Hundreds of NBHS students were taught by Mrs. Murphy over the years.. I being one of them. Mrs. Murphy was strict. "I didn't give out many A's" she confided to me in her senior years.
Mrs. Murphy was born a posthumous child. Her name was Anna Gertrude Dorney. Her mother was an accomplished seamstress working at the White Overall Factory (Cooke's Building on Summer Street.) In the absence of a father, Anne got good direction from her two aunts: Sadie & Estelle Cuddy.
Mrs. Murphy was an intellect and enjoyed the works of William Shakespeare. Also, her fifth grade teachers suggested her name change to Anne! Shedid and later attended three years at Bridgewater State College and began teaching in New Britain, CT. for $900 a year.
Mrs. Murphy began dating another North Brookfield luminary: ROBERT CAREY. Carey went onto becoming a physician having graduated from Yale University. Mr. Murphy described her husband as "a tremendous guy." He was a tremendous athlete playing ball in the Eastern League.
The couple found a home in New York City. They were sitting on top of their worlds. The Carey's had two children, John and Sally. Their lives were characteristic of the Great Gatzbys until one day Dr. Carey learned he contracted TB in his in his work at ELLIS ISLAND. He resigned his job and was confined to the Worcester County Sanatorium for five years.
Dr. Carey died at age leaving John, age 7 and Sally, age 4. Anne Murphy was a widow at age 39. Her return to North Brookfield saw her teaching career blossom. Further, children John and Sally were high achievers. Sally went onto being class valedictorian. John graduated from Holy Cross College and Sally from the College of New Rochelle & Rutgers.
Mrs. Murphy's new career at NBHS saw her rise to the occasion. She believed in discipline. Her desire for her students was to become good speakers. "Chewing gum cheapens you" she later said. " Our language is wonderful if you respect it."
Her second marriage to George Murphy of Forest Street, NB, a postal worker.
I enjoyed having Mrs. Murphy as my teacher. She emphasized the Teenage Book Club and enjoyed reading us stories in the last school period of the day! Mrs. Murphy was tough as well as being good!
No comments:
Post a Comment