Oral History Project
One of our on-going historical preservation projects is an Oral History of Germantown. We are preserving Germantown history by interviewing residents and recording them on video in an effort to capture and save our community’s history. This is an opportunity for residents of all ages to join in and be involved in making history.
If you have an interesting story to share or know of someone who does, please contact us.
Gertrude Elizabeth (Johns) Papp born 1928 in Greenport. She married Frank Papp, became a registered nurse and lived in Linlithgo.
Clayton A. Mink born 1920 in Hudson, lived in Germantown and Linlithgo. He served in the US Army during World War II. Here he describes his capture by the Germans after being shot down in a B-24 bomber while acting as a ball turret gunner.
Interview by William Fallon in 2007.
Marjorie (McLaughlin) Lasher was the wife of Leland Lasher. She is the mother of Lucy (Lasher) Rifenburgh and Amanda Bohnsack’s grandmother. She talks about how she came to marry and live in Germantown.
This video is a compilation of interviews with residents of Germantown by Nick Holsapple and Sara Wolcott. The cinema by Travis Bleen and music by Kaleena Goldsworthy. It was sponsored by the Alexander & Marjorie Hover Foundation.
The entire interview with each participant is on this page.
May 2014
Donald Kline born in 1935, attended 1 room school before graduating from Germantown Central. He served in the US Army, operated Hopedale Farm, ran a bus company and served as the Livingston supervisor for 25 years.
May 2014
Kurt Holsapple attended Germantown Central School, graduating in 1970. He attended Alfred University college of ceramics, earning a degree in Fine Arts. After graduation he spent a year as the tech in the design department. Then onto a two year apprentice with Wendell Castle. He returned to Germantown to continue woodworking. Of late he has been working for A for Ara in Catskill.
May 2014
Peter Fingar long time resident of Germantown.
May 2014
Mary Howell
May 2014
Helen Malvina (Coons) Henderson born in 1911, attended 1 room school in North Germantown before graduating from Germantown Central. She taught in the 1 room schools of Linlithgo and Blue Hill. Then was hired by GCS where she taught 3rd grade until retirement in 1971. She lived until she was 105.
May 2014
Alvin Sheffer born in 1941, lifelong resident of Linlithgo and Palatine descendant, talks about the Palatine emigration to Germantown in 1710.
May 2014
Robert B. Rider born in 1925, graduated from Cornell University, served in the US Navy and operated a fruit farm in Germantown until his passing in 2014.
May 2014
Joel Craig
May 2014
George Sharpe
May 2014
Hank Himelright
May 2014
Gary Carter
May 2014
Douglas M. Dodge, a lifelong resident of Germantown. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, worked as a truck driver for Bonded Cement for 25 years as a claims examiner for the New York State Department of Labor, and was owner of the Taconic Driving School of Hudson and Kingston.
May 2014
Bruce Bohnsack
May 2014
Otto Leuschel
May 2014
Nadine Rumke
May 2014
Lucy Rifenburg talks about life in Germantown.
May 2014
Interviewer: Sue Droege
Cameraman: Dan Udell
Producer & Editor: Adrienne Westmore
Photographs : Adrienne Westmore
Vintage Photos: Germantown History Department
Sponsored by the Germantown 300th Anniversary Committee 2010
Interviewer: Sue Droege
Cameraman: Dan Udell
Producer & Editor: Adrienne Westmore
Photographs : Adrienne Westmore
Vintage Photos: Germantown History Department
Sponsored by the Germantown 300th Anniversary Committee 2010