Recently, the Mineola American received an email from Rita Young of North Carolina, who wanted to share her memories of Mineola in this centennial celebration year.

In the email, Ms. Young writes, "I was intrigued when I read Mr. Sanders' column about Mineola's 100th birthday. I am 92 and have so many fond memories of my childhood in Mineola.

In 1918, my father, Charles Zaiser, built our home at 35 Dow Ave in Mineola. I am Rita Gertrude Zaiser Young and was 4 years old when my family moved to Mineola. I was educated at the Willis Ave. School and graduated from Mineola High School in 1931.

As a child, there were only five streets between Westbury Avenue and Jericho Turnpike. Our town was very small; we shopped at Knott's Pharmacy, The A&P, Ashby's Hardware Store and Katz's Furniture. The farms between Dow Avenue and Carle Place kept us with vegetables.

We lived near Mitchel Field and in 1919 when I was 5, the R34 Rigid Airship took off on what was to become the first successful transatlantic flight of a Zeppelin over the Atlantic Ocean.

It flew over our backyard and I tried to hang onto the rope trailing off the Zeppelin. I was too young to appreciate its significance but it was very exciting.

Mineola was a wonderful place to grow up. Everyone got along and regardless of religion, we all gathered at the Presbyterian Church Meeting Hall as teens to dance and have a good time. We helped each other out during the hard times of the depression and didn't think too much of the hardships as we had such good friends.

My father was a stonemason from Germany, worked on the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building, the Jones Beach Bathhouses, the Lutheran Church in Garden City and did stonework on many of the homes in Garden City for which he earned a citation for his artwork in stone.

In 1927, my mother Elsie Zaiser walked my two siblings and me to Roosevelt Field to see Charles Lindbergh take off on his transatlantic flight, an event I will never forget.

My first job was at Nassau (now Winthrop) Hospital as a bookkeeper and I worked for the WPA until 1937. After I married, we moved to the corner of First Street and Wardwell Road.

I later moved to Garden City and was also fortunate to live on Camp Mineola Road in Mattituck for over 60 years until I moved to North Carolina in 2004. Judge Leon R. Howell, a County Court judge in Mineola, bought a tract of land on Peconic Bay and several Mineola residents built there.

I hope some of this information is of interest to you. I would appreciate it if you would pass this along to Mr. Lou Sanders. Thank you."

(Editor's Note: Thank you Rita for sharing your wonderful story with us.)