Jeanne Aicher – member since 1977
Jeanne moved to Lawrenceville in 1976 after she married lifelong Lawrenceville resident and longtime PCOL member, Rick Aicher. She grew up in a Lutheran church, but found that this Presbyterian church was a special place. Her first experiences at PCOL were as a choir member and as a Sunday School teacher. At the time she moved to Lawrenceville, Jeanne was a 5th grade teacher in her hometown of Haddon Heights, NJ. After their son, Jonathan, was born in 1984, she stayed home until Jonathan began kindergarten, when she became the office manager at PCOL for what she thought would be a short stint. However, the church grabbed her heart and that began a career of almost 27 years spent here as the office manager and later the church administrator. Jonathan is now grown and married to Jeanne and Rick’s “wonderful” daughter-in-law, Angela. Jeanne enjoys serving at the church, reading, singing, watching sports, and laughing together with friends and family.
Jean Aldrich – member since 1964
Jean Aldrich and her late husband Dan moved to Lawrenceville in 1964 and soon became members of PCOL. “Almost everyone” on Monroe Avenue worshiped here. At that time their entire social life revolved around the church. Dan became a deacon. Jean staffed the infant nursery, was involved in the annual spring luncheon and fashion show, helped in the cooperative nursery school and they both belonged to a very lively couples club. Jean was a substitute at The Little Red School on Carter Road, then became a Kindergarten aide at Lawrenceville Elementary School. She hails from the shore, has sand in her shoes, and would love to be a beach bum!
Ruth and Don Barringer – members since 1961
The Barringers came to this area from Pearl River, NY for Don’s job at American Cyanamid, where he was an organic chemist. They tried four different churches but when they walked into PCOL it “just felt right”; they had found their church home. Don joined the choir, retiring in 2016 after 55 years of faithful singing. He was also involved with the Men’s Breakfast Club and served as an elder. By far his most important role was that of church treasurer, a post he held for 40 years; every Sunday after church you could find Don and Nick Semenuk in the office counting money. Don also served faithfully for many years as treasurer of the New Brunswick Presbytery. If you don’t know Don, just look for the man in church every Sunday wearing a bow tie and a huge smile!
Ruth joined the choir for a while and also taught Sunday school and has served as a deacon, an elder, and a member of both the Deborah Circle and the WOW Bible study group. She was also involved with the annual Spring Luncheon and Fashion Show, which was always a sold-out event. Ruth worked part time, which enabled her to be home with her children. All four of them attended Sunday School and Youth Group regularly and all were married in our church.
Although Ruth and Don have retired from many of their church responsibilities they continue to enjoy a favorite activity, their fellowship group.
Dorothy Bartaris – member since 1961
Dorothy (Dottie) Bartaris was born in the Bronx and met her late husband Gus there. As a young couple, Dottie and Gus moved to Lawrenceville. Dottie recalls that Pastor Dana Fearon saw them moving in and offered to help. Her two youngest children were baptized in the church; all four girls attended the church’s nursery school and each was married at PCOL. Two daughters still live in in Lawrenceville, as do two of Dottie’s seven grandchildren. She also has four great grandchildren. Dottie’s many fond memories of PCOL include singing in the choir and working on the women’s luncheon and fashion show. She used to meet her church friends regularly for lunch and for their book group. “The church held families together because everyone was involved,” she reflects; “It was a pleasant atmosphere, as it is today.” A regular member of Create and Relate, Dottie is now making embroidered baby quilts for a set of twins expected in her family soon.
Jeff Brown – member since 1996
Jeff Brown joined PCOL through confirmation in 1996. After Lawrence High School, he graduated summa cum laude from Rutgers University and immersed himself working in a series of political campaigns. This evolved into particular interests in health care policy, governmental affairs, and communications. Jeff is currently the Director of Policy for the Hospital Alliance of New Jersey. Previously, he was the Executive Director of the QI Collaborative, a learning network at the NJ Health Care Quality Institute for redesigning New Jersey’s safety-net health system.
