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Friday, October 04, 2013

MEMORIES OF MALDEN

My first childhood home was in Malden, Ma. It was a two family house at 37 Beach
St. near the corner of Clapp St. That part of Malden is on the southern end of the
city near Linden Square and close to the border of the neighboring city of Revere
to the west. My parents were co-owners with Uncle Ed(Mom's brother) and Aunt Emily;
we lived on the second floor and they lived on the first.
Mom shoveling snow in the driveway we shared with the Tedesco family.
Me standing to the left, my cousin Winnie sitting on the car.



My maternal grandmother Agnes(McFarland) White lived with us and watched us
during the day when my parents were working. I have a few memories of Nanny: I
remember she used to eat peas by lining them up along the blade of a knife and them
rolling down them into her mouth. I also remember the day a roof repairman fell off
the roof while shingling it and landed in the grass a few feet away from the white
picket fence that separated our property from our next door neighbors' the Coriellis.(sp?)
We were in the kitchen and something went past the window. I got one quick glimpse
of the man on the ground and then Nanny pulled me away from the window. (The man
survived his fall.)

My maternal grandmother Agnes (McFarland) White.


We lived in a mostly Italian neighborhood. The Corielli's lived to the left of our house
on the corner of Clapp St. The father and mother were Vincent and Jo (I think short
for Josephine?) and they had three sons, one and older boy whose name I don't
remember, and the twins, Ronnie and Richie who I played with.  To the right lived
the Todescos, Pat and Rose, who had an older daughter and their son, Mike, another
playmate. Pat owned a shoe repair shop in Linden Square. Across Beach St from
our house was a small grocery store run by a man named Johnny.

 One of the things I recall was that besides the Corielli twins, there were three
other sets in the neighborhood: the Tadonio twins, Madeline and Marie who lived
on Clapp St and whose backyard ordered ours, the Randall brothers, and the Higgins
twins, a boy and girl.

The view across the backyard towards the Tadonio house.


Our back yard had a little dip in the middle of it and a large lilac bush at the back. You
could see over a wire fence into a row of other backyards that bordered ours and
the Todesco's. I remember chasing fireflies in the yard and listening to Aunt Emily's
own Uncle Luigi playing mandolin and singing at some family party.

The other side of the yard.


That was the house where we were living when my sister was born. Our parents
let me name her and I named her Cheryl after a little girl I had a crush on in
the ABC Nursery School.



That was the house where we had  the first family dog, a fox terrier named Saddles
that had belonged to my parents before I was born. Saddles lost a dog fight with a
larger dog and was bitten so badly he died.

Saddles, the first family dog.
We were living there during one of big hurricanes of the mid 1950's.  The street was
flooded by the overflowing Linden Creek and Dad was working in Boston at the time.
Mom didn't think he'd be home that night, but he was driving one of the old Pontiacs
with a high engine block, and he managed to get home by driving down Beach St behind someone's motorboat.  Not long after that, Dad bought a new 1956 black and red Olds
98.  

And that was where we were living when my grandmother passed away. She'd had a weak heart from the rheumatic fever she 'd had in her childhood. Shortly after that my parents
sold their half of the house to my Uncle and Aunt and we moved to Boston.

I was 8 years old when we moved away from there 57 years ago. One of these days I may
take a ride over there to see what 37 Beach St. looks like today.

12 comments:

Heather Wilkinson Rojo said...

I loved your post. When we were married we had our first apartment in Malden for almost one whole year. I was still going to school, and took the orange line to the green line to Harvard Square. I loved living so close to Boston, and it was culture shock moving from Malden to New Hampshire.

Gerry Abbott said...

Interesting to stumble across your blog. I am 73 years old and my name is Gerry Abbott. From about 1952 to 1959 I lived with my parents and brother in the upstairs apartment at 120 Beach St., on the corner of Oliver St. I went to the old Linden Elementary School and the new school at Linden Park in the 6th grade and then on to Browne Jr High. One of my friends was Robert Carlberg whose father was Vice President of Malden Savings Bank. Another friend was Mike Epstein whose father owned the Higgins Rexall Drug Store in Linden Square and was the Pharmacist. We played around the Linden Creek, the hills North of Salem St. and the railroad tracks. We also played in the streets and at Linden Park. I remember the Todescos and many other Italians in the area. I am one fourth Italian. I have great memories of growing up in a city that had a bit of a rural feel. Gerry Abbott

Unknown said...

This is very interesting. I am 72 and lived in Linden also on Eastern Ave 3 houses from Clapp st. All the people mentioned in this post I also remember. I use to deliver newspapers in the Lawrence st, Brentwood st, Oliver st. My great uncle was a fire fighter working out of Linden fire station. Had great times there with him. Sad day when Robinson’s news burnt down , almost lost Charlie Hammond who lived upstairs in the store. Bring back those days would be a pleasure. My name is David Marsters

Anonymous said...

nice story i spent the better part of my life in malden most of it in the linden section of malden irember PAT TODESCOS REPAIR SHOP i worked as a shoe shine boy in his shop and became good friends with his son Mike went to the old linden school grades 3to6 spent grades 1&2 at brown jr high then returned for jr high


. said...

Just reading this now! so wonderful! close on the spelling Bob! It's Correale!
Will share this with my Dad for sure! Any chance to get your email?

Unknown said...

Great post! The oldest Correale was my father! His name was Vincent (Vinny) as well. I am Vinny III my oldest son the IV. I grew up in that home on 41 Beach as well. Most of the Correale family still lives in Malden and Saugus. Thanks for sharing!

Unknown said...

This is a very good blog. Joe Lubinski where did you live in Linden? I lived at 1438 Eastern Ave lived there until about age 35.

Bill West said...

Nice to "meet" you all. It's funny how much I can still remember about back then. I blogged about it 4 years ago when I was 65 because I thought I better do it before the memories faded but they haven't yet.

Vinnie, I think it was your father who called my Dad's car "Mr West's submarine" when he saw it coming own the flooded street.


My email is in the "About Me" paragraph at the top right of the page. Use @ for "and" and . for "dot".

Gerry Abbott said...

Dave Marsters - Hi! This is Gerry Abbott. Your Mom used to watch me after school as my parents both worked. No offense, but of course I hated it. I remember you and your brother Lloyd. I also remember the kid near you that became SO famous that there is a play currently on Broadway about him!!

Unknown said...

Mike Tedesco - Hi Billy it's nice to read these blogs from your post. I remember all the guys and gals from Linden. Richie and Ronnie Correale were my best friends.Patsy's Shoe repair was my Dad. Spent many years shinning shoes and being with all the folks who came into the store. I have many great memories. It's nice at our age to reminisce about our past. Keep up the blog !!!

Unknown said...

George Dearth said...

Nice to read all this information about Linden. I've been looking for a photograph of the old three story elementary school and the small white Methodist church that were side by side....spent many years in both of those buildings. I was too young to take pictures then. I can't find anyone that has any pictures of either. If you've got a photo of either building I wish you share them with me. I remember Richie Melanson, Joey Gray, Bobby Smith, Carol Walker, etc. My email is georgedearth10@gmail.com.

Unknown said...

My childhood was Linden for 17 years. Looking for a picture of the three story Linden Elementary School that had the little white Methodist church beside it. It was a wooden church and the school was red brick. If anyone has a photo of either building I wish you would share with me a copy. I know all those commercial businesses everyone mentions. Enjoy reading about them..thanks!