All posts by Elaine Van Develde

Remembering R-FH Area Mamas’ Legacies

It’s Mother’s Day weekend.

And, we at Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect are thinking, the day should not just be one in which kids dutifully pay attention to the woman who pretty much, well, twisted her heart up and spit it out to ride a Big Wheel at 100 miles per hour with no helmet. OK, so that was a tad dramatic.

But, it’s not really just for all that jazz — though, it is important jazz. It should be about moms celebrating one another, especially to learn a little bit about one another’s roots in a tight-knit community such as the Rumson-Fair Haven area.

There are so many women in this area who served as unbreakable bricks in the foundation that is this community now. It goes back may generations. We are thankful for those women of all different motherly types — yes, different. Each unique and special in her own way. Each contributing in her own way. Each leaving her indelible fingerprint on many here, through generations.

You see, the strong community foundation that brought us all here is not about a number and a few borrowed phony promotional words — real estate value, flipping and the lingo concocted to make the sale.

The sale was made long ago and the value was tucked away in the hearts of some of these moms who were here when it all started, caring for one another through their community.

It’s about lifeblood — the lifeblood of, in this case, matriarchs who have bequested a legacy of true love.

They put the coffee on. Who’s bringing the crumb cake? Yes, crumb cake. When it comes to community, you can indulge in the simple a little to keep it very sweet.

Take a look at our slideshow and photos of some area moms from the past and present. Some are still with us. Some are not. But, they are remembered for their own contributions to one another and laying bricks in the foundation that is the Rumson-Fair Haven area. If  you have a photo you’d like to add, of a mom from the past, email it to us at evd@rfhretro and we will include it in a gallery.

Retro Fair Haven Baseball Giants

Fair Haven Little League of the late 60s/early 70s
Photo/courtesy of Bill Acker

Little league is in full swing, but there are no Giants.

Back in the late 60s or early 70s, there was a whole team full. That team was led by forever Fair Havenite Bill Lang, who was laid to rest back in 2021. He was a giant of a personality and volunteer for all things Fair Haven, so the team’s name was fitting.

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In Memoriam: Rumson-Raised Longtime Fair Havenite, Teddy Bowers Clifford, 79

Theodora "Teddy" Bowers Clifford

“She was a woman of remarkable warmth, wit, and grace, whose curiosity about the world and genuine interest in the people around her left a lasting impression on all who knew her.”

Rumson-raised longtime Fair Havenite, beloved wife, mother and friend, Theodora “Teddy” Bowers Clifford, passed away peacefully on May 5, at Riverview Medical Center, Red Bank. She was 79.

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Retro RFH Sunny Daze Stoop Squatters

Let the sun shine! Bring it back! There have been some sun shiny spring days lately; but, today is an exception. The sun will return by Friday, though, because spring has really sprung. And back in the 1970s at RFH, busting out of the hallowed halls was the thing to do when the fiery orb reared its rays in the sky.

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Retro RFH Baseball Tackle Time

In an effort to pay homage to baseball season, these RFH baseball of a more casual kind retro pics, originally posted on April 10, 2019 are being reprised. Have you ever had a tackle strategy like this in your ball game?

Isn’t football the tackle sport? Well, that may be, but by the looks of things in this 1970s home run classic in the outfield, these RFH baseball players paid no mind to standard sports protocol. It was really all about the fun and laughs for them.

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Prosecutor: Afternoon Area Shooting Under Investigation

From the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office …

Members of the MCPO Major Crimes Bureau and the Freehold Borough Police Department are actively investigating the shooting of an adult male that took place on East Main Street between South and Center streets this afternoon.

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