Jeff has worked extensively on the passage and implementation of the Affordable Care Act, particularly the creation of health insurance exchanges and the expansion of Medicaid. He has also led an association of community-based providers to implement innovative new payment models in Medicaid, and has worked on two federal innovation grants.
Jeff currently lives in Philadelphia with his wife, Lindsey, who is a physical therapist at Mercy Home Health. They are expecting the birth of their first child later this year. Jeff is active in the community; he serves on the advisory board of the New Jersey Chapter of the New Leaders Council and on the board of trustees of the Trenton Health Team Accountable Care Organization.
Pauline Darbee – member since 1971
Pauline hails from northern New York state. After moving here in 1960, she and her late husband Len first joined the Princeton United Methodist Church. After a friend, Joanne Gilman, invited their daughter to come with her to PCOL, Pauline and Len transferred their memberships and both became deacons. They enjoyed the close relationships developed through their fellowship group, in which Pauline is still active today. In addition to being a Sunday School teacher, Pauline was in charge of the infant nursery for many years. This was a natural fit as she was employed by the NJ Department of Health, testing newborn babies. Three years ago, at age 88, Pauline retired and now keeps busy knitting bonnets for newborn babies. A box of 75 hats is waiting to be delivered to Capital Health!
Phil Duran – member since 1997
Phil and his wife Kyra moved to Lawrence from Yardley, PA in 1993 in search of a little “elbow room.” They bought an old pig farm on the north end of town that was about to be condemned and have spent the last 24 years fixing it up. Phil and Kyra met in the Nassau Presbyterian Church while rehearsing for a Gilbert and Sullivan show, and while Phil no longer sings with a group, Kyra is still a part of her choir at the Mother of God Orthodox church in Princeton.
Phil works as a geologist who specializes in geophysics. In other words, he “finds buried stuff” using tools like ground-penetrating radar and electromagnetics. He has also been active in the Science Mentors 1 to 1 mentoring program since 2002, and is working with his current mentee from Trenton High School on building a drone that can deliver medicine to fight river blindness in Congo. His previous work in mentoring in 1996 (part of a program called Lawrence Legacies which this church sponsored) paired him with Ronald Wong. When Ronald’s mother died two months after Phil met Ronald, Phil and Kyra took in Ronald and his sister Loriann (14 and 12 at the time) and raised them as their own. Their biological daughter Alexis was only 18 months old at the time and has always considered Ronald and Loriann as her brother and sister. Another major impact PCOL has had for Phil was when, as Kyra was in the last stages of kidney disease, a kidney donor was found with the help of this church (and Bruce McGraw in particular) which saved her life.
Phil is an environmentalist with a special interest in renewable energy. He has converted his home to run entirely on solar and geothermal power. His main “vice” is cars. He loves fast and high-tech cars. And so, of course, he drives an electric car.
Marion Eklund – member since 2007
Marion grew up in Audubon, NJ and met her husband, Bob, at Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey). Born in 1922, she was married in 1944 in New Orleans where Bob was stationed at the beginning of WWII and together they had 3 children. Judy Hocking and Jeanne Aicher are her daughters and members here at PCOL, and son John lives in Lewes, DE. She has 4 grandchildren. Marion moved to Lawrenceville in 2005, a few years after her husband died, to be near two of her children. In her younger years, she taught physical education in Clayton, NJ and later physical education and 6th grade for more than 2 decades in the Haddon Heights, NJ public schools, taking some time off to raise her children. She is an avid reader, sports lover, and enjoys playing cards and other games.
Don Field – member since 1958
Don spends most of his time in a wheelchair now, surrounded by family photos, as his 95th birthday approaches in July. Mentally sharp and soft-spoken, he enjoys talking to visitors about his childhood in Trenton, his interest in music, his late wife Virginia and their children and grandchildren. Don and Virginia moved into their house on Denow Road in 1954, one year after it was built for the original owner who decided it was “too far out in the sticks” and moved back to Trenton. A military veteran, Don spent most of his working career at the former Young’s Rubber Company. He ventures down to his basement once each week to “meet” on the airwaves with fellow ham radio buffs. He stays in touch with current events and has particular interest in the challenges facing Haiti and Africa. The photo shows Don with his live-in caregiver Dabilani and PCOL Deacon Cheryl Cavanaugh during a recent visit.
