Red Headed Stepchild
(The Barrett family memoir of Navy Life)
by Sophie Ruth Meranski with photos
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Giuseppe deLellis gave jack and John Barrett piano lesons l947-l951 and l967-p 26 #793 (R) |
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Giuseppe deLellis directed Roxbury Latin and Beaver Country Day School Glee Club. John Barrett in group at right . I am beginning a listing of music I remember with our close family friend Giuseppe deLellis of West Newton. I may share this when completed with Mrs. DeLellis and her family, who are at 27 Harding Road. My father and I both took piano lesson l947-l951 and l967-l969. Giuseppe delellis perfomrated Rachmaninoff and Mozart piano concertos with Boston Pops and Arthur Fiedler. In music classes at Roxbury Latin, the recordings of the Carnegie Collegion were an amportant resource.I reember Toscanini conducting Schbubert Great C Major, the Franck symphony d minor - arlesienne suite of Bizet, Lt. Kije suite of Prokoffiev, La Mer of Debussy. I have put Year Book 1953 photos of my family memoir sebsite at http://www.ccilink.com/photobook -- these include good photos of giuseppe with the Roxburty Latin and Beaver Glee Clubs. He later taught at Dean Junior College near his original home in Franklin l957-l969. He studied with Nadia Boulanger Paris and at Longy School Cambridge. I heard him perform with violinist Faith Quesada Costa Rican at Waltham library the Franck violin-piano sonata.Puerto Rico pianist Jesus Maria SanRoma and his brother in Newton were particular friends of the deLellis family. My initial emphasis where I request help is in recollecting songs performed by the Roxbury Latin and other Glee Clubs - here are a few (Based on Ecclesisticus or Wisdom of Sirach in Bible Apochrypha is the first: Let us now praise famous men And our father that begot us Such as did bear rule in teir kingdoms Men renowned for their power Leaders of the people by their councils and their knowledge Such as found out musical tunes and recited verses in writing. ASll these were honored in their generations and were the glory of the times. And some there be that have no memoirial Who are buried as though they had never been Their bodies are buried in peace But their Name liveth fore-evermore." Old Abram Brown is Dead and gone To every man there openeth a way and ways and a way Hallehluia chorus Handel The monks march - Wales -them of Haydn Piano students included James Rumrill Randy Hare, David Spectre, Robert Murray, John Barrett - Clark Heath and Ross Holloweay played stringed instruments 0- violin or cello.- to be continued - recollections requested- John Barrett 113 w. Third St. Port Angeles WA 98362-2824 |
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Conductor Giuseppe deLellis studied with Nadia Boulanger in Paris and at Longy School Cambridge. For a number of years he performed with Boston Pops orchestra conducted by Arthur Fielder in Mozart and Rachmaninoff piano concertos. He was a friend of Puerto Rican pianist and composer Jesus M. Sanroma. He taught at Roxbury Latin and Beaver Country Day l945 to l957 and at Dean Junior College in Franklin, Massachusetts l957 to l969. His piano students included Jack and John Barrett, David B. Spectre (Arnold), Robert Murray, and Randy Hare. He sometimes performed with Costa Rican violinist Faith Quesada, including the Cesar Franck violin sonata. |
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At "the Shack" also called "Snug Harbor" near Farmington river, Windson Connecticut. Correspondence with Julius's wife Mollie Aronson October 1973 is preserved in Sophie Barrett's notebooks. Mollie was a close friend of all the Meranski family - especially in later years Sophie's sisters Esther Meranski and Rebekah Geetter in Hartford. Mollie Aronson located Rose Roesnblatt - Mrs. Israel Witkower, when she returned from California to |Hartford-Bloomfield in late 1973.They helped preserve much history, and Rose made tapes for Jewish historical Society of Greater Hartford. |
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Three of Sophie Meranski's brothers were drafted into United States Army about August l9l8 in World War I. When the draft notices came, their mother Thalia Goldfed Meranski was making jelly and was so nervous she used salt instead of sugar in making the jelly.The Armistice November 11 came before they were sent overseas, but the eldest brother Harry got severe influenza, which probably contributed to his death of pneumonia December l931, leaving permanent effects. Harry and Abe were at Fort Devens near Shirley, Massachusetts, and Abe sent a copy of this photo to his brother Ben, who was at Fort Dix, New Jersey.It is believed one other brother besides Harry had influenza also. Abe married Ethyle Berenson, a Hartford Neighbor, whos family w2ere neighbors of the Meranskis on Front Street as early as l892. Abe worked at Vandeman Plumbing and frequently acted as vaudeville Master of ceremonies for the Hartford Young Men's Hebrew Association. A letter to Sophie from his sister Esther recounted an enjoyable evening in April, l934, in which he was leader.His son Ted Meranski is retired from Post Office, Miami, Beach Florida, and has three married children Aleen Mercer in Raleigh North Carolina, Michael Meranski in Grenanda, West Indies, and Arnold Meranski resident in Steamboat Colorado with real estate business in Denver.Abe's daughter Carol Jane and her husband Herb Gitlen are in Jensen Beach Florida after years in Bloomfield, Connecticut and Newport Rhode Island. They often winter in Puerto Vallarta on Mexican Pacific. There children are Andrea and Geoff (Jess). |
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Photo by coimmander Jack Barrett January l945 on front lawn at 2415 Ala Wai boulevard, Waikiki. Sophie Barrett's sister's husband Dr. Isadore Geetter had been a hospital administrator at New Britain General Hospital with five young children born l933 to l942. He was drafted into Navy Reserve and sent to hospital duty in newly liberated Samar, Philippines. Admiral William Furlong very kindly arranged for him to use the Admiral's gig to come on shore for a brief visit while passing through Pearl Harbor en route to Philippines. |
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Ben was drafted in World War One and sent to Fort Dix, New Jersey, but the war ended before any of the brothers were sent overseas.When his mother died September 8, l925, Ben furnished information to the doctor that her parents' names were Abel and Bertha Goldfeld.Ben worked at a drugstore as a teenager- the owner promised he would be trained as a pharmacist, but some time later his father visited and found Ben was "still sweeping the floor." Ben wanted to play the saxophone and try a career in vaudeville, and quit his job, to his father's consternation. His father threw him out of the house but looked the other way when Sophie and others took food out to Ben. Eventually Ben began quietly coming home late at night to sleep, and eventually he was re-admitted. He later worked at G. Fox and company Department stores Hartford, where Sophie worked Saturdays during high school l9l6-l9l9 and summers l920 and l922.Later Ben was a hotel desk clerk for a number of years. Several ventures in vaudeville and entertainment were not successful financially in l930's Depression. A number of contemporaries whose mothers had passed away lived or took meals with the Meranski family including Julius Aronson. Ben and Abe Meranski and friends including Charlie Rosenbolatt and Julius Aronson started a summr place "The Shack" near the Farmington river in Windsor. Ben's youngest sister Rebekah was married there June 16, l929 to Dr. Isadore Geetter, Trinity l925 when he completed Jefferson Medical School. The prperty has remained in the possession of the Geetter family. Several of the Meranski family took middle names: Harry Uriah- Benjamin Franklin - Sophie Ruth - and Israel Peter. Originally named Rebecca, their youngest siter adopted the Biblical spelling Rebekah. |
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