Clara Hyman, a resident of Post Road Gardens senior citizen building, will turn 100 years old on Sept. 27.
The year Clara was born, San Francisco had its great earthquake, Mark Twain was alive and making fundraising appearances at Carnegie Hall, and the New York Yankees were still known at the New York Highlanders.
That was the year President Theodore Roosevelt won the Nobel Peace Prize and Susan B. Anthony – for whom the silver dollar was later named – died.
In fact, during Clara’s lifetime, the United States had had 18 presidents and Bayonne had been through 21 mayors.
Clara, of course, has lived through every major event in the 20th Century from the introduction of movies and later sound to American’s landing on the moon. She has lived through both World Wars, seen the rise and the fall of communism, the invention of long playing recording records and their replacement by CDs, has seen transportation go from horse and buggy and trains to automobiles and jet air liners.
Yet the most important thing in her life has been her faith and her family.
Although not officially 100 until Sept. 27, Clara celebrated with friends and family at the Temple Beth-Am on Sept. 3 where State Senator and Bayonne Mayor Joseph Doria presented her with numerous proclamations included recognition from both houses of state government.
Although slightly hard of hearing, Clara’s mind is clear as a bell.
“I remember what I saw,” she said with a shrug. “I saw it and let it go by.”
During her life, she has traveled as far as Florida and Hawaii, though most of her trips elsewhere were to see family members.
A fairly regular movie-goer, she liked most of the movie stars she saw, though relatives claim she once like Errol Flynn.
With her two sons, three grand children and three great grand children, Hyman has plenty of family around her. Especially on Tuesdays, which family members call “Dinner with Nanny.”
“We’re very close,” said Mary Lou Hyman, her granddaughter in law.
Her early years weren’t easy
Clara was born in 1906 to David and Pauline (Katz) Solomon and lived in a cold-water flat on East 119th Street in East Harlem – later known as Spanish Harlem.
While Clara seemed unfazed by historic events she lived through, her young life was a struggle. When Clara was nine her mother died of Tuberculosis, a victim of what some health professionals call the New York Epidemic.
The death broke up her family for a time as she went to live with her grandparents and her sister Lil went to live with an aunt and uncle. The family was restored later when the father remarried and they went to live in The Bronx.
Clara was still a young teen when the family moved to Bayonne where she attended local schools, graduating Bayonne High School’s Rapid Advance program in three years.
Bayonne High School was located at the site where Robinson School is today, 31st Street and Kennedy Boulevard.
Clara had thought of college and asked her father if she could go. Her father suggested she go to work first. This began a career at a legal secretary that lasted more than 50 years, and more than 40 years working for one boss, Ben Lifflander, kept her on for 40 years, and when Clara retired at age 73, Lifflander said he went through 24 legal secretaries trying to find her replacement, then asked her to come back – which she did. She eventually retired again at age 76. But retirement didn’t seem to be in her blood. At age 82, she returned to work for her son, Paul, working in his office all day on Wednesdays. Finally at age 98, she decided it was time to give up work.
Clara met her future husband, Philip Hyman, in the late 1920s while on a date with two other couples. With limited room in the car, she had to ride on his lap in the back seat.
Over the next four years – as the national economy plunged into what is now known at the Great Depression they dated, eventually marrying on Sept. 17, 1932.
Their first son, Philip was born in 1940 while the couple was living in Perth Amboy. Their second son, Paul Elliott was born six years later after they had relocated back to Bayonne.
Both of her sons became doctors. Charles is a retired pediatrician in California who now does work as a doctor. Philip still has a practice as an optometrist here in Bayonne
Clara credits God
Clara credits her long life, not to any special diet or exercise, but to God and garlic pills.
She attends temple services regularly, was a member of Hadassah, Bayonne Community Center, Temple Emanuel, and then Temple Beth-Am. She has also been involved with clubs such as the Cousin Club and Friday Nigh Maj Jong and Hearts Club.
She has also been deeply involved with the affairs of the Post Road Gardens Senior Association, the senior citizen building where she has lived for the last 27 years. She is a founding member of the association and has served as an officer. Last year, the association awarded her for her service.
Even at 100, Clara keeps busy with building activities such as bingo. She also likes crossword and other word puzzles. But she loves helping care for her great grand children, Brody, Ashton and Chase. She watches TV, talks with friends and neighbors, and looks ahead to each Tuesday’s dinner with family.
Until two years ago, she lived by herself, but at 98 she said she began to slow down a little. But she still likes to cook, and among her favorite foods are mashed potatoes with garlic, pierogi, blintzes and eggplant.
“But not too much,” she said.