Barbara and Tom Ford – members since 1963
The official record shows that Tom and Barbara Ford have been members of PCOL for 54 years, but, if you ask Barbara about her own membership, the answer is more like “forever!” Barbara was baptized, attended Sunday School and was confirmed at PCOL. Tom grew up at Ewing Presbyterian Church though, and, when they decided to get married, they chose that beautiful old church with its center aisle. (Many brides dream of processing down a center aisle to be married and Barbara did, too!) Barbara and Tom and their growing family continued to worship in Ewing for about 10 years until the children asked for a change. They wanted to attend Sunday School with the friends they had made in school in Lawrenceville, so the family moved their church membership back to Lawrenceville and to PCOL. After that, Barbara became very involved with her children’s activities at church – she was a “choir mother” and remembers how cute the children looked when they sang in their beautiful robes. Tom has served the church in many different roles. Barbara now confines herself to building one-on-one relationships. She enjoys being a “Greeter” on Sunday mornings and her smiling, friendly face is guaranteed to encourage first-timers to come back as well as to make regulars just plain glad to be here.
Pam & Tom Ford – members since 1996
Although church records show them as members for 21 years, individually Pam & Tom have a bit more history with the church. Tom is a lifelong Lawrenceville resident and was confirmed at PCOL at the age of 13. Pam was confirmed shortly after her family moved to Lawrenceville (across the street from Tom) in 1969. Their lives took them on different paths, but fate eventually reconnected them and they were married in 1994. Their daughter Jen is married & lives in Wilmington, DE. Tom is a pilot with American Airlines and Pam is an Adult/Gerontology nurse practitioner. She recently retired from her full-time practice at Hamilton Internal Medicine, but continues as an adjunct faculty member at TCNJ’s Family Nurse Practitioner Program and volunteers at HomeFront’s Family Campus clinic. In their free time, Pam and Tom like “pretending to think we can play golf”!
Karen Hall – member since 1987
Karen Hall and her husband John were raised in Ridgewood, NJ, and graduated from Ridgewood High School. After graduating from Wittenberg University, Karen married John in 1976 and began teaching second grade in Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ. She also received an M.Ed. degree from William Paterson University. Karen and John moved to Lawrenceville when John was transferred to the area with Merrill Lynch. Karen joined PCOL with her two children, Stephanie and Brett. Brett was baptized by Dr. Dana Fearon, whom Karen remembers as “a special spiritual leader.”
Karen retired in June after teaching at Lawrenceville Elementary School for almost thirty years. Teaching was “wonderful,” but retirement now affords Karen more opportunities to visit with her grandchildren, Jack, 4, Grady, 2 and Kate, 4 months old, in Boston. She also spends time looking out for her mother, Joan, who lives in Spring Lake, NJ.
Dale and Jeanne Haller – members since 1987
Jeanne and Dale will be married 48 years this August. They moved to Lawrenceville in 1982 and attended the Lawrence Road Presbyterian Church for one year before finding their church home at PCOL in 1983, becoming members in 1987. They found Dana Fearon to be a beloved, inspirational leader. PCOL has been supportive of them in both good and difficult times.
Dale is from Cleveland, OH. He graduated from Miami University of OH in 1964. He served as an officer in the US Navy and then continued with the Navy Reserve for a total of 21 years before retiring in 1985. He worked for IBM for 38 years, retiring in 2005. Dale belongs to the Masons. He has been and continues to be active in scouting (Troop 27) for 35 years. He also currently serves on the Board of Directors for the NJ Gateway Federal Credit Union.
Jeanne is from Philadelphia, PA. She graduated from Shippensburg University in PA in 1969. Jeanne taught for several years in PA before moving to NJ. Jeanne worked at the Wyckoff Middle School before moving to Lawrence and then worked off and on for the Lawrence Township School District both as a long term replacement teacher and a regular substitute. She also worked for many years for International Schools Services as a procurement agent for overseas schools. She is now retired.
