No. 16034 Rose Buttera Applegate
http://www.zuffantewebsites.com/
Rosina Butera always went by the name of “Rose“. She was born November 19, 1907.
Rose was a very smart girl in school but had to leave high school at age 14 to help take care of her sister Marie’s baby when Marie returned home after a failed marriage. Rose went to night school to continue her education and earned her high school diploma.
Rose was an “associate” at Saint Anne’s in Cambridge where she almost became a nun. The priest told her she would make a wonderful mother and would not allow it.
In the late 1920’s Rose was maid-of-honor at her cousin Rosaria Zuffante wedding when her cousin married Giacomo “Jack” Messina. Rose remembers that she wore an orchid velvet and chiffon gown and carried tiny yellow roses on a circle lace doily.
During World War II Rose was a “pen pal” to all of the soldiers who were from her church and were overseas fighting the war. Friends have told Rose that they still remember receiving her letters and how much it meant to them so far away from home.
No. 16035
This white hat was imported from Paris. Rose got this hat at Wethern’s.
No. 16036
Rose wore this “silly” hat as she called it on her first date with Malcolm Applegate.
No. 16037
Rose and Malcolm’s wedding picture
Years ago, Rose’s neighbor had lost his wife in childbirth leaving him with 5 small children to care for. Rose asked him what he was going to do and he told her that he would have to give the children up for adoption. Rose who is Episcopalian wrote to the Catholic Richard Cardinal Cushing and advised him of this man’s situation. She asked if there was anything that the Catholic Church could do. The Cardinal made arrangements for a live-in caretaker to stay with them until the children became of high school age, paid for by Catholic Charities. (The payment was made directly to the man so that he could pay the helper himself.)
Rose was elected “Woman of the Year” by the YMCA for her acts of kindness and social work.
Rose wrote a beautiful book of poetry with 85 poems. Channel 13 wanted to interview Rose but she would not be interviewed on television. Instead, they read two of her poems on the air with her name displayed on the television screen. Her son Bob recorded the reading and Rose’s grandson, Geoffrey, enjoyed his grandmother’s surprise. A 30″ Poem written in Calligraphy is hanging in a Dorchester Nursing Home.
Rose worked for eight years as a secretary and social worker at All Saints Church in Dorchester, MA before she married Malcolm Hurd Applegate (b-1902).
Rose and Malcolm Applegate had one child: Robert Gerald Applegate. After Rose married she did volunteer work at her church for the next 22 years until her husband became disabled.
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Rose and Bobby
Rose worked for the next six years as a caterer at Saint Paul’s Cathedral on Tremont Street in Boston, MA where she prepared delicious meals for many large functions and for famous guests. Rose retired at age 69. Rose was very active in the social activities and had also written for the newspaper at Presidential Manor in Dorchester where she had become a resident.
Poem written by Rose that was published in an unidentified newspaper.
Old Dorchester
I had the pleasure of sitting with you the other day
Listening intently to everything that you had to say
About the subject that I brought up–out of the blue
While you all waited for lunch, and I had nothing to do.
We talked about “Old Dorchester” (way back when)
Only now, as one can see, it’s not as it was then.
The Washington Street car barn is now the YMCA with a pool
And the girls left their quarters to relocate at the boys’ High School.
The steam engine trains have gone from Ashmont Station
Keeping pace with the progress of the nation.
The open trolley and snake cars too
Have gone from Dorchester Avenue.
Gone from River Street are the horse drawn fire engines
And where oh where are the cellars with coal bins?
Remember people standing outside the radio stores
Listening to the Dempsey-Firpo fight?
The thrill we all felt when indy made his first overseas flight?
There was Gushee’s Farm where milk
was pasteurized and horses in the barn
And the railroad crossing on Welles Avenue
Where Charlie the gate tender spun many a yarn.
Let’s not forget Dorchester Park with its beautiful trees
And the smell of chocolate from
Walter Baker’s when there was a breeze!
Uphams Corner has had no changes there
The library of old remains at Codman Square
Old Dorchester House was once a shabby store.
Now meetings are held in a building with beauty galore!
Three is a new library on Park Street
Where people read and “Senior Citizens” meet.
Station Eleven has moved from Adams Street, I hear.
Patrol cars are equipped with sirens telling help is near.
Remember the Fields Corner bus terminal: Well that’s gone too!
Now there’s a shopping center with wares to lure you!
There are old homes on Mill Street where
sea captains lived and looked out to sea.
Then there is still Melville Avenue and
Wellesley Park still places of beauty to see.
The Dorchester Theatre building now stand with a sign
“Park Theatre.” Yes, folks still stand in line!
Codman Square Theatre is a thing of the past–
Now just a vacant lot–ever so vast!
It’s too bad Coltels Beach is gone today
But Savin Hill and Tenean Beach are both here to stay!
Even grand old churches remain the same.
We sure love “Dorchester” from whence we came!
Rose Applegate
Dorchester