“We didn’t have toys, period. We played outdoors,” says the nonagenarian. “My sister and I would hug the radio. She used to keep me entertained and my brothers used to take me to Celoron Park.

Josephine played piano as a child and Tom played violin. “We used to have a lot of fun with that.”

When she was about 13 years old, she began traveling alone by bus to Fredonia to visit her brother and sister-in-law and Carmella. “I went about two times a week.”

She attended Rogers Elementary School and remembers always having a pet, but one special Collie stands out the most.

Mary Volpe is surrounded by her five sons. Submitted photo

“He used to walk with me to school and would meet me there when I got out of school.”

After Rogers she went to Jefferson Junior High and graduated from Jamestown High School in 1943.

After graduation she worked as an instructor in the mica section of the local Sylvania plant, where material for bulbs used in the interior of planes were made. World War II was in full swing.

There were many bar/restaurants on Jamestown’s W. Eighth Street in the 1940s. It was in one of these where young Mary Conti met Angelo “Screech” Volpe.

“It was more like a young group’s bar. His sister, who later became former Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi’s mom, invited me with a group and she made sure I met him.”

This photo was taken on Mary Volpe’s parents’ fiftieth wedding anniversary at the house at 15 Hazzard St. Submitted photo

Volpe had just returned from his time served in the Army with the 135th Engineers.

“He was a liberator when they closed Dachau, Germany (concentration camp),” says his son Charles Volpe.

The couple was married on Nov. 22, 1947. Mrs. Volpe still has a souvenir from Jack Dempsey’s Broadway Bar and Cocktail Lounge where they stopped during their honeymoon to New York City.

The bride took a leave from her job at the time of her wedding. It was at this time that the Sylvania plant moved to Warren, Pa. Mr. Volpe worked for nearly 40 years at Union National Furniture Company, a factory known for its fine quality and hand painted furniture. He worked on all of the furniture Lucille Ball purchased from the factory and actually had telephone discussions with her about the pieces.

“In the early 50s, my father came home with a wrapped package and stuck it in their closet,” says the Volpe’s oldest son, Peter.

He goes on to tell about the mysterious wrapped package that stayed in the closet for many decades until he took it out. When it was unwrapped, two beautiful cabinet doors were revealed. These doors now hang on the wall of his home.

His mother has several pieces of the high-quality furniture, as well as a mirror, some of which her husband made and some which he painted.

After spending the first few months of their marriage in the home of Mrs. Volpe’s parents, the couple rented an apartment a few blocks away at 215 Hazzard St. Several years and two children later, they moved their family back to the bride’s parents’ home to care for them when they were ill. A few years later, the parents purchased a house on Prather Avenue and the Volpe’s bought the house at 15 Hazzard St., where they had four more children and made a lot of memories.

Peter remembers playing with Tommy Rettig, who played Jeff the first four seasons of the TV series “Lassie.” Some of Rettig’s relatives resided behind the Volpe’s on Foote Avenue.

The couple enjoyed a social life starting with the former Pier Ballroom at Celoron Park while dating and continued after they were married. They also danced, sometimes two nights per week, at the Italian-American Club, VFW and American Legion.

“My sister, Josephine, lived upstairs. She’d babysit for me one week and I’d babysit for her the next week,” she says.

Mrs. Volpe did not work outside the home after she was married, but remained very busy. She not only raised her own children and cared for her sister’s children, but tended to her father who lived with her for 25 years after the death of her mother. She belonged to the PTA and was very active in St. James RC Church.

“Growing up my life consisted of Hazzard Street, St. James Church, St. James School and the Boys Club,” Peter informs. “My father never had a car until later. The Boys Club took us to the old Coke plant on Fairmount Avenue for a field trip. I thought I was in a different country. The farthest I had ever been before was Stillwater in my uncle’s car.”

Peter and his dad had learner’s permits at the same time, but the son was the first to learn to drive his father’s 1954 Chevrolet.

Over the years, his mother enjoyed knitting and other crafts. A yellow knitted afghan draped over the back of her couch is an example of her work.

“I used to like to sew,” she says.

Charles remembers his mother doing all of the family alterations.

Mrs. Volpe remained in the home at 15 Hazzard St. until a few years after the passing of her husband in 2010, when she moved to Carlson Towers. She is fortunate to have most of her five sons living in close proximity. Peter is a retired mail carrier, who lives in Jamestown. Anthony, who resides in Florida, is retired from the post office. Charles now lives in Jamestown, since he retired from environmental health and safety/regulatory compliance for a chemical company in Rhode Island. Thomas and Angelo Jr, live in Jamestown. Tommy works in sales/delivery and Angelo works for the post office. Her only daughter, Esther, passed away when she was four days old. Four grandchildren round out the family, with a granddaughter living in Belgium. A great-grandchild is expected soon.

Gina, a granddaughter and two daughters-in-law, Marlene and Lisa, put together a beautiful cookbook which contains Mrs. Volpe’s delicious recipes.

“Her cookies were legendary,” says Peter.

“Everybody would fight over them,” Charles adds.

“Her stuffed artichokes are to die for. Nobody in this town makes them like her,” Peter declares.