Oral Histories

Years ago when I recorded and transcribed my mother's (Carol Agard Nunn) oral history, I also asked her to do an oral history of our family restaurant, Taughannock Farms Inn. That history was recently shared with the new owners of the Inn and I am now seeing bits of Mom's history on their menus. That pleases me a lot! At the time I transcribed Taughannock Farms Inn, the Early Years, I contacted Carol Kammen who did the history articles for the Ithaca Journal and suggested that other local businesses record their history before it's lost. Carol ran with the idea and published an article about the importance of documenting the mom and pop businesses in Ithaca. I don't know if anyone followed up on that suggestion. In that vein, over the last two years I've worked with Monica Wilkinson Kelly of the Edith B. Ford Library in Ovid, New York, transcribing 39 oral histories of the craft beverage businesses between Cayuga and Seneca Lakes. Monica has posted these interviews on the New York Heritage website: https://nyheritage.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/search/collection/nyheritage!p16694coll112/searchterm/Viticulturists/field/subjec/mode/all/conn/and In that site, click on Collections, Oral Histories, and then Memory Project, Viticulturists. There will be a list of about 27 interviews with the transcript and video taken at the time of the interview. Each one is so different and so interesting. On the left of the screen you will see other sections. Click on those to get more of the wineries and breweries that were interviewed. And then, get to the Finger Lakes and visit these amazing, award-winning wineries.

Family Photo and Love - #52 Ancestors

Merritt and Maude Emma Agard 60th Wedding Celebration

This family photo exemplifies love as each of these couples married young and stayed happily married until death did they part. They served as a strong moral core for their families and for everyone who knew them. They used their talents to the benefit of the communities in which they lived.

The photo was taken in 1983 on the occasion of the 60^th wedding anniversary of Merritt Martin Agard and Maude Emma (Hardenbrook) Agard. The couple on the left is their son John Richard Agard and his wife Beverly (Shepard) Agard; on the right, Edward Francis Nunn and Carol (Agard) Nunn (my parents). The photo was taken at our family restaurant, Taughannock Farms Inn, overlooking Cayuga Lake near Trumansburg, New York.

Merritt’s version of how he met Maude: It was at one of their church suppers (Jacksonville M.E. Church) that he caught Maude Hardenbrook’s eye. Maude had attended with another young man from the community. Merritt, being mischievous, turned the lights out during the supper. While the lights were out, he raced in, took Maude’s hand, and took her away from her companion.

Maude on the other hand liked to tell the story that on one of their first dates, Merritt tried to kiss her and she slapped his face. In any event, they sorted all that out, were married, and celebrated their 60^th anniversary in August 1983.

From their wedding book: They were married at Willow Creek on August 22, 1923 by the Reverend R. L. Smith. Witnesses were Helen Atwater and Alfred Hopkins. Guests were: Mrs. E. Hardenbrook, Mr. Enos Hardenbrook, Mrs. Arthur Agard, Mr. Arthur Agard, Mrs. Menzo Wortman, Mr. Menzo Wortman, Mr. W. L. Twekin, John W. Agard, Mary A. Simpson, Moreia Higgins, Fred D. Higgins, Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Agard, Frank J. Beardsley, Mrs. F.J. Beardsley, Adalade C. Tucker, Mr. and Mrs. John Rightmire, Delia Rightmire, Mr. and Mrs. C. Owen Carman, Dorothy M. Vann, M. Gertrude Godfrey, Eleanor M. Drew, Mrs. Walter Higgins, Mary Higgins, Leon Drew, Walter Higgins, Emily H. Gardner, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Darling, Cornelia B. Thompson, Mrs. C. H. Smith, C. H. Smith, Kenneth Hardenbrook, Alice D. Sherman.

J. Richard Agard and Beverly Jean Shepard were married July 1946 in Sage Chapel on the campus of Cornell University.

Edward Nunn and Carol Louise Agard were married September 12, 1941 in the rectory of Immaculate Conception Church in Ithaca, New York with J. Richard Agard and Adeline Agard in attendance. The reception was held at her parent’s home on Jacksonville Road. Photos of their wedding can be found on an earlier blog.

I miss these loving members of my family.

