My Time at Hachland

Tammie moved to the Albany area in the mid 1980's and together with Mike; they raised two great boys there. The Hacheys technically live in Ravena, NY, but are really closer to South Bethlehem and their home is located on an old farm. When I lived there, a farmer lived out back and had several heads of cattle. Occasionally, the cows would get loose and filter down to Tammie and Mike's and out into the road. More than once, some passerby would stop and ask me to gather my cows before they were hit by a car. I would try to explain, but I don't think they were really listening. After a frustrating day with cataloging and statistics (I was in library school at the time), that farm house was a tremendous refuge for me. No matter how difficult the day, I was always rejuvenated when I walked inside and saw my nephews and had a chance to catch-up on the day's activities with my sister and brother-in-law.

Derek and Sean were very interested in sports at that time and their uncle was very pleased about that. Together with Mike, we played wiffleball, (Mike had a wicked 12-6 curveball that was almost impossible to hit), tag football, Nerf basketball and a little indoor football. We had great battles and a whole lot of fun. Although, I recall that Tammie wasn't too thrilled about the indoor sports. The two boys also played organized baseball and football and Mike coached baseball and helped carry the yard markers during the football games. Tam was always there to cheer them on and even had a stint in the public address booth.

During his Little League days, Sean played third base, first base and catcher. As I recall, he also was a pretty good hitter. Unfortunately, people seemed to have a hard time pronouncing his name and that was apparently an ongoing problem for him. One day, Tammie was asked to introduce the players as they came to bat and Sean, it appeared, was finally guaranteed to have his name pronounced correctly. Well, he strode to the plate, dusted off his shoes with the bat and climbed into the batter's box prepared to face some young phenom. Unable to contain herself, Tam took delight in introducing Seen Hackey to the crowd and a stunned Sean turned and shook his fist at the box high above the stands. You just never knew what to expect from Tam Terrific.

While there, I was also able to spend time with my godson and nephew, Derek. Of course, I took delight in purposely calling him Donald and teasing him about his "magic cow". Even though there was no such cow, this nonsense seemed to bother Derek a bit and that just encouraged me. I also loved helping him with his spelling words and playing a few games of Double Dragon. I found out quickly that I could wreak havoc in this game by attacking my "partner" from behind. From what Derek explained to me, this could be interpreted as cheating. Having learned from my own father on how to compete in such games, though, I had difficulty grasping this concept.

Tam also starting teaching during those years and was the Cub Scouts Pack Leader. She is so proud of her boys and has always loved spending time with them. Along with Mike, she did an outstanding job raising these fine young men. During this difficult time, Derek, Sean and Mike have been so wonderful to Tam and I know that deep down she truly appreciates their efforts. I certainly enjoyed my year with the Hachey's and I cherish the memories.

Life of the Party

Tammie has always brought great energy to our family gatherings. I imagine that at times she got frustrated with our lack of enthusiasm, but it was so much fun watching her "bring it'! She loves music and dancing and was clearly having some fun on this particular day.

Comments from Family About Tam

I can remember every Christmas Eve at Nana's house. Tammie, you, Nancy & myself were there with our parents. Santa Claus would appear in the window. We never did catch on that it happened every time Uncle Bob left the room.

--Cousin Cathy

We, the Burgers, find that our days are probably similar to others on this blog- we often think of Tammie, Mike, and their wonderful sons. Often it is sad with tears but sometimes like today we found ourselves smiling. And this blog is great at reminding us of some of the wonderful times with Tammie and her family.
My mother, Bette, and I were today reminiscing about the many times when Tammie entertained the family with her sharp wit and funny impressions. She could be so funny. She would make our balloon rally parties so enjoyable.
I also remember her great laugh which reflected her joy for life.
Tammie, thinking of you.
The Burgers

Tammie and I go back a long way. I am the son of Tammie's mother's aunt so that makes us some special relative!

