At The Table With Mary Ellen DiGregorio
Paris may have their Inspector Jacques Clouseau but Norristown has Mary Ellen DiGregorio.
Mary Ellen a longtime resident of Norristown has lived within 12 square blocks of the town. She was born when her family (the Earlys) lived on Kohn Street. Then moved a few blocks over to Astor Street. Today, she and husband Dave reside on East Main Street.
I know Mary Ellen for nearly 40 years. During that time, she has been a town activist. Actually, the town’s activist — along with the No. 1 person to go to for help. The real goto for anyone who needs help.
She graduated from the Norristown Area High School in 1978. She went to work with the Montgomery Emergency #16 Service. Followed a series of several jobs, which include: Soffer’s Opt-Mall, Eugina Hospital and Adelphia Cable. She worked part-time for the American Lung Association and Whitehall Elementary School. She mentioned that she has loved every job she ever had.
Mary Ellen was very close to her mother and her large Irish family. There were three older brothers. She said all of her family and neighborhood went to the same schools and many were related.
The youngest Early son suffers with disabilities and Mary Ellen was and still is his caregiver. She and her mom were very involved in day-to-day living and she really misses her mom. They were known to be all over the place together. At times the two became three as her mother-in-law joined them.
Mary Ellen and Dave DiGregorio have been married for 25-years. She told me in all that time they have never had a fight — daughter Breanna has never observed any arguments in their home.
Breanna is from a previous relationship of Mary Ellen’s. Dave has accepted her like she was his daughter. When they first got together, he was the one that made “family dates.”
In the early 1980s, Mary Ellen met up with April Young. April was running for Borough Council in Norristown. Mary Ellen attends and is involved in all borough meetings. She let everyone know what happens — good and bad.
She is what I call a “crime-mapper” — knowing the when and where of the town’s crime, along with being a tracker. She can find out in a matter of a very short time of what is going down and where. Always up-front in the action of the town.
In 2007, Mary Ellen came down with an autoimmune issue. This left her with the loss of the use of her right hand. She is slowly regaining the use of the hand. Today, other health issues keep her a little more grounded then she would like. But she is a fighter and continues to battle on.
For 17 years each May through September, she and family members trek down to the Jersey shore. She lovely called her camper a “condo in a can.”
Mary Ellen loves to cook. She has a difficult time keeping the amount of a recipe down. She cooks large — just as she lives large.
MARY ELLEN DI’S PINEAPPLE STUFFING
INGREDIENTS
Original handed down recipe from her Aunt Jane Butler 1⁄4 lb. of soften butter or margarine
3⁄4 cup of white sugar 4 eggs
5to 7slices of white bread = cubed
8oz can of rush pineapple drained.
INSTRUCTIONS
Cream butter, sugar and eggs, add crush pineapple. Have cubed bread in a small casserole dish pour wet ingredients over bread, lightly make sure all bread is mix with wet evenly. Bake in pre-heated 350° oven for 25to 35minutes.
Over the years I have tweaked it to reduce the sugar and I double it because original was only for 2 to 4serving.
My tweak . . .
1⁄2 lb. of soften butter or margarine
1⁄4 cup of white sugar
7 large eggs or 8 small eggs 1 16oz can if crush pineapple DO NOT DRAIN.. 14slices of white bread cubed
Prepare as shown above. ENJOY!