The Kind Soul of Uncle John

John Evans was my mother’s Uncle.

As a child he fell ill and the Pazderski’s nursed him to back to life. He was reportedly never the same or “right” in the head.

Chauffeur's License (he looks rather Johnny Cash in the first photo!)

Photo Booth Uncle John

Death & Birth Certificates 

Uncle John lived with the family his entire adult life at the house on Cassisus. He worked a variety of jobs and helped contribute to the family. One job included working as a chauffeur. According to cousin Jim, he bought the first color TV. The first one on the street!

My mom says Uncle John was a kind man, he always took care of the family even though he was independent (although still living with them). 

Friends and family  - share with me your best Uncle John stories in the comments! 

The Gassman

The letter from him always concluded “ Love your much (underlined 4x) older cousin Joe & Bernie “.

Joe was my mother’s cousin from her Aunt Katie. He was an only child. Quite a mix you could say. His mother, Katie, was Ukrainian and his father was Italian. That made Joe, Italian Ukrainian. Quite a mix, quite a mix!

He was about 20 years old than my mother but never treated her inferior or provided any less love. 

Mom says he travelled to Asia at some point and Joe let her borrow his outfit for her performance. 

Joe when he graduated High School.

This must have been the winter of 1984 when Grandma Leota died. As my parents have received some inheritance they replaced the windows in the house. Unsurprisingly, the gas bill dropped due to the new energy efficient windows. Unknown to my family, it alerted the gas company that we might be cheats. Thus, the relentless checking of the meter began. Cousin Joe was an executive with the gas company and mom gave him a call.

After my mother had enough and enlisted Joe’s help, it stopped. We all laughed they never took the time to ask or consider that the house may have changed.

I never personally met him but corresponded with him several times until his death in 2008 from Parkinson’s. His wife Bernie (Bernadette) had passed a few years prior.  He always sent me congratulation, birthday, milestone, etc cards. He had his own family of growing kids and grandkids but I found it endearing he took him to remember us as well. Mom says he learned Aunt Katie's skills. He was Aunt Katie 2.0 , he learned her unnatural ability to convey love and warmth. 

Raise a glass to cousin Joe, he was one of the greats!

Beer here!

Martha Polachek Lynch (the only photo I've ever seen or have of her).

Martha Polachek Lynch was my Grandfather's older sister.  She married but had many still born babies. From what I've been told, she was extremely close with her older sister, Katie. She died in 1977. 

I wanted to share the story my mother always recalls about her: 

Aunt Martha would ask the kids to go get the beers out of the basement fridge. (Typically, at a family gathering while the adults were discussing and carrying on in the sitting room.) Uncle Frank (my mother's brother) & my mom would shake the hell out of Aunt Martha's beers and each time - they blew up in her face when she went to open them. Aunt Martha never complained and would laugh at the top of her (probably drunk or tipsy) lungs.

Uncle Archie & Brownie

Archie Alexander Miles was my Great-Great Uncle. He was born on November 6, 1876 in Lynchburg, OH. He died on January 29, 1942.

Just this past year my Aunt Linda sent me a cool article about his death.

Faithful Dog Keeps Vigil as Master Dies

Cleveland Plain Dealer
January 30, 1942

Faithful unto death and still at her post even afterward. Brownie, a large brown mongrel dog, held police at bay while she stood guard over the body of her master last night.
Brownie had been the constant companion and guardian of her master, Archie Miles, 65 a cripple and when Miles died in his sleep some time yesterday morning the dog could not understand that her job of protecting her master was over.
Miles, a former teamster for the Excelsior Cartage Co. 1200 W 9th Street, who was crippled in an accident six years ago, lived alone above a blacksmith shop at 7212 Quincy Ave SE.
A grocery clerk who customarily brought Miles his supplies was unable to rouse him yesterday noting that smoke was not rising from the chimney, called the owner of the blacksmith shop, Frank W. Bauer 11332 Revere Avenue S.E.
Receiving no answer, Bauer called police, who gained entry despite Brownie’s protests. At the threshold of the bed room where her master lay dead in bed, the dog’s fiercely bared fangs forbade further approach.
Even when Miles’ sister, Mrs. Jennie Wheatley, 9524 Marah Avenue S.E. was called. Brownie refused to let anyone touch her master. Finally, Mrs. Wheatley managed to coax the dog into an adjoining room with food and shut the door.
Miles was the grandson of Abraham Miles, who settled on a farm at what is now Richmond Rd just north of Mayfield Rd. His maternal grandparents were Alexander and Jesse Hill who established a farm east of Green Road when Indians were still a familiar and sometimes fearsome sight to the settled pioneers.
For the last six years, since he had been injured, Miles who loved animals, had lived alone. Mrs. Wheatley said, where he could keep his pets without anyone objecting in the years. Miles kept pigeons and only a few days before his death he had bought a couple of injured birds into the kitchen to care for them.
“A home will be found for Brownie.” Mrs. Wheatley said today, “but the biggest problem facing us is what to do with a pet skunk. You don’t know anybody that wants one, do you?”.
The little black and white animal had been brought to Miles by friends who had found it injured in a trap. Through kindness, he had tamed it until it would follow him around and would permit him to fondle it like a pet tabby, but it still does not trust strangers.
Miles is survived by his son, Archie Jr. 13406 McCracken Rd, Garfield Heights and a daughter Leola, 22 who lives in Chicago. Also surviving him are another sister Mrs. A.M. Porter 2252 E 69th St and a brother. Sterlie A. Miles 8109 Force Ave, University Heights.

Brownie