozen it was delicious. Mother would send me to the meat market for 2 pounds of hamburger, give me 25 cents and tell me not to spend the change.
Dad was foreman of the blacksmith gang at the Merchants Dispatch who repaired all the machines in the foundry, a tough job and group of men. He could out drink them all. Much of his pay never made it home. Then he got hurt, hit in the stomach by a toss red hot casting from a forge. He spent the next 4 years in and out of the hospital. He had 3 major operations on his stomach, the last they put 14” from his leg into reinforce his stomach wall. The fourth time just to build him up. He got a job as night watchman at the U of R women’s campus on University Avenue. It was too much for him when he started and sometimes I would work his first round for him. His next job was as a welder at the Beechnut plant on Main Street. He was in and out of the hospital for problems associated with his drinking.
I spent one year at East High Annex/#14 school on University Avenue. Fannie Farmer candy store was located on the corner of Main Street right next to the school. Handy!
The music department’s piano player at East High Annex was the Church of Reformation’s, on Grove Street, choir director. He hired some of us sopranos to sing in the Church of Reformation’s all male choir. We got paid for each rehearsal and each Sunday service. Provonie's (sic) Market was on Main Street between the Church and home. They sold Vanilla ice-cream for 17 cents a quart. Once I bought a quart of chocolate for 19 cents, ate the whole thing. Was I sick!
Over the next 4 years I enjoyed singing in the East High Choir: the interhigh choir and one Christmas sang on WSAY to be transmitted to our service men in Africa.
My first job was at Weber’s Dog Hospital. I feed the dogs, painted the outdoor kennels, and even held dogs over the fluoroscope while the doctors set bones. We didn’t know much about x-rays at that time. They let me go when they found out how old I really was.
In 1943 Mom and dad bought their first house, a double, 13 Norwood Street. It was a fixer upper. My Uncle Frank reversed the kitchen and the back bedroom. I got the job of helping were I could and cleaning up at the days end so He could get right to work the next morning. Next we had to tear up a channel in the concrete cellar floor to install a new sewer line. My first education in reconstruction. I also dug all the dirt from the back cellar out through the window and in to his trailer each day so he could get rid of it on the way home.
Mom quit the U of R and went back to nursing at a nursing home on East Avenue and then one in the Browncroft area. Before She was married she was a nurse at Iola TB Sanitarium in Rochester.
Continued to swim at the Main YMCA on Gibbs Street. Went to Camp Cory for two weeks and raced sail boats for the first time. We rode a Railroad box car from Rochester to Penn Yan to get there. Some Business men paid for one cabin of poor kids. We just had to write them a thank you letter. World War II’s war in Europe ended while we were at camp.
Black drills messenger Atlantic Ave. tunnel wait at rich rug with ray didn’t know he had two girls up stairs.
I switched to delivering the Democrat and Chronicle morning paper from around University Avenue Gleason Works to East Boulevard. Papers cost 20 cents a week and I made 2 1/2 cents. As it was during World War II, every boy had two routes. My friend Stanton also had two routes. When another boy broke his arm we did his routes for him. Stanton got sick and I did all six routes for a very short time. Imagine 1060 Sunday papers. Before school I made money more that my mother did working full time. I was late to school more than a few times.
About age 15, three friends and I bicycled to East Bloomfield and found a farmer who let us set up our tent in the cow pasture for 3 nights. The first night we had a great campfire. As we sat around it we heard loud sirens. We wondered what was going on but did nothing and went to sleep. In the morning we found out the sirens were signaled a blackout drill and our campfire burned brightly. The following morning we awoke to find the cows checked us out during the night and left many of their calling cards. The next night we slept in the farmer’s hay barn. I didn’t know that hay had that many spiders. That was my first camping trip.
My second job was for the hardware store making wall lamps. I got some metal strips, a light socket, electrical wire and a plug to take home. After they were made I took them back to the store for sale.
My third job was stocking shelves and selling items, mostly beer and pop, at the lake Avenue Pharmacy located on Atlantic Avenue. When I wouldn’t work Christmas Day I got fired.
My fourth job was Towner Brothers. The war was over and new bicycles were now just arriving. My job was to put them together as well as repairing old ones. I sometimes aligned sights on guns that Mr. Towner’s brother repaired. When the janitor of the upper three stories quit I did some of his duties. I enjoyed the job.
We moved to East Boulevard when dad got a job as a chauffer for Herbert M. Eisenhart, president of Boush and Lomb. We lived in an apartment over his 4 car garage. That fall, cold weather, I cut up an apple tree that was cut down and stacked the wood in the cellar of the main house for fire wood. I had inadvertently cut both sides of a large black ant nest and as the wood heated up they came out. Dad got the job of eliminating them in the house. I got the job of keeping all the dandelions out of the yards of Edward Rosenberg’s, the president of Fashion Park, East Avenue lots. There hadn’t be a yellow dot showing in two big lots. I also put on the window screens in their main house. I saw a lot of jewelry lying around. I often wondered if it was the real stuff. In their adjacent lot there were rose bushes planted over an old driveway that weren’t doing so good. I dug up the rocks between the bushes; wheel barreled them to the back of the estate and took topsoil back to fill in the holes. Boy I was in good shape.
I bought a scooter, fixed it up, and drove it to the corner. It had no clutch. You pushed it to get going and stopped the motor to stop. Be fore this friends and I had been mounting motors on the frame of our bikes and using them. This was the next step up? I rode down East Boulevard to test it out and stopped at the corner. A cop pulled up and told me not to start it. Did I have a license? I needed a license! I pushed it home and he and my dad had a talk. No ticket, the engine wasn’t running when he saw me.
Age 16: I gave up the paper routes and went to work for the orange roof restaurant (Howard Johnsons) at the twelve corners. Although I was hired to work in the front fountain, I also worked as a busboy, waited on table, worked the back fountain, made salads, cooked their famous hot dogs, and sometimes helped the baker (a go-fer). Every night I helped clean the kitchen after we closed.
I replaced the old scooter with a Cushman scooter and sidecar. It had an automatic transmission but I had to get a license. Someone needed to drive around with me as I practiced. Two wheeled vehicles with a sidecar can lift the sidecar off the ground. My mom rode in the sidecar one time. When I lifted her off the ground, she told me "put me down and take me home”. She never rode in the sidecar again. I had a route allover Rochester collecting empty cigar boxes. I sold them the Clarence’s fish bait store for 1 cent apiece. Paid for the gas money.
Vyra married Clarence Rose and moved to Hubble Park.
Mom bought the nursing home at 31 Portsmouth Terrace. We (mom, dad and I moved in on the third floor. The home was located on the corner of Portsmouth Terrace and University Avenue. Next door was fire engine #6. It had been a big mansion. The first floor had a huge entrance hall that was outfitted as a sitting/waiting room with a piano, a small powder room and a big staircase to the second floor. The old living room (parlor) and dining rooms had been converted into 4 bed wards. In the back was a kitchen, a dining area, and a storage room with a 6X6’ built in metal lined icebox. The second floor bedrooms (3 and the enclosed back porch had 2 beds, 1 was a private room for Grandpa Hard) and a2 bath rooms. The hall was used as a nurse’s station. The third floor had 3 bedrooms, a bath and attics. The cellar had a coal furnace, coal bin, laundry with a trash burner, and storage rooms. Attending the coal furnace and outdoor maintenance were my jobs.
