For more than half a century there has been at least one Nelson living in the little town of Richmondville in upstate New York, approximately forty miles west of Albany the state capital on route 7, which parallels the newer route 88. The town is located in Schoharie County in the Cherry Valley region of New York State.
The Nelson presence in Richmondville began in the mid 1950s with the pioneering spirit of Allen and Alice Nelson. The town's population was less than 800. Allen and Alice were the first to venture away from the close-knit Nelson and Johnson family roots in Brooklyn. At the time they had two young girls; Jennie was about three and Susan was an infant. The family bought an old eighteen-room house on a seventy-eight acre “rock” that had little usable land. What land there was Allen rented to a neighbor farmer who used the pasture for grazing his dairy cattle.
Access to the house was up a relatively steep hill, over a set of railroad tracks, and then around a sharp, curvy hill that was difficult to negotiate, especially in the winter. Seven of the eighteen rooms in the house were an unfinished addition that had been exposed to the elements for so long that they were a challenge to make usable. However, Allen put a lot of effort into the remaining eleven rooms to make comfortable quarters for his young family. At one point the only drinking water came from a mountain spring somewhere in their seventy-eight acre “rock.” It was while living on the hill that Alice and Allen gave their daughters a brother, young Allen, a pure redhead.
Allen the elder was self-employed doing odd job handyman projects, primarily painting and remodeling. After a while he found an opportunity as an apprentice for a local established mason contractor. It didn’t take Allen long to realize his own talents in the trade, and he branched out on his own as a mason contractor. In time the family sold the house on the hill and moved into town on Main Street, which is route 7. Jennie and Susan began school at the only school system in town, Richmondville Central, which included classes from kindergarten through the four years of high school. At some point after the Nelsons moved to Richmondville, Allen’s close friend, Sven Fagergren, and Sven’s wife Ann Massey Fagergren, both from Brooklyn, made the move to Richmondville, and Sven went to work with Allen. Sven and Ann adopted a young boy and named him Sven Jr.
In October 1961, influenced by Allen’s romantic tales of life in the country, Gene and his bride of eight months, Anne, made the venturous move to Richmondville. They had no car or driver’s license because there was no need for one in the Big Apple. Gene commuted with fellow employees who worked at the Sperry Rand plant in Cobleskill, seven miles east of Richmondville, and Anne baby-sat Alice and Allen’s children while Alice went to work.
Allen and Sven joined several other friends from Cobleskill and formed the Coble Aires, a drum and bugle corps. The influential leader was Bill Retty, a talented performer in his own right. Allen learned the bass drum, and Sven played the bugle. The group performed to appreciative crowds during the summer seasons. For the short while that Gene was in Richmondville, he joined the group as a snare drummer. When Sperry Rand closed the Cobleskill plant Gene and Anne moved to Schenectady, where Gene found work as a draftsman with General Electric.
In the late sixties Allen and Sven were returning from a job one cold winter evening and their van overturned on a slick country road. As a result Sven became paralyzed in his legs and was confined to a wheelchair for the remainder of his life. He was given the opportunity to retrain, and learned to become a productive draftsman. His wife Ann began a career in the local Richmondville bank where she worked her way up the corporate ladder and became an influential loan officer. Allen commuted to work at the offices of Lux and Quackenbush, Architects, in Albany, where Gene worked as a draftsman. Through his contacts Allen eventually found an executive position with a large plumbing contractor in Binghamton. Instead of commuting every day, he rented an apartment during the week and came home to Richmondville for the weekends. By then he and Alice had moved from their Main Street home to another address on Depot Street, within walking distance of the Main Street home.
By then Susan had married Larry Clarke, who was a teacher at the Richmondville school system. Larry later became principal. The Clarkes raised their family in Richmondville and became a vibrant force in the life of the community. Jennie had since moved to the Maryland-Virginia area. Allen married a girl named Penny, and they remained in Richmondville where they raised their family as well.
In the mid-eighties Ken and Darby made the move from West Milford, NJ to Richmondville, where Ken found work remodeling and building houses. By then young Kenny was out of high school and he learned a lot working with Ken in the building trade. Kristina was off to college, and Danny transferred to the Richmondville school system. Warren and Louise soon followed Ken and Darby, and they rented a house from Sven Fagergren’s parents, who also made the move from Brooklyn years earlier. In fact, while Gene and Anne were still in Richmondville, Gene commuted with Mr. Fagergren to Sperry Rand, where Mr. Fagergren was employed as a machinist. Warren found work at the local Best Western motel.
At a young age of fifty-eight Allen passed away in December 1986 after a long bout with cancer. Shortly afterwards Jennie met Lou Landean, whom she said would have gotten along famously with her Dad. Alice stayed at the Depot Street address until she passed away. When Sven Fagergren passed away his wife Ann moved back into the house originally owned by the senior Fagergrens. Since then the Clarkes have retired to Charlottesville, Virginia. Jennie married Lou and they live in Westminster, Maryland. Allen and Penny still reside in Richmondville, in the Depot Street house where Alice and Allen both passed away.
