Angie's Odyssey
Angie Hyde was born in Palisades in 1926 and lived here until the 50s, building a small stone house on Woods Road with her husband Lloyd Bjorklund. There was a fire at the house, and soon afterward they moved to California. Lloyd died years ago. Today Angie is in a wheelchair and lives in a nursing home. In December she returned to Palisades briefly, undertaking an odyssey across the country to see family members and some old friends.
The trip was arranged by Angie’s son Rob, who bought an adapted school bus which had a wheelchair lift and was fitted for sleeping and food. Angie, Rob, his ten-year-old daughter Harmony and Maria (an aide) all lived on the bus, although they often stayed in motels or as guests of friends during the cross-country trip, which began in Santa Barbara. They visited Angie’s brother Francy in South Londonderry, Vermont and then drove to a goat farm in Andover, Vermont owned by Angie’s cousin Lydia Ratcliff. They took the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard to visit with Angie’s sister, Susie B, her husband Bud, several of their children and Tony Ratcliff. Next stop was John and Joy Macy in Blauvelt with parties including other Macy children, grandchildren and cousins.
Then they came to Snedens and the Tonetti house for lunch; Joe Tonetti is another of Angie’s cousins. Ann Tonetti wrote, “Angie had wonderful memories of her childhood in the Pirates Lair and enchanted everyone with songs and stories from her time there. The guests, Sarah Macy and husband, Joy and John Macy, Joe and Ann Tonetti, Rob Bjorlkund and his daughter Harmony, were all gathered in front of the portrait of their ancestor, François Michel Louis Tonetti… all those generations…it was amazing.
Next, they stopped in briefly at the Gerard house for a visit and then the little pilgrimage made its way down to Washington DC to visit Bubbles and Pierre Lalire. They drove the southern route back to California to avoid the snow and were home by Christmas.”