Monday, March 28, 2011

P.S. to the New Bedford Story

I was so gratified at your response to my blog about New Bedford and my Uncle Harry Bloomingdale, and tickled pink that you all loved the house as much as I did.

There is a link to the story that was written about his Department Store and his many achievements and am including that below for those of you who like history, especially when there is a string connecting it to someone you know.  Elyssa of "Fancy Pantalons" and the one you can than for all this great research
sent help in her comment as follows:. 

fancy pantalons said...
Hi all, Try this link: http://bit.ly/e6tL7F and scroll down to the "Harry Bloomingdale" section. Fascinating stuff!

A_History_of_New_Bedford.docx 

A Gift From Out of the Past


There have been a myriad of wonderful surprises and delights that have come to me from this blog and  it seems they just keep coming.

I recently had an email from a wonderful woman named Elyssa of the blog "Fancy Pantalons", a follower who had some kind things to say about my blogging, and she happened to mention New Bedford, Mass.  I got all excited because one of my Uncles whom I have blogged about, my Uncle Harry, lived for many years in New Bedford and I had wonderful memories of the grand old Victorian house there.  I mentioned the address to Elyssa and told her about him and, wonder of wonders, the next day she sent me a photo of the house (she had driven by and found that it was still there) and an article she had located telling all about my Uncle and his achievements.

 I haven't been able to upload the article but I have managed to get the photo pulled up and, behold, here it is.  I can't quite say "in all it's glory" because the house is a bit faded, but still gorgeous, I think.
(Oh, what I could do with it if I were only 20 years younger.)

 I sent the photo to two of my young cousins and they were both tickled to see it again too. They had both been there with their parents when they were young and had fond memories.

************************


Comment from cousin
Rob Kapnek

Lo-
Amazing!!!
I remember many trips there, visiting
Harry, Essie and Flora, throughout
my childhood.
The house was like a living museum
to me, replete with antiques, pianos, brass
beds, silver and objects, all
of which seemed hundreds of years
old, at the time.
Essie was permanently hunched in
two, from carrying Harry up and down
the stairs, on her back.
When she was nearly 100, she was still
climbing the apple tree in the back yard to make us a pie, when we visited.

I think he was the founder of the Kiwanis Club and was always visited and lauded for his philanthropy. 
Flora was their adopted daughter and lived at home with Essie to care for Harry, wheelchair bound for more
than 60 years. 
Dad and Lew loved them and they all were really devoted to each other.
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Comment from cousin Bruce Morton

Thanks for sending this. As I recall, my Dad took the family up to Cape Cod for a vacation when I was a senior in college and my brother Ken was a freshman, and we stopped in New Bedford en route to see my 2 cousins at the house in New Bedford. They were both female, around 88 and 93 years old as I recall. When we arrived, one of them was up on a tall ladder replacing a light bulb, and the other one was doing house repairs. I was stunned at their vibrancy for their age.  We got a tour of the house, which was full of original woodworking art.


Great, fascinating..............
Thanks.
Love,
     Bruce
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I am incredibly grateful to Elyssa for her research and zeal in bringing back these wonderful memories.
The wonders of blogging will never cease to amaze and thrill me.
e.


 
 

A_History_of_New_Bedford.docx