A former colleague of mine, Leo Morris, died a little over a year ago. He lived a couple blocks down the street from us in Fort Wayne. A nice guy, a bit of an odd duck, which sometimes came out in conversation. He mentioned once that he’d spent the weekend boxing up all the books that he had stacked on his staircase, having long ago run out of shelf space. He was down to a treacherous, narrow path, and you know how those stories often end.
Anyway, he died, and his siblings, both of whom live elsewhere, sold his house. A friend sent me a Redfin screen capture of recent sales; it seems to have gone for about $95K, then was sold again for $101K just a few weeks later, and the $6,000 probably represents the work the first owner put into cleaning it out. Now it’s back on the market for $289,900, an eye-popping amount in my opinion, but also appears to have undergone a full gut rehab. I recall a dark interior with a pool table in the dining room. Now it’s flooded with light, hardwood floors, brand-new kitchen, the works. Even the third-floor attic space appears to have been sided with cedar, a very nice touch.
I sent it to Alex, who informs me that not only are real-estate prices skyrocketing in the Fort for the usual reasons, but my old neighborhood, in the 46807 zip code, is now known as “The 07,” and is considered the hipster ‘hood.
Story of my life. Jeff Borden and I lived in a four-flat apartment house in a strip of Columbus between two suburbs (Grandview and Upper Arlington), at a time when everyone else our age was renting in German Village. (Motto: Drive our charming brick streets, but don’t expect to find a parking place.) Alan and I bought in the 07 because it was affordable and close to our office, and the houses were solid and had lots of charming architectural details. Both that old strip of Columbus and our little piece of Fort Wayne are now considered cool. I guess I really am an artist after all. Top o’ the world, ma!
I spent a few minutes punching the zip code into Realtor.com, and hoo-boy: This beauty, designed by Joel Roberts Ninde, a female architect who worked a lot around there, is a mere $319,900, and also looks like it recently underwent some major renovations.
Three thousand square feet, four bedrooms, and check out that bathroom tile. I used to walk Spriggy past that house; I think it used to be blue. The exterior is stucco, and the owner said it stayed cool in summer until the temperatures went past 90. There are several Ninde houses around that neighborhood, and they have stuff like built-in cabinetry, second-floor sleeping porches, arched doorways and other drool-worthy features.
Downside: The 07 was, when I lived there, considered a little risky ifyouknowwhatImeanandIthinkyoudo. Maybe the hipsters have improved the place. The only violent crime I saw there pales in comparison to what happens in Detroit and environs on a random Saturday. If I had to move back I’d snatch up that house and start a hipster salon, something like Laurel Canyon in the ’60s.
This one, two blocks away, was my favorite. Not on the market at the moment:
The front door is on the side. The street-facing side is a solarium, with a fireplace on the back wall, that also serves the living room. A million-dollar house in any other city in the country. Sigh.
OK, enough real-estate porn. For a while I thought I’d contracted Covid over the weekend; I was coughing from the depth of my lungs. Then I realized it started while I was making kung pao chicken, and had been a little heavy-handed with the Thai chilis. Basically, I pepper-sprayed myself when they hit the hot oil and sent up a cloud of capsaicin into my own lungs. Everything is fine now, but I can still tell it happened.
In other news at this hour, I am very, very worried about Florida. This storm is a mofo. Please stay safe, and I hope those of you in the footprint will send up a flare (so to speak) here when you’re out of danger.
Suzanne said on October 8, 2024 at 10:05 am
My almost 90 year old mom recently mentioned that she and my dad paid $17,000 for a house and 10 acres near Fort Wayne in the early 60s with no mortgage just a handshake deal with the seller. In the early 2000s, they built a new 2,000 square ft house for $84,000 on that 10 acres and sold their old house plus an acre or 2. Somewhere along the line, they bought a 5 acre plot next to their property. That 5 acres and the 8 acres they had left after the sale of their original house plus their new house are now valued at around a half a million.
Our children will never get that kind of return on investment for their houses if they can even afford to buy one. The house we bought several years ago would have cost about $60,000 less if we had bought just a few years earlier.
778 chars
Jeff Borden said on October 8, 2024 at 10:09 am
Ah, Floriduh, where the punkass governor and his merry band of MAGAts have scrubbed the words “climate change” from all state documents. Apparently, Milton didn’t get the message. Planet Earth is mighty pissed off these days and I wonder if that “tipping point” we’ve heard so much about has passed. If Lumpy returns, these horrors will only intensify as he’s made plain his plans to scuttle Biden’s green initiative. Drill, baby, drill!