At that time if someone died, the undertaker would not take the body until it was cleaned up. As the body was dead weight. The nurses or mom got the job and sometime they needed help to move the body. Guess who.
The lady who sold it to her had an old, old Scottie dog. She asked us to keep it. We did. When we let him out the old Scotty would cross University Avenue, go down Elton Street, cross Atlantic Avenue and scratch at the back door of a bar. They would let in, feed cheese sandwiches, and beer. He would stagger home. He slept with me. Boy did his gas stink!
Mom bought the land for a bait farm in Ontario for dad. I think just to get him out of her hair.
More detail bait shop digging ponds house burning down
Vyra and Clarence build their house on the farm and ran the business. Sometimes I would go with Clarence to catch minnows, grubs, and swill worms. If I went to the golf course and collected night crawlers, he paid me a cent apiece for them.
In 1947, after I graduated from East High School I moved in with Uncle Frank and Aunt Marguerite for the summer and did house painting with Uncle Frank. For part of my keep every night I had to dig a hole and bury the contents of the chemical toilet. In the fall I entered Genesee Junior College in Lima, NY.
In 1948 I took battery of Navy tests and on Sept. 21, 1948 enlisted for 3 years starting as a Seaman Recruit with guarantee I would go to Electronics School at Great Lakes Training Center as soon as I finished Bootcamp. In May 1949 I was transferred to Bainbridge, MD, to attend Officer and Academy School with 299 other sailors. One hundred and fifty of were selected to get a Convenience of the Government Discharge to become Midshipmen.
Now onward to the rest of our married life. Middle of January 1951
We both went back to our jobs and lived with my parents for a short time. Then we bought a well used trailer with an attached room in a trailer park located behind the airports main hanger on Scottsville Road. Boy! Was it noisy on Sunday morning were we could sleep in. The pilots would do their engine maintenance then rev up their engines to test them
One day while I was working the B shift I brought a puppy home to keep Barbara company while I worked. That night when I came home after midnight there was Barbara sitting on the front steps. The puppy wouldn’t let her in the house. Sandy was our first watch dog.
Our cat had a girl friend on the other side of the airport. Frequently when we let him out he was seen walking along the main runway to cross the airport.
We got our first car a Dodge hydromantic. It was Dodges first attempt to build an automatic. You could shift it like a regular car but you didn’t have to. It was very sluggish if you didn’t. We both could drive. I had taught Barbara to drive a stick using my father’s jeep when we were going together. That is a story in itself.
Navy cruises,nautilus, Cuba, ploynodal cist
We lived there for about a year while I built an apartment at 8 Buckingham Street and then we moved there to the third floor …..and the bats. Barbara didn’t like them but I had fun batting them out the window with a tennis racket.
In December 1952 I started working, in my spare time from Kodak, for Mathews and Boucher’s, were Barbara worked. They needed to have another person in the warehouse upstairs to quickly fill orders for customers waiting. After Christmas they had me inventorying water pipe parts so they could sell them and get out of that part of the business. Next I inventoried other small tools that they sold off. Next they had me fill all the orders for the first Chase Pitkin’s Store. Then I filled in for out-of-town shipping. They wanted me to quit Kodak and take charge of their shipping department. They were paying me 50 cents an hour better than Kodak. For lunch we would buy a loaf of bread and go to Tess’s Bar on Front Street for a ham sandwich. It was so big we made about 3 sandwiches from that one. By now it was June, Barbara and I were going on vacation, and we had a down payment for a house. I quit.
In 1953 I tried to change jobs. After several interviews that personnel set up for me that I didn’t like I went to see an ex Navy Sub Commander that hired me for Kodak in the first place. He was now the maintenance Department Supervisor. If he was going to hire anyone please consider me. I went back up stairs to my regular duties. About ½ hour later my current supervisor came back to my work place and told me even I had gone over his head I had an interview for maintenance department that afternoon. It was a normal work week, no more shifts. My current supervisor wouldn’t let me go till he had a replacement for me. It took three months but it was worth it. In my new job I was a helper for the mechanic that maintained precision temperature instruments.
Barbara quit her job at Mathews and Boucher.
Then on January 31st. 1954 at the early hour of 11:00am (the last morning we could sleep in for years to come), Barbara woke me up and said it was time to go to the hospital.
A little after 7pm David R. Dieter was born and our family got bigger. After we brought David home, if we bathed or diapered him Sandy would growl. We thought we would have to get rid of Sandy. But he calmed down. Davy slept in his crib in our room. Every morning Davy was better than our alarm clock. About 6 o’clock we awaken by Davy bouncing his whole crib up and down wanting breakfast ½ hour ago.
Later that year we bought 375 Melville Street for $9750. It was a double. We moved in down stairs, fixed up the upstairs apartment and rented it.
When Davy took his nap in the back yard, Sandy would rest under the carriage and lets us know if anyone came in our or the neighbors yard. Later that fall while we were raking leaves, Davy got between us and he ran for the street. Between the sidewalk and the curb he was stopped. Sandy had him by his suspenders and would let him move. Sandy had earned his keep.
At work, the mechanic that I assisted had been transferred to the Densitometer and sensitometer control group. They wanted me and the temperature instruments to join the air conditioning control group. I declined that transfer. So they transferred me and the temperature instruments to the Densitometer and sensitometer control group. Then they transferred the temperature instruments and a member of that group to Air Conditioning group. A couple of years later I was supervising the Densitometer and sensitometer control group including the mechanic and the group leader I had started with.
We purchased out first B&W TV. I went to Hoffman’s and looked at used TVs. One the picture didn’t look so good so it was cheap. When the salesman answered another costumer, I reached into the back, adjusted the yoke on the tube and the picture was great. I readjusted the yoke back and bought the set.
On July 6th, 1955, Ray and Cora were over for supper and spent part of the evening with, then went home. About 2:30 the next morning I called them to come back and baby sit Davy. Barbara said it was time to go to the hospital. All Ray said as they came right over was “Why didn’t you tell us so we didn’t have to go home and come back”?
That morning at 4:01 Diane E. was born. Shortly I went down to delivery and wheeled Barbara up to her room while the nurse carried Diane E. Dieter. I was back home about 4:45 to get the rest of the night’s sleep. When I brought Barbara and Diane home from the hospital, Davy was playing in the back yard. We called Davy over to see his new sister. He took one look, said “dolly” and went back to playing. I guess he wasn’t impressed. Our family was growing.
Then Sandy and Patsy Robb and their son Alexander rented our upstairs apartment. We had wanted to rent the apartment to someone with children so we could complain about each other kid’s noise. It turned out to be a fine arrangement. Sandy and I were in a carpool to Kodak together, rode to school night school together while Barbara had adult company. Davy was concerned about living with 3 females all the time. Pasty and Sandy had Kevin while they lived there.
As both the Robbs and us didn’t have any money our entertainment was playing cards every Saturday night while baby sitting all the kids. Each week we tried to outdo the Saturday desert.
One day both Davy and Diane complained of a severe sore throats. We called their regular doctor and couldn’t get him. However we found a Doctor that would come to the house and check them. Those days are gone. Yep! They needed penicillin. This Doctor had a real German accent. After she took care of the children, she said “Maybe der papa and der momma should be checked. She checked us both. Barbara was OK but der papa should get a shot. I had a shot and for the next three days I walked around I needed diapers I was so raw. That was the only shop of Penicillin I ever took.
