Post by Marc LeVine on Nov 29, 2006 10:38:56 GMT -5
Through the eyes of one lifelong Millstone resident
Millstone resident Cecilia "Ceil" Cooper Crawbuck, 89, was recently honored by the DeBows United Methodist Church in Jackson for 75 years of membership.
Two townships' histories unfold in tales of Hooper and Crawbuck families
BY JANE MEGGITT
Staff Writer
MILLSTONE - Lifelong resident Cecilia "Ceil" Hooper Crawbuck has seen a lot of changes during her 89 years in the township.
Some things in her life have remained constant, however, especially her membership at DeBows United Methodist Church. The church is located in the Holmeson section of Jackson, though Holmeson also extends into Millstone.
The church recently honored Crawbuck for her 75 years of membership along with Ceola Wentzien, of Upper Freehold, for 41 years of attendance, and Betty Lott, of Jackson, who joined the church 20 years ago.
Crawbuck was baptized at the church and became a member at the age of 14, when she was confirmed.
Her family's history in the area stretches back to 1898 when her father, Charles Hooper, moved to Holmeson, where he started a general store. The store was once located in the white house that still stands on the corner of Squan Road and Route 526. Hooper ran the store for 50 years.
Although the building is now a private residence, Crawbuck recalled that it was once "the focal point in town."
"Every night, the men gathered there," she said.
Her family lived in the same building that housed the shop, which was open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Crawbuck said her dad's store sold everything from food to dry goods, shoes, men's clothing and feed. The property even had a mill in the back at the turn of the century and later had a one-pump gas station.
"It was like a department store," she said.
Although her adolescence coincided with the Great Depression, Crawbuck said the hard times did not affect her family that much because her father owned the store and they always had plenty to eat. However, she said that during those years, her father had to issue a lot of credit to customers. She said the store served as a sort of bank for local families who used credit for food and supplies.
Crawbuck's brother, Beekman Hooper, 84, who now lives in Allentown, later took over the store. She added that both she and her brother were born in the store's family living quarters.
Crawbuck also recounted some of the changes she has seen in Millstone over the years. The building that is now Millstone Township's municipal building on Route 524 was once the Clarksburg School. Although Crawbuck attended that school, the first school she went to, in 1922, was a one-room schoolhouse on Millstone Road where Kompact Kars is now located.
She also recalled residents having to vote on whether to have one large school or two smaller schools in Millstone in the 1920s. Those opting for two schools won, she said, so there were elementary schools in both the Clarksburg and Perrineville sections of town. At that time, according to Crawbuck, there were only eight or nine children in each school's eighth-grade graduating classes.
Crawbuck graduated from Freehold High School in 1934. Her class was the last group of students from Millstone to attend that school, she said. Subsequent Millstone students went to and still go to high school in Allentown.
After high school, Crawbuck attended Trenton State Teachers College, which she graduated from in 1937. That was the last year the college offered a three-year course for teachers, she said. The school, located in Ewing, is now known as The College of New Jersey.
Following college, Crawbuck taught in the Millstone schools for five years. Her mother, Phoebe Hooper, was the first woman to serve on the Millstone Board of Education in the 1930s.
Crawbuck taught in Millstone schools until she started a family and her mother became sick.
After her mother died in 1963, Crawbuck returned to teaching kindergarten and later worked as a substitute until 1976. She still keeps in touch with some of her kindergarten students from the 1940s, who are now in their 70s, she said.
Crawbuck married her husband, James, in 1940. He worked as both a carpenter and a builder, and also did some farming. They moved to Brookside Road in 1941, but when their initial house was struck by lightning they had to build another house next to the original site.
Her husband died in 2000. The couple had three children: Gary, who died in 1993; Charles, of the New Egypt section of Plumsted; and Cynthia, of Pittsburgh. Crawbuck has five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, including twin granddaughters and twin great-granddaughters.
Crawbuck still resides on Brookside Road. When asked what other changes she has seen over the years, she said that years ago, everyone knew everyone else.
"I don't think we are as neighborly as we were years ago," she said. "We used to go out of our way to do things for people. I don't think we have that [anymore]."
She also said that families don't live as close together as they used to. She recalled spending every Sunday at her grandparents' house as a child. Sundays were also spent in church, with highlights occurring in 1980 and 2005, when two different bishops visited to speak during Old Home Day and past members and their families were invited to attend services.
"It's quite an honor for little churches," she said.
In the three-quarters of a century that Crawbuck has been a member of DeBows United Methodist Church, she has served there as Sunday school superintendent, church financial secretary and chairwoman of pastoral/parish relations.
In addition to her church activities, Crawbuck also keeps herself busy these days with membership in the Villagers of Allentown, the Millstone Senior Citizens Club and the Millstone Township Hospital Auxiliary of CentraState.
