Carl J. Nygard

Carl Nygard was born in Newark, New Jersey on December 28, 1917. He was the son of Ann Fitzpatrick Nygard and Carl V. Nygard. Little is known about his early childhood as his father left the family while he was a young boy and was left to fend for himself with his brother Jack Nygard. Carl was godfather to Jack's first boy, Jackie Nygard.

Although they had the support of some local family members Carl's mother Ann was irresponsible and was always getting evicted from her rentals. At some point in their lives (teen years) they lived in the Poconos (Effort, Pa to be precise) where Anne was running a boarding house for construction workers (the building still stands). Carl and Jack attended Broadheadsville High School. Jack had a tape worm and consumed a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter daily. They would go into the woods at 5 a.m. and come home with a deer most of the time. This would be the food staple that was shared with friends who were trying to make ends meet. There was a time during the Depression when it was legal to drop your children at an orphanage as long as you retrieved them within 30 days. This happened more than once, and was a regular occurrence for Carl, his brother Jack and Tarn, a cousin. That experience created a lifelong bond with the Tarn family (Metuchen, NJ).

Carl was forced to leave school after the eighth grade to work to provide for his family. They had lived in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, in the 1930's and then proceeded to move from one location to another.

 

Carl was known as a hard worker and this reputation was well earned. He told stories of how he picked potatoes for 10 cents an hour to help support his family. In his teens, he was provided with the opportunity to learn the construction trade when he enlisted in the CCC corps. Carl, under the guidance of his step-father Thoburn Rogers, apprenticed in the construction trade and gravitated towards the operation of heavy machinery. Ironically, Carl had been struck on his bike as a young child and lost vision in one eye. This alone should have disqualified him in his profession but with perseverance he ultimately became known as an expert in his trade.

He moved to the Folsom, PA area in the 1930's and met his future wife, Catherine Melchiorre there. 

Shortly after he married Catherine, he departed for Asia as an Army engineer. Carl was shot while in Okinawa but remained for the duration of the war. 

Upon his arrival back to the U.S. he was greeted by his first child, Catherine Nygard, who was born in 1943. The Nygards lived on Belmont Avenue for many years and while at Belmont Avenue they had three more children: Carl Nygard, Craig Nygard and Carol Ann Nygard.

Carl and Catherine moved to 139 Haverford Road and raised two more children there: Caren Nygard and Charles Nygard.

Carl Nygard enjoyed his family and provided for them very well. He coached their baseball teams and wished that he could combine his son's Craig's hitting power with his son's Carl's great fielding. It never happened. He loved golf, although he was not too good at the sport himself, his son Craig made up for it. He did caddie with his son's Carl and Craig when he was out of work. He would carry two bags for thirty-six holes with two bad knees. He would play golf on caddie day with his sons and nephew Edward Scheib. 

Family

Grandparents

Joseph A. Nygard   
8.22.1873- unk
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Anna Hendrickson
1869- unk
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Parents

Carl V. Nygard   
1895-1955
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Ann Frances Nygard
1898-1960
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Siblings

Marie Ann Nygard
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John (Jack) Nygard
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Jimmy Rodgers
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Wife

Catherine Melchiorre Nygard
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Children

Cathy Nygard Hasson
Carl Nygard
Craig Nygard
Carol Anne Nygard
Caren Nygard Cornman
Charles Nygard