Arlene Murphy: There’s More To Her Than Meets The Eye

By Keeley Pavlik

Arlene Murphy grew up listening to WWII on the radio, worked for teachers in high school, graduated as valedictorian, married at 22 and become a mother at 23.  She now lives peacefully in Maine with her constant visits from her six children and 10 grandchildren.

Arlene (Miller) Murphy was born in a little house in Watertown, Massachusetts on April 8, 1934.  She grew up in the house with one brother.  She lived there until she married at age 22 in 1956 and moved to Woburn.  She raised six children there, and moved out in 1991 when her husband retired and one of their daughters bought the house. Arlene and her husband retired to Wells, Maine where she happily lives and enjoys visits from family.

Before Arlene married and had a family, she went to school, belonged to clubs and worked.  During high school years, she worked for teachers by typing and copying tests for her English and history teachers.  She also volunteered in the guidance office.  Her days were busy as a member of the national honor society, the Tri-Hi club and the Spanish club called Quid Nunc (what now).  The high school years involved going to school sports events, dating and going to dances.  She graduated in 1952 as valedictorian of her class.

After high school, Arlene worked for the Massachusetts Department of Education in Boston.  She also worked part-time at McLean Hospital in Belmont.  She married at the age of 22.  She had her first child when she was 23 and her last child when she was 34.  She had six children in total, four girls and two boys.  She had her first grandchild at age 56, and has 10 grandchildren in all.  She moved to Maine at the age of 57.

Throughout her years, Arlene and her generation witnessed many world conflicts.  As a young child, she remembers listening to the radio with reports during WWII.  Although she didn’t personally know many people who participated in WWII, she does remember how worried people were about loved ones making it home and “how horrible people said it was.”  She also lived through the Korean, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan wars.  Her father was in WWI, but was fortunate that his duties never took him beyond Boston Harbor.

Many things have changed during Arlene’s life, such as technology and the prices of everything from groceries to homes.  When Arlene had her first television, it was in black and white and only had a few channels which were manually switched.  She remembers that the first people to buy a television received a free phonograph with it.  Growing up, Arlene used a typewriter to do her school papers; computers weren’t around then.  She could never have imagined that people would have cell phones, ipods, personal computers and ipads.

She also remembers when candy cost 10 cents.  To spend $100 on groceries when she was growing up would have bought enough to eat to last at least a month!  If she were to try and buy a house today for the amount she paid on her first home, it might not even be enough for a down payment.  She never thought the price of everyday living needs would be so expensive.  “Prices have skyrocketed!” Arlene exclaimed.

When her husband retired, they traveled to many U.S. national parks and were also able to visit Germany, Ireland, Austria, Switzerland and France.  She enjoys visiting her children and grandchildren, volunteering at the local hospital and is embracing the latest technology by having a Facebook account and using a Kindle.

Upon interviewing Arlene Murphy, I learned many things about her I may never have known.  I was especially surprised by how many clubs and extracurricular activities she was involved in.  Also, it was interesting to learn how much history she has lived through.  I was also happy to see how well my grandmother has adjusted to all the new technology.   Maybe I’ll think of all this when my cousins and I are getting into the back of the "‘Nana mobile!"

Woburn Patch is running the top six features written by students in the Joyce Middle School English and history project, in the order that English teacher Kathryn Materazzo, who started the project last year, sent them to us.

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