Occupation: I've been around for a while, so I've had all kinds of jobs. I worked on the switchboard at town hall in the 50s; I was the Democratic Registrar of Voters; I was the tax collector from 1965 to 1967; and I was a bookkeeper and dispatch
Occupation: Iâve been around for a while, so Iâve had all kinds of jobs. I worked on the switchboard at town hall in the 50s; I was the Democratic Registrar of Voters; I was the tax collector from 1965 to 1967; and I was a bookkeeper and dispatcher for the Castro-Convertible Company in Danbury. I had a fabric shop, The Yardstick, on Hanover Road and then on the corner of Church Hill Road and Queen Street for about ten years. I did a lot with dressmaking. I made most of the boysâ costumes for the Stardust Review for years.
Family: My husband, Mike, and I have been married for 60 years. We have three sons, Paul, Mark, and Bill, and two daughters, Lynn and Bridget. Mark, Bill, and Bridget still live here in town. We have five grandchildren, Zachary, Shannon, Matt, Melissa, and Jason.
Pets: We have a German Shepard, Daisy. We adopted Daisy about seven years ago from DAWS in Bethel. We also have two cats, Kate and Allie.
How long have you lived in Newtown? I was born in Hawleyville. When I was 3 years old, we moved to Bethel and I went to high school there. I graduated in 1945 and Mike and I got married in 1948. My family gave us property on Hanover Road in 1950 and we built the house and moved here in the early 1950s. We were in that house for about 40 years, before moving into the house we live in now, so I could get around better in the wheelchair. Iâve had polio since 1949.
What do you like to do in your free time? I work on quilts, but I donât sew so much as I used to. I read and I do crossword puzzles. I spend time at the library, too, researching the family. All of my grandparents were born in Newtown and my parents were born here, too. They were the Carrols, the Lynches, the Cavanaughs, the McNamaras and the Bradleys.
Do you have a favorite book? I like to read true crime books. And I like Dick Francis as an author.
Do you have a favorite travel destination? Yes, that would be Laughlin, Nev. Itâs about 90 miles south of Las Vegas. We like to play video Keno and poker there. My son, Paul, was a dealer at one of the resorts there for a while. We go out to Laughlin about twice a year.
What is the biggest change you have seen in Newtown? The people, the houses, and the cars. Once upon a time if three cars went down Hanover Road, my aunt was out to see what was going on â Hanover Road used to be a dead end. Now, itâs a shortcut to Bridgewater.
Do you have a favorite Newtown memory? Swimming up in Cavanaughâs Pond off of Echo Valley Road â which used to be Hanover Road. My Uncle Thomas used to take me up there. And I loved coming here to visit family. I always wanted to move back to Newtown as a child. Iâve never wanted to be anywhere else. Iâll just stay where I am.
Do you have a personal philosophy? One thing Iâve said, âYouâre dealt a hand from a deck of cards and you play it.â Thatâs something I learned through having polio; but I couldnât have done it all without Mike.
Do you have a hero? Mikeâs mother, Mary. She took care of my two little boys when I got polio. She even quit her job to take care of them. She cleaned our house, she cooked for us, she kept Mark for 26 months while I got better. I lucked out with in-laws.