My mother, Nota Nellie Almand was born in Georgia. She graduated from Sayville High School in the class of 1939. She had a bubbly personality; her nickname was “Sugar”! Nota participated in high school choral and art activities.
We resided in a second-floor apartment on Atlantic Avenue in West Sayville, adjacent to Ted Van Wyen’s grocery store, both of which still exist today.
I attended kindergarten at the elementary school located on Greene Avenue.
While my mother worked in a nursing home, my great aunt, Hazel Eversdyke, who lived on the same street, took care of me.
The Bishop family and the Ball family were our neighbors across the street.
When the war concluded, my father obtained his U.S. citizenship and returned home, securing a position at Republic Aviation in Farmingdale.
Following her graduation from Sayville High School, she attended the WMCA School of Nursing, where she earned her credentials as a Licensed Practical Nurse. She loved the artwork!
During her time in New York City, she met my father, John Julian. Dad was born in Quebec, Canada, and spent his formative years in a Catholic children’s home. His father served in World War I and was killed in action, leaving behind a widow and nine children.
Unable to care for such a large family, my father was entrusted to the children’s home. I have no information regarding the fate of his siblings or my paternal grandmother.
Upon reaching the age at which children were released from the home, my father relocated to New York City, where he took on the role of an ambulance driver for a hospital, the name of which remains unknown to me. He met my mother under circumstances I am unaware of, and they fell in love, marrying in January 1942. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the United States Army as a medic, although he was never deployed overseas.
My parents welcomed two children into the world: myself and my brother. I was born in October 1942.
I’m sure my mother would have loved a profession involving art. But, being an artist during WWII was incredibly challenging and did not provide financial stability as resources became scarce and the demand for traditional art diminished. It was a period of immense hardship, but also one of remarkable resilience and innovation.
During the war years, my mother was employed as a “Rosie the Riveter” at the Grumman Company in Bethpage. Rosie the Riveter became famous as a cultural icon representing women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II. he character symbolized the significant contributions of women to the war effort, filling roles traditionally held by men who were away fighting. The image of Rosie, often depicted wearing a polka-dot bandana and flexing her arm, emerged from a campaign to encourage women to join the workforce. The slogan “We Can Do It!” further emphasized empowerment and determination. Over time, Rosie has come to represent women’s rights and feminist movements, making her an enduring symbol of strength and resilience. Mom also served as a sky observer for the “Relief Duty Group”, volunteers in Sayville during WWII. The Relief Duty Group was a part of the U.S. Army during World War II, primarily involved in providing support and assistance in areas affected by war. So, that was my Mom; an enduring symbol of strength and resilience!
When I was five years old, my parents purchased a home in Ronkonkoma, prompting our move from Atlantic Avenue in West Sayville.
They accumulated sufficient funds to purchase a modest residence in Ronkonkoma. It was in this location that my brother was born, and where the two of us spent our childhood. Each summer, we would travel to St. Michele in Quebec for our vacation, visiting a farm where our father had spent part of his own youth. I cherished the moments spent with the animals, despite my inability to communicate or comprehend their language.
I attended Ronkonkoma Elementary School from grades one through six. As Ronkonkoma only offered education up to that level, I was then transported to the Sayville School District for junior high and high school.
I completed my junior high education at the old 88 and spent my first two years of high school at the former high school on Greene Avenue.
My class was the second to graduate from what was then referred to as the “new” high school on Brook Street.
My brother John ultimately graduated from the Connetquot School District, which encompasses Ronkonkoma, Bohemia, and Oakdale.
Mother dedicated her career to various nursing homes, including her time at a Sayville Nursing Home. Practical nurses in nursing homes exemplify unwavering hard work and dedication as they provide compassionate care to residents. They often juggle a multitude of responsibilities, from administering medications and monitoring vital signs to assisting with daily activities and offering emotional support. Their commitment to enhancing the quality of life for elderly individuals shines through in the way they build meaningful relationships with residents and their families. Each day, they face the challenges of an often demanding environment, yet their resilience and passion for caregiving make a profound difference in the lives of those they serve.
My mother passed away on January 31, 2009, in Syosset, Nassau County, New York. She is buried in Calverton National Cemetery by my Dad, John. My mother and father are very deeply missed. Thank you Sayville Alumni Association for providing this wonderful “Endless Waves: biography feature on your website!
Marinus Eversdyke, the maternal grandfather of Nota, was born in November 1869 in the Netherlands and passed away on October 29, 1943, at the age of 73 in Bay Shore.
His wife, Nellie (Verbeke) Eversdyke, the maternal grandmother, was born on October 8, 1869, in Yerseke, located in the Reimerswaal Municipality of Zeeland, Netherlands, and she died on March 1, 1948, at the age of 78 in West Sayville.
Their daughter, Katherine (Eversdyke) Zwart, (Nota’s Mom), was born on January 24, 1898, in West Sayville and died on June 2, 1943, at the age of 45, also in West Sayville. Katherine’s first marriage was to James E. Almond from Georgia (Nota’s biological father), with whom she wed on December 15, 1916, in New York City; this union ended in divorce.
Her second husband, who became a stepfather to Nota, was Klaas Zwart, born on March 13, 1890, in the Netherlands, and he passed away on May 6, 1963, at the age of 73 in Suffolk County, New York.
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