Along the way we decided that I wasn’t going anywhere at Kodak without a degree, so I started night school at RIT for a year and took an electricity course. The price was $12 per credit hour. That was almost a waste of time but I got 6 “A” credit hours. I took a test the last night before a navy cruise and one the first class after I got back and got an “A” on both. I wasn’t getting much new material I hadn’t learned in the navy.
Phyllis married Carey on the Bride and Groom TV Show in New York City. It was the first of December. Barbara was Maid of Honor, Davy was ring bearer and Diane was Flower Girl. Davy was to lead the progression down the middle isle. He missed the turn, went to the next isle, discovered his mistake and cut through the audience back to the right isle. The TV cameras forgot the rest of the progression and stayed on the kids. At the reception, the wedding cake bottom two layers were white plaster, only the top was layer was cake. The TV crew tried to get Davy to reach up and steal some frosting. Davy couldn’t understand why he couldn’t steal some from the bottom layer. Ray and Cora rode down for the wedding with our family in an early snow storm. I drove right down New York’s Broadway. I wasn’t fazed by the traffic; I drove around the infamous circle at the East end of the Veteran’s bridge on my way to work at Kodak Park every day. Ray (who wouldn’t ever fly) flew home after the wedding. I always wondered if Ray was really sick or too scared to ride home with us after that ride down.
Barbara decided that enough was enough. Either the navy drills and cruises or school had to go. I agreed and resigned from the navy with 7 years of retirement credit. Not enough to do anything.
The next year I started at the U of R night school ($18 a credit hour). Because of one year of Genesee Junior College, navy school and experience, and RIT I was an upper classman. When my boss, at the time, and I went into matriculate my boss knew how many credits he had from going to night school at the U of R. We figured he had 2 more than me. He was right but when I went in to see the matriculation manager we found that we were classmates from the year I did as a Midshipman. He credited me with 3 more hours at “C” from RIT. I could now graduate in 4 years taking 2 classes every semester.
At work, I was asked to supervise the Sensitometer Control group that calibrated instruments all over Kodak Park as well as the Densitometer and sensitometer control group. I had one week to learn the working of the new group. I made my original group leader an engineer and had him run the Densitometer and sensitometer control group for me and settled into my new group. Next they added the group that maintained the color temperature and luminosity standards for Kodak Park to my groups.
When the Robbs moved to Spencerport we made some changes to the house and got rid of the double part. We now had 4 bedrooms, ours, Davy’s, Diane’s and the old kitchen that the dogs used when Sandy had puppies.
When Carey Fletcher got out of the army, he and Phyllis came to live with us for a short time while he started teaching at Charlotte High School. Phyllis taught at #42 School on Lake Avenue. Davy moved into the upstairs kitchen (an ideal room When Carey Fletcher got out of the army, he and Phyllis came to live with us for a short time while he started teaching at Charlotte High School. Phyllis taught at #42 School on Lake Avenue. Davy moved into the upstairs kitchen (an ideal room for a boy with the kitchen cupboards and a linoleum floor) and Cary and Phyllis had his room. Davy and Diane learned a lot helping Phyllis correct her second grade student’s homework. Bonnie was born.
On March 9th, 1969 Laurie was born. Phyllis wanted to go to the hospital in a police car for excitement but she didn’t.
1961 was a banner year. On January 5th. I was trying to watch my favorite TV show about 9pm, Barbara we insisted we go to the hospital. I wanted 10 more minutes to finish what I was watching. Reluctantly I went. Soon after we started for the hospital she said we better not wait for red lights. We got to the back of the hospital and she went into maternity. I drove around to the front of the hospital, parked. That took maybe 5 minutes. When I told the attendant who I was and I would be waiting she told me I had a daughter. Wendy A. Dieter came in a hurry. She looked like our little Chinese girl with lots of black hair and slanted eyes.
Later in January, Davy got the mumps, next Laurie got them and then Diane, none at the same time, but close together. Then the three of them started a round of measles, one at a time. This time even Wendy got them. Barbara couldn’t get out of the house for three months.
In 1961 I graduated with a BS from the U of R. eleven years after starting with Kodak. When I went to see my higher supervisor at Kodak about my BS degree he said it wouldn’t make any difference as I was already treated as graduated engineer. However I did have to give a resume to Kodak Office, do an interview, and switch from a Kodak Park employee to a Kodak Office employee on January 1, 1962. at the same job.
That spring Barbara took the new Girl Scout training. She started a Brownie Troop for Diane in the fall. Diane was 7. I was on her committee.
When Davy was 8 years old he started Cub Scouts with pack #42 at the Parcells Avenue Baptist Church. Barbara and I became part of the staff. I soon became a den mother. Scouting didn’t use fathers for den leaders until that time.
The next year I became the Webelos leader. Late in the following year the Scoutmaster got drafted and I dropped the Pack and became the Scoutmaster of troop #42. This was to last for the next 15 years. During those years Davy became an Eagle Scout at age 14. I attended 2 Jamborees (first in Idaho with a council troop and then Pennsylvania with troop 42, a trip Phil mount, taught council JLT courses, attended many troop meeting and campouts, and spent 15 2-weeks of taking troop 42 to Massawepie. Most summer I would park Barbara, kids and friend off at Fish Creek State Park or Rowland’s Ponds.
When the Brownies crossed over to Cadets Barbara started a Cadet troop and still had a Brownie Troop. Wendy had both a Brownie and a Cub Scout hat. She needed the appropriate hat for each meeting.
When Bonnie reached Brownie age Barbara started a Brownie Troop at her school, St. Monica. She now had 3 troops.
In 1971, after 21 years with Kodak where I hadn’t had the same job or responsibilities longer than three years, I was called into the office. Would I look at a densitometer that they had for 5 years that didn’t do what it was supposed to do. I pointed that I was pretty busy running three groups now. They said no, I wasn’t. They took the three groups, split them up by activities and assigned them to three other engineers. I was free to do what they needed.
For the next 14 years, until the China project, I did many projects such as:
Devised a way to calibrate the instruments measuring the smoke up the Kodak main chimneys.
Estimate moving the entire x-ray quality assurance program to Colorado (5 times but it never went).
Designed and built new type densitomer that replaced 5 existing densitometers with higher precision and then had to build another one in case the first one was out of service.
Took a course to be a radiologist II so I could better understand the their needs. Backed up The Radiation Safety Engineer.
Examined films ruined, around the world, by x-rays at airport inspections. Was the engineer that measured exposures at a few U.S airports and attended the Federal Aviation Agency’s conference in Washington with the National Association of Photographic Manufactures as their engineer.
When Three Mile Island Power plant had a radiation accident the Federal Regulatory agency felt there weren’t enough accurate sensors around the plant. Our engineering group advised them to get Kodacolor film from shelves around the area. We analyzed the film for radiation damage and gave them the results. As a result I was sent to attend the wrap-up session of the results at the National Bureau of Standards.
In 1974 Barbara started at Hill Haven where she was an Activities director for the next 12 years.
. 1976 Post #44 for 15 years
Barbara & I retired in 86
1-88 & 10 – 88 went to china
1991 Dave was scoutmaster troop in Spencerport I worked with troop – summer canoe trips – 5 years
1193? Moved in w Ray and Cora to care for them
1994 Ray died, Cora moved in w us.
1995 moved to 111 Bowerman Rd.