437 chars
Mark P said on October 8, 2024 at 10:29 am
Those houses have so much more charm and class than the McMansions that are popular today. Even more modest new houses try to emulate what ignorant people think of as class.
Poor Florida. When I was back-and-forthing with my Trumptard neighbor, I looked up who voted against the recent FEMA funding bill. All Republicans, of course, and several were from Florida. Including Matt Gaetz, of course. In Georgia, Marjorie Taylor Greene voted to screw her fellow Georgians.
471 chars
alex said on October 8, 2024 at 10:41 am
That elegant green Joel Roberts Ninde house has sold multiple times in the past couple of years. I don’t know why, but people don’t stay in it very long.
I happen to know one of the former owners. I should ask her why she sold. She was in the habit of buying, fixing up and selling, so I just assumed she was bored and looking for a new project.
Another house that gets flipped a lot is the Spanish castle in Indian Village, perhaps the most notable home in that addition, but perhaps also somehow unlivable. It’s also a stucco house and has a flat roof to boot, which is not a practical design when winter deals you a heavy snowfall.
I get bombarded with calls daily to sell my current home, but I’m not about to part with it, even though I could use about double the space. I’m going to inherit my father’s house one day — he’s 97 — but I’m torn whether I should take that one or sell it and use the proceeds to enlarge this one. I’ve become very attached to this place and I’m proud of the improvements we’ve made, but it’s getting cramped.
Prices have more than doubled around here relatively recently and in my 1950s addition people have bought up the remaining (which is to say undesirable) lots and built million-dollar McMansions on them. Perhaps they can afford more house when they’re not purchasing the barren and sterile and overpriced postage-stamp lots in the new additions.
1406 chars
Dorothy said on October 8, 2024 at 11:24 am
This is in response to a comment Suzanne made at the end of the previous post.
I am not wiped out after a phlebotomy and I’m guessing it’s because I don’t have leukemia as you do. I have hemachromotosis. Too much iron in my blood. They insist that you drink water while the blood letting is happening and I’ve never been woozy or anything after it. You don’t leave as soon as it’s done – you have to sit for 30 minutes or so when they take the equipment away. It sort of makes me sad that the blood has to be thrown away but I guess it’s what they have to do with blood with too much iron!
Re the house topic: you all know I’m in a brand new house in a brand new subdivision. Across the street a house has been for sale for two months. The original owner is a single woman around my age; I’m not sure why she’s selling. But she listed it for $415,000, and she’s dropped the price a couple of times. Current price is $389,000. She paid $307,900 for it three years ago. Meanwhile the house next door to her sold in May for $350,000. The original owner, Bill, died in February. He paid $345,358 for it three years ago. These patio homes are almost identical so I’m not sure why single lady thought she could make another $100K when she listed her house two months ago! And there are still lots for sale so we’re not at capacity here. It will be interesting to see what she sells for.
While I’m typing this my phone just rang – as I predicted my phlebotomy this week is cancelled since my numbers were very good. Yay! Suzanne I hope your leukemia is eradicated and you’re on the road to better days very soon!
1615 chars
Suzanne said on October 8, 2024 at 1:53 pm
Yep, Dorothy, good old hemochromatosis! Apparently it’s a genetic thing that usually requires inheritance of 2 genetic markers. I only have one, so my doctor tells me, but because of the (gasp) 25 blood and platelet transfusions I had during active treatment, my worn out system decided to stop processing iron efficiently. It seems to be resolving itself and he is just going to keep an eye on it and phleb when necessary. It does give me a new way to curse someone. “Ah, you jerk! Go get phlebed!”
506 chars
Julie Robinson said on October 8, 2024 at 1:57 pm
Not only do our politicians deny climate change and vote against FEMA, our governor refused a call from Kamala Harris yesterday. Jackass.
I’m taking a break from all the prep to sit for a bit. We were at church this morning and got things as ready as possible. Still more to do here but well on our way.
One of the reasons we aren’t evacuating is that our church, in the middle of our neighborhood, will be a gathering place after the storm. It hasn’t lost power in past storms, so our daughter opens it up for anyone who wants to cool off, charge phones, cook food in the kitchen, or just be with others. It used to be an official center and have generators, but the city didn’t replace them when they died, so now it’s unofficial. Everyone knows to go to Audubon Church if you need help.
Right now I’m just weary of the tension of waiting. In two or three days I may be looking back at today with fondness!
917 chars
Colleen said on October 8, 2024 at 2:17 pm
I was 07 before it was cool. I still miss my neighborhood and my old house.
We are just….waiting.
