Over the years Meadowbrook has been home to several people of merit in a variety of different fields. Some spent only part of their lives in Meadowbrook, while others merit lies in the fact they have lived all of their lives in this neighborhood.

Cyril T. Tucker lived with his family at 161 Avalon Drive for twenty-two years. He came to Rochester in 1931 to work as an architect. Mr. Tucker is listed in Architecture and Architects of Rochester, N.Y., in 1959, as having designed the original Culver Ridge Plaza and the Southtown Shopping Center. He also designed many residences in Rochester and in Brighton, including houses on Allens Creek Road. The May 1934 issue of The American Home magazine featured a home designed by Tucker called the “Anchorage”. The design of the home reflects a nautical theme and is located at 361 Sagamore Drive in Irondequoit, near Lake Ontario. The article included photographs of the outside and the inside of the house. On a recent visit to the home, it was found to have all the original details intact, including light fixtures, rope for moldings, and the original fireplace crane. Tom and Meg Upson, who have lived at Tucker’s former home since 1978, had the occasion to meet him a few years after they moved to Meadowbrook. He recalled for them time spent at his drafting table on their front porch designing homes.

John Jakes, author of historical fiction including, The Kent Family Chronicles, The North and South Trilogy, Homeland and American Dreams, lived in Meadowbrook from 1960 until 1965. During that time, he worked for the Rumrill Company and for Blair Advertising. Mr. Jakes fondly remembers living at 209 Buckland Avenue with his family. He even served on the board of the Meadowbrook Neighborhood Association. Mr. Jakes helped to gather prizes donated by area merchants for the raffle at the Meadowbrook Picnic and his children participated in the annual Children’s Parade.

John Jakes is the “acknowledged contemporary master of the family saga”. Six of his major novels have been filmed as television mini-series. In his newest novel, On Secret Service, he writes about the American Civil War. In all, Mr. Jakes has written two hundred short stories and sixty books of mystery, western, or science fiction.

Miriam Grace Monfredo, the author of the Seneca Falls mystery novels, lived in Meadowbrook for many years. Her books, written about life in the mid 1800’s, are based on actual historical events or social movements. Mrs. Monfredo speaks nationwide about the evolution of women’s rights. She is the author of Seneca Falls Inheritance, Sisters of Cain, The Stalking Horse, and Through a Gold Eagle, to name just a few.

In 1939, Frank Oberkoetter met his wife-to-be, Virginia, in a Kodak store in Chicago where she was working. Frank had a professional photography studio in Peoria. Both he and his wife were exceptionally creative photographers. Because of his extensive, early work in color photography, Frank’s talents were noticed by Eastman Kodak. He was a true “pioneer” of the color photography process. Frank married Virginia and moved to Meadowbrook to work for Kodak in 1940. Virginia has lived at their home for 61 years.

In the early 1930’s, a future president of Eastman Kodak, William S. Vaughn and his wife lived at 258 Buckland Avenue. Mr. Vaughn began working at Kodak in the Development Department in 1928, and eventually became president of the Company in 1960. Mrs. Vaughn played the organ daily for George Eastman at his home. It has been told that one evening Mrs. Vaughn had invited Mr. Eastman to dinner. A few of the neighborhood youngsters discovered that Eastman was at the home and, eager to get a peek at him, looked through the window. It was quite a surprise for them to see George Eastman drying the dishes!

The history of Meadowbrook cannot be written without including the names of certain individuals who have spent most of their lives in Meadowbrook or have contributed in some special way while they were living here.

Jane Sanford recalls a story demonstrating Mr. Lyle Cassan’s neighborhood popularity. Jane, who lived in Meadowbrook most of her life, remembers the picnics of more than fifty years ago. At the 1948 neighborhood picnic, a contest was held. Neighbors had to guess “Who is Mr. Meadowbrook?” to win the prize of a television set, which were quite rare at that time. Another lifetime resident, Linda Lakeman, guessed the answer to the riddle. It was Lyle Cassan. The Lakemans, amusingly, were one of the only families in Meadowbrook who already had a television! Linda reports that her father, a doctor, donated the television to the nurses where he worked. Lyle Cassan, of 403 Hollywood Avenue, was the owner of a discount appliance store, Rudolph Schmidts. He was a generous contributor of prizes for the yearly picnic raffles. Mr.Cassan’s name appears often in the neighborhood news and happenings printed in the early Meadowbrook Dandelions.

There is a long list of neighbors who have chosen to live their lives in Meadowbrook. For those who enjoy living here, it seems understandable that some residents might be quite content remaining in this beautiful, secure neighborhood, watching others come and go. The following “original homesteaders” have graciously contributed their memories to the story of Meadowbrook, passing along their recollections so that “newcomers” might appreciate what life was like in earlier times in this neighborhood. Linda Lakeman has lived in two different houses, both on the same street in Meadowbrook, all her life. Jane Sanford lived in the same house on Bonnie Brae Avenue, originally owned by her grandparents, from 1938 to 2008. Mrs. Laura Wadleigh lived in Meadowbrook for fifty-seven years. She and her family first lived at 74 Avalon Drive and then moved to 281 Hollywood Avenue until she moved in the year that she turned ninety. Mr. David Leavitt has been especially generous with his time and has shared hours of detailed memories, having lived in this neighborhood since a young child, in 1929.