1-1996 started with VFVAC
12-97 Med Aid, Driver the EMT
B & I started Venture crew – 3 years
1999 Secretary 2 Years
2000 rebuilt training room
2001 – VP 4 years
2001 rebuilt heating system
2003-2004 tore off the back and rebuilt w new BOD, office, and 5 bedrooms
2005 Secretary 2 years
2008 stopped riding EMT expired.
12- 2008 moved the Legacy
During this time while home on leave I found that my mother had hired Barbara Rockcastle, a neighborhood girl and an East High Senior, (I had graduated from East in 1947 but didn’t know her) to serve supper in her nursing home.We found that we enjoyed each other’s company and soon I was coming home one weekend a month to see more than my parents.
Barbara graduated from East High School in 1949. She went to work in an auto parts store office.
I was doing ok as a freshman with 5 labs a week, going to school 5 days at 8:20 till about 4:30 and on Saturday from 8:20 till 12:30 plus homework.
Barbara Went to Rochester Business Institute and was soon taking shorthand and typing at a great rate.
When we dated we went to places like the State Theater on Main Street Wednesday nights for a movie and Bingo. Other places we enjoyed were Sea Breese Park, Roseland Park in Canandaigua and Crystal Beach in Canada when our Atlantic Avenue Church went (I was an usher and chairman of the pulpit committee Barbara and we sang in the choir). Sometimes 5 or 6 of the family would watch her grandfather’s 7” TV set.
During the year my mother was in danger of losing a large home on Buckingham Street as it be converted into a luxurious double by my uncle slowly an couldn’t be rented. I was needed to sand floors, do electrical work, etc. While I was sanding floors Barbara would read some of my homework to me. Needless to say my marks suffered.
Barbara graduated from RBI in June 1950 and started working in Mathews & Boucher’s wholesale hardware’s office.
In July 1950 I went to Treasure Island, San Francisco to start my Midshipman cruise. When I reported aboard the Cruiser Rochester I learned that although I passed my courses, the marks were not good enough for the Navy and I was released from the program. While on the train trip home, the “Police Action” in Korea broke out.
We finished the Buckingham house and it was rented.
The week of Thanksgiving I started working in Eastman Kodak’s quality assurance division as a film processor working rotating shifts, 7 days of B trick, 2 days off, 7 days of day trick, 2 days off, and 7 midnights, with a 5 day weekend. Barb and I got engaged and I spent my whole paycheck for a ring ($40).
The first week in January 1951 I got quite a surprise. I got a letter for Uncle Sam to report on January 17th for induction in the Army. What happened? I had been in the Navy 4 days too short to be exempt from the draft, making me 1A.
Barb and I decided to get married before I went into the Army so she could collect dependency allowance and we would have some money when I got out. We told our parents we were going to be married next Friday night. What a week.
The morning of the wedding I manage to talk to General Hershey, the head of the NY State draft board and explained that I didn’t want to go into the Army. How about the Navy. He informed if I enlisted in the Navy reserves I wouldn’t have to report to the Army. I went to the local Navy reserve office and enlisted but I would have to pass a physical on Tuesday night or they couldn’t take me and off to the Army I would on Wednesday morning.
The wedding was Friday evening January 12th 1951. Vyra (my sister) was maid of honor, Clarence (her husband) was best man, and the minister had married Barb’s parents. Because the nursing home patients couldn’t go to the wedding the wedding was held in front of the fireplace in one of the patients rooms (they were all crammed into the adjoining room with double connecting doors. Only family and two friends (Isabel and Marge to serve the feast) attended. Patients took the whole week to get ready for our wedding.
We left on a short honeymoon for New York City with ham sandwiches made by the cook who knew we were to excited to eat.
About midnight the old Oldsmobile I had (the front seat was rusted free from the floor and if you started up to fast the seat tipped over backward, hold on to the steering wheel tight) started to boiled over and the head lights went off and on. The temperature was below freezing so we just pulled over and let the car cool for a few minutes and then went until it boiled over again until we located a hotel in Ithaca, NY. The next day we forgot all about New York City and returned to Rochester to be sure I made the reserves physical Tuesday night. I passed the physical so the army didn’t get me..
On to starting married life. We figured we could stay in my old room for a short time. The next morning Barb told me she was going home to mothers if I didn’t put some blankets on the bed. I had always slept with the windows wide open and just a sheet on the bed and some time a little snow. My mother had always made me put a rug across the bottom of the door to keep the hall from freezing.
Perhaps if you know about our younger years you can understand a little more about us.
Barbara’s grandparents were Samuel and Jenny Boardman which Barbara called Dot and Don. Soon they were Dot and Don to all the family. They owned and operated the Rochester Rug Works on Atlantic Avenue. There they specialized in oriental rugs. They, also, made rugs on looms in the back of the building and sold them from the store in the front. Also in the back they had made a bowling alley.
Jenny’s family (Ross) was from Binghamton, New York and she had many relatives there. Jenny graduated in the first U. of R.’s graduation class in organ.
Samuel’s family were
. When she was one or so she was at the top of the stairs and mother was down stairs. Barbara told her mother to catch the balls as she threw down the stairs. Her balls were a dozen eggs. Barbara remembers seeing her father sitting up of the garage roof sawing the center of the garage in half, separating them the sides and filling in the middle to make a bigger garage.
Our younger years
It was early August 1929; the great Depression had just begun when a Puppy appeared at my parent’s door. They took him in and name him Bozo. Shortly after, on August 28th 1929 I was born in Rochester’s Genesee Hospital and went home to Dutch Hallow on Rt.s 5&20 just east of East Avon NY to live with my parents Earl and Cora Dieter and my 6 year old sister, Vyra – and Bozo. As you guessed we grew up together.
Grandparents Dave and Sarah Hyland (mother’s parents) lived on a farm located on Rt 15 about 4 miles south of Lima, NY and are buried in Rochester, NY’s Mt Hope cemetery.
Dave (a mason) and his brother started Hyland construction Corp which built buildings like the Temple theater, etc. Dave was from Hamilton, Ontario. They had 2 sons (Frank and Lee) and 3 daughters ( ?, Alva and “Toot”)
Sarah, like most mothers at that time, was a housewife. She was from Flint, Michigan.
Grandfather Floyd Dieter was dad’s dad (Sarah / Canout(si) Dieter had died 2 months before I was born) lived in the Avon, NY area and are buried in E. Avon cemetery.
Floyd operated a sawmill on Rt. 39 South of Avon, NY. He may have came from the Dansville, NY area.
My mother put me in a carriage on the front porch all year long for naps. I guess that is were I learned to sleep cool. Both my grandparents, Grandma Dieter had died two months before I came along, gave my parents money to put in the bank for me. Unfortunately because of the depression many banks went under and the depositors lost their money and so did I.
About a year later we moved to a farm on the Genesee River banks north of routes 5 & 20. The land belonged to State Senator Wadsworth. My father farmed and was a thrasher for other farmers. My mother had a chicken and egg route. We ate mostly from the garden and what we butchered. There was no electricity or phone, just wood heat and kerosene lamps and, of course an outhouse (in the winter the seat were kept behind the kitchen stove). Later we got an 8 party line phone with a crank on the side. You had to listen for others on the phone before you turned the crank to signal the operator. My memories are about too many cats, the outhouse toilet seat behind the stove in the winter, baths in a galvanized tub in the kitchen, swimming in the Genesee River, riding the horse to pasture, riding the Erie Railroad part way to school, in the dirt floor basement were crocks of eggs in waterglass and sauerkraut in crocks along with barrels of apple cider and adagio red wines.
