Anybody from Waltham or Newton Massachusetts?

by out of the box 36 Replies latest jw experiences

• 

  Apostanator

  Hi everyone I'm apostanator's wife---WOW a big blast from the past on this thread!!! My very first meeting before my total indoctrination into JW land was at the waltham, ma congregation of JW's. I remember Alan Montapoli and his wife and daughter, David and Marie Abboud (he was the biggest man I ever saw in person) and their daughter, Sharon Shields, the Rao's, Ellen Crowe (she reminded me of nancy drew if I'm remembering this all correctly, the blind guy (i forgot his name) and his wife who committed suicide and many more whose names escape me.

  I also knew quite a few from revere, ma congregation: Dan Gjika and his whole family, the Jannuzzi clan, Joe Aleo, Joe Paci and his family, Ed Dowd, and how about the Renaud family? and also the Nicol's to name a few.

  I knew a few from gloucester,ma--the Larkins come to mind and right now. I can't think of a whole lot else--It's wierd because at one time these people all meant something to me and now really I can't be bothered, but at times I'm very curious of what they are doing now and if any of them entertain the thought of leaving JW land.

  Please respond if any of these names ring a bell.
• 

  out of the box

  apostinator's wife:

  Hi everyone I'm apostanator's wife---WOW a big blast from the past on this thread!!! ; My very first meeting before my total indoctrination into JW land was at the waltham, ma congregation of JW's. ; I remember Alan Montapoli and his wife and daughter, David and Marie Abboud (he was the biggest man I ever saw in person) and their daughter, Sharon Shields, the Rao's, Ellen Crowe (she reminded me of nancy drew if I'm remembering this all correctly, the blind guy (i forgot his name) and his wife who committed suicide and many more whose names escape me.

  David Abboud was a very big man. He is the MS I went out in service with that had a gun pulled on him. I could tell you how he got Marie to marry him if you want to know! He was a former 'druggie' and all around bad guy before becoming a JW. Ellen Crowe was a pretty thin girl who wore backless skimpy dresses to JW events. She was engaged to Gerard Pelletier when she became a JW. They broke up and he went on to Bethel. The blind guy, yes he married a sister with two boys. Is she the one who commited suicide, or the one before her? They had bought a house in Waltham from Adrian Mooney (I think her name was) and he fixed it up (even though he was blind) and they could not hold on to it and sold it a year or so later.

  out of the box
• 

  proandcon

  Gave talks in both Newton and Waltham about 7 years ago...remember both congs as relatively cold and unfriendly...don't know any of the people mentioned...I'm just north off Boston and came to Mass. in 1993 from an area in NY state near the Wallkill Farm. Could write a book about all the doozy witnesses I've known (nut jobs; ego maniacs, manic depressives, holier than thous, rip off artists, con men and women, etc)...yet, some real fine people also...(many of whom "saw the light" and faded - like me)> My experience is that many of the "heavies" in the construction side of the business (eg Ass'Y and KH builders) were ego maniacs who were out to impress the CO's and DO's with their "business skills and construction expertise...their methods were often worse than those "in the world" - many stories even here in Mass recently...the most grating thing tome is that JW's are constantly "reminded" of putting on the Chrisitan personality yet drop it in a NY minute when it suits there need or gets in the way...it's really uncanny...most are very hypocritical and can't even see it...yet they can point a finger at you real fast...Proandcon
• 

  out of the box

  I want to thank all who posted to this thread! It made me feel so much better! I now realize that my instincts were right and that I really was seeing these things. I had wondered if I had become cynical about people. Well NOW I KNOW WHY! There WAS a reason why I didn't trust those people! To actually have posts about the people in that congregation that I knew and treated me badly back then. What a gift you all have given me!

  Thank you again sooooo much! out of the box
• 

  CuriousButterfly

  Do you know any other folks from Franklin? I'm gonna go now to read some your other stuff to see if I can find any clues.

  I believe Irwin Adams is still in Franklin serving as an elder. I heard many stories of his father Precott Adams being a harda** and it was his way or the highway. The congregations from Boston to Providence have changed so much. My husband gave a talk in the Hyde Park congregation last year and there were alot of old timers there.
• 

  skytink04

  Hi!

  I know this is an old post , but I was looking through here for people my husband might know, and he knew a few of the people

  you were talking about.

  He was in for about 20 years, and went to The Arlington Ma. KH, Somerville Ma. KH and Waltham, he was good friends with Don Worth.

  I don't think I should put his name here, but he had 4 other brothers and his dad's name was Joe.

  can't wait to show this to him!
• 

  oldstory70

  I'm originally from the Waltham cong. I was there from 1976 to 2000.