Eleanor Lang and Elaine Cornett

00:01 My name is Elaine Louise Elaine Cornett. I'm 53 years old. I am here on May 20th 2006 at Grand Central Terminal and I'm talking to my mother.

00:17 My name is l on all cook. My age is 87 and I was today's date is the 20th of May 19th 2006.

00:35 At work Grand Central Terminal and my daughter is the one I'm talking to.

00:44 Okay.

00:47 We talked a little bit about some of your early childhood memories. If you could tell me more about some of your early memories with your mom and dad. Well, I had a very happy.

01:03 Rather uneventful childhood. I was one of two children born brother laid in their lives to my father and mother who were both teachers was born and actually it wasn't born in New Bedford, Massachusetts. I was born in Boston because I was born during the terrible flu epidemic of 1918 and the doctor in charge. I didn't want my mother to go to the local hospital which took flu patient. So we sent her to a special Hospital in Boston the first three weeks of my life. I lived in Boston after New Bedford.

01:54 And the guy said follow it won't my father was a school principal there. So he had a nice long vacation send those days and we always in the summer time as soon as he got through school and my sister and I got through school went up to Friendship Maine which was the little town where he was born and to his home where he was born was split between New Bedford entire childhood.

02:34 Between Maine and Massachusetts so much the same thing and you had a sister how you have a sister who was about a year-and-a-half younger than I am Louise. I love the fact that you said you were born somewhat late in their life. I said they were in their mid-40s when both of you were born and you were surprises because their children had died in infancy the first children they'd have you are tremendous gift. We were just like was I wanted children pleasant surprises 44 when I was born in 46 when my sister was born. They had long since given up.

03:32 Thinking that they would have more children. I'd resign themselves being being childless. They all of a sudden they weren't they had to think of my poor mother as an age when most women were in that area. Anyway were welcomed and grandchildren and she was looking after two little toddler has seemed to work for because she she lived a long life exceedingly helpful you for the Asian time. Neither. One of them was the

04:16 Well, they only

04:18 Serious LS. I remember my mother over having what she did get pneumonia and this was a few after I realized it doesn't it seem so strange now, but they didn't have anything to treat pneumonia with those days. It was no penicillin or sulfa drug know nothing of that kind. You just have to have to

04:42 Well, she was she was on the hospital struggling with it for two or three weeks, or she finally because of her stuff comes.

04:54 What shall I say survived have never was sick of how old was I about five ways would have been about three you lived in a nice house kind of close to the New Bedford main town, but when you went up to Friendship for the summer is it was very different and you were telling me when you first started going up there. He'll course you didn't go but you didn't have a car. How did you travel when you were boys we could go and mostly what we did was take the train to Boston, which is a short trip then get the

05:44 A steamer from Boston help with coast of Maine and I'm stopped at Rockland and that's why we got off and then there was a sort of taxi service run by one man with one car in French of at that time and he would come over and pick us up and take us to friendship. And once we got the Friendship Chief means of travel or either Vote or my uncle who lived in Friendship had a horse and buggy and he used to drive us around sometimes when we were going.

06:26 Somewhere. It's amazing to think now when I will sometimes make two trips to Thomaston or Rocklin which are towns that are about 10 and 15 miles away in a day not to do that maybe for dinner attire summer. No, not really it is well planned ahead. And of course with a horse was a nice old horse go too fast, while those occasions will planned well ahead of time and we never tried to do more.

07:04 Whole seven or eight miles. I think the longest trip we talked with Ben Ben the cushion to see my Aunt Edith and that wasn't too bad walking miles and miles which is almost unheard of for those for us to get our groceries and so forth. We used to go by boat to what they call a town landing and there was a grocery store there at the town landing showing that that's the way most people went to get the groceries.

07:40 Well

07:41 Rosin in Maine with the late in coming along at all. I think when my grandfather was a boy going off the word many rolls if you wanted to go from Friendship to Portland OR Boston, he went by for everybody up and down the coast you we were comparing our summers when we were talking earlier and how you know.you course Daddy and and you brought my daughter needed me and my sister and I hope to Maine every summer while we were growing up and how we loved it and my sister lives there now, she just couldn't not be there but you weren't that happy to be going up there because it wasn't quite the same. I wasn't unhappy all we were done happy, but it was quite a different situation for what it is now.

