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March 10, 2019
Kimberlie Donley** Mark Swanson* Joanne Bocach*
Kimberlie Donley** (585) 329-7848 C Mark Swanson* (585) 750-2906 C Joanne Bocach* (585) 415-6107 C
Issue No. 10
www.westsidenewsny.com
West Edition
Distributed to Bergen, Clarendon, Holley-Murray and Brockport-Sweden
Women of the Westside: Part One - Helen Lemcke A series celebrating Women’s History Month by shining the light on local women of wisdom with long lineages of life in towns on the westside by Tami Raco Tight knit; those are the words that describe Helen Lemcke’s family of Hilton. The first Lemcke is believed to have immigrated to this area in the late 1800s from Germany. Arthur and Myrtle Lemcke began their family in 1914 on Long Pond Road next to the Lowden farm. When Helen’s mom, Myrtle, was asked how many children she was going to have, her answer was “As many as God gives me.” The Lemckes went on to have 16 children – ten boys and six girls. Helen Lemcke, born in 1923, was child number six in the family. The Lemckes spent most of the years raising their 16 children in a nine-room farmhouse with 50 acres of land on Manitou Road. Helen and her siblings were raised learning the value of hard work, family closeness and traditions. School consisted of a one-room schoolhouse on Long Pond Road. Rich traditions and closeness were the fruit of the Lemcke family tree. Sunday dinners were a staple in the family. Regardless of what was going
Helen was the sixth of sixteen children. Here she is surrounded by her five older siblings.
Helen Lemcke with her mother Myrtle. on, everyone would gather at the farm for a family meal every Sunday. Pior to the meal, men and boys would be outside working together on the farm and harvesting crops while Helen, her sisters, mom and aunts would help in the kitchen and with children. Learning to cook, sew, and care for children were skills taught very early to Helen and her sisters. The family grew up during the Great Depression and WWII and, although the economy was bleak, the family bonds were strong. Those bonds were evident in their love for one another, unwavering support, working together, and regular family time together. As the Lemcke children grew into young adults, many of Helen’s brothers joined the military and shipped out during the war. College was not a reality for most in that era and Helen stayed at the farm and helped her Mom. Helen, her mom and aunts would provide home-cooked meals to local hotels and establishments to resell to their patrons. They also would make extra money by spending summers picking cherries for Apple Annie’s. Helen met her husband Burton Carlton at a town dance. She married him in 1940 at the age of 18. As the war was nearing an end, times for women were beginning to change. Helen learned how to drive and even got a job working outside of the home as a cook in the cafeteria at Paddy Hill School. As the 16 Lemcke children grew into adults they started families of their own. The family only grew in their closeness and sharing of traditions. Christmas traditions created many fond memories etched in their hearts. Loaves of homemade raisin bread, handmade sausage, and hard cider for the men continued through
Helen Lemcke, now age 96, with her daughter Donna Mead. Photo by Karen Fien. the decades. As the family grew, Christmas Eve gatherings were standing room only at the Lemcke home. Despite the size, everyone got a gift. Regardless of the simplicity of the gift, the family found their treasures in the shared time and traditions together. continued on page 15
Christmas traditions, like Myrtle’s homemade raisin bread, were important to the Lemcke family.
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