Remember and Honor: Carl (Karol) Raykowicz

I remember several of my maternal grandfather John's siblings; Uncle Carl, Uncle Mike, and Aunt Soph. I truly am a little fuzzy on the rest, as many of them passed when I was still very young.

Aunt Soph resided in her parents' home on S. Meade Street in Wilkes-Barre until the end. I remember her love of flowers, especially roses. I remember stopping over many times as a youth. I remember she didn't usually say much, but always treated me well and usually had some spare change for me which always prompted a trip to Chet Zawilski's Grocery Store at the corner of Meade & Dana Streets.

I also remember a trip to her house after she had passed, and what I recall during that visit will be the topic of my next post.

One of my relatives tells me my mother's Uncle Carl ( Karol ) Raykowicz was wounded at Anzio in WWII. My mother seems to recall that he also lost part of his foot due to frostbite during the war. As a result of this blog, I am beginning to hear more stories and receive more family mementos like the flag that draped Carl's casket, his Purple Heart pictured above, and several medals he received for his service.

In the end, I hope what I'm doing here and the stories I tell do them justice.
       

Remembering when: $4.95

I'm sure at least a few visitors remember the old rotating blade manual lawn mowers pictured above and below.

 

So far, this is all I've been able to find online about this still-functioning mower.

 

 

The newspaper ad above is from 1940, and the company is showing as STAR LEADER. The mower I have simply has "LEADER" stamped on the wheels. As ( per my uncle Mickey ) it originally belonged to Aunt Sophie on Meade Street, chances are quite a few generations of the Raykovitz family broke a sweat pushing this thing around.

 

Seventy ++ years later, this Made in the USA piece of machinery is still working.

 

Go figure.

 

More in a few.

     

Crank Up that old Victrola

To all members of our extended Raykovitz family that visit;

 

Based upon conversations with my mother and one of her brothers...my mother, all of her siblings, her parents and more than likely her cousins, aunts, uncles and - perhaps - even her grandparents listened to a 78 rpm record of Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" and many others played on this old Victrola. Which means, if I have my generational timeline correct, the youngest members in the Raykovitz lineage out there may be looking at photos of the Victrola that their great-great-GREAT grandparents listened to.

As a matter of fact...I believe this old Victrola may have been playing at a wedding reception held at the family homestead almost seventy years ago.  

 

As you can see from the pics below, it is in great shape and yes - the hand-cranked turntable drive still works. I haven't had the time to get an old "78" and check it out...but I will soon.

 

 

 

 

 

And for those that really enjoy tinkering with and figuring out how old things work; that first set of "shelves" in the pics above where only one set of doors are open...that is the speaker chamber. The second chamber is where all of the records were stored.

 

More in a few.