102 chars
Jeff Borden said on October 8, 2024 at 5:57 pm
While it’s true Bob Woodward has made a cottage industry of political insider books –his sources invariably come off well as a quid pro quo– he’s never been successfully sued over anything he’s written. (tRump has a lawsuit going against Woodward, but it doesn’t seem to be going well.) The latest tome includes revelations of tRump calling Putin Netanyahu after he left office. He also secretly shipped Covid tests to the Russian dictator in 2020,when they were hard to find. He’s a goddamned traitor who should be in Leavenworth, not Mar-a-Lardo.
550 chars
SusanG said on October 8, 2024 at 7:50 pm
My grandparents lived on Hartman. Just across the street from two swanky, bougie houses. Down the road, was the McMillen estate (soybeans made millionaires).My grandparents’ house was classic, midwestern farmhouse. Foster Park gardens bordered one side; the golf course in back. My grandfather worked for the park board, so the house came with the job. This place was paradise-oak pocket doors, a proper parlor that we only went into on Christmas Eve. When my grandfather was about to retire, they “moved into town.” The bougie neighbors couldn’t wait to tear this place down. Years later, my grandmother and I were chatting. I told her I thought Hartman Rd. was paradise. She gave a piercing look and said “Susie, that place was a dump.” The house was heated (honest to god, I’m not exaggerating) with coal. My grandfather had to get up every morning and stoke the fires. To this day, it’s still paradise.
923 chars
Dave said on October 8, 2024 at 8:21 pm
Susan, not to criticize but lots of houses were heated with coal. The home I grew up in was heated with a coal furnace until about 1962, my brother and I had to fill up the coal bin that fed to the auger that went into the furnace. I remember coal trucks coming and delivering coal.
284 chars
David C said on October 8, 2024 at 8:23 pm
My grandparents house was heated by coal until probably the late 60s.
69 chars
alex said on October 8, 2024 at 9:32 pm
SusanG, I didn’t remember there being any buildings on Hartman on the west side of the road, so I found this aerial map from 1964 and sure enough:
https://gis.acimap.us/portal/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=3d1c8bc23f884131b5708838c69a226a
I’m a total geek for that kind of stuff.
On edit: You have to click the Basemap icon on the bar on the top and click on 1964 aerials or any of the years before. Go back to 1938 and the bougie houses were almost nonexistent.
466 chars
Sherri said on October 8, 2024 at 9:44 pm
As a child, I lived in an old house that had a coal fireplace. It was the house my mother had grown up in. It also only had one faucet running from the well to the kitchen sink; that was the only running water. My mother and I lived there with her parents when I was born while my dad was in Alaska in the army for the first year and a half of my life, and then again after my grandparents built a new house, we moved into that old house and I lived there from ages 4-7.
470 chars
Julie Robinson said on October 9, 2024 at 11:25 am
According to my mom, coal was a huge step up from wood, which had to be cut, hauled, split, brought in to keep dry, loaded into stove and ashes brushed out, correct temp for baking managed, etc. I think oil was next, then gas or electric for furnace and cooking.
Doing last-last minute things, including taking our car to a parking garage so it won’t face storm damage. It’s raining and we’ve got wind, but we still have to wait for the full force.
Edited to add that yesterday a young congregant helped clean out our gutters, and today two young neighbors are assisting with the final outdoor button-down. We truly live in the best place.
641 chars
basset said on October 9, 2024 at 12:22 pm
John Lennon’s birthday today, he woulda been 84. Also Mama Basset’s birthday and death day, she woulda been 95.
115 chars
Dexter Friend said on October 9, 2024 at 1:19 pm
Ah shit…my friend from work , Tom, died. Just 4 months my senior, we worked together for many years, almost always on the same shifts.
His best friend, Tom, and I would drink a beer in the parking lot sometimes, and maybe spark up a joint for a hit just for fun. Tom always had a fattie tucked away somewhere in his old beat Chevrolet sedan. We went to a Lions game with 6 other guys and had a blast; we went to a White Sox game with 20 guys from work, riding a decrepit old bus that broke down twice. Tom made the drudgery of factory work a lot lighter in spirit. 75 and out.
When I was a tiny boy, Dad borrowed uncle’s old pickup truck and we’d drive to the rail-side coal yard beside the New York Central tracks in Corunna , Indiana. Brother Bob , Dad, and I threw chunks of coal into the truck bed and Dad drove over the scales and paid and we’d go home and unload the big coal chunks into a pile. As needed, Dad would lug in chunks of coal for the one stove used for heating the whole house. Our first house we had an oil space heater. When we left the house, Dad killed the burner so when we got back home it took forever to re-heat the house. I have memories of freezing in that house for many half-hours before the heat circulated.