Dale and Jeanne have two sons. Tom is in Kennesaw, GA with his wife and 2 children, and Brian in Seattle, WA with his 2 children. Visiting them fills important family time. Enjoying travel and seeing new places are also priorities in retirement.
Barbara Hallows – member since 1962
Growing up as a US Navy dependent, Barb moved across the US and beyond, including several years in Cuba and several summers in Japan. She began her career at Merck Pharmaceutical Company doing basic research to find new drugs. Barb married Ray Hallows and settled in Lawrence, where they raised their three children. She later joined Squibb, helping manage clinical drug trials. Nowadays, Barb and Ray often visit their daughter and family in London and their other two children and families in California. In retirement, Barb has enjoyed volunteering locally, including weekly deliveries for Meals on Wheels and working with Interfaith Caregivers of Greater Mercer County.
Being a member of PCOL has been “a wonderful experience” for Barb. She has especially appreciated the pastoral support over the years, in particular when grieving for family members and friends. Her memorable church experiences include serving as Elder, Deacon, and as a representative to the Presbytery. She went on the first four trips to Haiti to support Harmony Ministries. A member of the Peacemaking Committee, she attended the 2006 trip to Israel and the Palestinian Territories.
Dick Hocking – member since 1958
Dick was baptized in the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville and faithfully attended church with his family, who lived on Monroe Avenue. Dick participated in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts also through the church. He joined PCOL through confirmation in 1958. Dick has happy memories of joining his youth group buddies early on Sunday morning to occupy pews in church which were clearly claimed by long-time member families. He also distinctly remembers a seminary intern who owned a three-wheeled car which he and his youth group friends would move into locations which made driving it impossible. He and his friends were also given a key to the newly constructed youth center to discourage them from hanging out on the corner of Gordon Avenue. Dick and his wife Judy have attended PCOL ever since their marriage in Judy’s church in South Jersey. Dick has served as a Trustee and on the Buildings and Grounds committee, and has counted money for many years. Dick also served as the highly-respected Scout Master with the Boy Scout Troop 27, associated with PCOL. During the fifty-nine years in which Dick has been a member of PCOL, he has seen several ministers and he has watched the community change a great deal, but the church remains a constant in his life. Dick still resides in Lawrenceville with his wife Judy on Reeder Avenue, in a 1950’s ranch home which he has frequently and lovingly remodeled to Judy’s satisfaction on a beautiful lot which he originally cleared by hand.
Vivian Huber – member since 1961
Vivian and her late husband Joe began attending our congregation when Allen Kimble was the pastor and became members in 1961. All five of their children grew up in our church. During the six years she was a crossing guard, Vivian would run home from work, change out of her uniform, and rush to church just in time to teach Sunday school. Strongly encouraged by Betty Lou Buxton, she also taught a Bible study class.
Longtime members will recall that Vivian was frequently the first person one would encounter when entering the Jigger Shop, where she worked for 26 years. Retirement has not slowed down this vibrant woman. She is busy with children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, likes to travel, continues to enjoy the fellowship group she joined many years ago, and can be seen in church every Sunday.
Nancy and Steve Jusick – members since 1967
Nancy and Steve Jusick joined PCOL in the year their daughter was born. Their two children attended the nursery school, and Nancy served as its treasurer. They each taught Sunday school. They were active outside the church as well, serving as foster parents to 39 children in an 11-year period. Nowadays they enjoy spending time with their three grandsons. Their daughter and her family live nearby, and their son lives in Manhattan.
Nancy and Steve have each served PCOL as Deacon, Elder and Trustee. Steve was president of the men’s club when it held monthly breakfast meetings. He organized caroling around the village of Lawrenceville, and he donned military garb for the bicentennial reenactment of Revolutionary War soldiers sleeping in the church. Nancy oversaw chicken salad preparation for the annual women’s luncheon and fashion show. Together, they were part of a “great” fellowship group. What stands out the most about their fifty years at PCOL? The people—the friends—and the memories.
