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Note: The following was written by Louis to his son Jeff 9/82.
"To Jeffrey with Love
'A Little Personal History '
I was born 1920 in Millvale. Lived at #9 Sherman till 6 years old. Dad bought grocery and confectionery store at 1306 Evergreen in Bauerstown, where he died when I was eight. Hilda was oldest at home at age 16! Back to Sherman St., which house was also lost to depression in 1930.
Lived then at 130 Ridgewood N.S. (with Hilda and Ken Caldwell)
827 Evergreen Ave. Millvale 537 North Ave (with Bertha and Clarence Longstaff)
??? Bauerlein Way Millvale (with Ken and Hilda) Then to 216 Lincoln Ave. where we lived when I met and married your Mother. Grandma Rinscheid later died there.
Mom and I lived with Nana in a big house at 7230 Mt. Vernon St. in Homewood which I subsequently bought in 1947. After five years we sold and built the house in which you were born. Doctor's tests and advice notwithstanding, for many years we were unable to have children SOOOO--After we built a five room house (from a seven room plan), we had you and Fritz Willie instead."
[Note from Jeff: Fritz Willie was a dachshund.]
"Meanwhile, backing the clock, I attended St. Ann's school, Millvale, Bauerstown Public School, St. Ann's again, Annunciation, N.S. where I graduated 8th grade. Then to Millvale High till 11th grade, when I quit to take a job at $5 a week. -- You know where I got that diploma."
[Note from Jeff: he got his high school equivalency in the late 70's.]
"Worked as plumber's apprentice for a short while, then to John F. Casey Construction Co. building the floodwall at Alcoa in New Kensington. When the job ended, became a soda jerk for May Drug Co. downtown. May's became Liggetts. Advanced to soda dept. manager at Bellfield, then Homewood, where I met Mary Jane Damprock*. After five years of $15-$18 a week for 54-60 hours, at age 21 (July 10, 1941) I started at Greyhound at 55 cents an hour -- 40 hours a week; where I've been ever since.
During W.W. II was deferred from draft because of transportation employment (gasoline very scarce and natural rubber cutoff totally by war). Two later Army physicals resulted in rejections because of ruptured eardrum. You know I worked as bodyman in Cleveland for two years, and had a garage door operator business. Perhaps you also knew I did remodeling work around home. (Porches, patios, kitchens, gamerooms, and such). But, did you know that in 1951 while I was a shift foreman with Greyhound, we also owned a gas station in Sharpsburg?
All in all, at least until recently, I've managed to stay off my butt!
WELL; Whaddya want?---Don't you know that all history is dull?
D.O,D, " [Note from Jeff: D.O.D. stood for Dear Old Dad.]
[* - Damprock was Dad's play on "Whetstone".]
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Louis died in 1995 of (probably - no autopsy done) heart failure as the result of lung cancer.
It may have been renal failure as well - we were expected either the lungs would give out, causing "suffocation", heart failure, which would be quick, or renal failure. Based on the reported peacefulness of my dad's death, per my mom - he died within 40 minutes of the hospice nurse calling me and telling me I should fly home - it seems like heart failure.
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