By Danny McCarthy
Judith Terry was the First Elected {Female} Town Clerk who was sworn in on January 1976, and she served until December 1997.
The September 12, 1974 The Long Island Traveler-Mattituck Watchman had quite the announcement: “A {W}omen for Duryea Committee has been organized to aid the {re-election} campaign of Assemblyman Perry B. Duryea{,} with a goal of 7,500 signatures from throughout the First Assembly District. The committee is a coalition of women of all political parties as well as independents in the First Assembly District dedicated to working to return Mr. Duryea to Albany for his consecutive term.”
That September 12, 1974 article continued with the fact about the Committee’s efforts having been formed: “{because} so many women were interested in supporting Perry and were asking what they could do in volunteer work for his {re-election}.” That statement came from the Committee’s Coordinator, Margaret Ach of Wading River.
You see, this all relates to our coverage since Judith Boken just happened to be one of a total of nine Southold Coordinators for that Committee.
Just for the Sake of It! …
I’ve learned via research that Perry {Belmont} Duryea is buried at the Montauk Fort Hill Cemetery.
Here’s a findagrave website link carrying the listing for Perry {B.} Duryea:
https://old.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8272558
Candidate Elected to Office!
The November 28, 1974 The Long Island Traveler-Mattituck Watchman carried these facts: “Suffolk County Women’s Republican Club held election of officers and directors on Wednesday, November 20{,} at the Sayville Republican Club. Judith Boken, Deputy Town Clerk of Southold and Mitze Goodrich, President of the Southold American Legion Auxiliary were elected as two directors {of the Suffolk County Women’s Republican Club}, representing the Town of Southold.”
That November 28, 1974 article also included this: “It is hoped that Southold Town will be represented as this is the first time that it has been privileged to have two County Directors instead of one.” The ladies’ Installation was to be held that December 20th at the Club’s Christmas Party.
The January 16, 1975 The Long Island Traveler-Mattituck Watchman said: “Frances Epp, President of the Southold Town Republican Club, held Club Elections during the January 9th meeting and {one of those elected was Judith Boken {as} Treasurer.”
The June 5, 1975 The Long Island Traveler-Watchman shared: “After four years as Southold Town Clerk and town employee for 11 years, Judith T. Boken was sworn in Friday as Town Clerk to fill the resignation of Albert Richmond, {who retired} after 20 years.”
That June 5, 1975 cover article continues: “Her appointment includes the position of Registrar of Vital Statistics and runs until the end of 1975. She is expected to be the Republican candidate for Town Clerk in the November 1975 election.”
Very Nice Words Spoken!
The October 30, 1975 The Long Island Traveler-Watchman had a tribute printed for the then Upcoming November 1975 Election Ad that was carried in that edition: “She has years of experience in the town clerk’s office as the Deputy Clerk. Her promotion to the full title {of Town Clerk} was a natural progression and we expect her to remain in office. She won her place on the ticket by superior performance on the job.”
We Salute You Judith!
The November 27, 1975 The Long Island Traveler-Watchman proudly announced that “Town Clerk Judith Boken notified the Coordination Committee {that was running the forthcoming Southold 1976 Bicentennial Events} that she wanted to help that Committee.
By The Way … “I Love to Cry at Weddings!”
Judith Boken became Mrs. George Terry in 1976!
Another Marvel Gets to Step Forward
The March 25, 1976 The Long Island Traveler-Watchman spotlighted the following: {It was noted that the Southold Town Board} “Appointed Elizabeth Neville {as} secretary to Town Clerk Judith Boken{,} who in turn named Neville Deputy Clerk{.}”
Filing That Thought
The May 5, 1977 The Suffolk Times article by Sam Campbell shared that Moving Day Elates Town Office Staff. “Said Town Clerk Judy Terry, “This is all wonderful, but it is a little disoriented with all these boxes lying around.” … “Besides the new feeling of roominess, other features of the new Town Hall receiving top marks were the carpeting, the curtained windows{,} and the central air-conditioning {Ah! -} the air-conditioning.”
“Garden as though you will live forever {!}”
That comment was made by William Kent. ~ Gertrude Jekyll got quoted as saying: “The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies.”
The June 28, 1977 obituary of Former Southold Supervisor Albert Martocchia found listed within the Gildersleeve Scrapbook{s} website link {that is within the Mattituck-Laurel Library website}, reminds us that Albert Martocchia died that June 1977. That clipping shares this: “Town Clerk Judith T. Terry said Tuesday Town employees were collecting funds to plant a garden memorial to Mr. Martocchia near Town Hall.”
“Calling Gloria!”
The October 3, 1985 The Suffolk Times article titled Hamlet-by-Hamlet: A Wet Rolls Royce was an account of Hurricane Gloria and its aftermath. That article’s portion about the Southold Hamlet included this: “Friday morning was a bipartisan phone-manning effort at Town Hall.
Supervisor Frank Murphy, a Democrat, and Town Clerk Judy Terry, a Republican, were on hand to field residents’ questions. … About 80 persons called in to ask whether they should evacuate, where they should go if {they} did evacuate, etc.”
Definite Credit is Due!
The March 4, 2017 The Suffolk Times saluting article by Paul Squire extensively wrote about Servant of the Year: Jim Grathwohl. I was excited to locate a list of the previous Suffolk Times’ Public Servant{s} of the Year after scrolling down that article. I got to be reminded that in 1993, Judy Terry was Public Servant of the Year.