Paul Koch – member since 1986
Paul grew up in Lawrenceville, attended church with his family throughout his childhood and joined PCOL through confirmation in 1986. Paul has fond memories growing up in the church with friends and participating in the youth programs. Now living in South Brunswick, Paul and his wife Tina have two children, Chelsea and John. “When our daughter was born, we decided that PCOL was the best place to raise our children, develop their faith, and experience Christian fellowship.” Paul has served the church as a deacon and a trustee, and is currently the treasurer for the church’s endowment funds. He works for Aon as a health care actuary and enjoys coaching youth baseball. For his family, Sunday mornings often find three generations of the family worshiping together.
Margaret “Cam” Kreger – member since 2007
Cam and her husband, Carl, moved to Lawrenceville as young marrieds. They remained in the township, trying out different neighborhoods and finding friends in every one. Sadly, Carl died much too soon; in recent years Cam has found a comfortable home in a senior community, Federal Point. Like many families, the Kregers followed their first neighbors to their church, where Cam soon found a place in the choir. Music was important to Cam, and so, when her choir lost members and participation was no longer satisfying, Cam went looking for another “choir home.” She found just what she was looking for in the choir at PCOL and soon transferred her membership. Although she is unable to climb the steps to the choir loft these days, Cam still loves the choir and attends church whenever possible to listen and enjoy the music. “Create and Relate” is another activity that Cam enjoys at PCOL, and it, along with her many good friends in the church and her great appreciation for the church staff, makes Cam confident that she has found her church home.
Chantal McCarroll – member since 1956
Bill McCarroll – member since 1964
Chantal lived in an apartment above the old Lawrenceville Hardware store, so it was quite convenient for her girls to attend Sunday School across the street at PCOL. This got Chantal involved and she joined the church in 1956. Along with several other members, Chantal helped establish the cooperative nursery school which is still flourishing today. She helped with the annual spring luncheon and was involved with other fundraising activities at the church. One of the things Chantal most enjoyed at church was looking at all the ladies’ hats! Although unable to attend services now due to health issues, she keeps abreast of all the goings on as her neighbor Pat Venable faithfully brings her the church bulletin every week, which she devours from cover to cover.
After meeting Chantal and marrying her at PCOL, Bill McCarroll transferred his membership in 1964 from the Congregational Church in Mystic, CT. He felt this was a natural move as his great-grandfather was a Scottish minister. While teaching chemistry at Rider University, Bill became a deacon, then a trustee, including service as trustee president. Currently serving on the mission committee, Bill helps oversee the distribution of funds to organizations supported by the church. One of these organizations is Lawrence Township Meals on Wheels, where Bill has been very active and has served as president.
Paul and Pat McNelly – members since 1963
Pat was 13 when her mother moved the family to Lawrenceville in the mid-1950s following the death of her father, a minister. One year later, Pat was confirmed at PCOL. Pat and Paul met in the chapel at Westminster College in Pennsylvania, a daily requirement for students in those days. They were seated alphabetically; Pat’s maiden name was McKee, and she was seated next to Paul McNelly. Pat’s most humorous memory of the church dates back to when they met with Rev. Dana Fearon for pre-marital counseling and he showed up wearing Bermuda shorts!
Pat followed in her mother’s footsteps and became a teacher, as did Paul. They both taught in the Lawrence Township Public Schools before retiring. Their two children, Anne Stein and Michael McNelly, were raised in the church family. Anne, a teacher like her parents, is married to Scott, a police officer; they have two children, Alexander “AJ” and McKenzie. Anne and Michael were raised going to church every Sunday. Pat fondly remembers being active with Create and Relate, the kitting group on Monday mornings, teaching Sunday School, and being an elder and a deacon. Paul served as a deacon. Both Pat and Paul are currently housebound due to health issues. They miss the opportunity to attend church regularly.
Brian and Jennifer Moog – Members since 2007
Brian and Jennifer joined PCOL when they were expecting their first child, because “we wanted to provide our family with a sense of community.” They were new to the area and had planned to look at several churches to find the right fit. “PCOL was the first church we went to – and we never looked back! We instantly felt the sense of community we were searching for and it has continued to grow over the past ten years. As we welcomed our son, Jake, and then our two daughters, Kate and Shea quickly after, we appreciated the role the church played in our lives. Though life is hectic and we aren’t always able to attend services as often as we would like, it is so reassuring to know that our church family will always be a part of lives.”
