QUARANTINE: Carole Longo, a former Bradford resident, shared a memory she has from her youth. At the time, she lived at 45 Main Street in Bradford.

“God’s Love was the topic for the weekly Women’s Bible Study. The teacher asked ‘Who was your first love?’ Whew! A great question. My first thought was my high school sweetheart. He was a junior in college, drove a ’57 Chevy and played the saxophone.

We both loved jazz and had a great time at dances, picnics and parties. He always surprised me with gifts. Imagine Channel 5 perfume while on a bowling date? The teacher’s question dug even deeper into a wonderful love memory

In 1946 when I was five years old my nine year old sister and I contacted Rheumatic Fever. We were quarantined in our small upstairs apartment. I vividly remember the sign on our front door.

Quarantine 21 Days

by order of the PA Health Department

No one permitted to leave or enter

My father stayed at our neighbor’s house so he could continue to work long hours at a low paying job. For two weeks there was a cold, winter blizzard. The snow piled onto the steps and around the door. One morning I went downstairs to peak out the door. Something was buried in the snow by the bottom step. Was it a Chinese take-out container? I reached outside and quickly pulled it out of the snow.

Since we couldn’t go out and no one could come in I couldn’t imagine what was inside the container. Oh, my Father knew I loved ice cream. When did he bury it? It had to be last night after work.

He was my first and forever love!