Mom had no time for gambling. After dad retired they once flew to California to visit dad’s brother Tony (the longest trip they ever took). Uncle Tony took them to Reno and they stopped at a casino. He wanted mom to try a slot machine but she wanted no part of it. Frustrated, Uncle Tony put a quarter in a machine, took mom’s hand, and pulled the lever with her. Wouldn’t you know the bell started to ring and quarters started dropping into the winnings pail. (Yes – in those days the slots actually paid off in coins!) Mom was horrified and wanted to leave on the spot. Dad and Uncle Tony calmed her down and Tony had her pail of quarters converted into folding money – as I recall it was about $45. She brought the money back home and gave it to either the Salvation Army or the Red Cross. She wasn’t about to spend any ill-gotten gains. Talk about sticking to principles!

She often displayed a subtle sense of humor. Shortly after my 50^th birthday I visited the farm and was bemoaning my age. She said “Don’t you complain to me mister. Just think how I feel knowing I have a 50 year old son.” Then she kissed me on the cheek.

Anyone who spent any time with mom came to know her as a very special person. Her unsophisticated but honest and sincere personality resulted in her being someone folks thought highly of. Despite an often very hard and frugal life, long hours of farm work and a number of family crises, she was always there if someone was hurting or needed help.   Following marriage, Mom practically raised Pete's brothers Joe, Paul and Frank and treated them like royalty when they came home on leave from the military.  For several weeks she stayed with, and assisted her sister Eva after she had given birth to a severely disabled child who needed much care.  She frequently placed her own issues and needs on the back burner to provide assistance to others. A telling example occurred when I was driving her to be admitted to the nursing home in St. Marys. We’d been making small talk and were going through Johnsonburg when she became silent for a minute. I was sure she was going to start crying. But instead she said “Dick, I hope you’re not feeling guilty about this. It was my decision. It has to happen. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. You just concentrate on that wonderful family you have”. A very special person indeed!

Dad
  
 At big Slovak wedding receptions the families always asked dad to run the traditional fund raisers for the newlyweds such as the pillow dance, dancing with the bride, etc. Dad would collaborate with the band to delay the fund raisers until the guests had plenty to drink and then he’d go to work. He’d arm twist, badger and embarrass the men into paying to participate, often several times, until they  ran out of money. By the time the evening was over he had usually collected a bushel basket of folding money which he proudly presented to the couple in exchange for a kiss from the bride.

Dad could be very assertive, especially if he thought something was not above board. He often served as an advocate for elderly neighbors and served as an interpreter in legal and business matters for area Slovaks whose English was poor. They trusted him to do the right thing and they knew he wouldn’t back down when facing what were commonly referred to as “big shots”. 

He delayed a major pipeline construction project for weeks because he was not satisfied with their lack of a plan for restoring our fields after they they were finished laying the pipe.  He threatened to shoot the first worker to set foot on his property, and local gas company employees told the 'big shots" they'd better listen to him.  All he wanted was for them to push the topsoil aside and return it when they were done so that he was not left with a 40 wide stretch of clay and shale running through the middle of the farm to grow crops on.  His success encouraged other farmers in the pipeline path to seek better treatment from the pipeline construction company.

He was elected to the Kane Area School Board following allegations that certain businessmen were exerting influence on the board. A few veteran board members had a rude awakening when they attempted to conduct business as usual. Dad insisted on what we now refer to as transparency, especially in financial matters. But most came to respect him for his openness and especially for his assistance in getting the new high school built. He served for several years, and at one point, was vice president of the board.  His election to the board was truly remarkable in that he only had an eighth grade education, and ran on the Democratic ticket in an overwhelmingly Republican stronghold.

Dad’s exploits as a deer hunter were legendary. It was rare that he hadn’t bagged a nice buck by noon on opening day. Local hunters marveled at how quietly and quickly he could move through the woods and the great distances he sometimes covered tracking a big buck. He was proud of some of the incredibly long shots he made with his WWI surplus 30-40 Krag rifle and its iron sights. For years he scoffed at hunters who used telescopic sights. To him they were “city slicker hunters”.  One absolutely true story stems from one deer season in which he was not particularly motivated, and waited until the last day to take out his rifle and head toward the farm woods.  Less than an hour later he was home with a huge trophy-type buck.  The buck had 13-16 points, depending if the smallest points are counted.  The mounted head still hangs on the livingroom wall at the farm.

Dad played semi-pro football for a Johnsonburg team for one season. (I think they paid $2 per game or something like that.) He often blamed his bad knees on playing  football.

Dad's favorite drink was Old Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey.  It was the only hard liquor he kept at home, and what he drank in bars.  His standard drink in bars was a double shot of the Old Overholt followed by a pony bottle of beer.