The Lonsky love story in print

Struggling as a single mother, Barbara Lippincott met the love of her life, Steve Lonsky, in 1988, and in November 1989, they were married by Pastor Bob Richardson at Groton Assembly of God.

Over the past 30 years, just as most of us are inclined to do, Barbara would tell stories of how Steve and she met, the progression of their romance and other details to her friends and family.

“I was always sharing our story through the years,” Barbara said. “People were always telling me I should write a book about it, so I finally did.”

It took Barbara about a year from the time she started writing until her book, “Opening the Door,” was published in November 2020.

Barbara was born in Waverly, New York, and Steve in New Jersey. Together, they have lived and raised their own family in the home Steve built in Genoa, New York, but the twists and turns both their lives took to get to that place are detailed in Barbara’s book in a heartwarming and uplifting way. The book is a short and easy read, but each page is truly riveting.

Born to James and Margaret (Maggie) Lippincott, Barbara was one of six children. Her father was a bricklayer, working for a company in Binghamton. But as work became scarce, the Lippincotts moved to Amarillo, Texas, in 1972, where James landed a job traveling the country, relining brick smokestacks 800 feet in the air.

Steve’s parents, Edmond and Dorothy, left New Jersey with their six sons and daughter in 1972, when Edmond took a position as the science coordinator for Auburn High School. They purchased the 98-acre farm in Genoa on which Steve and Barbara now live.

Edmond had served as a Navy periscope operator on the U.S.S. Sealion, which was the only submarine to sink a Japanese destroyer in WWII. In fact, he had a periscope photo of that destroyer published in the book “Best of Life Magazine Photos” in 1973.

Sadly, Edmond died in 1974, leaving Dorothy, age 42, with their seven children and leaving Steve with little direction, a heavy heart and a great deal of excess energy.

Steve filled his days playing bluegrass banjo and guitar and cultivating a fascination with explosives while attending Southern Cayuga High School.

At age 19, Steve was mixing some explosives that detonated in his hands, leaving him with the loss of five fingers — three on one hand and two on the other. He spent the next five years grieving, trying to relearn everything in life and becoming secluded and hermit-like.

Barbara graduated from high school in 1977 and immediately left for New Orleans, where she worked as an on-the-job trainee to become a respiratory therapist.

To obtain her associate degree in respiratory therapy, Barbara attended Delgado Junior College, but what should have taken her two years to complete took Barbara almost six, due to various obstacles in her life that are recounted in her book.

During her time in New Orleans, Barbara married her first husband, and her son, Rocky Soldani, was born there. Due to the circumstances in her life, Barbara moved back home to Amarillo with Rocky, and it was there that her daughter Angela Soldani (now Conger) was born in 1984.

Once home in Texas, Barbara’s mother, Maggie, took her to church, where Barbara “cried out to God” in her desperation.

“I had a real sense of peace after that,” Barbara said. “And I desired a better life for myself and my children. I just wanted to get away from the party crowd. I needed a change.”

In Genoa in 1984, Steve started building a house on his family’s property with an archway over the front door.

“A man’s house is his castle, so it should look like one when you go through the door,” Steve explained.

That archway is very significant to Barbara because at that time, she was far away in Texas, writing a song, making a wish list for a husband and drawing a picture of a door with an archway without knowing why.

In 1988, Barbara attended a cousin’s wedding at Sage Chapel on the Cornell University campus and stayed that weekend in Groton with her friend, Dolores Walker, who was also a single mother, with two sons. Barbara was inspired by the faith she saw in Dolores.

“I wanted that for myself and my children,” Barbara said. “Dolores offered to let me stay with her, so I sold almost everything in Texas, rented a trailer and pulled the rest to Groton with a Datsun 280Z in four days.”

Barbara ultimately moved to an apartment in Moravia, which ironically belonged to Steve’s boss and Steve had remodeled.

The pivotal moment when Barbara and Steve finally met was the day after the night that the heater in Barbara’s waterbed caught on fire and there were no smoke alarms. Steve was sent to install them, they literally ran into each other as he bounded up the stairs, and the rest is not only history but an amazing story in Barbara’s book.

The Lonskys have a daughter, Stephanie (Lonsky) Cerny, who lives in Maine with her husband and three children. Rocky Soldani, his wife and three children live in Marathon, New York, and Angela (Soldani) Conger and her husband, Tim, and their children, Chloe and Peyton, live right here in Groton.

Steve is a semi-retired welder and has been with Moravia Fabrication for over 32 years, plays the piano and sings with Barbara on guitar.

Barbara is known to many for her help with costuming and sets for the Groton Junior and Senior High School Drama Clubs and is also a co-host with her sister, Katie Fairweather, of the podcast “Disaster Tales.”

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Barbara Lippincott Lonsky’s book, “Opening the Door,” is available at traditional brick-and-mortar bookstores, Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, and Barnes and Noble.

Groton on the Inside appears weekly. Submit news ideas to Linda Competillo, lmc10@cornell.edu or 607-227-4922.

In brief:

Virtual book discussion

The Groton Public Library will host a virtual book discussion at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21 via Zoom. The book is “The Giver of Stars” by Jojo Moyes. Email director@grotonpubliclibrary.org to request a copy of the book or to join the discussion group.

Town of Groton taxes

Just a reminder that your town and county tax bill must be paid in full by Monday, Feb. 1 to avoid the accrual of interest. See your tax bill for applicable interest charges thereafter. There is an extended deadline of Monday, Feb. 8 for qualifying senior citizens who pay their bill in full by that date. Qualifications are listed on your tax bill, or you may call the Groton Town Clerk’s Office at 607-898-5035 to inquire.

Due to COVID-19, please consider paying taxes by mail or by using the drop box next to the Town Clerk’s Office entrance at 101 Conger Blvd.

Tax payments can be received at the office with masks and social distancing from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The office will be open additional hours from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29 and Monday, Feb. 1, and on Saturday, Jan. 30 from 8 a.m. until noon. For online payments of taxes, see townofgrotonny.org for details.

No parking

Town of Groton Highway Superintendent Mike Perkins reminds the public that the parking of vehicles is prohibited between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. from Nov. 1 through May 1 on all town highway right-of-ways within the town of Groton. Violators may be subject to a fine and vehicles may be towed at the owner’s expense.