We Begin with our Parents' Stories *

 

 

My parents were high school sweethearts in the early 1940s. Mom lived in “the Nebraska section” of Jermyn and Dad grew up in Mayfield, the adjacent town. While they attended different schools, they had two commonalities:

 

They were members of the Russian Orthodox Church (more on this later, but it meant that they were allowed to date each other. It was expected one would date and marry within their religion.)

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The second commonality was the popular teen hang out, Hosie Dam--where they went on many dates. To find Hosie Dam one would hike through the wooded area to the eastern edge of Jermyn where St. Michael’s cemetery marked the border. From there it was trodden paths and a gravel mining road to the dam. Far enough away from parents and townspeople, Hosie Dam was the perfect place to picnic and perhaps sneak a kiss. The dam was beyond the location of the mining village of Edgerton – abandoned in 1905, now a ghost town hidden away in the trees. In 1949 there may have been foundations to climb upon and mining artifacts to collect. But the teens who tromped through those woods were not interested in rusty tools. Hosie Dam was a serene spot – calm, clear waters, reflecting puffy white clouds.