Sokolski Family

The Sokolski Family memories by Jeanne Sokolski.

I moved to Bethpage in 1952 after my marriage to Edward Sokolski, who was born in Central Park. Ed's parents, Charles (Casimir) and Stella (Stephania) Wencko come here from Poland in the late 1800s, met and married in 1900. They bought and managed a tavern in Floral Park for several years. After that they purchased a farm in Jericho in 1912. They stayed in Jericho until 1918 when they bought a farm of 59 acres in Central Park at the western end of Central Avenue and west of Wantagh Avenue. This farm was situated on the edge of the "Great Plain". The farmhouse is no longer standing. They farmed here until 1936 (mostly potatoes) and in 1938 they moved to 17 Emma Street where I still live. They had 13 children (3 died in infancy) and Ed and his twin sister, Irene, were the last. Irene is the only living member of the family. All four sons served in the armed forces during World War II.

Ed was a member of the Bethpage Fire Department for 51 years until his death in 2001. He did plumbing for Robert Lautem here in Bethpage and did the plumbing for most of the new houses that went up after the war. After that he worked for Sal Greco Sr. when he had the plumbing business. After that he worked as the Maintenance Plumber for the Bethpage School District until 1984 when he became disabled from a viral infection that left him in a wheelchair for 17 years.

We have three daughters, Eileen, Laureen and Carol all of whom attended St. Martins Grammer School and Bethpage High School .

Bethpage is a special community and I have fond memories of walking to town with a baby carriage, taking the children to the library (which was in the firehouse) Festantes Clothing Store, Geffken's Deli, Leo Schotland's Hardware Store, A & P, and the Five and Ten Cent Store.

Information from the CENTRAL PARK HISTORICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER - June, 2008