A Lifetime in Wyckoff
When Edward (Ed) and Carol Galenkamp look out their window, the bucolic pastures are a memory, as are the menagerie of animals, but what remains is the small town feel that Wyckoff has long been known for.
"I have lived here my whole life, and being able to get to know your neighbors and participate in town activities has never changed," said Ed.
You can spend hours with Ed and Carol listening to their stories of the Wyckoff of yesteryear and the adventures the pair has shared during their 65 years of marriage.
The Galenkamp Family Legacy
The history of the Galenkamp family in Wyckoff goes back generations.
The Galenkamp family once owned 200 acres of property that stretched from along Sicomac Ave into Franklin Lakes and to the border of North Haledon near the Franklin Lakes Nature Preserve.
"My grandfather Lucas came from the Netherlands and met my grandmother Anna in Hoboken," said Ed. "They first settled in Clifton and owned a bakery."
The couple then moved to Hawthorne and rented a farm on what is now Goffle Brook Park.
They lived in the stone house right across from the pond and Ed's grandfather would drive a horse and wagon to Paterson to deliver milk, which he dipped out into the pails of the housewives. Those milk deliveries continued when the Galenkamps moved "up the hill" to Wyckoff and established the Sicomac Dairy in 1920.
"My father Edward and his siblings Harold, Beatrice and Jacob all worked on the farm, and for the dairy" said Ed.
Eventually, Ed and his cousins, took over the operations of the Sicomac Dairy which included an ice cream stand, serving their homemade ice cream, located in a barn on Sicomac Ave.
Carol's Roots and a Fateful Meeting
Carol was raised in Hawthorne. Her father's family business was Lont & Overkamp, a printing business which began by printing a Dutch language newspaper called Het Oosten, in 1901.
After attending a church in Paterson for years, Carol's family decided to try Wyckoff Baptist Church.
Wyckoff Baptist Church temporarily met at the Masonic Temple on West Main St, while the church was being built on Wyckoff Ave. Today, it is known as Cornerstone Christian Church.
Having been trained as an organist and pianist Carol, was asked to play at the weekly hymn sings. This developed into 50 years of music at the church.
The 17-year-old Carol joined the Youth Group, where she met 17-year-old Ed.
Ed was in the first graduating class (1957) of the newly built Ramapo High School and Carol graduated from Hawthorne High School and continued her education at Wheaton College in Illinois, where she was a music major. (Ed waited until he was 50-years-old to finish his BA in art at Ramapo College).
"We started dating my sophomore year of college," said Carol. "We were engaged at Easter during my senior year. Our wedding was held at Wyckoff Baptist Church at Christmas."
"We were the first couple to be married in the sanctuary."
Building a Life Together
Carol began her career as a Spanish teacher at Ramsey High School while Ed worked at Sicomac Dairy.
In 1964, they built a house on the farm, where they still live.
Ed and Carol have three children, Jennifer, Amy, and Daniel, and six grandchildren.
"We are going to be great-grandparents this year and we are so excited," said the Galenkamps.
Their home was a special place for their children to grow-up.
"We had horses, sheep and cows on our property," said Carol. "As a child, Jennifer loved to ride a pony that belonged to Ed. The meadows, fields and woods offered adventure and fun for the children, their cousins and friends."
Life on the Farm
Living on a farm was never dull and included some memorable incidents.
"I was in church one Sunday when the police came to get me because some of the 100 cows had gotten loose and were eating the corn planted at Schaff farm," said Ed.
"We had about 30 sheep on our property and they tended to go into the pond to give birth," recalls Carol. "Someone needed to be around to rescue the lambs."
In addition to farm animals, the couple has owned five Golden Retrievers, including 9-year-old Jazz.
Once the dairy was sold, Ed became a realtor, which he did for over 30 years.
Adventures Around the World
Both Ed and Carol's love of travel was shared with their children and grandchildren during a family trip to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in 2021.
"There were 15 of us together on a safari in Kenya which was the third visit to Africa for Ed and I," said Carol. "The people of Africa are extraordinary but to be five feet away from wildlife is a 'pinch yourself' moment."
Another pinch me moment happened on a trip to Antarctica.
"We were on a Zodiac boat and which brought us up close to walruses, penguins, and seals," said Ed. "There were two whales surfacing all around us as if they were inviting us to play."
"It was a once in a lifetime experience," adds Carol.
The couple has traveled to more than 50 countries and have experienced the people, food, architecture, and culture of all seven continents.
"We both love to travel because we are curious and love to learn and meet people," said Carol.
Another trip that stands out was a trip to visit their daughter, a former diplomat, who was residing in Argentina.
"We went everywhere and the diversity of Argentina is stunning," said Carol.
Stateside, they have visited various states, national parks, and have visited Alaska three times.
"When our grandchildren turn 13-years-old we let them choose a trip and all three grandsons picked Alaska," said Carol. "The granddaughters chose Paris, Switzerland and Ireland."
When they weren't traveling the country or globe, the Galenkamps kept active by playing tennis and skiing well into their sixth decade.
"I tried golf and I wasn't very good at it so I stopped playing," laughs Ed.
A Life of Music and Art
Carol served as organist at her church for 50 years calling it her passion and her privilege.
"However, I remember one Easter morning sunrise service that I had to contend with a foot of snow to get there only to play for a handful of dedicated souls," said Carol.
Although Ed does not play the piano, they both enjoy music. They attend the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic, and the New Jersey Symphony.
They are members of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Seeing art around the world inspired Ed to explore his artistic side and he began watercolor painting.
"Some of my paintings are of places we have visited as well as flowers and animals," said Ed. "I have been painting for 20 years so my art is not only in our house but in my children's and grandchildren's homes as well as several friends."
Ed also paints notecards and thank you notes for Carol to use.
Faith, Community, and Keeping Wyckoff Special
"We love to entertain and meet new people," said Carol. "I enjoy cooking, and baking so I need people to come and eat. A meal together is a great way to connect people and share life."
Meeting new people and sharing their strong faith takes place at Liquid Church in Morris County.
"We joined this church 10 years ago and at that time we were the oldest couple," laughs Carol. "Today there are 5,000 members of all ethnic backgrounds, ages, and color. It's really wonderful."
Carol and Ed serve as ushers and are co-leaders for a married couples group.
Other activities they enjoy together are reading and gardening. They are members of the Wyckoff Area Garden Club.
"Ed is in charge of our vegetable garden and I handle the flower garden," said Carol.
Their home was featured on the 2024 Wyckoff Garden Club Garden Tour.
"It's the Garden Club, Pizzeria Mandara, Goldberg's Bagels, and visits to the Wyckoff Library that help Wyckoff maintain that small town feeling," said Ed.
Although Sicomac Dairy was sold in the 1980s, the memories, photographs, and stories remain woven in generations of Galenkamps.
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