08:41 Especially when we didn't have a car we had each other on that was about it though and all other children on and Brian for the point, which was where we loud and

08:57 She also had a lot of freedom compared to the way kids are today. There were no cars racing water around quite freely and I can I know I remember being sent down into the field to pick blueberries, which is something I never would have done with you on the NATO without somebody going to tell me the story about that time you brought Auntie with you. That was very hot day. And that's what my mother wanted some blueberries to have for supper. I think maybe she was going to make a Part II don't know.

09:45 So we will settle off with our little buckets to go down the road a bit and then to the Blueberry field and pick blueberries. It was over there on it was a sun was pouring down and it was very warm and we weren't terribly inclined to pick blueberries. I would say at that point in time. I was maybe

10:11 Seven Salon and I do Louise was five. We picked a few blueberries and the water was right at the foot of the hill. Of course we decided we'd rather go swimming then pick blueberries nice refreshing like cold. I'm sure that's that's the water is very cold there dip and the plate around on the show for a while then decided that we would had better get on home and

10:55 Started to get dressed. Well, I knew where I found my clothes and put them back on again, but my little sister could not find what she had done with her clothes always said, all right, if we go home then she'd go home that way so we did that. My mother was absolutely horrified to see is coming parade of the down the road with absolutely things like that those days in about 1925. Yes. There are people were kind of

11:50 And also where are the blueberries and we got to have dinner heart a little bit and said we spell some of them a story soon came out that we hadn't picked very many weed eat and quite a few of all with my profile. I had to go down and look for Louise's clothes and he did find them. It was quite a while before we live that dial five one ring around and going swimming at this what I have absolutely of horrified me while I was a mother of weed it turned out. All right.

12:34 Very many people to it's just at all why I don't want somebody looking out their window. We did go past a couple of houses on my way back might have seen us but no money at all might of saying I'll be coming up through the field. We didn't meet anybody. I love walking along the road that I remember anyway, and you went up there every summer as you were growing up. You went up there every summer. Yes. I love Ben and friendship some part of every cell of my entire life since I was born and this is a house that goes back in the family many year is that we sure if it's the house where your father was born. Yes the house where my father was born the house up my grandfather built that he was born next door. Let my grandfather that kind of tie to to history.

13:34 Made a lot of changes in the places you lived and eventually you as you got older you grew up and he went to Radcliffe and and then came down here to New York. Yes. We like it came down and went to Pride Institute got a degree in home economics and I never

13:56 I've never left New York after that. That is that was always my primary residence. Well, I mean I didn't live anywhere else. I came down here to go to school. I got a job that I like very well. It suited me perfectly and I just stayed on with us. Where was that? Where did you start working?

14:35 Started working for McCall's magazine actually slightly before I graduated because of transferring from one college to another I had a final semester where I had only one course to take I done everything else. So I started work that semester and worked around the one course I had to take the McCall's magazine, which is a very well-known woman's magazine in that.

15:09 Time and

15:12 We are what we did was.

15:18 Well, I was in the in the department where we work for the equipment that is stoves refrigerators what the laws that it was it was very interesting at least to me because the during the wall we worked on a lot on how women could preserve the things that they raise that is never doing tests on and on drying vegetables and fruit as opposed to canning because of all the port for Victory Gardens all those like borest of new equipment and I would have got in on the automatic washers, which everybody takes for granted now, we're very new ones.

16:18 Special I I got my now, I'm developing helping to develop them. Thank you phrases. Will they had a little saying on the top of the refrigerator that made ice cubes? And that was it. So, I have been that very different place too. And I know you did some volunteer work for the Red Cross.