Amy Shearer – member since 1997
Amy writes: “I grew up in Lawrenceville and have fond memories of attending PCOL from an early age. At various stages, I served as a member of the choir, church summer camp attendee (The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe themed session was a particular favorite!) and ‘Lamb’ until I graduated to ‘Angel’ in the nativity play each Christmas, to name a few iterations. Some memories of my time with the church are more tempered – such as the beautiful service that was held for my mother, Jeanne Faye Hampton Shearer, after she passed away from breast cancer in 2000. Though I have not regularly attended PCOL since 2001 when I moved away to attend college at Washington University in St. Louis, I carry the lessons I learned there with me wherever I go. In 2005, I moved to New York City where I lived for 3 years before moving to London to earn a Masters in Art History at University College London. After a decade of working for galleries in New York & London, this year I decided to transition my career focus from the arts to mental & physical well-being. I recently started a new job at the NHS (National Health Service) and on weekends I am training to become a yoga teacher. I’ve now lived in London for over 8 years and will soon qualify for citizenship. Should any PCOL members pass through London, please do feel free to look me up!”
Meredith Stone and Jim Sapp: members since 1992
Meredith Stone and Jim Sapp joined the church in 1992. They had been visiting and discussing churches in Lawrenceville and Princeton with their new neighbors, Lori and Geoff Gettelfinger, for more than a year. All of them had grown up in families that went to church and they wanted to provide that environment for their young children. They were invited to visit a PCOL adult fellowship group with parents of similar-age children and the welcome they received there made the decision about which church to join easy. They have continued to meet with many of these same couples once a month for twenty-five years–while their children moved from kindergarten to college, with all the attendant life challenges. The fellowship group members provided a wealth of information, a sounding board, and trusted different opinions. Meredith and Jim became active church members: Jim served as a deacon, a Session member, a member of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, and a trustee. Meredith was active as the co-op scheduler for the nursery school and when the children were older also served two terms as a trustee. And she always made something mouth-watering for the bake sales.
Jim had travelled to Haiti twice and decided to take 18-year-old Todd with him on the third trip. That was in 2010, the year of the earthquake. Buz Donnelly called Meredith to tell her that morning that the group’s itinerary put them up mountain when the earthquake struck Port-au-Prince and that Jim and Todd were undoubtedly fine. He was so confident that she believed him until she heard from Jim more than 24 hours later when the group got to the American Embassy.
Jim, Meredith and Todd want to thank all the members and staff of the church, but especially their fellowship group, for their caring sympathy and support following their son Brian’s sudden death last year. “We couldn’t have gotten through it without our church family.” In June, the Stone-Sapp family will be moving to Rhode Island, where they have a large extended family – but they know they will always have loving friends here in Lawrenceville. “Our PCOL family will be greatly missed.”
Michelle Dorsey Taylor – member since 1987
Michelle attended the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville as a child and was active in the CHAOS group all through high school. She graduated from the University of Delaware with a BS in Chemistry, and was admitted to the accelerated nursing program where she earned her RN. She has worked in neo-natal units, maternity wards, taught childbirth classes, and taught nursing classes. Michelle currently lives in Forest Hills, MD, with her husband and 4 children. She is working part time as a school nurse and very busy running her children to their various activities. She is an avid reader and belongs to 2 book clubs. A couple years ago she took up running, and in 2016, set a goal for herself to run 1000 miles. She exceeded her goal!
Dana and Greg Thompson – members since 1997
In July 1997, Greg and Dana, who were soon expecting their first child, moved to Lawrenceville from East Brunswick, NJ. They were anxious to settle in, learn more about the community and the churches near them. Greg was Presbyterian and Dana was raised Catholic. After visiting PCOL, Dana converted and they both joined the church. Shortly thereafter, their son Aaron was born and 2 years later they were blessed again with the birth of their daughter Rita.
