Returning to Norwich after Seven Decades - Jean Gardner
by Jean Gardner
  • August 14, 2024
  • 6 mins story
1. What is your favorite memory of growing up and/or living in Chenango County? This can be from your childhood, the past month, or anything in between.

[0:00]

I was born June 17th, 1946 in this town, which means next month I will be 78 years old. [laughs] I’ve made it this far. My parents moved when I was like five days old, and we moved away from - I went to school in Dryden and moved around in Cazenovia and things. And then I moved to Florida for eight years. And then moved to Georgia for twenty five years. And we moved back to Norwich in October 2022. We’ve been here now - we live over on Clinton Street. 

[0:47]

Other than that, we’ve - I don’t remember much about Norwich; I’ve had people say, “Has it changed much since you left here?” And I look at them and I say, “I was five days old when I left, so I don’t know!” But it’s still - we’re back. Gonna be here ‘til… Some of the things I’ve noticed around here is my dad’s name is on that rock. He is - the one in the park - he was in World War 1. And he died when I was 13. And we come - when we came up here to visit, we would go to the rock and see him. And he’s buried at Mount Hope [Cemetery]. And other than that, I’m glad to be back but I don’t like the weather here. [laughs] 

[1:42]

I have kids; one in Oneida and one in Syracuse. Kids and - my partner is Albert; he’s from this area. He was born in Cooperstown - from Hubbardsville, in Hubbardsville. Other than that, we’re doing good. We’re glad to be back. 

[2:09]

Well we’ve been to the Park Place [Sports Bar and Grill] a couple of times; the food there is pretty good. I’ll give them a hand. This one lady - and I love the concerts in the park because when I was there I had to use the restroom so I went over there and this little lady helped me find it. She says, “Wait and I'll take you there.” And then we went in there to eat and she remembered me from last year and she says, “It’s good to see you again, how have you been?” I’ve been getting that. Yeah. 

[2:39]

We used to know [the] Fergusens on the corner of - my mom and dad lived [on] Delaware Square. And if you went over here, there’s a blue house or gray house in an empty spot. That’s - there was a house there and that’s where we lived. My dad planted that big evergreen tree that was back in there, but they cut it down because it was getting too big. Yep. But we have pictures of it. 

[3:08]

But it's a pretty nice town. Quiet. Lot of - lot of things going on. I love the park for those things - the concerts. I’ll be there again this year. That is, if I still can. We’re here for the end and I don’t feel like - we’re gonna be 78. I’m getting too old [laughs] So, we’re here ‘till the duration I guess. His daughters live - Al’s daughters - one lives in Lebanon - no… I forgot. And the other one lives right here in Norwich.

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