16:51 Of course, it was it's very different now from what it was has been a tremendous amount of building and lots of things that I remember perfectly. Well like the Third Avenue elevated on the Sixth Avenue elevated or not long long gone and

17:13 All sorts of buildings e

17:18 Chrysler Building the Empire State Building while they are what those were. Those are the famous buildings. The World Trade Center was not built for two years later. So another left was right in this area wasn't right about Grand Central Station their office central building. That's what it was called. When I work there. That's where they main offices of my calls or that's not where is a magazine was printed what it was where they are Sorel office as well hit you lived over in Brooklyn in Brooklyn at least. Yes.

18:03 For a while well

18:07 The last year, what are you?

18:11 I was working in both places are going to school on Friday Institute and and working in Manhattan. I lived in Brooklyn Heights. Well, I did when did you have the apartment on the river. Was it was during the war will talk about change? Yes. We we lived in Brooklyn Heights my sister and I she came back from Puerto Rico and we live together where she had been the kitchen of a mansion that backed up on the Harbour. They had a God and they looked out over New York Harbor and

18:56 We had a large studio apartment, which war had been the old kitchen of this mansion and it had a fireplace and it had a lovely little guy no behind which we could use and I think we paid the $75 a month for the lad if you're going to hell, but you you've told me some stories about when you were doing your volunteer work with the Red Cross and meeting the truck and

19:36 What I did, my bit was velvet volunteer work for the Red Cross.

19:44 So

19:46 Since I was working, I could have volunteered nights and weekends. That's all I could had to earn my living to eat. Mostly. What I did was the Red Cross at that point used to send out units with coffee and donuts. We had Vans Atwood would take and what we did during the first part of a good part of it was

20:23 Go to the docks retro ships were leaving and the

20:29 DeSoto say goodbye to the soldiers and give them my last cup of coffee. And I don't I don't I'm so full of.

20:39 And that was mostly at night because the troop ships always left out the dock of these Four Lads. They would come in a lot of times from New Jersey and one of the most important questions. I had to ask what we're all we and we weren't allowed to tell them of course those I would try to guess and I didn't get Brooklyn.

21:09 I don't really flying at that time Brooklyn. Waterfront was very active is a a commercial Port it's all gone. Now. That's one thing that's changed radically cuz I was telling you last night. They're staking out tearing it all down and putting housing along there would be a lovely location for the housing.

21:44 The only other question I will.

21:49 I have some lettuce to my family that I wasn't able to mail. Would you take them and mail them following will this was a prime? No, no because it would have given away the part that they were leaving from so we had to say no to that too. But there was one instance when I disobeyed that felt a little guilty about it all or nothing happened one young Soldier or later. Also, we are just as they are today.

22:23 Had a little pack is he asked me what I mind mailing it for him. He said with tears in his voice practice like it was for his fiance and it was her birthday present. Any he's going to be just bought at the last minute not been able to mail it. Could I please take it and mail it to us? All I asked a federal likes. I'm not supposed to do that.

22:57 Well, he was as I say he was practically in tears. That's so important to me that she know that I was thinking of her and

23:09 Thorny will in the end after considerable persuasion. I did take it there. So I wasn't supposed to I did the best I could to conceal a Sergeant's I I saved it for about a week figuring. He was safely where we was supposed to go before I mail it to her and then I just I put no identification of any kind except I did put in weather.

23:37 A little note that said what it was and we're that it was from her fiance for her birthday and and

23:49 I think I enclose the a post card and said, please just write on this post card. I received the package and that's all right everything else then. I'm sure she did and that was the last of it. So I don't roll up doors thing poor lad may have been killed it was going over there. This was fairly early on he was going over to a dangerous time. So it may be the last thing she ever got from him. I often wondered about that. I brought you together with Daddy because he had met Auntie when he was stationed down in the Caribbean and she was down there is an interpreter. How did he come into your life? How did you meet my father?

24:49 Daddy-o, it's a long story My Sister Louise was caught in Puerto Rico by the beginning of the wall that I say called. She was down there. She was a language major and she was down there studying at the University of Puerto Rico studying Spanish because she had intended original. I need to go to Europe. But of course that was out of the question and she she got a fellowship to the University of Puerto Rico. Well since she was down there and had a good command of Spanish. She was picked up immediately by the government to work it She interviewed.