Many friends and memories have been made over the years while their involvement in the church went in ebbs and flows. Some memorable moments were the baptisms of Aaron and Rita and the celebration of the church’s 300-year anniversary in 1998. LOGOS was a great experience for the kids and Greg as he acted as a table parent. Greg found his service as a deacon proved to be immensely gratifying and he particularly enjoyed taking flowers to, and spending time with members of the congregation who were to too ill to attend services. He still receives thanks from members he visited years ago.
Greg and Dana know they can always count on the support and kindness that PCOL has to offer. In December 2012 when Aaron, then 15, was diagnosed with cancer, they learned just how powerful the support and prayers of the PCOL community can be. Along with friends and family, it was the church that helped them get through a most difficult time. Today, Aaron is well and completing his sophomore year at the University of Pittsburgh and is ten months shy of being an official “survivor.” Rita will graduate from high school next month and will attend Temple University in the fall. Greg continues to run his window treatment business and Dana is the Office Manager at the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County.
Although life has led the Thompson family in many different directions on Sunday mornings, they value what PCOL has to offer in its many aspects of spirituality and community.
Mary Tilton – member since 1961
Tilton is a longtime name in the Lawrenceville area. Much like Applegates and Hullfishes, generations of Tiltons had a home on Route 206 and were very active in our church. Mary, who married Thomas Tilton, was from Trenton and was very active in her Fourth Presbyterian Church of Trenton. (That beautiful old church is now the Holy Cross Church, located at the corner of East State Street and Clinton Avenue.) Mary is 91, with many happy memories; she loves talking about her family and her late husband Thomas, who worked many years at Regal Printing in Trenton, following in his father’s footsteps. Thomas was in WWII in the Army Air Corps. Before they joined PCOL, Mary and Thomas taught Sunday School at 4th Presbyterian. In the 1970s, Mary got a real estate license and sold many homes in Lawrence working for realtor Steve Krol. Mary and Thomas lived on Darrah Lane and Mary remembers many of the families she knew in that neighborhood.
Mary currently resides in Manchester, NJ. She had moved there to be near her youngest son John, before he died at the age of 66. “However I am very blessed I got to be with him and now I live with his fiancé,” she says. Mary’s eldest son Colin, who was a boy scout in PCOL’s Troop 27, lives in Connecticut. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, and then ran a music recording studio. Colin helped produce music by Van Morrison, and played some solo saxophone on the very famous “Moondance” album. He currently plays with his wife’s band in Connecticut.
Charles Vanderbilt – member since 1952
Charles Vanderbilt is 84 years old and has been a member of PCOL for 65 years! He grew up on Phillips Avenue in Lawrenceville, so “it was easy to go to church,” beginning when Rev. Allen Kimble was the minister. One of the “thrills” he remembers from attending church as a young boy was getting to ring the bell. “My neighbor and I would run over and pull that chord; there was a neighbor across the street on 206 who made sure it rang 25 times.” Charles remembers bicycling all over Lawrenceville, down Lewisville Road and going to the historic Brearley house to hang out with friends. “Back then, Route 1 had two lanes, and it was safe to ride all over.” Charles was born in the family house at 32 Phillips Avenue, with help from a local doctor. “Dr. Carroll delivered a lot of the babies in Lawrenceville.” Charles’s mother was born in Princeton in 1900, so his family had deep roots in this area. His mother worked in the laundry at The Lawrenceville School, and his father worked for Applegate’s on Main Street as a taxi driver. Charles recalls “the trolley that went right up Main Street. We could take it to Princeton and down to Trenton to go see movies.” He remembers The Jigger Shop. “Pop Bussom ran it, and everyone called him Pop.” He also recalls Carroll’s meat market (now Vidalia restaurant) and Bentley’s market on Main Street. A skilled carpenter, Charles worked for many area businesses including the Woolsey & Cadwalader lumber yard and Bailey’s Lumber, and retired from St. Francis Hospital. Charles and his brother built the Pennington-Lawrenceville Road home that Charles still resides in. “Everyone built their own homes back then.”
