NJBERGEN-L Archives

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Subject: Ridgewood and surrounding area Research materials update and Thank You
Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2006 02:08:45 EDT

A couple of people on the list asked me to update them on my progress with my
fathers files.

After 5 years I have finally finished purging the 11 file cabinets containing
my fathers collection of materials about Ridgewood and the surrounding area.
I had to limit myself to one hour out in the garage working on them a night as
there were many nights where I didn't go to bed at all. Which made it rough
going to work the next day.

It has been a constant treasure hunt going thru the files. I'm almost sorry
that I finished. I knew I would find information I could use for several books.
For example I came up with an idea for another book, and an index when I
found Pops file of newsletters from the North Jersey Trust Company. It was the
bank my Grandfather was president of and Pop was the Auditor. The bank merged
with National Community, then Bank of New York.

Some day descendants of other employees can read about their ancestors in it.
I somehow doubt it will mention every employee, but it will be interesting
for me to read them anyway.

I also think Mom would get a kick out of me writing a gossipy book about the
bank. She always said she wanted to. It isn't like the one she would have
written about who was doing what with who, now that would have made us have to
move out of town.

Came across file one that contained letters to Pop from a lawyer down here in
Fl about a lady dying and leaving him $200 in her will. Along with a Mr
Conner and a couple of other officers of the North Jersey Trust Company. I remember
Pop talking about helping an old lady with her accounts at the bank and her
considering him a good friend. I wonder if this might be her.

Another file had the itinerary for a train trip my grandparents took from
Ridgewood to California.

Still another file had Pops targets while a member of a Jr Rifle Firing group.

I found a file which consisted of letters from Pop to and from my
grandfather. Too many interesting files to mention, but all will be used in one way or
another. Have enough material to keep me writing for years.

Once I finished the file cabinets, I redid the labels for each file drawer.
None of the triple filing like Pop did though. I started to work on
reorganizing the files with what I kept in them.

Now I get to start on the boxes of loose files and photographs piled in front
of the file cabinets.

So I'm not done with my treasure hunt just yet.

And I want to Thank everyone on the list who has encouraged me in this
endeavor.

Laurie Beth Roman

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