Edith May Face was born on May 28, 1924 to Earlston and Inez Homes Face at their home in Nassau, NY. Inez gave birth to Edith with no one home as Earlston was working as a logger and farmer. Inez had a hospital appointment in Schenectady while staying with her sister Ruth, but the baby did not wait. Edith lived in East Nassau until she was 5 years old.
They moved to Stottville (named after a Mr. Stott) where Edith’s Mother Inez was employed at the Stottville Woolen Mills as a skilled woolen weaver. Edith went to Stottville Grammar School and graduated from Hudson High School during the summer of 1942. After graduation Edith went to work for Montgomery Ward in Albany as a secretary and had an apartment on State Street in Albany.
During World War II Edith went to work as a secretary for Cluett Peabody in Troy, NY, which made Arrow shirts and neck ties.
Jerome Griffin Hunt was born at Albany Memorial Hospital on November 30, 1923 to Arbie Jerome and Marion Elizabeth Griffin Hunt. Arbie did road construction on bridges and roads. Jerome’s family moved to Snows Flats in the Town of Stephentown. Their next move was to East Nassau, where Jerome lived with his two sisters, Beverly Jane and Gloria Marion, from 1926-1930. They were in the process of building a house at this time when his sister Gloria’s dress caught fire. She was severely burned, contracted pneumonia and passed away at the age of 5. They moved to 11 Mill Street, Averill Park, where Arbie took a job with the Rensselaer County Highway Department. He was a construction operator and was one of the men who originally took part in the building and construction of Taborton Road which went as far as the Berlin line.
Jerome took a job at the age of 16 and was then hired by the New York Central Railroad where he worked performing train maintenance until he enlisted in the Navy, 58th Seabees Division, Construction Battalion during WW II.
In the summer of 1941, Edith and Jerome fell in love when they attended a square dance with family and friends. Edith’s first cousin, Joe Face, was a square dance caller. Ed Harriman, Johnny Myrek and Jim Wood were amongst Jerome’s group. Joe and Betty Face as well as Elroy, Lenny and Joe, Jr., from Stephentown played a part in introducing them. Jerome remembers that “Edith was wearing a beautiful green dress.” Jerome and Edith continued to meet from this point forward. Jerome would meet Edith at Hudson High School and would attend basketball games there, and they would attend square dances at the Hoags Corners Casino on Saturdays.
On December 7, 1941 Jerome, Beverly and Marion were coming back from Averill Park Baptist Church when Arbie met them on the road to notify them that the Japanese had just bombed Pearl Harbor.
On November 30, 1942 at the age of 19, also his birthday, Jerome enlisted in the Navy. He shipped out after Christmas, 1942. Prior to being shipped out, Jerome gave Edith a ruby promise ring and asked her that if he lived through the war, and if Edith would still have him upon his return, would she marry him? They corresponded by mail while he was overseas in such places as Guadalcanal, Vella Lavella, Rennell Island, Admiralty Island, Okinawa, Philippines, Fiji, Tulagi, New Caledonia and New Zealand. Jerome was 31 months at war. He was involved in three invasions in the Pacific. Jerome returned home to the Albany area by train from WW II on November 30, 1945, his 21st birthday.
Edith and Jerome were married on December 8, 1945 at the Methodist Church in Averill Park shortly before noon by Rev. Jasper Steel. Jerome was married in his Naval Dress Blues, and Edith wore a light blue dress. Edith’s sister, Ruth Face-Oliver, and Jerome’s friend, Lawrence Barnum, were their witnesses for their ceremony. They took a trip after the ceremony to Long Island, New Jersey and Pennsylvania where they visited some of Jerome’s Navy buddies. Jerome was not discharged from the Navy until January of 1946.
After Jerome was discharged he worked for Sheridan Construction for approximately 2½ years. Then he went into business with Ed Harriman as H and H Construction. Jerome then decided to start Ackner-Hunt Sand and Gravel in March of 1956 with Harry Ackner, his brother-in-law, Beverly’s husband. Harry worked with Jerome until he took over his fathers business, Ackner Fuels, Inc. in Averill Park.
Jerome and Edith built their first home in 1942 in the Alps. They had five children while in this house, four boys, Jerry, Gary, Joel and Brian and one girl, Dawn. They went on to buy what Edith called her “dream house” on Route 43 (Smauder Hill) on Mother’s Day 1963. They had their sixth child, Jan, at the Averill Park house.
Their oldest son Jerome (Jerry) was killed in a construction accident working in the gravel pit in West Sand Lake for the family business on September 7, 1967. Jerry was married to Barbara Cameron
of Stephentown 10 weeks prior to this accident.
Jerome and Edith sold the house in 1990 after building a log cabin in West Sand Lake where they currently reside today.
Of Jerome and Edith’s children, Gary currently resides in Texas, Joel in Stephentown, Brian and Dawn in West Sand Lake and Jan in Berlin. Jerome and Edith have 11 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. All their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren wish them a very Happy 65th Anniversary!