My first memory of Tammie was when I was going to SU in my freshman year of the fall of 1962. I was a preppie type with short hair and had no idea what the 60's had in store for me or anyone else. Tammie was a cute toddler who was happy to have more people to hang out with. Somewhere in a photo album in some closet or cellar is a great picture of Tammie and me on the front lawn of her house on Prior Drive. I remember it so well. Those were such great times.

Years later, Tammie took over my role of stirring things up at family gatherings although I am not sure that she realized that I was the originator. I always enjoyed our picnics or holiday gatherings where the family members got together for fun times and good conversations. Tammie was a lot like me in that regard as she enjoyed not being silent during the "interesting" family conversations although we both never took things too seriously. Or at least I didn't!

My last time that I have seen my "relative" Tammie was at my daughter's wedding in Boston about 2 1/2 years ago. She looked beautiful and seemed to have a great time- we both have something else in common- we enjoy parties. My daughter Sarah was so happy that Tammie was able to come to her wedding.

As I was leaving the reception- the party was over obviously- I walked out with Tammie and remember thanking her for coming. We had a big hug and talked about seeing each other at the next balloon rally. Unfortunately I have not been able to make it the last few years.

Tammie, I love you and wish you a miracle.

David Burger

Saturday Visit

My sister had a full room of visitors today as Sean, Mike, Cousins Cathy and Nancy, Aunt Sally, Amy and I were all there to say hello. I talked with Tammie about some of my memories that are on this blog and she laughed and laughed when I mentioned our visit to the abandoned amusement park. She recalled that it was somewhere near Lake George and I think she might be correct.

During this past week, I was on vacation from work and I had a chance to do a lot of thinking. Most of those thoughts centered on Tammie, of course. When I visited her last week, she mentioned that she was scared and the room went completely silent. As soon as she said it, I realized that I had never seen my sister scared of anything (Unless you count that film, The Pit and the Pendulum). She always spoke her mind and would even challenge someone physically, if she thought that she were in the right. For instance, when she was in the seventh grade, she decided that she wanted to sit in the back of the bus and a ninth grader attempted to make her move. Tam didn't care that the girl was older and bigger than she; there was just no way that she was going to move from her seat. On the other hand, I have spent my entire life afraid of one thing or another. There have plenty of times where I have exhibited Pantophobia and given up in the middle or never started out at all. I won't list all of them here, but I do recall one particular incident where I clearly choked in a bowling tournament.

There used to be a television show in Syracuse called Championship Bowling and they had qualifiers all over the county. I had an opportunity to be on the show, but had to win a three game match against an older boy. I started off well and won the first two games, but then reality sunk in. People started to comment about how I was going to win and be on the show and that all I had to do was win one more game. Well, I started to think about that and the fact that this local TV personality (Dennis Bowman) would have to interview me with the help of his ventriloquist dummy and I panicked. My hands got sweaty and I started to miss the pocket and before I knew it the qualifier was over and I lost by 9 pins. The boy that defeated me would go on the show and win by 46 pins, and bring home this massive trophy. He said hello to the dummy (sorry Dennis) and the ventriloquist doll and it looked painless.

My sister isn't wired like me and if she set her sights on a goal, she would find a way to get through and achieve it. For example, she wanted to be a teacher and in her forties she went back to school and earned a Bachelor's Degree and then soon after a Master's Degree. All the while, she was working outside the home and raising two very active boys. She didn't have time to be afraid of failure.

In 2003, I ran and completed a marathon. If I were asked, I would list this as one of the proudest moments in my life and Tammie was there to greet me at the finish line. She always helped make me feel brave.

Vacations

We took a lot of vacations through the years and a good many of them were in New York State and Pennsylvania. We loved Conneaut Lake in Pennsylvania, but my mother and father also thought that we would like: Pymatuning Spillway - where you could throw bread to hundreds of hungry carp ; Pithole - a former oil boomtown and the Runamuck campground.