Dad liked to drink, sometimes too much. He wasn’t nice when he was drunk. I remember sleeping one night in the straw stack with mom and Vyra. In the morning all the dishes were scattered around the lawn. He couldn’t find us. The next day he was apologetic.
I started going to kindergarten to Avon Central School. If Vyra and I were lucky and near the tracks of the Erie Railroad while it was turning around, they would let us ride to town with them. It saved about a mile of walking. My parents let me drive the truck, at idle speeds, in the fields as they loaded it with potatoes. They would line it up with the row and I could steer looking through door crack. I was also privileged to run the blower on the thrashing rig. Boy did guy on the straw stack get mad when I blew the chaff down his sweaty back.
Dad’s father, Floyd, Lived with us. He had owned a sawmill near Five Arch bridge on route 39, Avon. I don’t remember him good but he seemed a rough but good man. One family gathering mom was cooking the meat in the oven. My aunt kept opening the oven and taking a sample off the leg, saying it was so good. When it was served, grandpa asked my father were did you get the coon. My aunt was shocked. She thought it was a chicken. Grandpa asked if she had ever seen a four legged chicken.
On July 16th 1931 Barbara was born in a birthing house on Mt Hope Avenue, Rochester. From there she went home to 19 Gale Terrace to live with her parents, Raymond and Cora Rockcastle. When she was one or so she was at the top of the stairs and mother was down stairs. Barbara told her mother to catch the balls as she threw down the stairs. Her balls were a dozen eggs. Barbara remembers seeing her father sitting up of the garage roof sawing the center of the garage in half, separating them the sides and filling in the middle to make a bigger garage.
About 1933 the barn burned down and in it were two new thrashing machines still unpaid for and no insurance. We moved from the farm to Rochester Street on the outskirts of Avon. Wow. We had electricity, phone and an outhouse but Vyra and I now had to walk all the way to school. In the school yard was a large tree with many strong low limbs. During recess that was our playground, playing tag in the tree.
One day during the move, Mom and dad went into a barn for some thing and I stayed on the wagon. Something spooked the horses and they took off. The gate out of the field was closed but as they swung around the rear wheel hub tore it open. They circled, went through the open gate, up onto the Erie Railroad tracks elevated above the fields, over the edge, then up and over the tracks into the pasture/ apple orchard of our new home. Mom got a job in the Avon Inn’s kitchen. The man across the street saw them coming and prevented them from going out on the main road. Instead they ran up a narrowing lane to the barn. When it got to narrow for the wagon the tore the whippletree from the wagon and ended up in the barn still harnessed. I was still on what was left of the wagon. My terrified parents soon arrived, glad but angry. A very large pine tree in the front yard soon was my climbing gym.
One night as I was headed for the outhouse with dad’s mega flashlight, I saw a scattering of white blobs along the Railroad tracks that ran behind the pasture. Dad and I went to investigate and found the neighbors sheep had got out and up on the tracks when a train went through. The farmer got the bodies using a handcar he barrowed from the Railroad and for helping him, we got one for meat.
July 15th 1936, Barbara’s early 5th birthday present was a little sister, Phyllis. Barb was in 1st grade at #46 School, a long walk. When Phyllis got pneumonia Barb had to sleep upstairs and she was so scared.
In 1936,We had to move to 55 Cady Street, Rochester so my father could get a job at the Merchants Dispatch in East Rochester as a millwright and mother started work for the University of Rochester’ s women’s campus as an salad chef. They were still paying for the thrashing rigs. Vyra went to Madison High and I went to #4 Schools, 2nd grade. My mother showed me how to light the gas stove, let me light it a few time and told me never to play with it. On hot summer days a man would push a cart through the neighbor selling 1, 2, or 3 penny ice cream cones.
In 1937 Ray bought the Rochester Rug Works at 182 Atlantic Avenue from Cora’s parents and they moved to Elton Street, a half block away. Although their names were Samuel and Jenny Boardman, when Barbara was young she called them Don and Dot. That had become their nicknames. The Barbara’s family moved into the apartment over the store. The store specialized in buying, repairing and selling Oriental Rugs. Behind the store were looms to make rugs (rag rugs were popular at the time), a section to wash and hang rugs to dry, and a horse shoe court. Barb transferred to #31 school on Goodman Street.
Don had beautiful roses in front and the whole side yard was a great garden. He made the front porch in a greenhouse and raised a variety of plants. One was a hot pepper plant. He told Barbara never touch that plant. As kids sometimes do she had to find out why. One day she stuffed two peppers in her Mouth and found out why. He made his own liquid fertilizer. He got horse bedding and what was in, put it in a 55 gallon steel barrel, and added water. He then used the water to water his plants. I don’t know what the neighbors though but the plants thrived.
In 1938, I moved to 182 ½ Bronson Avenue. Still going to #4 School. In the back yard were the horses and garbage wagons of the DPW. Next to them was the Big Elm Dairy. Near them were stored the horse drawn wooden sidewalk plows and dairy wagons. What a play ground. Earned a pollywog swimming badge at the Arnett YMCA. Frequently went horse back riding with Vyra at Pine Tree stables, Culver Road. I really like to play outside in the summer. What sunburns I got. In those some people used baby oil and iodine to reduce the suns effect. I would pay for those burns 60 – 70 years later.
In the middle of 5th grade, 1939, we again moved to 160 University Avenue where the University Craft Store had been and just relocated across the street. My new school was #31. Vyra had graduated the year before and was working at Commercial Controls. I found many small items in the basement that the movers missed, Scotty magnets, paper aero planes. Over the back fence was Dr. Hague’s house. His boys were grown and had left many better toys in the room over the garage. A friend and I got free run of this yard and toys.
In 1941 I bought my first paper routes and a bicycle. The paper routes were Times Union stock edition for the area from Main and Union Streets north to the railroad. The final edition route was from Main and Union streets to Birch Crescent to charlotte Streets. The bicycle had no seat until I could earn enough to buy one.
On December 7th, our families were at grandpa Hyland’s house for Aunt Alva’s funeral when we heard about Pearl Harbor’s attack. Dave and Sara Hyland, mother’s parents, lived in West Bloomfield across the road, 5 & 20, from Uncle Frank, mom’s oldest brother. Mom’s other sisters, Wauneta and Toot (I don’t remember her real name) and all their sons and daughters were there.
America was at War (World War II). The war years were lean. Many things such as meat, gasoline, were rationed or just not available such as rubber. I needed a new pair of boots, size 14. It took several weeks to get them. They came from the navy and I bet they were the only pair of gum rubber in the store.
Milk and ice for the icebox were delivered to the door. In cold weather, milk and the cream pushed the paper cap on the glass bottle up in the air. Frozen it was delicious. Mother would send me to the meat market for 2 pounds of hamburger, give me 25 cents and tell me not to spend the change.
