Memories are meant to be shared. That’s the idea behind Cuyahoga County Public Library’s Neighborhood History Project. Funded by an AARP grant, the library is recording and sharing 10-minute stories from people 50 and over from throughout Northeast Ohio. The videos can be viewed at ccpl.thedigitalmosaic.com. “It was really a way to have these people connect and keep their minds going,” says Linda Kaminski, library adult programming specialist. We excerpt three of our favorite memories from the project.
Phyllis Welker, 80
Welker grew up in an East Side housing project. “There was something to do every single day,” she says, reminiscing about playing in the sprinklers. Once, legendary Cleveland Indians pitcher Satchel Paige came by for a visit. “He came and talked to us, and we all got his autograph, which was a big, big thrill for me,” she says. bit.ly/phylliswelkerccpl
Nancy Kristofik, 64
Kristofik, whose family moved to Parma in 1963, used to scour The Plain Dealer’s Dance Chance column, which listed area dances for teens. “We went to a lot of dances,” she says. Their favorite spot was the then all-boys Padua Franciscan High School. “Of course, as girls, that’s where we wanted to go, where there were all boys,” she says. bit.ly/nancykristofikccpl
Melanie Young, 68
Young was 30 when she visited a relative in South Euclid and met her future husband, Mitchell. She flew home to New York to break off a previous engagement. Later Mitchell came to visit. “I wanted to go to Cleveland to get a job,” Young says. “He said, ‘Marry me first.’ The next thing I knew I was at the host’s house, having our wedding.” bit.ly/melanieyoungccpl
A Library Project is Archiving Memories from Northeast Ohio Residents
The Cuyahoga County Public Library is tapping into people over 50 to form an oral history of the area’s neighborhoods.
