Mary McAlpin
From Eliafamily
Mary Elia McAlpin
| Mary McAlpin | |
|---|---|
| File:None on file | |
| Fact File | |
| Birth Date: | December 1, 1935 |
| Family Information | |
| Lineage: | Tom Elia Lineage |
| Parent: | Tom Elia |
| Siblings: | Josephine Piraino |
| Children: | Carolyn Ritschard Diane Hecht Maureen Moreau Colleen Wood |
Mary was born on December 1, 1935 in Norwich, New York, the first child of Tom and Frances Elia. Her younger sister Josephine was born two years later. Around that time, Mary went to live with her maternal grandparents Pasquale and Josephine Raffaele in Hamilton, New York. She went to school in Hamilton until graduation in 1953. During those years, her mother, father, and sister would visit every Sunday - making the trip by bus during World War II and by car after gas rationing was over.
Mary spent summers and holidays in Norwich, enjoying cousins and the rest of the Elia family, many of whom lived within walking distance of her parents' home. After graduating from high school, Mary attended Cortland State, graduating in 1957.
She took her first teaching job in Webster, New York, as a fourth grade teacher. In 1958, she met John McAlpin, a Webster resident and a student at the Rochester Institute of Technology. On July 28, 1962, the two were married in St. Bartholomew's Church in Norwich, New York.
John McAlpin
John McAlpin was born on April 18, 1937 in Webster, New York, the youngest of 6. His early years were spent working on the family dairy farm. At age 16, while working in the dairy barn, he was struck by lightning, and very nearly died as a result. His wife calls him "a walking miracle." He met Mary in 1957 where she was a teacher. John was studying at the Rochester Institute of Technology at the time, where he graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration and Accounting.
John is now retired and enjoys working on antique cars. He is currently restoring a 1917 Locomobile. John and Mary enjoy touring in their Model A and Model T Fords. Summers are spent sailing on Canandaigua Lake.
Synopsis of Dates
Mary's Birthday: December 1, 1935
John's Birthday: April 18, 1937
Wedding Anniversary: July 28, 1962