Dad was foreman of the blacksmith gang at the Merchants Dispatch who repaired all the machines in the foundry, a tough job and group of men. He could out drink them all. Much of his pay never made it home. Then he got hurt, hit in the stomach by a toss red hot casting from a forge. He spent the next 4 years in and out of the hospital. He had 3 major operations on his stomach, the last they put 14” from his leg into reinforce his stomach wall. The fourth time just to build him up. He got a job as night watchman at the U of R women’s campus on University Avenue. It was too much for him when he started and sometimes I would work his first round for him. His next job was as a welder at the Beechnut plant on Main Street. He was in and out of the hospital for problems associated with his drinking.
I spent one year at East High Annex/#14 school on University Avenue. Fannie Farmer candy store was located on the corner of Main Street right next to the school. Handy!
The music department’s piano player at East High Annex was the Church of Reformation’s, on Grove Street, choir director. He hired some of us sopranos to sing in the Church of Reformation’s all male choir. We got paid for each rehearsal and each Sunday service. Provonie's (sic) Market was on Main Street between the Church and home. They sold Vanilla ice-cream for 17 cents a quart. Once I bought a quart of chocolate for 19 cents, ate the whole thing. Was I sick!
Over the next 4 years I enjoyed singing in the East High Choir: the interhigh choir and one Christmas sang on WSAY to be transmitted to our service men in Africa.
My first job was at Weber’s Dog Hospital. I feed the dogs, painted the outdoor kennels, and even held dogs over the fluoroscope while the doctors set bones. We didn’t know much about x-rays at that time. They let me go when they found out how old I really was.
In 1943 Mom and dad bought their first house, a double, 13 Norwood Street. It was a fixer upper. My Uncle Frank reversed the kitchen and the back bedroom. I got the job of helping were I could and cleaning up at the days end so He could get right to work the next morning. Next we had to tear up a channel in the concrete cellar floor to install a new sewer line. My first education in reconstruction. I also dug all the dirt from the back cellar out through the window and in to his trailer each day so he could get rid of it on the way home.
Mom quit the U of R and went back to nursing at a nursing home on East Avenue and then one in the Browncroft area. Before She was married she was a nurse at Iola TB Sanitarium in Rochester.
Continued to swim at the Main YMCA on Gibbs Street. Went to Camp Cory for two weeks and raced sail boats for the first time. We rode a Railroad box car from Rochester to Penn Yan to get there. Some Business men paid for one cabin of poor kids. We just had to write them a thank you letter. World War II’s war in Europe ended while we were at camp.
Black drills messenger Atlantic Ave. tunnel wait at rich rug with ray didn’t know he had two girls up stairs.
I switched to delivering the Democrat and Chronicle morning paper from around University Avenue Gleason Works to East Boulevard. Papers cost 20 cents a week and I made 2 1/2 cents. As it was during World War II, every boy had two routes. My friend Stanton also had two routes. When another boy broke his arm we did his routes for him. Stanton got sick and I did all six routes for a very short time. Imagine 1060 Sunday papers. Before school I made money more that my mother did working full time. I was late to school more than a few times.
About age 15, three friends and I bicycled to East Bloomfield and found a farmer who let us set up our tent in the cow pasture for 3 nights. The first night we had a great campfire. As we sat around it we heard loud sirens. We wondered what was going on but did nothing and went to sleep. In the morning we found out the sirens were signaled a blackout drill and our campfire burned brightly. The following morning we awoke to find the cows checked us out during the night and left many of their calling cards. The next night we slept in the farmer’s hay barn. I didn’t know that hay had that many spiders. That was my first camping trip.
My second job was for the hardware store making wall lamps. I got some metal strips, a light socket, electrical wire and a plug to take home. After they were made I took them back to the store for sale.
My third job was stocking shelves and selling items, mostly beer and pop, at the lake Avenue Pharmacy located on Atlantic Avenue. When I wouldn’t work Christmas Day I got fired.
My fourth job was Towner Brothers. The war was over and new bicycles were now just arriving. My job was to put them together as well as repairing old ones. I sometimes aligned sights on guns that Mr. Towner’s brother repaired. When the janitor of the upper three stories quit I did some of his duties. I enjoyed the job.
We moved to East Boulevard when dad got a job as a chauffer for Herbert M. Eisenhart, president of Boush and Lomb. We lived in an apartment over his 4 car garage. That fall, cold weather, I cut up an apple tree that was cut down and stacked the wood in the cellar of the main house for fire wood. I had inadvertently cut both sides of a large black ant nest and as the wood heated up they came out. Dad got the job of eliminating them in the house. I got the job of keeping all the dandelions out of the yards of Edward Rosenberg’s, the president of Fashion Park, East Avenue lots. There hadn’t be a yellow dot showing in two big lots. I also put on the window screens in their main house. I saw a lot of jewelry lying around. I often wondered if it was the real stuff. In their adjacent lot there were rose bushes planted over an old driveway that weren’t doing so good. I dug up the rocks between the bushes; wheel barreled them to the back of the estate and took topsoil back to fill in the holes. Boy I was in good shape.
I bought a scooter, fixed it up, and drove it to the corner. It had no clutch. You pushed it to get going and stopped the motor to stop. Be fore this friends and I had been mounting motors on the frame of our bikes and using them. This was the next step up? I rode down East Boulevard to test it out and stopped at the corner. A cop pulled up and told me not to start it. Did I have a license? I needed a license! I pushed it home and he and my dad had a talk. No ticket, the engine wasn’t running when he saw me.
Age 16: I gave up the paper routes and went to work for the orange roof restaurant (Howard Johnsons) at the twelve corners. Although I was hired to work in the front fountain, I also worked as a busboy, waited on table, worked the back fountain, made salads, cooked their famous hot dogs, and sometimes helped the baker (a go-fer). Every night I helped clean the kitchen after we closed.
I replaced the old scooter with a Cushman scooter and sidecar. It had an automatic transmission but I had to get a license. Someone needed to drive around with me as I practiced. Two wheeled vehicles with a sidecar can lift the sidecar off the ground. My mom rode in the sidecar one time. When I lifted her off the ground, she told me "put me down and take me home”. She never rode in the sidecar again. I had a route allover Rochester collecting empty cigar boxes. I sold them the Clarence’s fish bait store for 1 cent apiece. Paid for the gas money.
Vyra married Clarence Rose and moved to Hubble Park.
Mom bought the nursing home at 31 Portsmouth Terrace. We (mom, dad and I moved in on the third floor. The home was located on the corner of Portsmouth Terrace and University Avenue. Next door was fire engine #6. It had been a big mansion. The first floor had a huge entrance hall that was outfitted as a sitting/waiting room with a piano, a small powder room and a big staircase to the second floor. The old living room (parlor) and dining rooms had been converted into 4 bed wards. In the back was a kitchen, a dining area, and a storage room with a 6X6’ built in metal lined icebox. The second floor bedrooms (3 and the enclosed back porch had 2 beds, 1 was a private room for Grandpa Hard) and a2 bath rooms. The hall was used as a nurse’s station. The third floor had 3 bedrooms, a bath and attics. The cellar had a coal furnace, coal bin, laundry with a trash burner, and storage rooms. Attending the coal furnace and outdoor maintenance were my jobs.
At that time if someone died, the undertaker would not take the body until it was cleaned up. As the body was dead weight. The nurses or mom got the job and sometime they needed help to move the body. Guess who.
The lady who sold it to her had an old, old Scottie dog. She asked us to keep it. We did. When we let him out the old Scotty would cross University Avenue, go down Elton Street, cross Atlantic Avenue and scratch at the back door of a bar. They would let in, feed cheese sandwiches, and beer. He would stagger home. He slept with me. Boy did his gas stink!