So I don’t have a fucking thing to complain about these days. I think that maybe subconsciously the reason I feel I need to own a pickup truck is because I hated having to borrow uncle’s old truck all the time. If I need a truck to haul something, I have a truck . I went several years sans truck and I felt the desire to get one, so I did.
Alex? Did the Tundra make the million mile mark yet?
1646 chars
David C said on October 9, 2024 at 1:52 pm
Sorry about your friend, Dexter. He sounds like quite a guy.
60 chars
Bruce Fields said on October 9, 2024 at 3:29 pm
“It seems to have gone for about $95K, then was sold again for $101K just a few weeks later, and the $6,000 probably represents the work the first owner put into cleaning it out.”
Maybe, but transaction costs are high and selling isn’t without risk, is it really worth it just for a few thousand dollars of cleanup? If you’re in the house-cleaning-out business it seems like you’d be better off working for the flipper that does the renovation and skipping the extra transaction in the middle there.
I would’ve guessed the first buyer planned to do more but had to bail out for some reason–but I probably don’t understand how this really works….
655 chars
Mark P said on October 9, 2024 at 4:04 pm
I just had lunch with my 87-year-old aunt and my 80-year-old cousin. I avoid politics with them, because I know they are, how you Americans say, conservative? She’s voting for Trump. I asked her how she, a god-fearing Baptist whose husband believed you were going to hell if you didn’t go to church, could possibly vote for a rapist and serial adulterer who had sex with a porn actress while his wife was home with their baby boy. Well, she said she couldn’t vote for someone who wasn’t even born in this country. When I pointed out that she was born in this country, she asked me if I had ever heard Harris say, “God bless America.” And that’s why I try to avoid politics when having lunch with them. I know that you cannot talk reason with anyone who knowingly votes for Trump. They are beyond help. We’ll all be better off when my generation and the one ahead of me die.
890 chars
Deborah said on October 9, 2024 at 10:43 pm
We’re in Boston, well really Cambridge. My husband left his phone in the bathroom at the airport and when we were in a cab leaving he realized it so the very nice cab driver turned around and my husband scrambled back in after I called his number. Miraculously a guy had found it and answered my call, he said he would leave it with a bartender at a bar across from his gate because he had to get on his flight. And again miraculously my husband managed to get his phone back. My faith in humanity has been revived.
Beautiful weather in the northeast but so far the leaves are not spectacular yet. Hopefully when we’re in Maine in a few days things will have improved.
We walked around Harvard yard and my husband was swooning with nostalgia. It is lovely.
767 chars
Julie Robinson said on October 10, 2024 at 10:37 am
It was one noisy night in Orlando. We came through fine, but power is out so I’m saving my battery and going back to bed.
121 chars
Sherri said on October 10, 2024 at 2:26 pm
I know that after Henry Kissinger got the Nobel Peace Prize, complaining about Nobel Prizes seems pointless, but the committee giving both the Chemistry and Physics Nobels to AI researchers this year still seems wrong.
218 chars
alex said on October 10, 2024 at 3:08 pm
Dex at 17:
The Tundra just turned 302K yesterday. The 300K milestone was just a few weeks ago. Drove it to Illinois last week, then to Indy yesterday. Tomorrow driving it to New Philadelphia, Ohio, for a social gathering, and then on Saturday to Bucyrus, Ohio, for a wedding. Being tall and getting old, it’s my most comfortable vehicle for travel.
I suspect that some of these short-term homebuyers are these outfits that pay cash for houses. The homeowner dies, the heirs just want to sell but don’t have the time or patience to bring things up to code, so the buyer does the bare minimum and puts it on the market for a modest profit.
644 chars
Little Bird said on October 11, 2024 at 9:17 am
A very happy birthday to Deborah, or as I call her, mom.
56 chars
Mark P said on October 11, 2024 at 9:56 am
We have the idea that the Nobel Prize is some sort of objective measure of the relative value of work in the respective fields, when, in fact, it’s just the opinion of a bunch of Swedish and Norwegian members of the Nobel committee. The prize has grown in prestige, but I think it’s because of the money, and because we have a need to name a winner in everything. There is no real reason to think the prize means anyone is the “best” at anything.
454 chars
SusanG said on October 11, 2024 at 10:00 am
Whatever you think of Ft. Wayne In, it had two things going for it. The Parks and the Library. Those elevated life.
115 chars
brian stouder said on October 11, 2024 at 10:41 am
What Little Bird said! Gonna have to visit your favorite restaurant, and have a pleasant meal!
95 chars
Julie Robinson said on October 11, 2024 at 10:54 am
Happy Birthday, Deborah! Hope you have a terrific day.
