Photo by TREVOR KAPRALOS Rosie Salek of Little Falls grew up on a small dairy farm near Newport with four sisters and a brother. Her Irish ancestors settled in the area in the 1800s.

'Heritage is just all about family'

By MELISSA A. CHADWICK
Observer-Dispatch

Rosie Salek does everything with her extended Irish family.

"Everything we did growing up, we did it together," the 51-year-old Little Falls resident says. "We celebrated everything."

And they still do — birthdays, weddings and other important days.

Sundays are spent at Salek’s father’s house to reflect on the week past and the week ahead.

"Whoever is around goes," says Salek, the nurse manager of critical care at Little Falls Hospital. "There’s an open invitation every Sunday."

There is always lots of good food, the "meat and potatoes" kind, she says.

"It’s one continuous laugh from the time we get there to the time we leave," she says.

Salek, whose maiden name is McEvoy, grew up on a small dairy farm near Newport with four sisters and a brother. She says working on the farm each summer kept the family close.

They never strayed far from where her great-great-grandparents settled in the 1800s outside Newport, she says.

"We were raised as a small, tight-knit family. That’s continued as we’ve gotten older," she says. "My Irish heritage is just all about family."

The newer generation is moving on from the Mohawk Valley.

Salek’s two eldest daughters live in Colorado, but they call frequently to check on the health of family members and to see what everyone’s up to.

"It’s tough," Salek says. "But they still want to know how everyone is doing. We make lots of phone calls to celebrate."