May 28 - Edwin Werner Happy birthday to Edwin Leonard Werner, born on May 28, 1919. A talented athlete, he was captain of the swim team at Bristol High School and gained notoriety as a record-holding swimmer at the Bristol Boys’ Club. While still a sophomore in high school, he was invited to try out for the 1936 Olympic Games. He served in the US Army during World War II, stationed in the South Pacific. He received several commendations, including the Purple Heart. After the war, he worked at the Ingraham Company. Werner was a singer, involved in a several singing groups, including the Bristol Male Chorus, for which he was a founding member. (He appears here in a photo of the group, in the second row, the second person from the left—his chin is partially obscured by the gentleman in front of him.) He also served in several positions at Immanuel Lutheran Church, including as president and choir director. He married Marie Ernestine “Sue” Sonstrom in 1942, and they had three children (including former Bristol mayor, Michael Werner). Edwin Werner passed away in 2008 and is buried at Peacedale Cemetery. At its heart, Bristol history is made up of the people who have lived and worked here. In 2025, we will celebrate the birthdays of some of these people who spent part or all of their lives here. From industrialists, shop owners, educators, administrators, soldiers, medical professionals, and engaged citizens, we invite you to find out which Bristol resident shares your birthday and how they fit into the city's story. (fb)

May 27 - Dolores Ruggerio & Arthur Muzzy Happy birthday to Dolores (Bandish) Ruggerio, born on May 27, 1930, in Plymouth, PA. By age 20, she had moved to Bristol, where lived for most of her life. She worked at OZ/Gedney Electric for 25 years and later in life as the vice president of M. R. Home Care, Inc., a company started by her daughter, Michalene “Mikki” Rosado, and continued by Ruggerio’s grandchildren, including cousins Scott Rosado (president) and Justin Michaud (director). Ruggerio passed away in 2007 is and buried in in St. Joseph Cemetery. Because yesterday was Memorial Day, we skipped a regular birthday, but if you were born on May 26, you share a birthday with Arthur George Muzzy, born on May 26, 1866. He was the brother of Adrian Muzzy and one of the Muzzy Brothers of the Muzzy Brother Department Store. Arthur Muzzy married Martha Ellen Thomas in 1892, and they had one child, a daughter. Muzzy was a Mason and a member of the IOOF. Despite his prominent family and the store, Muzzy had financial difficulties, filing for bankruptcy in 1898, citing only one valuable item, a cat. He would sell his portion of the Muzzy Brothers Store to his brothers Adrian and Franklin and move to Palo Alto, CA. He went into real estate and purchased land for development, but it appears that the venture was unsuccessful, and Muzzy was even briefly reported missing to local authorities. His wife noted at the time that he had been depressed over recent business affairs. By 1930, he was working as a salesman at a department store. He eventually returned to the East Coast, moving the Brookline, MA in 1945. He moved into a Masonic home in Wallingford when his health began to fail and passed away in 1950. He is buried in West Cemetery in the same plot as his parents and his stone appears here. At its heart, Bristol history is made up of the people who have lived and worked here. In 2025, we will celebrate the birthdays of some of these people who spent part or all of their lives here. From industrialists, shop owners, educators, administrators, soldiers, medical professionals, and engaged citizens, we invite you to find out which Bristol resident shares your birthday and how they fit into the city's story. (fb)