Fearless Females - How they met at Taughannock Falls State Park

Edward Nunn and Carol Agard
abt 1940

Because he matriculated at Cornell University, my uncle, Harold “Bus” Nunn, not only secured a lifeguard position at Taughannock Falls State Park for himself, but he also succeeded in getting a lifeguard job for my father, Edward Nunn.

With their two sons employed upstate, it made sense for Harry and Mary Nunn to leave the Bronx for the summer and camp in the Finger Lakes Region.  After setting up tents at Taughannock Falls State Park, and having his family settled in, Harry drove the windy two-lane Route 17 back to the city to work for New York City's Public Works Department.

In the meantime, Maude Agard worked at the park’s bath house, and her children, Carol and Richard rode their bike (Carol on the handlebars) down the steep hill each day to bring their mother her lunch.  It wasn’t long before 14 year old Carol noticed the handsome 17 year old lifeguard from New York City.

Fun at Taughannock Park
Carol in dress; Edward standing, facing camera

The park was a gathering place for young folks and the summers were filled with fun. The above photo is an example of that! I am so thankful that I, too, spent my summers enjoying the park, and swimming in Cayuga Lake.

Edward Nunn
abt 1940

As for Carol and Ed, Carol later admits that he chased her until she caught him!

Arthur and Jessie Agard Wedding Anniversary Celebration

From left: Adeline Agard Tamburino, Edward Nunn, Jessie Agard, Carol Agard Nunn, Arthur Agard
abt 1960s

I am a month late in wishing Art and Jessie a happy wedding anniversary. They were married in her Enfield, New York home on June 26, 1901.

Their anniversary dinner was celebrated at Taughannock Farms Inn overlooking Taughannock Falls State Park on Cayuga Lake. 

Thankful Thursday - Five Generations of Agards

The above photo represents one of several five generations in our Agard-Nunn family. The baby is my brother Edward F. Nunn, Jr. (Skip), his mother, Carol Agard Nunn, her father (left) Merritt Agard, his father (right) Arthur Charles Agard, and seated is John Wesley Agard. 

Thankful Thursday - Carol Louise Agard Nunn

My mother passed away three years ago today. Sometimes it seems like a long time ago; other times it seems like it was just, well, yesterday.


Wasn't it just "yesterday" when she was a young mother with her full life ahead of her?

Carol Nunn with Mary and Skip
abt: 1948

Every day I thank my parents for providing me with a safe and happy childhood.  And every day I appreciate that my mother, who was not allowed to finish high school because she married, was one of the smartest people I have ever known. Her sayings and advice continue to be “right-on,” like, “The root of all evil is power and greed,” and, “Paper never refused print,” and, “If you can’t say anything nice; don’t say anything at all.”

She also had whimsical sayings such as, “You know it is going to rain if the cows are lying down.”



Thank you, Mom, for your love, protection and for your down to earth wisdom.

Wedding Wednesday - September 12, 1941

Soon after I began my genealogical research I realized I had never seen any pictures of my parents’ wedding.  I mentioned this to my mother and learned that no pictures had been taken with the exception of those on an eight mm camera owned by her Uncle Bill Agard.  Because it was a “moving” picture camera, no photographs were produced.

Consequently, on September 12, 2001 when my parents would have been married sixty years - would have been except my father died in 1988 - it really bothered me that my mother did not have one photo of their wedding day.

Since Bill’s daughter lives in the family farmhouse, I asked her about the film. After several months it was miraculously located and mailed to us. A local technician repaired the tear in the tape and transferred it to a VCR.  But I needed it on a CD so we could put it into the computer and using PhotoShop make stills that we could send to my mother. I mentioned the situation to our neighbor, a commercial photographer, and he said he would give it a try. He successfully transferred the VCR tape to a CD and then showed us how to manipulate the film in PhotoShop. Another neighbor gave us special Kodak paper on which to print the photos, and on March 18, 2002 via Federal Express, my mother saw, for the first time, pictures of her wedding day! 

This photo is a sampling of what we captured from the 8 mm film. Top left is their friend and fellow lifeguard, Chuck Lueder; middle is Mother of the Bride, Maude Agard ; right is Uncle Bill Agard. The wedding party consisted of Maid of Honor Adeline Agard (Tamburino), Carol Agard Nunn, Edward Nunn, and Best Man J. Richard Agard.

The marvels of technology!