Janet A. Miller was born on February 8, 1949 in Hudson, New York and has lived in Hudson her whole life. She is a Program Assistant for the Office of the New York State Comptroller in Albany and has been a volunteer with the Hudson Area Library for over thirty years. 

Janet begins her interview by sharing childhood memories of living on Columbia Street as one of six children. She talks about Hudson during this time as a place where everyone knew each other and comments throughout the interview on the ways this has changed. Janet speaks about Ellen Henderson, a neighbor who cared for Janet and her siblings and who has since had a significant impact on Janet’s life. She shares several memories about her middle school and high school years, including time with her cousins and reading for many hours at the library. She mentions going to the junior high school as the first time she learned there were other Black people in Hudson.

Janet briefly mentions her efforts to create the shopping shuttle in Hudson, which began in the 1990s, and her dedication to helping seniors. She describes her ongoing involvement with the Hudson Area Library as a volunteer, board member, and as a Friend of the Hudson Area Library for over thirty years. She talks about her love of books and names To Kill a Mockingbird as one of her favorite books.

Throughout the interview, Janet describes several Hudson restaurants and stores which have since closed and speaks about some of the ways Hudson has changed. Janet concludes her interview by describing her current neighborhood, and with a wish that life will be easier for Hudson’s seniors. 

This interview may be of interest to those wishing to learn about the Hudson Area Library and its volunteers, commerce and growing up in Hudson during the 1950s, and the ways Hudson has changed.