Ann Marie (Kopacz) Meile Memories

Ann Marie (Kopacz) Meile and her family actually lived in the building from 1959 to 1963 and later next door.

Joan Kelley, the LHC Oral Historian writes:The workmanship in that building was magnificent. Fortunately we have Ann Marie Meile's oral history. Her parents ran the bar, and at one point the growing family lived in the building. The children even put the baby on the dumbwaiter at one point! Ann Marie's mother lives next door now.

In her oral history Ann Marie describes the interior and the events that occurred there. (The oral history is about a 1 hour long mp3. You can download it to your PC or mp3 player, usually by right-clicking on the link and selecting 'save target as...". Your browser may be setup so it streams to it before it has downloaded just by clicking on the link, but you'll have more control over playback, pausing, etc. if you download to your PC and then play the file. It's a 13MB file, so it could take a while to download.)

The Eagle-Tribune has recently published a story by Mark Vogler, who interviews Ann Marie Meile and her mother, Marilyn Kopacz. They talk about the Turn Hall's impact on the life of their family.

Memory from Ellen (Stahle) Meuse

Memory from Ellen Stahle Meuse, Bodega Bay, California

Memories - I was very sorry to see the devastation of the fire. My whole family has very happy memories of our youth at Turn Hall, especially my parent’s generation who are now dwindling, unfortunately. Here are some of mine:

I remember a very large horse chestnut tree in the back yard - peeling the green jackets to reveal shiny brown chestnuts -(that’s what little kids remember!)

My older brothers (Billy and Charlie) used to set pins in the bowling alley downstairs while I busily dug coke bottle caps out of the coke machine (that’s what little kids do!)

When I was bored, waiting for my father’s card game to finish, I’d hang by my knees from the horizontal brass bars that stuck out from the front of the bar – coming perilously close to the spittoons that sat on the floor in front of the bar.

To make my waiting less painful, my father would occasionally buy me a glass of orange crush and a bag of Royal Feast potato chips – I can still remember the wonderful combination of flavors!

Gymnastically, I was so young, that I never got to use much of the equipment other than the rings, trapeze and the ladder – you know - the one that pulled out of the wall. We’d walk up the rungs, standing erect and then turn around and slide down the side. Great fun! But – in an exhibition, when the boys’ class formed a big human pyramid, my father had me climb to the top and hang by my knees from the extended arms of the two boys on top! It must have been all that practice doing knee hangs in the bar!

Yes – fond memories of a wonderful era where TV, computers, cell phones and play stations did not compete for real physical activity and obesity was unheard of among kids!

Pictures from Marie DeLuca Parker

Marie DeLuca Parker sent us these pictures from the Turn Hall in the early 50s.

Click for hi-resolution image

Click for hi-resolution image

Snapshots from Reinhold

Here are some snapshots of Turn Hall events that were sent to us by Ms. Reinhold. Recognize anyone?:

Memory from Paul Roeger

Memory from:Paul Roeger, Bel Air Maryland

It was really strange to hear about the fire that destroyed one of my childhood haunts. I live in Maryland and I had just purchased an old program of the Turn Hall Follies from 1937 the week before on eBay.

My father & uncle were members of the Turn Verein and Turner Tigers in the 1950's and 60's. My cousins and I spent many a Saturday afternoon there playing in the gyms with all the equipment, including fencing swords (naughty, naughty), bowling, and having a great time outdoors among the giant chestnut trees behind the hall. For a little boy, the Turn Hall was an overwhelming experience. It was so, so big with many floors and rooms. The Turn Hall had many activities for youth, but one of my clearest memories was the Easter egg hunt and party at which I was picked "king of the bunny rabbits" and won a 3 foot tall stuffed rabbit, dressed in a tux and top hat.

As a collector, I'd sure like to know what happed to the carved mascot of the Turner Tigers (see your photos). When I was was real young, it scared the heck out of me.

Memory from Alfred E Kayworth

Greetings:

I am an 88-year-old former Turn Hall gymnast whose life path was drastically altered by my association with the Turn Hall beginning in 1929. Gymnastic skills acquired at the Turn Hall Gym led to a scholarship to the Turner Gymnastic Normal College in Indianapolis, Indiana which in turn led to a four year college degree in physical education at Indiana University where I earned my letter as a spring board diver.
My youthful experiences growing up in Lawrence during the depression years are described in my book.....Ïceman to the Internet: which covers the 80-plus years that include horse-drawn-ice wagon deliveries to our house on Saxonia Avenue and including my experiences in WW-11, my 16 years travel in South America and the Caribbean and my late life career as author of three books listed on Amazon.com.
I spend my summers at Big Island Pond in Derry, NH at a cabin on Escumbuit Island. Sometime in late May I will visit your historical association.
Were it not for my fortuitous association with the Turn Hall, I would be long gone from this world. When I graduated from Methuen High School back in 1938 my uncle got me a job loading wool into wool carding machines in a room clouded by flying wool dust. Had I stayed there I would be long gone from emphysema like my card-room-boss uncle!!!

Wlipamkanna (May your journey go well)

Alfred E Kayworth
Author:
Abenaki Warrior
Legends of the Pond
The Scalp Hunters
Iceman to the Internet