The 1940s

In late 1940 my father and mother bought a house. Dad now had a regular job at Timken Roller Bearing. My parents decided if they were to ever own a home, now was the time. I often wonder where they got any required down payment. I can recall them taking my brother Jim and me to see the house. To a 9 year old it was something different. I recall not being too enthused about moving and leaving my friends but, move we did.

The new school was Wells Elementary. In those days it consisted of an old two story square stone building and a, for then, modern two story brick rectangular building. The new building is now the Canton Board of Education headquarters and the stone building is long gone.

When we moved I was in the 3rd grade. WWII had not yet started. My teacher was a Ms. Cruisse who was a sharp, good looking (at least all the boys thought so) woman. All of us boys were in love with her. Our hearts were broken when we found out later that she was leaving her job to get married to a naval aviator. I recall two other teachers from that time, both spinsters. The first, Ms. Herbst, taught 4th grade. Talk about a strict disciplinarian. But she was good, teaching us what we needed to know. The other individual was my 7th grade teacher, Ms. Stokes. Picture an old time farm wife, heavy, usually jovial, but devoted to her job and students. Teachers like that are rare today. Maybe the teacher unions, tenure, or government directives caused the change. Who knows, but it sure is not the same. I can still hear my dad telling me "If you get disciplined in school and I find out about it you'll get disciplined when you get home. None of this "You're picking on my child" response.

The 1930s

I think the earliest recollection I have is when I was about 4 or 5 years old. My parents had given my brother and I a small car which had head lights powered by a battery. My brother and I were playing smash up derby and one of the head lights broke. The curved top of it flew into my eye and adhered to my eye ball. I was screaming and my mother was frantic but somehow she managed to get it off my eye. Strange how something like that can be the subject of a flash back.

During this same period I can recall seeing troops from the Ohio National Guard being driven down the street in trucks. The had been called out for duty at the Republic Steel plant in north east Canton. The workers were on strike in an effort to have their union recognized. Apparently things got a little out of hand and the Governor called out the guard. I don't recall if anyone was hurt or killed but there is a USW union in Canton now but Republic Steel I think is no more, at least not in Canton.

I also recall all my neighborhood buddies gathering with my brother and I under the corner street light to play kick the can. Do any of our off-spring know what that is? I can still see the light fixture in my mind's eye. It had a bare bulb with an enameled fluted reflector; gray on the top and white on the bottom. Or at least is was white when new.

The was an old couple (the Williamsons) who lived on the corner. I think he was retired but he may have been out of work due to the depression. He had, what seems to me now, a rather large garden on the lot next to his home. Since I was still too young for school (no kindergarten classes then) I used to spend time with him. With his hands clasped behind his back and head bent down, he'd walk the rows of his garden, pulling weeds and inspecting his maturing crop. I'd be following in his foot steps with my hands and head similarly positioned.

I remember my first Halloween celebrated in school. I was attending Belden School (replaced with a new modern building in the last few years). My first grade teacher, a Ms. Williams (a single lady as most teachers were in those days), threw a small party for the children. Her brother, who was crippled, had gone out into the country and, I assume bought a ear of dry corn with the husk attached for each of the children. That I can recall but I could not tell you if there was candy, cake, ice cream or anything else. Just her brother giving each of us a corn with the husk attached.

Given the depression everyone had a tough time. My mother (up to then) had always been a housewife but Dad's employment only provided for the basic necessities; food, lodging and clothing. I remember his leaving in the morning to go to work at whatever he could find. Somewhere in this time frame my mother decided that if there was to be some Christmas presents she was going to have to bring in some extra cash. She found employment at Sterling Bakery decorating cakes. The bakery was a rather large commercial one delivering to stores as well as homes, so her work was at night. She'd return home slightly before my father left for work. No latch key kids for them. Now both are gone. Dad in May of 1991 at the age of 86; mother more recently in March of 2002. She was 10 days shy of her 99th birthday.

Apparently the family finances became more difficult as sometime in early 1939 we moved to a smaller home. In fact it had been the quarters for the servants of a prosperous family who had also fallen on difficult times. I don't remember much about the place but I recently drove past it. It still stands but is abandoned and boarded up. The "big house" of the prosperous family remains but it appears to be a multi-family house now. While living there I attended the second grade at Hartford elementary school. Here too I recall little about it; nothing about any classmates or teachers.

I guess things got better financially as in late 1939 we moved once again. This time the house was larger. In this house I finished the second grade and started the third grade at Summit Elementary.

During this period I had my tonsiles removed in Dr. Ferraro's office, an arrangement he suggested to save my father hospital costs. Shortly after they were removed I was taken home. I remember my grandpa Fritz (my step grandfather but the only one I knew) bringing me a bag (or poke as he called it) with what he said was some homemade cookies. When I reached my hand in to take one I found a cuddly puppy which to me, if not to my parents, was better than homemade cookies any day. I named the dog Rascal probably a very apt name as we didn't keep it very long.

The other major thing I can recall from these years is playing the part of Pinoccio in high school play. Lehman high was presenting this show and had come to Summit to search for a Pinoccio. I don't recall how or why I was chosen. I do remember that my mom, a good seamstress, sewed my costume. And so the 1930 years came to an end, with me being a star, or at least a bit player, on the stage of life, or Lehman High school's stage.

An Introduction

This BLOG is intended to be a repository of happenings in my life. Things from my childhood, my adulthood and now my senior years. Viewers are encouraged to add their comments if something strikes them of interest.

I'll start with a little more about myself than the profile shows. I was born in Elyria Ohio, the second of two children, both boys. That's my brother on the right.
My early years were spent in Canton Ohio where I attended McKinley High School. If you are familiar with that name, no, I didn't play football. I graduated in 1950 and then attended the University of Cincinnati where I obtained an Electrical Engineering degree in 1956. A little subtraction will show it took me one more year than the planned five. Had a serious problem with Technical Mechanics.

I served almost three years in the USAF starting in December of 1956 and leaving in October 1959. I benefited from a RIF (reduction in force).

Returning to civilian life I began work for an electrical public utility in Steubenville Ohio. While there I obtained a BBA degree from what was then The College of Steubenville. In 1962 I took a leave of absence to attend Xavier University in Cincinnati to obtain a MBA which I was granted in June, 1963.

Shortly after returning to work for the utility, I left for employment with IBM. Turned out to be the second best thing that happened to me. First was marrying my wife, Michaleen. While with IBM I worked in Canton Ohio, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania (first son born here), Springfield Illinois (second son born here), Westchester County New York and finally Atlanta Georgia. In October 1993, after 30 years with IBM I retired. During my first six retirement years I taught computer subjects to senior citizens in Atlanta. In 1999 we moved to Greenville South Carolina (wanted to escape the hustle and bustle) where I continue to teach computer subjects to senior citizen.

That's it for the initial post.