Mom bought the land for a bait farm in Ontario for dad. I think just to get him out of her hair.
More detail bait shop digging ponds house burning down
Vyra and Clarence build their house on the farm and ran the business. Sometimes I would go with Clarence to catch minnows, grubs, and swill worms. If I went to the golf course and collected night crawlers, he paid me a cent apiece for them.
In 1947, after I graduated from East High School I moved in with Uncle Frank and Aunt Marguerite for the summer and did house painting with Uncle Frank. For part of my keep every night I had to dig a hole and bury the contents of the chemical toilet. In the fall I entered Genesee Junior College in Lima, NY.
In 1948 I took battery of Navy tests and on Sept. 21, 1948 enlisted for 3 years starting as a Seaman Recruit with guarantee I would go to Electronics School at Great Lakes Training Center as soon as I finished Bootcamp. In May 1949 I was transferred to Bainbridge, MD, to attend Officer and Academy School with 299 other sailors. One hundred and fifty of were selected to get a Convenience of the Government Discharge to become Midshipmen.
Now onward to the rest of our married life. Middle of January 1951
We both went back to our jobs and lived with my parents for a short time. Then we bought a well used trailer with an attached room in a trailer park located behind the airports main hanger on Scottsville Road. Boy! Was it noisy on Sunday morning were we could sleep in. The pilots would do their engine maintenance then rev up their engines to test them
One day while I was working the B shift I brought a puppy home to keep Barbara company while I worked. That night when I came home after midnight there was Barbara sitting on the front steps. The puppy wouldn’t let her in the house. Sandy was our first watch dog.
Our cat had a girl friend on the other side of the airport. Frequently when we let him out he was seen walking along the main runway to cross the airport.
We got our first car a Dodge hydromantic. It was Dodges first attempt to build an automatic. You could shift it like a regular car but you didn’t have to. It was very sluggish if you didn’t. We both could drive. I had taught Barbara to drive a stick using my father’s jeep when we were going together. That is a story in itself.
Navy cruises,nautilus, Cuba, ploynodal cist
We lived there for about a year while I built an apartment at 8 Buckingham Street and then we moved there to the third floor …..and the bats. Barbara didn’t like them but I had fun batting them out the window with a tennis racket.
In December 1952 I started working, in my spare time from Kodak, for Mathews and Boucher’s, were Barbara worked. They needed to have another person in the warehouse upstairs to quickly fill orders for customers waiting. After Christmas they had me inventorying water pipe parts so they could sell them and get out of that part of the business. Next I inventoried other small tools that they sold off. Next they had me fill all the orders for the first Chase Pitkin’s Store. Then I filled in for out-of-town shipping. They wanted me to quit Kodak and take charge of their shipping department. They were paying me 50 cents an hour better than Kodak. For lunch we would buy a loaf of bread and go to Tess’s Bar on Front Street for a ham sandwich. It was so big we made about 3 sandwiches from that one. By now it was June, Barbara and I were going on vacation, and we had a down payment for a house. I quit.
In 1953 I tried to change jobs. After several interviews that personnel set up for me that I didn’t like I went to see an ex Navy Sub Commander that hired me for Kodak in the first place. He was now the maintenance Department Supervisor. If he was going to hire anyone please consider me. I went back up stairs to my regular duties. About ½ hour later my current supervisor came back to my work place and told me even I had gone over his head I had an interview for maintenance department that afternoon. It was a normal work week, no more shifts. My current supervisor wouldn’t let me go till he had a replacement for me. It took three months but it was worth it. In my new job I was a helper for the mechanic that maintained precision temperature instruments.
Barbara quit her job at Mathews and Boucher.
Then on January 31st. 1954 at the early hour of 11:00am (the last morning we could sleep in for years to come), Barbara woke me up and said it was time to go to the hospital.
A little after 7pm David R. Dieter was born and our family got bigger. After we brought David home, if we bathed or diapered him Sandy would growl. We thought we would have to get rid of Sandy. But he calmed down. Davy slept in his crib in our room. Every morning Davy was better than our alarm clock. About 6 o’clock we awaken by Davy bouncing his whole crib up and down wanting breakfast ½ hour ago.
Later that year we bought 375 Melville Street for $9750. It was a double. We moved in down stairs, fixed up the upstairs apartment and rented it.
When Davy took his nap in the back yard, Sandy would rest under the carriage and lets us know if anyone came in our or the neighbors yard. Later that fall while we were raking leaves, Davy got between us and he ran for the street. Between the sidewalk and the curb he was stopped. Sandy had him by his suspenders and would let him move. Sandy had earned his keep.
At work, the mechanic that I assisted had been transferred to the Densitometer and sensitometer control group. They wanted me and the temperature instruments to join the air conditioning control group. I declined that transfer. So they transferred me and the temperature instruments to the Densitometer and sensitometer control group. Then they transferred the temperature instruments and a member of that group to Air Conditioning group. A couple of years later I was supervising the Densitometer and sensitometer control group including the mechanic and the group leader I had started with.
We purchased out first B&W TV. I went to Hoffman’s and looked at used TVs. One the picture didn’t look so good so it was cheap. When the salesman answered another costumer, I reached into the back, adjusted the yoke on the tube and the picture was great. I readjusted the yoke back and bought the set.
On July 6th, 1955, Ray and Cora were over for supper and spent part of the evening with, then went home. About 2:30 the next morning I called them to come back and baby sit Davy. Barbara said it was time to go to the hospital. All Ray said as they came right over was “Why didn’t you tell us so we didn’t have to go home and come back”?
That morning at 4:01 Diane E. was born. Shortly I went down to delivery and wheeled Barbara up to her room while the nurse carried Diane E. Dieter. I was back home about 4:45 to get the rest of the night’s sleep. When I brought Barbara and Diane home from the hospital, Davy was playing in the back yard. We called Davy over to see his new sister. He took one look, said “dolly” and went back to playing. I guess he wasn’t impressed. Our family was growing.
Then Sandy and Patsy Robb and their son Alexander rented our upstairs apartment. We had wanted to rent the apartment to someone with children so we could complain about each other kid’s noise. It turned out to be a fine arrangement. Sandy and I were in a carpool to Kodak together, rode to school night school together while Barbara had adult company. Davy was concerned about living with 3 females all the time. Pasty and Sandy had Kevin while they lived there.
As both the Robbs and us didn’t have any money our entertainment was playing cards every Saturday night while baby sitting all the kids. Each week we tried to outdo the Saturday desert.
One day both Davy and Diane complained of a severe sore throats. We called their regular doctor and couldn’t get him. However we found a Doctor that would come to the house and check them. Those days are gone. Yep! They needed penicillin. This Doctor had a real German accent. After she took care of the children, she said “Maybe der papa and der momma should be checked. She checked us both. Barbara was OK but der papa should get a shot. I had a shot and for the next three days I walked around I needed diapers I was so raw. That was the only shop of Penicillin I ever took.
Along the way we decided that I wasn’t going anywhere at Kodak without a degree, so I started night school at RIT for a year and took an electricity course. The price was $12 per credit hour. That was almost a waste of time but I got 6 “A” credit hours. I took a test the last night before a navy cruise and one the first class after I got back and got an “A” on both. I wasn’t getting much new material I hadn’t learned in the navy.