On many of our trips, we took two cars and this massive trailer. My father was very particular about the trailer and restricted us from using the stove or bathroom, because he was concerned that it would affect the trailer's resale value (He has the same view with cars!). Often, we would get to the campsite and my father would pull out the Turtle Wax and polish things up. He did use the refrigerator a lot though, and we all cherished the moment when he would ask us to put our hand in the refrigerator to see if it were cold yet.

At times, things didn't go as planned and we had to improvise a bit. There was a trip to Cooperstown where my dad and I were lost and he took the trailer up this really steep hill (a shortcut, he claimed). Our 1977 Mercury Cougar was bucking and struggling and I thought we might end up sliding back down the hill. My mother and sister had enough sense to park at the bottom of the hill until we made our way back down. My dad and I ended up trapped in a apartment complex and fortunately for us, this guy put down his trash can and helped us navigate our way out of there.

Another time, we were on the road and traveling West from Syracuse. My father became agitated and pulled over and walked back to my mother and sister's car. He looked a bit confused and he quietly asked my mother where we were going. He had no idea and neither did she! They talked for a while and finally decided on Letchworth State Park.

Then there was the time that my mother noticed an abandoned amusement park and decided that it would be a good idea to investigate. She pulled over as did my dad and before we could get out the cars, a man came over with three dogs and a shotgun. Immediately, my father backed-up, stepped on the gas and drove the heck out of there. In the process, he left my mother and Tammie alone to deal with the man with the large gun.

Once, we went to Niagara Falls and my parents ran out of money, so we walked up and down Lundy Lane and desperately looked for some free museums. As we would discover, there were not many. Fortunately, we did find an inexpensive but awesome car museum and were able to purchase some mexican jumping beans at another little shop.

Tammie loved amusement parks and especially rides that twirled around and moved fast. She took great delight in making her little brother sick and dizzy on these kinds of rides and along with my Dad, she disregarded the many warning signs and relished rocking the Ferris Wheel seats. I would beg and scream, but they would laugh maniacally and carry on! Fortunately for her, my Grandfather Swarthout was also a fan of the fast ride and she never had to ride alone when he was around. Thanks Mom and Dad! We always had a lot of fun on these vacations.

Wellsville Part 2

The little girl pictured is my cousin, Tara from the Swarthout side of the family and you can also see our Nana, Dad and Lewis pictured in the bottom right.

Wellsville was also home to our Nana Ruth (Hastings) Lefler for a few years. Actually, she lived in the hamlet of Stannards, which was about four miles from my Grandmother and Grandfather Swarthout's house. Nana had married Lewis Lefler after my Grandfather William J. Hastings died and she moved to Stannards to live with Lewis in his incredible home.

Lewis was a kind of artist/interior decorator/big game hunter (I kid you not!) and he had this massive room just dedicated to his hunting accomplishments. I believe they had a zebra skin cover for their couch, but I was young and might be mistaken. I do remember the sky with stars that I believe Lewis painted on the cathedral ceiling; an aligator or crocodile that stood on hind legs and held an ashtray; a couple of moose heads; several bear skin rugs (including a Grizzly Bear that according to Lewis chewed some poor guy's leg off); a bobcat; a mountain lion; a wildebeest; a mountain goat; two marlins (my little grandmother reeled in one of these); some sort of wild warthog thing: a few deer and a giant tiger (I am leaving out a whole lot here!). The tiger was a supposed man-eater that terrorized a whole village and my parents have a photo of Lewis and his buddy, Dr. Blaisdell leaning over the fallen big cat with a local tribesman standing over them. On one of their many trips, Dr. Blaisdell and Lewis survived a plane crash. Lewis like to show us his partially charred wallet that survived along with him.

We didn't visit here as often as our other grandparents, but Tammie and I really enjoyed ourselves when we would go. She especially loved seeing and hanging out with her cousins Nancy, Cathy and little Heather. Nancy and Tammie are essentially the same age (just a few months a part) and seemed to really enjoy each other. Unfortunately, part of their fun seemed to consist of tormenting the only boy cousin.

