1988: DON SLABICKI MY BEST FRIEND THROUGH THE YEARS

"Is there really a Don Slabicki?" Among the many questions I have gotten over these 32 years of writing my columns, that is one of them. My answer of course is "of course." The first 25 percent of my life was spent with Donald from the time we were old enough to walk around the block to and from each other's homes which I would guess would be around 1939 or 1940. We spent many years working for Fritz and Edna Kuser at Kuser Farm. When Fritz Kuser looked for a replacement for my brother Bud to run the 35 millimeter motion picture projectors, he approached us. Bottom line: Don was the guy who had the knack. I tried to learn it but always ended up with a mis-threaded film path that usually damaged the film. It was Don who was the expert replacement for my brother.

2013: MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM MY HOME AWAY FROM HOME

 

These photos I took this morning take me back to my young years growing up on Kuser Farm with my best friend Don Slabicki.  Sunday night movies, driving all over the property in one of the Kuser Ford cars, summer time in the woods, winter time sledding or skating on Kuser Pond. As I age, I frequently walk in areas of Kuser Farm where few people ever venture. For me, it is a spiritual thing, and I somehow feel closer to God. There's the wild cherry tree in the area where we set up a tent and camped out. The decayed trunk of a wild cherry tree reminds me that this is the remains of the same tree with a wood pecker hole where Don and I stashed our illicit packs of Herbert Tareyton, Lucky Strike, Regents, or Old Gold cigarettes.  The windmill, which thanks to the skill of Hamilton Township workers has been beautifully restored to it original splendor. The Kuser maintenance garages where Don and I christened a brand new Ford truck body that was so new the paint was still tacky. Edna Kuser's formal garden where Don and I spent hours of drudgery weeding the paths that made it a "formal garden." Memories like these are timeless; they live on and will certainly be relived in that place they call eternity, and I call Heaven.

1952: REMEMBERING "GREETINGS" FROM UNCLE SAM

Back in my teen years and a bit thereafter, young men were faced with the obligation to serve in the U.S. Military. It was known as "Universal Military Training" and each of us had the obligation to serve our country hanging over our heads. In retrospect, and considering the somewhat difficult problems many young men face in this year of 2012, I believe it would be a good idea to subject them to military training when they reach the age of 17, as we did. When we finally received those fabled "Greetings" from Uncle Sam, we fulfilled our obligations and ultimately ended up in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard. The above photo is from my "MILITARY" folder in the Hamilton Library Local History Collection. Don was sitting on the running board of a "Deuce and a half" GMC truck in 1952 in combat torn Korea. I am in my first few weeks of basic training at Fort Dix, February, 1955.

RALPH LUCARELLA said...

HI TOM....MY GREETINGS WERE A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN 1944. I HAD A WIFE AND CHILD TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT. THE DRAFT WAS NOT FAIR TO MEN WITH FAMILIES. IN SOME PARTS OF THE CITY SINGLE MEN WERE AVAILable WHILE IN OTHERS THEY WERE DRAFTING MEN WITH FAMILIES. AT ANY RATE I FIGURED WE ALL WERE GOING TO BE ENLISTED SOONER OR LATER. THANK GOD MOST OF MY FRIENDS SURVIVED THAT ERA.

Saturday, February 25, 2012


Tom Glover said...

JUST ANOTHER REASON YOU AND YOUR FELLOW WWII GUYS ARE KNOWN AS
"THE GREATEST GENERATION." YOU ARE!

TOM GLOVER

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Lee Belardino said...

Tommy some of us ended up in the air force which at that time was independent of the army.I believe we should reestablish the draft with no excuse for serving except medical. Military training is good for all Americans.
Lee

Saturday, February 25, 2012

2011: REMEMBERING THE KUSERS

Below: Fred Kuser, Tom Glover, Edna Kuser, Don Slabicki; all very sad that the Kusers could no longer manage the lovely kuser homestead and the surrounding area. Edna is holding a sketch I drew of the house which was in possession of the Kusers since it was built in 1896.

Below: My brother "Bud" began working for Fred and Edna Kuser back in 1940 doing odd jobs around the sprawling Kuser Farm. He became very proficient in operating Fred Kuser's 35 millimeter movie projectors and spent many summers with the Kusers up in Jackson, New Hampshire. When Bud entered the service in 1945, I and my best friend Don Slabicki took his place and we worked for the Kusers until the 1950's when we went into the service. My "little brother" Donnie and his best friend Ken Slabicki took over after we left. I have very pleasant memories of my time with the Kusers. Many of the readers of my hundreds of columns over the past 30 years will recall the many articles written about my years there. I have also presented numerous "on screen" multi media presentations in the Kuser dining room an projected them on Fritz's Cinemascope screen. When Fritz and Edna were leaving their beloved home, I presented them with a booklet I wrote entitled, "KUSER FARM; A JOY FOREVER." I still have the note I received from them expressing their gratitude. The above graphics are from my "KUSER FARM" AND "KUSER FAMILY" folders. I will be posting more in future posts. We made numerous visits to the Howe home in Pennington, and fondly recall how Fritz always referred to Edna Kuser's father as "Mayor," which he was for a number of years.

Ralph Lucarella said...

HI TOM...I OFTEN WONDERED HOW MANY HOMES WERE LOCATED ON KUSER'S FARM. MY WIFE'S BIRTH CERTIFICATE LIST HER ADDRESS AT BIRTH AS "SOMEWHERE ON KUSER'S FARM". I RECALL THE FARM AS TAKING UP A LARGE PORTION OF THE TOWNSHIP BUT WERE THERE STREETS THROUGHOUT THE FARM. THE KUSERS SURE WERE VERY ACTIVE IN THE NEWS DURING MY CHILDHOOD. REGARDS.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Mack said...

It had become Kuser Park in my day and I saw the Mahoney Brothers Beatles shows there as the 80s decade began:)

Tuesday, November 01, 2011

If you have been reading my columns over the past 25 years, you will remember the very important part my best all time friend Don Slabicki played in my years. Don and I grew up together. attended Kuser Grammar School, and graduated together as members of the class of 1951 at Hamilton High. I am proud to say that after all these years, he is still my my best friend, even though we are no longer neighbors, Don and his lovely wife Mae moved to Columbus. As to the photo: Note that Don had his very own "Deuce and a half" with his name on the door!