by David Flint
It was in June of 1942 when Franklyn and Eleanor ran off to South Carolina to get married. Family members in New Jersey, especially Franklyn’s father were, to put it mildly, skeptical. Eleanor wasn’t even 18 yet. “It’ll never last,” they said.
[private]Well, it’s now 70 years later, and the marriage of Franklyn and Eleanor Mooney of Stephentown is still going strong. To celebrate both the 70th Anniversary and Franklyn’s 90th Birthday, their family put on a big bash at the Fire Hall for their many good friends on Saturday, June 23, catered by the Old Dailey Inn. Rensselaer County Executive Kathy Jimino was there also to wish the couple well and present a certificate of congratulations from the County.
Franklyn met Eleanor when he moved with his parents to Wallington, New Jersey, from across the river in Passaic. “It was just dumb luck,” he said. Six months after his wedding he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and spent most of WW II in Philadelphia making artificial limbs for wounded soldiers and sailors. After that he moved on to a wide variety of successful careers that included surgical instruments manufacturing, union organizing, farming, business
administration, insurance, railroading, building maintenance and even a stint at supervising reform school boys.
The secret of a long and happy marriage, Eleanor said, is learning how to stay cheerful through both the good and the bad times.
Franklyn was also the center of attention on his 90th birthday, June 21, at the Stephentown Seniors meeting. On this occasion County Executive Jimino presented him with letters of congratulations from both Congressman Chris Gibson and President Barack Obama.
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