THOMAS BERILLA - Part 16 - School Years

JULY 14, 2009. Mary Fitzpatrick continues the interviews with her dad about his life story. In this part he talks about his childhood best friend: his cousin Larry. Went to St. Williams in East Pittsburgh, then attended public school. Mentions his favorite teachers: junior high teachers, Miss Barthel, algebra teacher; Miss Berringer, English teacher; Miss King, mathematics. Tells how he got into machine shop at Scott High School by going through the school superintendent. Shorty McGrath was his teacher. Talks about how historic events affected his life in the 1930s. Mentions Amos and Andy and Lowell Thomas radio programs. Talks about his favorite hangout at Cow Mountain (Kenny's Hill) in North Braddock. Mentions holiday food - nutroll and cabbage rolls. Religion was important to his family when he was little. Attended St. Helen's Church. His most serious illness was pleurisy as a teenager. Ends with his mentioning the poor air quality of Pittsburgh PA.


FOR FURTHER EDIFICATION . . . Here are films about life in Pittsburgh in the 1930s:

[Mom mentioned her home was flooded when she was a girl. She would have been about nine years old at this time. This might be the flood she talked about.]

1936 Flood of Pittsburgh - Video footage

http://www.archive.org/details/1936Pittsburg

Film footage of steelmaking in the 1930s

http://www.archive.org/details/SteelASy1936

http://www.archive.org/details/steel_the_hardest_metal

Film about the advance of technology is showcased at the 1939 New York World's Fair. Also gives a glimpse of the styles and other people's family life at the time when Dad was about 13 years old.

http://www.archive.org/details/middleton_family_worlds_fair_1939

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• THOMAS
• BERILLA
• 1930s
• North Braddock
• East Pittsburgh
• St. Williams
• Scott High School

[MaryFitzp]

TV was not invented, when it first came out a neighbor invited the neighborhood kids to her house. My first TV show was the ALL STAR BASEBALL GAME. We did not have a TV until I was 15. We loved putting on plays, and played "movie star". This was in the 1940's. The war was on but we only were aware when there was a practice air raid drill, and we would hide in the dark under the table. My mom was a warden, carrying a flash light with a red tissue cover over the light.

-- Aunt Annette

[MaryFitzp]

Movies would be shown on our side street by the local pub, and before they began, we would have an amateur hour on the stage till it was dark for the movie to start. Laurel & Hardy etc. I would sing and tap dance, up there.

-- Aunt Annette

[MaryFitzp]

When I said we were never at home, we just had so much fun playing outside. We would sled ride down our steep Pittsburgh Streets all winter, play ball on our street in the summer, jumped rope, built mud dams when it rained, played canasta, on the sidewalk Sewer top under the streetlight when it got dark, and of course played every cops and robbers game, hiding in chicken coops, and neighbors gardens.

-- Aunt Annette

[MaryFitzp]

I used to play on Cow Mt, or Kenny's Hill too. We use to play May Queen. Decorate our hair with garlands, and use curtains as Veils. We had 2 boys who were May Queens, too. We used to put on plays, that the boys wrote, and had regular shows in their garage. The best popcorn I ever tasted made in an Iron Pan by one of the mom's. Really enjoyed our childhood. We were never at home

-- Aunt Annette