We reached the Lefler home via a dirt road and as I recall there was an open field across from it and woods right next to it. They also had a pond stocked with trout, a shuffleboard deck and these little cement pools that served as hatcheries and containers for future inhabitants of the pond. In addition, there were a couple of rowboats. One of the rowboats had a hole in it. My grandmother found this out one day when she was trying to snap a few pictures and then had to be rescued as it rapidly started to sink.

Frequently, Lewis would allow the kids to fill up a can with fish food and feed the trout. Sometimes, he would even put a dead mouse in the can and insist that the trout would eat it, too. This would cause some panic in me and I would run away from the can. He didn't have much patience with that and ultimately would throw the mouse in on his own. Sure enough, the trout would come out of the water and swallow the mouse whole.

One day, Tammie and Nancy decided to explore the woods and the surrounding fields. For some reason, I begged to go on this adventure and that was a tragically bad decision for me. We headed out to explore, but it was soon evident that I was too small and just not able to keep up. Did that keep those two from plowing ahead and leaving the little guy behind? Heck, no! Soon I was stuck all alone amongst the milkweed, cattail and other plants in this endless field. The more I walked the more thorny plants, and plants with burrs that I encountered. To make matters worse, I seemed to be allergic to most of these plants and several were taller than me.

Eventually, Nancy and Tammie returned to the house and my mom interrogated them as to my whereabouts. I am not completely sure, but I think my mom went out looking for me, found me crying and brought me back to safety. I was humiliated once again by my loving sister and cousin.

Another adventure that comes to mind is my Uncle Bob driving this insane jeep that had no doors. I sat in the passenger seat and was instructed to hold on to the bottom of the seat. We drove all along the dirt roads and some wood trails (I think that Lewis also took us on these trips). All the kids loved this and I seemed to recall that some of the Wegmans cousins joined us. Tammie and I would talk of that jeep on many occasions and the wild ride with Uncle Bob.

There were several other great moments of playing shuffleboard, rowing boats, and great fishing at Nana's home. I'll never forget the giant rainbow trout that Tam caught and the guy who fell in the pond trying to get it off the hook. Great times and great memories!

Nancy, Cathy, Tammie and Me

More photos of Lewis and Nana Ruth's home and a photo of our cousin, Heather.

Albany Visit

I went to visit Tammie this weekend with my mom and dad and Amy. When we walked in Tammie immediately recognized my father's voice and yelled, "My Daddy's here!" At one point, she requested a Puddle sundae. We used to have them all the time at family gatherings in Wellsville, but years ago, they stopped selling them there. As a result, we started making our own during Balloon Rally time.

Derek and I found a nearby Stewart's Shop that allows you to make your own sundae and we did our best to duplicate the Puddle. When we got back, Tam was a little dismayed that it took so long, but she ended up eating quite a bit of that sundae. Yay! In many ways, it seemed like old times this weekend. Tam has not lost her quick wit and her ability to deliver a biting comment or two. The best part of those moments was her wonderful smile and unforgettable laugh (You are so right, Burgers!)

Derek, Sean and Mike have been extraordinary and we all love them a lot!

Wellsville - Part 1

Nonne and Mimi (Sorry about the spelling, but I couldn't quite remember)

Meg

My mother grew up in a small town in New York's Southern Tier called Wellsville. My grandfather worked in the oil industry around Allegany County and later with my grandmother, owned the Searle's News Store on Main Street. He died in 1978, but he is still a huge part of our lives. My grandmother worked as the Harris Supply's Office Manager and continued working until she was ninety-one years old! She is almost ninety-nine now and she is still living in her home.

My mother loves to tell stories of growing up in Wellsville and visiting the Swarthout farm at Knight's Creek, and she can recall many details of those experiences. I loved to hear about my grandfather. He was a strong silent type for me, a man who had a good sense of right and wrong (he could be a hard- nosed character, but had a real gentle side). I have made attempts in my life to be a similar person, but occasionally I have fallen short.

