Grandpa Tony

My Grandpa Tony passed away last week. He was a wonderful man who left a legacy that will live on for a very long time.

Some of my earliest memories are of going to Grandpa Tony’s house on Saturday mornings. There were so many great places in the gardens, the yard, and the woods for us kids to play and learn. He was really great at growing things. More different kinds of fruits than I could ever imagine. He took tiny branches from fruit trees back in the Old Country (Czechoslovakia) and bring them back to Ohio and graft them. I was amazed he could grow fruit there in Ohio that you couldn’t get anywhere else in the world but in Eastern Europe. Apples, pears, plums. And beyond that, his vegetable gardens were spectacular. Just acres of tomatoes, carrots, cauliflower, kohlrabi, onions, and on and on. And Grandma Lilly would sure know what to do with that natural bounty (and still does!).

What really impressed me is how hard he always worked. Because of this he was always healthy as an ox. He built a log cabin out in the woods and a huge inground swimming pool for all of us grandchildren to play in. It gave him great joy to provide for his family and it showed.

I was lucky enough to visit Straznice, where he was born. We are so grateful he took that trip over the ocean to start a family and life here.

Thanks Grandpa!