Phyllis married Carey on the Bride and Groom TV Show in New York City. It was the first of December. Barbara was Maid of Honor, Davy was ring bearer and Diane was Flower Girl. Davy was to lead the progression down the middle isle. He missed the turn, went to the next isle, discovered his mistake and cut through the audience back to the right isle. The TV cameras forgot the rest of the progression and stayed on the kids. At the reception, the wedding cake bottom two layers were white plaster, only the top was layer was cake. The TV crew tried to get Davy to reach up and steal some frosting. Davy couldn’t understand why he couldn’t steal some from the bottom layer. Ray and Cora rode down for the wedding with our family in an early snow storm. I drove right down New York’s Broadway. I wasn’t fazed by the traffic; I drove around the infamous circle at the East end of the Veteran’s bridge on my way to work at Kodak Park every day. Ray (who wouldn’t ever fly) flew home after the wedding. I always wondered if Ray was really sick or too scared to ride home with us after that ride down.
Barbara decided that enough was enough. Either the navy drills and cruises or school had to go. I agreed and resigned from the navy with 7 years of retirement credit. Not enough to do anything.
The next year I started at the U of R night school ($18 a credit hour). Because of one year of Genesee Junior College, navy school and experience, and RIT I was an upper classman. When my boss, at the time, and I went into matriculate my boss knew how many credits he had from going to night school at the U of R. We figured he had 2 more than me. He was right but when I went in to see the matriculation manager we found that we were classmates from the year I did as a Midshipman. He credited me with 3 more hours at “C” from RIT. I could now graduate in 4 years taking 2 classes every semester.
At work, I was asked to supervise the Sensitometer Control group that calibrated instruments all over Kodak Park as well as the Densitometer and sensitometer control group. I had one week to learn the working of the new group. I made my original group leader an engineer and had him run the Densitometer and sensitometer control group for me and settled into my new group. Next they added the group that maintained the color temperature and luminosity standards for Kodak Park to my groups.
When the Robbs moved to Spencerport we made some changes to the house and got rid of the double part. We now had 4 bedrooms, ours, Davy’s, Diane’s and the old kitchen that the dogs used when Sandy had puppies.
When Carey Fletcher got out of the army, he and Phyllis came to live with us for a short time while he started teaching at Charlotte High School. Phyllis taught at #42 School on Lake Avenue. Davy moved into the upstairs kitchen (an ideal room When Carey Fletcher got out of the army, he and Phyllis came to live with us for a short time while he started teaching at Charlotte High School. Phyllis taught at #42 School on Lake Avenue. Davy moved into the upstairs kitchen (an ideal room for a boy with the kitchen cupboards and a linoleum floor) and Cary and Phyllis had his room. Davy and Diane learned a lot helping Phyllis correct her second grade student’s homework. Bonnie was born.
On March 9th, 1969 Laurie was born. Phyllis wanted to go to the hospital in a police car for excitement but she didn’t.
1961 was a banner year. On January 5th. I was trying to watch my favorite TV show about 9pm, Barbara we insisted we go to the hospital. I wanted 10 more minutes to finish what I was watching. Reluctantly I went. Soon after we started for the hospital she said we better not wait for red lights. We got to the back of the hospital and she went into maternity. I drove around to the front of the hospital, parked. That took maybe 5 minutes. When I told the attendant who I was and I would be waiting she told me I had a daughter. Wendy A. Dieter came in a hurry. She looked like our little Chinese girl with lots of black hair and slanted eyes.
Later in January, Davy got the mumps, next Laurie got them and then Diane, none at the same time, but close together. Then the three of them started a round of measles, one at a time. This time even Wendy got them. Barbara couldn’t get out of the house for three months.
In 1961 I graduated with a BS from the U of R. eleven years after starting with Kodak. When I went to see my higher supervisor at Kodak about my BS degree he said it wouldn’t make any difference as I was already treated as graduated engineer. However I did have to give a resume to Kodak Office, do an interview, and switch from a Kodak Park employee to a Kodak Office employee on January 1, 1962. at the same job.
That spring Barbara took the new Girl Scout training. She started a Brownie Troop for Diane in the fall. Diane was 7. I was on her committee.
When Davy was 8 years old he started Cub Scouts with pack #42 at the Parcells Avenue Baptist Church. Barbara and I became part of the staff. I soon became a den mother. Scouting didn’t use fathers for den leaders until that time.
The next year I became the Webelos leader. Late in the following year the Scoutmaster got drafted and I dropped the Pack and became the Scoutmaster of troop #42. This was to last for the next 15 years. During those years Davy became an Eagle Scout at age 14. I attended 2 Jamborees (first in Idaho with a council troop and then Pennsylvania with troop 42, a trip Phil mount, taught council JLT courses, attended many troop meeting and campouts, and spent 15 2-weeks of taking troop 42 to Massawepie. Most summer I would park Barbara, kids and friend off at Fish Creek State Park or Rowland’s Ponds.
When the Brownies crossed over to Cadets Barbara started a Cadet troop and still had a Brownie Troop. Wendy had both a Brownie and a Cub Scout hat. She needed the appropriate hat for each meeting.
When Bonnie reached Brownie age Barbara started a Brownie Troop at her school, St. Monica. She now had 3 troops.
In 1971, after 21 years with Kodak where I hadn’t had the same job or responsibilities longer than three years, I was called into the office. Would I look at a densitometer that they had for 5 years that didn’t do what it was supposed to do. I pointed that I was pretty busy running three groups now. They said no, I wasn’t. They took the three groups, split them up by activities and assigned them to three other engineers. I was free to do what they needed.
For the next 14 years, until the China project, I did many projects such as:
Devised a way to calibrate the instruments measuring the smoke up the Kodak main chimneys.
Estimate moving the entire x-ray quality assurance program to Colorado (5 times but it never went).
Designed and built new type densitomer that replaced 5 existing densitometers with higher precision and then had to build another one in case the first one was out of service.
Took a course to be a radiologist II so I could better understand the their needs. Backed up The Radiation Safety Engineer.
Examined films ruined, around the world, by x-rays at airport inspections. Was the engineer that measured exposures at a few U.S airports and attended the Federal Aviation Agency’s conference in Washington with the National Association of Photographic Manufactures as their engineer.
When Three Mile Island Power plant had a radiation accident the Federal Regulatory agency felt there weren’t enough accurate sensors around the plant. Our engineering group advised them to get Kodacolor film from shelves around the area. We analyzed the film for radiation damage and gave them the results. As a result I was sent to attend the wrap-up session of the results at the National Bureau of Standards.
In 1974 Barbara started at Hill Haven where she was an Activities director for the next 12 years.
. 1976 Post #44 for 15 years
Barbara & I retired in 86
1-88 & 10 – 88 went to china
1991 Dave was scoutmaster troop in Spencerport I worked with troop – summer canoe trips – 5 years
1193? Moved in w Ray and Cora to care for them
1994 Ray died, Cora moved in w us.
1995 moved to 111 Bowerman Rd.
1-1996 started with VFVAC
12-97 Med Aid, Driver the EMT
B & I started Venture crew – 3 years
1999 Secretary 2 Years
2000 rebuilt training room
2001 – VP 4 years
2001 rebuilt heating system
2003-2004 tore off the back and rebuilt w new BOD, office, and 5 bedrooms
2005 Secretary 2 years
2008 stopped riding EMT expired.
12- 2008 moved the Legacy