Wellsville has changed a great deal since I was a boy. In 1972, there was major flooding due to Hurricane Agnes and in the aftermath, the street where my grandmother lives was divided in half to make room for a four-lane arterial. A portion of the Jones Memorial Hospital had fallen into the Genesee River as a result of the flood and they needed to move heavy dump trucks in during the reconstruction. The new road was necessary to accomplish this. The road also serves as a bypass for those just passing through town. Whatever the true reason for the road, the result seems to be growth on the outskirts of town and the death of the "uptown" business district. With the building of the road came the tearing down of my great-grandmother's home and the cutting down of many of the maple trees that lined my grandmother's street. When we used to enter the street, I would think we were driving through an enormous cave and I would perk up when we drove through. Now there are only four or five trees left and the magic is gone.

There were certainly other more personal changes for our family. As I mentioned, my grandfather passed away, as did my Great-Grandmother in 1979 (a wonderful Scottish character who we all just loved and cherished), and then we lost of our absolutely beloved, Great Uncle Jack Burger in 1994. Jack smoked a pipe and was a very soft spoken man. We loved how he would be there one moment and then gone the next. Always on the periphery, I can still see him sitting on the steps of my grandparent's front porch smoking that pipe. Things never seemed quite the same for me after those losses, but Tammie and her great energy made me look forward to those Wellsville trips again.

When we were small, Tammie and I used to go to Wellsville every year for Easter. We attended church (frequently at the Congregational Church) and enjoyed what the Easter Bunny brought us. Sometimes, it included a kite or a small gift or some Cretekos chocolate. I also remember my grandmother's penuche being omnipresent and my cousin Dave coming over with his little brown VW bug and getting the two of us, so that we could color eggs at my Aunt Bette and Uncle Jack's nearby home.

There were other trips to Wellsville during those years and other special memories. For instance, we both had these strap on skates and we loved to go skating on the sidewalk across the street from my grandparents's home (you couldn't skate on their side as the sidewalk was older and all pushed up by the roots of these giant maple trees). We would skate back an forth on the walk and then maybe spend a few moments in the giant parking lot of the fire station. Ultimately, we found our way to my Great-Grandmother Meg's home and the great stories that she would tell of family in Scotland and her growing up there. Eventually, we would sit down to a game of dominoes. Tammie and Meg would battle it out, while I would make these poorly constructed homes. If we were lucky, we might be given a few shortbread cookies while she drank her afternoon tea.

Another standout for me was watching the Bozo the Clown show with Tam and waiting for the fire station's noon whistle. My grandparents both worked at the time and they would return home for lunch shortly after that whistle blew. My grandfather always drove a Chrysler or Dodge and somehow I knew when that car was coming, just by hearing the particular whirring noise the engine made. Once inside, they would prepare lunch for us and Tam and I would enjoy these wonderful little devil ham sandwiches.

Sister Amy

I remember the first time meeting Tam and thinking finally I have a sister. We have always clicked from day one. We could talk about anything, just like sisters do. We would laugh, cry and then go shopping. I always looked forward to Tammie, Mike, Sean and Derek coming up to visit, so many wonderful memories.

If I were to pick one memory with Tam, it would be the day she told us she would have a baby for Billy and I. We had just had another fertility cycle fail.

We all know, Tam has always been high spirited and outspoken, but I think most people miss the fact that she has a heart of gold and would give anything to see her family happy. I believe her greatest accomplishment would be Sean and Derek. Those of you who know these two guys would agree and I know she would, too

Sis, you are in my thoughts and prayers and I would give anything to you, for a miracle.

Mimi and Bette

Tam Terrific and Grandmother Swarthout aka Mimi

My granddaughter, Tammie and I had a unique relationship. We talked on the telephone every Sunday and at many other times. We discussed the good times and the bad. She is a special member of our family.

