Bethpage-Tribune_1975-05-15

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PIAINVIEW PLAINEDGE SEAFORD
VOL. 9 NO. 25 Thursday, May 15, 1975 10 cents per copy
Nassau Honors Oldest Mother Students In Their Sixties
SENIOIt CITIZENS' MONTH: Hemps lead Town Presiding
Supervisor Francis T. Purccll (right) proclaims the month of May as
"Senior Citizens' Month" and presents Mrs. Susie lironson, a HH-y
car-old resident of Koosevell, with a special citation for her out­standing
activities in her senior citizens center.
In an unprecedented out-pour­ing
of tribute, the Nassau com­munity
honored its oldest mother
- Mrs. Susie Brunson of Koosevell
- in a ceremony on Mother's Day.
"This wonderful lady, who is
104-years-young, was honored as
no other mother has ever been
honored," said Nassau County
Executive Ralph G. Caso, who
was among public officials, cele­brities,
religious leaders and
church groups, educators,
community leaders and friends
and neighbors who made tributes
to "Mother Brunson."
She "held court" on Sunday,
May 11, from 3 to 7 p.m. at the
Nassau County Black History
Museum, 106 Main Street, Hemp­stead.
The tribute to Mrs.
Brunson was sponsored by the
Koosevell Lions Club in co­operation
with Ihe Black History
Museum.
"It is fitting Mrs. Brunson
should be honored in this his­torical
selling, because she has
seen and experienced history in
more than a century of living,"
Caso said. "Over the last several
mouths, she has been taking pari
in laped interviews al Ihe
museum, relating events in her
life to historic happenings. These
lapes, part of a multi-media
demonstration, are called 'Life
Begins al 100.' Exerpts will be
played during this tribute."
Caso cited Mrs. Brunson, an
active community and church
worker, who is a volunteer aide al
the A. Holly Patterson Home.
Tributes to her were offered
from officials and groups
throughout Ihe county ... and
beyond ils borders.
Among them were greetings
from President Ford and Gov.
Carey. She also was cited by
Bishop Walter J. Kellenberg of
Kockville Centre Catholic Dio­cese,
Bishop Jonathan G. Sher­man
of the Long Island Episcopal
Diocese, the National Council of
Christians and Jews, the National
Association for the Advancement
of Colored People, the Urban
League, the National Association
of Black Social Workers, the
National Association of Negro
Professional and Business
Women and the National Council
of Negro Women.
Tributes came lo "Mother"
Brunson from Hofslra and
Adelphi Universities, C.W. Post
College and Nassau Community
College, as well as from several
Nassau school districts and the
Nassau Board of Cooperative
Educational Services. Several
Koosevell area churches will
honor her and a number of choirs
and musical groups will perform.
Bernard Blackwell of Hemp-slead,
an internationally-known
concert performer, sang during
the program and a number of
performers and celebrities from
the entertainment world at­tended.
"Tributes for 'Mother' Brunson
came from every area of our
community," said Vickey Jenn­ings
of Westbury, coordinator of
the program.
Mrs. Brunson lives with her
daughter, Mrs. Mary McDaniels.
She has 3 children, 8 grand­children,
and 12 great-grand­children.
Togetherness Blooms As Joanne and Michael
Ciofalo Attend The Same College
Joanne and Michael Ciofalo,
who have been married for
almost forty years and who have
been residents of Ihe Island Trees
School District since 1955, having
put their children Joanna and
Michael through college, seen
them happily married, been
blessed with two beauliful
grandchildren, Susan Marie and
Brian Christopher Lynn, are now
enjoying their senior years as
college students themselves.
Both in their sixties, they are
relishing the mental stimulation
of attending classes al the State
University of New York at
Farmingdale.
Almost two thousand years ago
Socrates advocated sending the
young people off to work and the
older citizens to school, a premise
with which Joanne Ciofalo seems
to agree. She says, "many young
people in college go because their
parents think they should. For
some, study is a drag and at­tendance
in class is perfunctory.
To the mature sludent study is
seldom a bore. Witness the ever-swelling
enrollment in the
Evening College classes. The
older student, having worked all
day, comes to lass with a 'no
nonsense' attitude toward the
business of learning. Some may
be doing it to earn a degree
necessary for their job; some to
pursue a hobby such art or
horticulture; and some as lovers
of wisdom.
"Invariably 1 have found
myself lo be the one senior citizen
in the class. Often 1 have been
asked what 1 was going to DO
with my degree? 1 was always
puzzled as lo why 1 should be
asked why 1 wanled to study so
hard at my age. What has my
chronological age to do with my
mental age. True, as you get
older you have fewer brain cells.
At the rate biologists tell us they
are destroyed each day, it is a
wonder we have any left - but
brain cells musl be nearly infinite
in number. So you don't
remember everylhing, or recall
as quickly as the younger
students do, but you apply
yourself more diligently, you
research a little more and therein
lies Ihe reward of learning :
exploring the by-paths and side
streets of a subject. Attendance
at classes is not only
enlightenment, but it is en­joyment
too. You experience a
sense of being a part of the living
world of academia, you exchange
dialogue with the young and the
not so young, with professors who
more often than not are much
younger than you. In addition,
you have the advantage of life
experience. Once in a class in
American History the young
professor said he had been
wailing for the lime when he
OFF TO CLASS. Joanne and Michael Ciofalo on their way lo Evening
College classes at the State University of New York in Farmingdale;
Michael to his art course and Joanne to her course in Philosophy.
I
". . . . AND CHOCOLATE MILK does not come from brown cows."
Michael Ciofalo enjoys his role as tour guide at the farm complex of
the State University at Farmingdale.
would have a student who was
able lo tell him how it really was
during the depression of 1929,
about the WPA workers and how
it was at home during the years of
World War II rationing.
"1 was a straight 'A' student for
all of my history, literature and
language course* Not so with
science and mathematics. Not
ever having studied algebra, 1
was practically pulverized in a
class in Statistics. With extra
help from a most sympathetic
and understanding professor, I
managed to keep my head above
water and pass the c
"Always 1 keep ! -uring the
admonition 'Stop becoming and
sturl being.' Almy age, and 1 will
soon be 63, when do I stop
becoming and start being? I
really feel that by becoming I am
being - or am I being by becoming
a little more learned? I do not
know the answer. Therefore I had
better keep on studying and try to
fulfill the motto of the State
University - 'Let each become all
he is capable of being.'"
Michael Ciofalo who for a while
sat on the sidelines, has now also
gotten involved in attending
classes al the college.
"In 19711 retired as Supervisor
of Inspectors for the New York
City Housing authority. 1 had
promised myself that as a senior
citizen and a retiree 1 was en
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