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SOLOSKY/SALEIKAS MEMOIR         RACHIS - WAITKUS STORY

BADGES AUDIO 1973         RUPPERT IN SMITHSONIAN

FRAN & FAB BADGES STORY         JOSEPH ROZMAN MEMOIR

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My grandfather never knew his father. His father died either shortly before or shortly after his birth. He and his mother were extremely poor and she was unable to feed and clothe him, so she sent him to a large farm to work when he was about 6. As far as I know, he never saw her again. He worked there for about 10 years. (My guess - all he ever told me was that he came to the U.S. when he was 16.) He saved up enough for fare to the U.S. He arrived at Ellis Island in NY and went to Baltimore. I believe he stayed with the Dapsis family. At some point, he went out on his own. He met and married Emma Meil in either 1917 or 1918. I know they were living in Lester, Pa. in 1919 when my Aunt Marie (1919-2004) was born. My father, also Joseph (1920-2009) was born the next year. My grandfather was employed as a dockside crane operator. He spent his entire working life unloading cargo from freighters. My father and aunt grew up in Lester, Pa., but my grandfather moved from place to place as he found work. He was fortunate in that he was able to work throughout the depression, but he had to travel from port to port. He was frequently away from home for several months at a time. I've heard him say that he worked in New York, Buffalo, Erie, Philadelphia (most of the time) Brooklyn, Cleveland and Boston. He could be away from several weeks to a year or more.

 He spent 16 months working in Buffalo in 1934-1935. By this time, the family had moved to 102nd St., Richmond Hill, NY (about 2 miles from the Woodhaven address.) I know this because my father told me where they lived while grandpop was in Buffalo. This sticks out in my mind largely because grandpop had a severe work accident in Buffalo.

 Grandpop was employed at the Brooklyn Seaport from the late 1930s until he was forced to retire due to health in 1956. The family moved to 87th street in Woodhaven sometime in the late 1930s and to their final address at 84-36 85th Ave. in Woodhaven between 1942 and 1944. (They lived on 87th street when my Dad left for the pacific and he came home to 85th avenue at war's end.) Both my grandparents died in 8436 as did my aunt.

My aunt lived with my grandparents as far back as I can remember. I can't recall any relationships that went beyond dating. She worked as a head nurse at Francis Delafield Hospital, a part of Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in upper Manhattan. She was forced to retire in the 1970s, when she contracted hepatitis while working in the hospital.

My father and mother were married in 1949. They had 3 children, Joseph b.1951, George b.1953, and Joan b.1956. My dad worked his entire career for a company called Sperry Gyroscope (later Sperry Rand and then Sperry UNISYS). He worked primarily on Naval navigation and guidance systems. He retired in 1980. My mom was a NYC school teacher. They were still married when my mom passed in 1988.

As for me, I'm retired from U.S. Customs. My wife Susan and I celebrated our 37th anniversary last week. We have one son, Bill, and one marvelous granddaughter, Brooklyn, age 4. They live about 20 minutes away from us, which makes us real happy. My brother George has one son, George. My sister is married with no children.