Indeed, Richmondville holds a long part of the Nelson family history.
The Nelson presence in Richmondville began in the mid 1950s with the pioneering spirit of Allen and Alice Nelson. The town's population was less than 800. Allen and Alice were the first to venture away from the close-knit Nelson and Johnson family roots in Brooklyn. At the time they had two young girls; Jennie was about three and Susan was an infant. The family bought an old eighteen-room house on a seventy-eight acre “rock” that had little usable land. What land there was Allen rented to a neighbor farmer who used the pasture for grazing his dairy cattle.
Access to the house was up a relatively steep hill, over a set of railroad tracks, and then around a sharp, curvy hill that was difficult to negotiate, especially in the winter. Seven of the eighteen rooms in the house were an unfinished addition that had been exposed to the elements for so long that they were a challenge to make usable. However, Allen put a lot of effort into the remaining eleven rooms to make comfortable quarters for his young family. At one point the only drinking water came from a mountain spring somewhere in their seventy-eight acre “rock.” It was while living on the hill that Alice and Allen gave their daughters a brother, young Allen, a pure redhead.
Allen the elder was self-employed doing odd job handyman projects, primarily painting and remodeling. After a while he found an opportunity as an apprentice for a local established mason contractor. It didn’t take Allen long to realize his own talents in the trade, and he branched out on his own as a mason contractor. In time the family sold the house on the hill and moved into town on Main Street, which is route 7. Jennie and Susan began school at the only school system in town, Richmondville Central, which included classes from kindergarten through the four years of high school. At some point after the Nelsons moved to Richmondville, Allen’s close friend, Sven Fagergren, and Sven’s wife Ann Massey Fagergren, both from Brooklyn, made the move to Richmondville, and Sven went to work with Allen. Sven and Ann adopted a young boy and named him Sven Jr.
In October 1961, influenced by Allen’s romantic tales of life in the country, Gene and his bride of eight months, Anne, made the venturous move to Richmondville. They had no car or driver’s license because there was no need for one in the Big Apple. Gene commuted with fellow employees who worked at the Sperry Rand plant in Cobleskill, seven miles east of Richmondville, and Anne baby-sat Alice and Allen’s children while Alice went to work.
Allen and Sven joined several other friends from Cobleskill and formed the Coble Aires, a drum and bugle corps. The influential leader was Bill Retty, a talented performer in his own right. Allen learned the bass drum, and Sven played the bugle. The group performed to appreciative crowds during the summer seasons. For the short while that Gene was in Richmondville, he joined the group as a snare drummer. When Sperry Rand closed the Cobleskill plant Gene and Anne moved to Schenectady, where Gene found work as a draftsman with General Electric.
In the late sixties Allen and Sven were returning from a job one cold winter evening and their van overturned on a slick country road. As a result Sven became paralyzed in his legs and was confined to a wheelchair for the remainder of his life. He was given the opportunity to retrain, and learned to become a productive draftsman. His wife Ann began a career in the local Richmondville bank where she worked her way up the corporate ladder and became an influential loan officer. Allen commuted to work at the offices of Lux and Quackenbush, Architects, in Albany, where Gene worked as a draftsman. Through his contacts Allen eventually found an executive position with a large plumbing contractor in Binghamton. Instead of commuting every day, he rented an apartment during the week and came home to Richmondville for the weekends. By then he and Alice had moved from their Main Street home to another address on Depot Street, within walking distance of the Main Street home.
By then Susan had married Larry Clarke, who was a teacher at the Richmondville school system. Larry later became principal. The Clarkes raised their family in Richmondville and became a vibrant force in the life of the community. Jennie had since moved to the Maryland-Virginia area. Allen married a girl named Penny, and they remained in Richmondville where they raised their family as well.
In the mid-eighties Ken and Darby made the move from West Milford, NJ to Richmondville, where Ken found work remodeling and building houses. By then young Kenny was out of high school and he learned a lot working with Ken in the building trade. Kristina was off to college, and Danny transferred to the Richmondville school system. Warren and Louise soon followed Ken and Darby, and they rented a house from Sven Fagergren’s parents, who also made the move from Brooklyn years earlier. In fact, while Gene and Anne were still in Richmondville, Gene commuted with Mr. Fagergren to Sperry Rand, where Mr. Fagergren was employed as a machinist. Warren found work at the local Best Western motel.
At a young age of fifty-eight Allen passed away in December 1986 after a long bout with cancer. Shortly afterwards Jennie met Lou Landean, whom she said would have gotten along famously with her Dad. Alice stayed at the Depot Street address until she passed away. When Sven Fagergren passed away his wife Ann moved back into the house originally owned by the senior Fagergrens. Since then the Clarkes have retired to Charlottesville, Virginia. Jennie married Lou and they live in Westminster, Maryland. Allen and Penny still reside in Richmondville, in the Depot Street house where Alice and Allen both passed away.
Indeed, Richmondville holds a long part of the Nelson family history.
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