The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-12-07
BY THE OUT EASTER

Old Out East has changed
greatly since the days the Seery
family located out here over so
years ago. With other families,
the Seerys came here from New
Hartford and made Waterbury
their home during all of these
years.
The last OF the male members,
Bernard j. Seery of GA I,ounsbury
Avenue, died at his home last
week.
We remeber the Seerys, also the
Cruesses, and the Flannerys and
others who moved here from the
little town bordering on the line,
and within the confines Of Litch-
field County. They were all fine
people, and joined with the ma
tives Of Old Out East in every
thing that was done for the in
terests of the district and city.
They were all Roman catholics,
and naturally helped greatly In
increasing the membership of the
Church of the Sacred Heart, then
in its infancy, and making great
progress in the united efforts Of
the much thought of rector, the
Rev. Hugh Treanor, and his peo-
pie.
outside Of the Yankees, and the
few italian families, Out East was
then Full of the Irish" as they
said. But a happier and more
congenial lot of humans could not
be found in any other part of the
state. Talk about frienship, and a
neighborly spirit. who say, the
Yankees and the Irish were as
close as even a kin-ship could
make them. That was the custom
then, and 1t held on util all Of
the Yankee families died, in many
instances without issue, while the
Irish lived on and brought up
some fine families.
When Bernie Seery first struck
Watf bury as boy the old horse
car Vas in operation on East Main
Street going easterly to the water
ing trough, which then stood just
about where the traffic light is
now located at the junction Of
Wolcott Street. He saw the
advent of the electric trolley car
in the summer Of 1894. and must
have been around Wall Street
when car hit boy and killed
him, the first fatality Of the troll
ley in Waterbury, during its short
term in service.
The PIN Shop" stood on East
Main Street, the present site Of
the State theater. Bernie Seery
hired out there for the first time
In his life. Others went in at
the same time, and like Bernie
they stayed with the now defunct
American Pin Company and
moved with it to the new plant
in Waterville. We ourselves
worked in Waterville, but not in
the old shop. We can never for
get those cold morning rides by
trolley some times, and other
times by special train which
carried us from the Bank Street
station almost to the factory
gates. We carried our dinner"
in a tin pail, ate cold piece Of
meat, and a piece of good home
made pie, now and then with some
coffee which we heated during
the half hour lunch time. It was
tough" going for some of us. and
we finally gave it up. But our
memory is that Bernie stayed for
years, and was with the Pin Com
pany for long time before he de-
cided to quit and work down
town..
Later in life Mr.. Seery married,
and from that day on made his
home over in The Abrigador or
Washington Hill as 1t now is
called by some, but always The
Abrigador to us.
We knew Bernie all Of these
years. He had a dear widowed
mother to whom we left The
Democrat night after night and In
all kinds of weather. The Seery
home was open to all Of us. The
family greeted us like one Of the
household, and we never left there
hungry. Kindness was the motto
Of that Seery home. Boyhood
memories of this kind ara uaAR ~