25:42 Puerto Rican natives who were being considered for jobs in the Army civilian jobs or I guess sometimes our recruits. But anyway, civilian jobs, so that background on their suitability for the job and so forth and she had sent to work whether our young man from the Army intelligence service who was also going to look into that backgrounds and make sure they want some some some more surveys homeboy.

26:22 The was at that time in Puerto Rico a small group of people who were well, we're sort of

26:32 Wanting the independence they wanted to be this was not true of most people but is it a lot of cases? It was a small group that a lot of different and they want to do a voice as they wanted to be able to do their own thing. And this young man was Jose was Bill York, don't you work? So it's quite closely and how to how do I sort of friendship had been by then my now husbands

27:15 Law school roommate have they gotten the V very close friends as it was a series of coincidences here. I thought John was he was in the Navy not the Army. He was stationed in Puerto Rico. He just been sent down there. He was working in the office of the Admiral say that all there and hoping to get those assigned to see Duty which did happened fairly shortly. So Bill knew we was there and when he got the photo Rico he looked up job and they got together under the course of several months.

28:00 Avails being there or he introduces in my sister and they they all made me sort of a friendly threesome. Well bill went on his way to do things and is open China behind the lines getting down there man out of you, but dad daddy came through on in Puerto Rico for the time being so backup all well. Yeah, so then in due course she came back she got married and came back here and John my husband. I was born and brought up in Bayonne, New Jersey, which is basically a fellow New York City and

28:59 What he came home on leave?

29:03 I haven't kept in touch with Laura.

29:09 Came came by to see her just to say hello, and how are things and that's how I met him for the first time.

29:18 He is still wanted was a New York for whatever reason usually come and see us and take us both out to dinner or something like that.

29:33 Nintendo cost

29:37 He was sent to the Pacific and Shay.

29:45 Left

29:47 New York and went home to live with my parents for waiting for a husband who was who was then in Europe to come home?

30:00 It was quite a long. Of time then when I didn't I didn't say hello. He didn't see me, but I was taking some courses of Columbia Teachers College in connection with what I was doing at work and the

30:20 I had to take her all along subway ride up to the west side of Manhattan and it so happens that the John who was at that point had just gotten out of the Navy don't spend our lady was living with us father on Riverside Drive and 95th Street.

30:39 And how was standing in the

30:43 96th Street subway station waiting for a local train. I remember I've gotten on the wrong Friend by mistake and going up in the Baja.

30:58 Allure tooth to 7th Avenue Subway's at that point. I don't know whether there are any more not 96th Street, they separate and one Wild.

31:12 In the hollow section and one went up the west side right along the Hudson had to get off and come back and that's why I was standing and 96th Street at that point. I waiting for a train at a local it went up Broadway local I call them and he got off the express going home and is recognized me know what I was doing there. So I told him but I can't talk now. I'm I've got to take my train. I'm going to be late for class.

31:59 So were you said?

32:02 I'll say yes. I was still living in Brooklyn then.

32:08 So we knew my telephone number from before he called me later on. So that's how we met.

32:22 Made the mistake of taking the wrong tray and I might not be here to this. Exactly. It was a pure if Bill hadn't been sent to Puerto Puerto Rico to work with my sister and Jonathan Bennett for Regal at the same time, and he was later on he he was he was in various places. He did ask Fort Duty on what they call some chases and those days.

32:57 He was not too long after that one Louise left Puerto Rico to come back to the States and live with me.

33:11 He was transferred to Norfolk. I need to he did a run up and down the Atlantic coast for a while then.

33:23 What down to Cuba the Guantanamo Bay Cuba for a while?

33:33 I was sent to the West Coast to Hawaii. But only very briefly. What about the time? He got to Hawaii they decided they wanted them back in Guantanamo hotel to take command of a bigger ship so he can turn right around and then came back started dating after that point where you you found after after he yes in a bottle for a way it wasn't it wasn't the

34:15 Chief we found each other type of thing at all. It was It was friendly and unpleasant.

34:26 What was a matter of his?

