| Home | Father | Mother | Children |
| Ramona |
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Ramona was born on December 17, 1928 in the home on 8th Street. She first attended school in a wooden structure on ? Street, (The Annex). That school is remembered for its coal fired stove in the classroom, tended to by the teacher, and, its outhouse. Ramona later completed her grade school education in the Stevens School on Walnut Street. Then it was off to Junior High School and High School where she graduated with a Commercial diploma that prepared her for clerical work. It was not customary to consider girls for college attendance in those days. During these formative years there probably was no bigger movie fan in town. It was mandatory for all the children to assist with the family grocery store and catering business. Waiting on grocery customers and waitressing at banquets was a frequent occurrence as soon as she was old enough to help out. After graduating Ramona worked in her father's Justice of the Peace office and was usually the only person on duty there. Following her father's death she was employed by various garment manufacturers providing administrative support functions. There are many recollections of Ramona spending countless hours at home computing garment factory payrolls. Ramona never married but was surrounded by ample numbers of nephews and nieces who served as surrogate children. She is an indulgent Aunt. When her mother descended into the depths of Alzheimers the burden of care fell upon her. She fulfilled this role in a manner that provided her mother with as much comfort and dignity as possible. Ramona continues to reside in the home where she grew up. She is an avid opera lover, a hardworking accomplished gardener, an active member of her church and a history buff. |
| John |
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The small Hook family still resided on 8th Street when he was born on August,xx,1929. He attended the Stevens Grade School on 4th and Walnut Streets, the Junior High School and graduated from the High School at Market and 3rd Streets with the Class of '48. John came down with Rheumatic Fever while he was quite young and there was deep concern about the potential for heart problems that this affliction usually causes. But it never seemed to slow him down. He performed extremely well on the high school basketball team which in his senior year rose to the district playoffs. Following graduation he attended Lock Haven Teacher's College for a year before transferring to the Penn State Hazelton Center. He remained active in basketball at these schools. His education was interrupted by his father's death. He then served in the army with an OSS unit, (a forerunner of the CIA). Following his stint in the army he returned home to revive the family catering business for several years. During this time he played basketball with a semi-pro team, based in Locust Gap, that eventually claimed the league championship. John married the former Dorothy Gibbons and they had one Child. The catering business was disbanded and John assumed the role of manager at a Sears catalog store in Sunbury, PA for a short time. A position with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission soon beckoned and he began work in Harrisburg, PA, while still residing in Mount Carmel, where he worked for the rest of his life. John rose through the ranks at the Turnpike Commission and ultimately assumed several positions of significant responsibility. During his years at the Turnpike he took an interest in Mount Carmel politics. He ran for office several times before being elected to the Mount Carmel Borough Council. He later assumed the position of council president. In that role he was a leader in improving many aspects of community life. Most notably were a sewage treatment plant, covering the Shamokin Creek that ran through the North end of the borough, street improvements, an elderly high rise building, and a recreation complex. John died in 1995. |
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| Recollections | |||
| Edward |
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Edward attended the same schools as John, as did the rest the Hook children. In high school he was on the football squad each year and graduated in 1950. He attended Fordham University, in New York City, for one year on a football scholorship. He married in 1951 to the former He worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad as a laborer and as a supermarket clerk for several years, in Harrisburg, PA, before taking a job with an insurance company in their stock room. That insurance company moved him into their information processing department which evolved into a lifelong career in the computer field. He worked for several service related businesses, five different colleges and a public school system as a programmer and in management capacities. He taught computer courses at a college for two years while chairing the Computer Science department. As he worked he managed to complete his college education, earning a degree in Psychology from Lycoming College. He attended the Penn State graduate school of Educational Psychology for two years, but did not graduate. Edward retired in 2003 and stays active tending to his home, engaging in extensive walking, woodworking, piano practice, and, maintaining and improving his computer related skills on his personal computer. |
| Robert |
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Robert graduated in 1951. In high school he was active for several years as an athletic manager. The tasks associated with those efforts were not always as appreciated as they should have been. But, Robert always performed them with good cheer and an attitude of providing good service. Those personal attributes have endured throughout his life and have been the keystone of a successful career. After graduation, Robert served in the Air FOrce for several years. Upon completion of that tour of duty he returned to Mount Carmel and married the former Cecilia Orme of Kulpmont. Robert and Cecilia have four children. He then worked for several years in retail sales in the Harrisburg, PA area. Following that it was off to Williamsport, PA where in worked in the sales division of a major electronics wholesaler. His successful experience with that wholesaler served as a springboard for his next position with an international electronics company. While there he was in charge of sales for much of the Northeast United States. He remained in that position until his retirement. Although nominally retired, he continues to remain active in sales, on a part time basis, providing sales and marketing expertise throughout the area where he resides. Generally, his service instincts remain exceptionally strong and have compelled him to be unusually active in local community affairs. For those efforts, he was presented with a service award in recognition of his many contributions to the community. |
| Mary Ann |
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According to Mary Ann, high school was a non-event. Nevertheless, she was an accomplished student. She graduated in 1954. At the urging of her brother John, she attended Penn State University and graduated with a degree in German. She then taught briefly in the Harrisburg, PA public school system prior to marrying Harold Pier who she met while attending Penn State. Her husband, Harold, continued his collegiate education in pursuit of a doctorate degree. During this time Mary Ann worked diligently to provide the necessary support and encouragement to insure success in Harold's higher education endeavor. Mary Ann and Harold had two sons during this period of their lives together. As their children entered their teens, Mary Ann and Harold divorced. Mary Ann then took a teaching position at a state related school for Special Ed students. While teaching, Mary Ann worked diligently to continue her education. This effort culminated with being awarded a Master's degree in Psychology. Through the years her efforts at her work were sytemmatically rewarded with positions of greater responsibility. Her hard work, often burning the midnight oil, earned her the deep respect of her cohorts. She is now officially retired but coninues to work on an on-call basis. Also her instructional know-how is continuously sought after by her former co-workers. Since childhood Mary Ann has always been the peacemaker of the family. Although this pronounced trait has been met with cynical derision from some, it has served her well in her relationships with others as well as her sense of personal well being. Her benevolence has been deeply appreciated by many. |
| Jeanette |
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Jeanette, the youngest child in the family, graduated from high school in 1955. She has had an enduring capacity to live life to its fullest and her school years reflected this trait. During her senior year in high school she was a member of the cheerleading squad. Following graduation she studied cosmetology and ultimately acquired her state license. During the years prior to her marriage she practiced her trade in the Washington, DC and Philadelphia, Pa. areas. During an approximately ten year pre-marital period her movements in terms of residences and employers was somewhat nomadic until her late twenty's when she met Vincent Butaitis in the Philadelphia area, married, and settled down. For most, tending to one infant is rather demanding, but Jeanette was undaunted in testing her resiliency and patience by having three children in annual increments. All her children were born in the Philadelphia area and raised there through the pre-school age. The young family then moved to a home in a rural area that is just a short drive from where she grew up. She and her husband continue to live in that home. Jeanette raised her children as a stay-at-home mom. The children, two boys and one girl, under Jeanette's influence, grew up to be both vibrant and precocious. After her children were educated, Jeanette returned to work. She made a significant effort to upgrade her skills in order to be prepared to adapt to modern employment challanges. She then accepted a position with a local hospital and remained there until her retirement. |
