Two new oral histories are now available online, explore the oral histories of Ernestine Galloway and Christine Rockhill Lane.
Ernestine Galloway. Ernestine Galloway was born in 1928 in Newark, NJ, the only child of Ethel and Seymour Galloway. Her mother Ethel was a domestic worker and her father Seymour was a WWI veteran who died young. Deeply devoted to Mount Zion Baptist Church from childhood, she built a wide-ranging career in religious education, broadcasting, and anthropology, earning four degrees over 35 years through night classes at NYU, including a doctorate based on fieldwork with Jamaica's Maroon people. She worked for the American Baptist Home Mission Society, the YWCA, Riverside Church, and Seton Hall University, while also pursuing music and, in retirement, writing poetry. She moved to Montclair in 1970 and has remained rooted in the community since. In the interview, joined by her longtime friend Rosella Ferguson, she shared memories of her family, faith, career, encounters with figures like Martin Luther King Jr., and reflections on how Montclair has changed over time. Read more and listen here.
Christine Rockhill Lane. Christine Rockhill Lane's family moved to Montclair in 1961 for her father's finance job, settling first on Beverly Road. Christine attended Beard School while her brother went to Brookside at Montclair Academy. An accomplished multi-sport athlete, she also had a sister who became an internationally trained ballerina and a mother whose Riverdale childhood neighbors included Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Her grandfather was also a physicist who worked with Madame Curie. After attending Georgetown and marriage, Christine returned to the Montclair and Glen Ridge area, raised four children, and followed her mother into real estate, building a multi-generational family business. Deeply active in local schools and organizations, she reflected on how Montclair has changed while still cherishing the town's parks, architecture, and close-knit neighborhoods. Read and listen here.
These oral histories are an expression of the views, memories and opinions of the interviewee. It does not represent the policy, views, or official history of the MHC.