Millstone resident Cecilia "Ceil" Cooper Crawbuck, 89, was recently honored by the DeBows United Methodist Church in Jackson for 75 years of membership.
Two townships' histories unfold in tales of Hooper and Crawbuck families
BY JANE MEGGITT
Staff Writer
MILLSTONE - Lifelong resident Cecilia "Ceil" Hooper Crawbuck has seen a lot of changes during her 89 years in the township.
Some things in her life have remained constant, however, especially her membership at DeBows United Methodist Church. The church is located in the Holmeson section of Jackson, though Holmeson also extends into Millstone.
The church recently honored Crawbuck for her 75 years of membership along with Ceola Wentzien, of Upper Freehold, for 41 years of attendance, and Betty Lott, of Jackson, who joined the church 20 years ago.
Crawbuck was baptized at the church and became a member at the age of 14, when she was confirmed.
Her family's history in the area stretches back to 1898 when her father, Charles Hooper, moved to Holmeson, where he started a general store. The store was once located in the white house that still stands on the corner of Squan Road and Route 526. Hooper ran the store for 50 years.
Although the building is now a private residence, Crawbuck recalled that it was once "the focal point in town."
"Every night, the men gathered there," she said.
Her family lived in the same building that housed the shop, which was open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Crawbuck said her dad's store sold everything from food to dry goods, shoes, men's clothing and feed. The property even had a mill in the back at the turn of the century and later had a one-pump gas station.
"It was like a department store," she said.
Although her adolescence coincided with the Great Depression, Crawbuck said the hard times did not affect her family that much because her father owned the store and they always had plenty to eat. However, she said that during those years, her father had to issue a lot of credit to customers. She said the store served as a sort of bank for local families who used credit for food and supplies.
Crawbuck's brother, Beekman Hooper, 84, who now lives in Allentown, later took over the store. She added that both she and her brother were born in the store's family living quarters.
Crawbuck also recounted some of the changes she has seen in Millstone over the years. The building that is now Millstone Township's municipal building on Route 524 was once the Clarksburg School. Although Crawbuck attended that school, the first school she went to, in 1922, was a one-room schoolhouse on Millstone Road where Kompact Kars is now located.
She also recalled residents having to vote on whether to have one large school or two smaller schools in Millstone in the 1920s. Those opting for two schools won, she said, so there were elementary schools in both the Clarksburg and Perrineville sections of town. At that time, according to Crawbuck, there were only eight or nine children in each school's eighth-grade graduating classes.
Crawbuck graduated from Freehold High School in 1934. Her class was the last group of students from Millstone to attend that school, she said. Subsequent Millstone students went to and still go to high school in Allentown.
After high school, Crawbuck attended Trenton State Teachers College, which she graduated from in 1937. That was the last year the college offered a three-year course for teachers, she said. The school, located in Ewing, is now known as The College of New Jersey.
Following college, Crawbuck taught in the Millstone schools for five years. Her mother, Phoebe Hooper, was the first woman to serve on the Millstone Board of Education in the 1930s.
Crawbuck taught in Millstone schools until she started a family and her mother became sick.
After her mother died in 1963, Crawbuck returned to teaching kindergarten and later worked as a substitute until 1976. She still keeps in touch with some of her kindergarten students from the 1940s, who are now in their 70s, she said.
Crawbuck married her husband, James, in 1940. He worked as both a carpenter and a builder, and also did some farming. They moved to Brookside Road in 1941, but when their initial house was struck by lightning they had to build another house next to the original site.
Her husband died in 2000. The couple had three children: Gary, who died in 1993; Charles, of the New Egypt section of Plumsted; and Cynthia, of Pittsburgh. Crawbuck has five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, including twin granddaughters and twin great-granddaughters.
Crawbuck still resides on Brookside Road. When asked what other changes she has seen over the years, she said that years ago, everyone knew everyone else.
"I don't think we are as neighborly as we were years ago," she said. "We used to go out of our way to do things for people. I don't think we have that [anymore]."
She also said that families don't live as close together as they used to. She recalled spending every Sunday at her grandparents' house as a child. Sundays were also spent in church, with highlights occurring in 1980 and 2005, when two different bishops visited to speak during Old Home Day and past members and their families were invited to attend services.
"It's quite an honor for little churches," she said.
In the three-quarters of a century that Crawbuck has been a member of DeBows United Methodist Church, she has served there as Sunday school superintendent, church financial secretary and chairwoman of pastoral/parish relations.
In addition to her church activities, Crawbuck also keeps herself busy these days with membership in the Villagers of Allentown, the Millstone Senior Citizens Club and the Millstone Township Hospital Auxiliary of CentraState.