Charles’s “great love” was his wife Marilyn, who passed away in 2014. Marilyn also grew up in Lawrence, but south of the Assunpink Creek, so she attended Trenton High while Charles attended Princeton High. Charles met Marilyn though his mother and sister; they got their hair done in a shop near the Lawrence Road Fire House, “and this beautiful girl with lovely bronze colored hair, always in an up-do, came in all the time.” They introduced Charles to Marilyn and “the rest is history.” Charles and Marilyn got married “a little later in life” and decided not to have children. Marilyn “had all the children she wanted” as a fourth-grade teacher, and Charles was “fine with that decision.”
Dolly Weber – member since 1983
Dolly Weber was born in Newark, NJ and raised as a conservative Baptist. She married her husband Jack in 1947. Jack worked for the Bell Telephone Company. They settled in Lawrenceville after Jack was transferred here. Before she had her two sons, Dolly also worked for a time in the traffic engineer’s office at Bell. After Jack’s retirement, they moved to Avalon, NJ for seven years. Jack, who suffered from Alzheimer’s, died in 2002.
Dolly has family she can count on. One son and his wife live in Lawrenceville, and the other son lives in Maryland. She has three living grandchildren. One grandson and family live nearby in Yardley, PA. Dolly has seven great grandchildren, two of whom live in Texas. Dolly will be getting together with her family today (May 7th) for an early celebration of her 95th birthday on May 17.
When asked what the church means to her, her reply was, “That’s where our friends were.” She also mentioned that Jack and Pastor Dana Fearon got to be good friends. Dolly and Jack were faithful members of PCOL, attending church every Sunday. The church was a big part of their lives.
Robert and Suzanne Williamson (Bob and Suzy) – members since 1977
When Bob and Suzy Williamson moved to Lawrenceville in 1977, they were happy to find the Presbyterian Church just a few blocks away from their new home. As the years passed and their sons, Eric and Steven, grew, the church became a more active part of family life. The boys were both baptized, attended Sunday school and were confirmed at PCOL. Time brought changes – the boys matured and moved on to build their own lives, and Bob and Suzy saw changes in careers and outside interests – but the church remained a constant. The “new church” became “our church,” and new friends became old friends, especially in their fellowship group, which has continued to be a source of pleasant relationships and warm friendship throughout the years.
Kate and John Wood – members since 1987
Kate and John Wood came to Lawrenceville from Summit when Merrill Lynch moved its headquarters from Wall Street to Princeton. On their first visit to PCOL they unexpectedly found the Fouss family, church friends from Summit. After church they were in line to shake Pastor Dana Fearon’s hand. As they waited in that line while Dana joyously listened to an animated golf story, they thought that this seemed like a church they would like to come back to. And they did.
John has served as a trustee at PCOL, and thanks to Pastor Jeff’s introduction to the program called Every Child Valued at Eggerts Crossing Village, Kate is an active volunteer there.
Kate and John feel the church’s presence in their lives. Two of their four children were married at PCOL, and two grandchildren were baptized in the church. Soon after becoming members, they joined a fellowship group; they feel comfort in knowing they will always have its members’ warm and caring friendship. As a gesture of the depth and permanence of their connection to PCOL, they have signed up to be remembered on the memorial obelisk.
Kay Yoder – member since 2003
Kay Yoder met her husband Wayne when they were students at Penn State. Wayne’s job as an agronomist took them many different places over the years. Kay was a home economics teacher initially before getting married then later worked at Princeton High School for 15 years as an English teacher. A particularly memorable class that she taught there was The Bible as Literature. Kay and Wayne retired to Savannah, GA where she discovered a love and talent for watercolor and acrylic painting. When Wayne’s health was declining, they moved back to NJ. It was then that they joined PCoL, in 2003. Kay is particularly grateful to those church members who faithfully drove her to see Wayne in the hospital each week. After Wayne died, she moved to Stonebridge at Montgomery. The walls of her apartment showcase her colorful paintings. Not one to be idle, she has also been writing poetry. Kay has 3 children: Charlotte, Tom and Carolyn, 4 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. She greatly appreciates time spent with them, including at Christmas. Describing herself as one who has always been willing to try new things – even if out of her comfort zone – she offers these sage words of advice, “Don’t ever say no to something; say ‘I’ll try.’”