-Grandmother Mimi-

Mimi, Great Uncle Jack and Bette

Friday night of the Great Wellsville Balloon Rally weekend was so special and Tammie was a big part of it. She arrived with a ready to eat picnic, including chicken she had ordered from Stearns in Alfred. She was full of plans and ideas, including going to see the balloons lighted for the moonglow, and sometimes fireworks. She made those things more fun because of the excitement.

She gave me an angel pin to wear when I travel and is a very thoughtful person. We always compared notes, as one of her sons and I are both Libras.

-Great Aunt Bette-

Tammie's Mom

Tammie was 3 months old when the two of use were dressed to go out. She was in my arms when I stopped to look in the mirror. She was so pretty in her tiny yellow sweater and I asked God how I could be so lucky to have her. That picture has always stayed in my mind. I realize indeed how fortunate I have been to have her in my life.

Tammie's Mom

Tammie's Daddy

My father wanted to write something about Tammie and below is his note:

I remember the day she was born, and I was in the hospital waiting to see my little girl. Wow, when I saw her and her big brown eyes that were wide open looking at me, I thought how lucky we both were to have such a beautiful little girl.

Growing up, she was a happy girl; and enjoyed life to the fullest. She loved going on trips and especially going to Disney World, and Conneaut Lake in Pennsylvania.

If she were on a vacation with her husband Mike, she would always call and tell us about the days events.

As a teacher for many years, she was asked to participate in the production of the War of the Worlds movie in Athens, NY. The children cast members that she taught loved her very much.

Whatever she took part in, whether it was teaching, bringing up two children (Derek and Sean), or being active in sports in Ravena, NY.; she was loved by everyone.

Tammie's Daddy

A Flair for the Dramatic

Tammie and Tammy Thompson (neighborhood friend)

Tam pictured with the infamous tree boy

Tammie has always had an interest in music and the other fine arts. How else could you explain why I was subjected to so many showings of Gigi during my formative years? I still remember how she took these piano lessons from this strange hippy girl and how she mastered all those early Seventies tunes.

In high school, Tam took part in talent shows and once did a mean rendition of Midnight Blue with a couple of good friends. When she was small, she took dance lessons and they put on these awesome recitals. Of course, I was sick one year and clearly do not remember the others, but there is a pretty fair chance that they were awesome. Also, we loved to put on these little home productions, and if there were ever a need for a tree boy, I always was ready to go.

She spent summers at a Methodist retreat called Casowasco. I also frequented this place, but at different times and camps. My last year there, however, I decided that I wanted to go with her and we both attended Casowasco's Creative Arts Camp. To be honest, I was mostly interested in seeing this girl from my church, but alas she didn't attend that year. As a result, I was stuck for two weeks with a bunch of singers, artsy types and a roommate named, "Corky". Tammie excelled, however, and landed the role of Mary Magdalene in the musical, Godspell. She certainly put on a show.

Casowasco Creative Arts Camp (Tam is near the front and behind the girl wearing the smiley shirt. I am right behind Tam)

Nickname Origins

When we were little, Tammie and I used to have a little trouble getting along. In 1969, my parents took us to the NYS Fair and during that visit, I remember watching this futuristic display that included a female robot dressed in a tight black outfit. Now, this robot may have been some down-on-her luck fashion model trying to earn some spare change, but how did I know? I mean, I was just four at the time. The robot was the most amazing thing that I had ever seen. We watched in awe, as she walked around the stage (which was set-up as a kitchen of the future) and opened cupboards and the refrigerator and put TV dinners in the oven. She was very reminiscent of Julie Newmar's Catwoman. Although, I don't recall this robot having a face.

All was well until Tammie and I had some disagreement that caused us to climb up on the stage and start an Ali-Frazier type battle before there was an Ali-Frazier. I really was no match for her, but I gamely hung on. According to my Dad, someone from the crowd laughed and yelled out, "Look at that little guy go!" My father sheepishly climbed up and dragged us off and away from the gorgeous female robot and the the kitchen of the future.

I'm not sure if this is where Tammie earned her "Tam Terrific" nickname, but I certainly remember her shouting it out in future years, as she pummeled me into submission.