34:29 I guess I never question. A law that particular labor.

34:34 I guess they had it in mind for some time. But he felt that he he had to read come back after five years away from the law. I need only been out of law school to hear what I want to know the Navy so we felt he had to take classes and get established again before he could think about an Department of the attachments in so far as you know, how Daddy was everything had to be just saw one so he could take care of things and it wasn't until he got his job with the turned out to be the firm. He stayed with for the rest of his career.

35:23 But he decided that he could tell me about how he arranged.

35:37 He suggested that we we go to this nice resort. No long as they are in the Pocono Mountains. He was quite familiar with the Poconos because it was where he and his family used to spend summer vacations. So, this is Buck Hill Falls run by the Quakers. I'll place a very Scenic and for my birthday which was in October and I said hi and that would be lovely. So I wear any of this all planned out even you. That would be a full moon.

36:25 I guess it was Saturday night. I don't know it was I remember he said he waited until after midnight why he waited until after midnight and the moon was it?

36:47 And said, let's go for a little walk though a lot so little

36:52 Woodland walk, Fort Worth

36:55 Well enough lighted.

37:00 And there was a little bridge over stream on the walk. We were on when we got to the middle of the bridge. He said Let's Wait Awhile and look at something I did. That's what he proposed. I wasn't expecting it really if you wait until after midnight because what was the date on Friday?

37:26 I was at my birthday. It was Friday.

37:29 Friday the 13th Saturday the 14th. Okay. It was a little after my birthday. I forgot to remember to tell me about that. I thought that was so him. He was going to make sure he had everything just right. Anyway, that's what I'm proposing. We are married in January, but mostly so we could go south on that would be nice and warm it will what does some of the places where he had been?

38:09 In the Navy that's wonderful. And you brought us up here in New York and how we only have a little bit of time left. But can you tell me real really fast how he how you work as when you found out you were going to be parents bring me into the picture. I found out I was pregnant delighted. Yes. Absolutely the whole thing cuz I had no trouble at all right from the beginning. You were a good baby, but he is very involved father to yeah. Oh, yes. Yes. It was it was it was like one of the happiest days of his life when you were born or turned out to be a

39:00 You're the biggest.

39:04 And that's looking baby at that time in that hospital. Also, they told me they probably said that not the size that they were I'm sure he was happy when it needed came along. I'm sure he was happy when it came along old hat. So that's why he wasn't even at the hospital when I needed was born. He had to go home and stay with you. She was born in the very early morning. So we had to get up and go to the hospital about 2 in the morning and

39:53 We planted a little wrong and we didn't have anybody to this is for you to stay with her away. And the late on Carrie who was coming to say was wasn't due to come and stay until the next week which would have been the week before she was born, LOL. Anyhow, so we couldn't think of anything else to do. You were nice and sound asleep and a sound sleeper. So we we dashed up to the hospital on money. So don't even come in. I'm alright go home and take care of you never woke up at all Fortune. What's up with all these are these are such wonderful stories. I think I need to bring you up here and have Anita do another session with you and I

40:53 Take it from the rest of the because of course, we have all of the time we spent and Summers up in Maine with the two of you.

41:01 Okay, a wonderful father and

41:09 Well, I wonder the story about meeting daddy would be a long-winded why it's a special story.

41:20 I'm just really glad you were able to do this or I wish we done it back when he was still with us so that cuz he would have probably taken up.

41:31 Hours of recording time of the questions you were playing with the last night was what was the happiest moments of my what was the happiest moment of my life? And I said this is impossible to answer. I had lots of happy moments, but I did this size it probably when I got married and when you will Anita Wilborn will probably the happiest of men a happy single, you know, we had a wonderful childhood and my father you and Daddy did a great job and he knows it's just wonderful to have so many stories that we can we can remember together.

42:17 And I've just wanted to thank you.

42:20 Did you do get yourself up and going this morning so we can come up here and do this? It's a special gift to talk to have a sinus attack and start coughing. That's okay. Well, we'll work on doing some more of these. I love you. She'll outside of you two, obviously and Anita equally, thank you.