God Bless all the Victims and all that helped in the rescue and recovery.
Remember 9/11/01
God Bless all the Victims and all that helped in the rescue and recovery.
Remember 9/11/01
SHEA'S
PLACE
Local Weather-Oakdale, L. I
IN THE BEGINNING. . . . .There came James,.... Born in Glendale, Queens, New York on August sixteenth, Nineteen thirty one. Born to Raymond V. Sr., and Catherine C. Shea. The youngest of four children, I had two brothers and a sister. Namely, in age order, was Raymond V. Jr., Patricia, and Robert. I was born at home on sixty-fourth street between Cooper Avenue and seventy fifth Avenue. It was a nice en
vironment to begin life. Although, in the thick of the depression, the family was not doing well at the time. I attended Saint Pancras School from February, Ninteen Thirty Seven to February, Ninteen Forty Five, at which time I chose to go to Woodrow Wilson Vocational High School. Coming from a family of blue collar workers, it seemed like the right thing to do.
After an indoctrination period in various trades, I chose Printing as my vocation. There was something about creating printed documents or graphics on paper that grabbed me.
In the senior year, we had a work release program ( sounds criminal-like, doesn't it? ) and I applied for and was hired at a printing company in Brooklyn. We composed and printed labels for paint cans among other things. A lot of color work. I worked there for approximately one year, and the Korean War started. A group of friends and I joined the Navy and we were gone in March of Fifty-One. The Navy experience will come later. ( Incidentally, this photo was taken in a Kresge Five and Dime on Myrtle Avenue, I can remember watching the girl color it by hand. )
ANOTHER BEGINNING.......Exactly three months after "little Jimmy" arrived in Glendale, I made my debut. On November sixteenth, Nineteen Thirty One, in another part of Queens called Richmond Hill, Helen J. became the new addition to the Burton family, ( William J., Anna Marie and sister Joyce Marie ). Shortly after my arrival, our little family moved from that Liberty Avenue area to the Briarwood section of Jamaica ( Parsons Boulevard and Grand Central Parkway ). Then at age three, we moved back to
Richmond Hill, conveniently living across the street from Public School -One Twenty One and around the corner ffrom Saint Theresa of Avila Roman Catholic Church, both of which I attended. Then on to John Adams High School in nearby Ozone Park, graduating in June of Nineteen Forty-Nine. But not before moving once again, to Maspeth, Queens. At that point, I was ready to go off to work for Consolidated Edison Co. in Manhattan.
Having resided in the borough of Queens for my entire young life, I look back with fond memories on all the neighborhoods as they were then, each one offering me new fun and new friends. I have never forgotten all the friends , some became life long pals. My years at Consolidated Edison were just as unforgettable, more good fun and good friends.
Yes, basically, I was happy with just a few problems here and there to remind me that this was the real world I was living in.
As my father always said, "You don't get a free ride in life" - although - on the other hand - Daddy won a car in the midst of the depression ( a '32 Chevy ) and sooo...... we "rode free" all through the depression! Now, that's the luck of the Irish!!!
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