DJ, Jr. & Sr. - Dave’s Midwestern Ohio Memories

A Series of Guest Blogs by an out-of-state Fish Report reader originally from this area about fond memories of growing up in Midwestern Ohio during the 50’s & 60’s.

DJ, Jr. & Sr.

My wife received the above photo in her recent Christmas card from her cousin, whose mother Rita is my wife’s aunt and Godmother. Rita is pictured celebrating her first communion in 1937 with her older brother, my wife’s father. Also, Rita's Christmas card included a handwritten letter shown below dated January 8, 1940 from my wife’s father, age 10 at the time, to his Dad traveling on a business trip to Chicago. It reads as follows:

Dear Dad,

Is it very cold in Chicago? It snowed all night but it wasn’t very cold. Played snowballs at school today. I’m glad I wasn’t in the airplane. I have been very lonesome for you. Three of the Reds didn’t sign up yet, Meyers, Goodman and Lombardy. How did you like your trip? Last night the windshield wipers froze and Mom and Tom had to get out and clean them. I pray so you would get there safe. Take care of yourself and come home soon.

Your big Boy,

DJ, Jr.

My wife’s grandfather, nicknamed DJ, Sr. for Delbert Joseph, was one of kind! He always wore a sport coat with a lobster-shaped diamond lapel pin somewhat like shown on the right that he picked up on one of his many “ business” trips. If you look closely, the pin is visible on this 5 generation photo below; DJ is on the far left, my wife’s father, DJ, Jr. better known as Doc, is on the far right, next to him is his daughter Joan, with her baby Michelle in the lap of 100 year old great-great grandma Anna.

Once when DJ visited us in Michigan, to make an impression, he contacted in advance all the local places we would be going so they could acknowledge him by first name when we arrived as if they’d known him for years. We indeed were impressed, thinking at the time that he personally knew all these managers, waitresses, bellhops, valet attendants, etc. that we ran into. He always made a big show of tipping them generously for their over-the-top efforts.

His business involved the manufacture of metal castings, as well as the fabrication of storm doors and windows. During one of his business trips, he got robbed of his trademark pin and wallet full of tip money; he was hospitalized, but ok. That incident put a damper on his travel, and a few years later in 1976, he unfortunately passed away suddenly at age 72 on his son’s 46th birthday. He had lived a life full of adventure, travel and successful business dealings. As evidence, after his death, the family discovered a large box of matchbooks and airplane whiskey bottles from his travels, along with hundreds of room keys that he “collected”. His trips were documented on a map with stickpins showing his many destinations. See the photos below of the now prominently displayed items in the basement bar of my brother-in-law (thanks, Ron). We were amazed at the wide variety of exotic locations DJ had visited, allegedly all for business purposes (Siberia, for example!). One of a kind, indeed!