Still waiting for power, but coping. Our rechargeable lanterns and radio have been a tremendous help, but best of all is a little butane burner so we can fix cups of tea and soup. Visited some family last night to charge up and they gave us three bags of ice they hadn’t needed. Will eat and charge at son’s house tonight.
Could really use a shower, though. And don’t get me started about the multiple neighbors running those damn generators.
503 chars
Mark P said on October 11, 2024 at 11:53 am
A power outage was what worried me the most when the earlier predicted path for Helene put it directly over us. We have a generator but I can’t get to our refrigerator plug to power that, and I can’t power our well pump. That makes things complicated here in a power outage. We are far enough away from our neighbors that generator noise is not a problem. But we escaped with only a good and needed rain, despite a number of downed trees around the area. A couple of our neighbors have big, whole-house backup generators. They are a lot of money for very infrequent use.
574 chars
Julie Robinson said on October 11, 2024 at 1:45 pm
It’s not just the noise, it’s the smell, for little ol’ chemically sensitive me. My mom wants one, though, because she likes to watch the news all day. She’s being a real poopy-pants about the whole thing. No amount of pointing out how fortunate we are helps her mood. We’re alive and uninjured, we have no significant property damage, we should be incredibly grateful.
Sorry, just had to vent a bit.
Anyway, we had ordered a good sized back up battery and solar panels but they won’t arrive until next week. Would like to buy a whole house battery that could hook into our rooftop solar. It’s quite a chunk of change.
I should say I’m also grateful that it’s not too hot or humid. No AC might make me poopy-pants, too.
Has anyone heard from Colleen?
755 chars
Dorothy said on October 11, 2024 at 1:46 pm
Deborah a very happy birthday to you!
Nancy I’d love to know what the local news stations had to say about Trump saying if Harris becomes President, the country is going to ‘turn into Detroit’ – WHILE HE WAS TALKING TO BUSINESS PEOPLE IN DETROIT !! My mind just can’t boggle anymore. I just find it astonishing that so many people believe he should be the most powerful leader in the world. Are they all brain damaged like he is?
442 chars
David C said on October 11, 2024 at 2:00 pm
Trump was shit talking Detroit to people in the Detroit suburbs and in rural Michissippi, not to anyone who actually living in Detroit.
135 chars
Dexter Friend said on October 11, 2024 at 2:25 pm
Trump was shit-talking Detroit to the Detroit Economics Club or Association.
Happy Birthday Deborah.
101 chars
ROGirl said on October 11, 2024 at 2:28 pm
Someone was telling me how much a whole house generator could run me, and for something that I would use maybe twice a year, that’s a lot of money.
I saw a billboard this morning that said Vote trump or the commie. As a commie Jew I say, “you’re welcome.”
258 chars
brian stouder said on October 11, 2024 at 3:21 pm
My billboard would say “Don’tRump!” Edit: and Happy Birthday Deborah!
97 chars
David C said on October 11, 2024 at 5:03 pm
He was at the Detroit Economics Club, Dexter, but that’s not who he was talking to. They knew goddamned well when they invited him that he was going to insult Detroit as a stand-in for blacks and Kamala Harris. They didn’t care a rat’s ass. They expected it. They knew it and so did the people in Michissippi.
309 chars
alex said on October 11, 2024 at 5:44 pm
Greetings from Tuscarawas County, Ohio, where the Trump signs are abundant but plenty of rural Harris signs were prominently displayed further west on the way here.
I’m not too fast on the draw with the cellphone cam when I see fun things, but in the town of Wilmot, in a heavily Amish area, a sign was posted looking for drivers for “Yoder Toter,” an Amish Uber franchise.
This area looks and feels like Appalachia and we’re probably in J.D. Vance country (or whatever that schmuck’s name really is).
On edit: Oh, and happy birthday to Deborah and also to Dave K. !
571 chars
Dave K. said on October 11, 2024 at 8:32 pm
Thanks for the happy birthday wishes, Alex, and also Happy Birthday to my 10/11 twin Deborah. Sending this from 36,000′ about 1 hr out from Kona,Hawaii. Amazing isn’t it?
Very grateful fellow here to be sharing this vacation with my wife and our recently retired (US Army) daughter, son-in-law, and grandson and grandaughter.
327 chars
Deborah said on October 12, 2024 at 4:37 am
Thanks Dave K, sounds like you had a memorable BD too.
I’m still in Boston and I’d like to give a shout out to libraries. Our team went to the Boston Public Library today and I had no idea what has been going on in large public, urban libraries these days. The services they provide the community is mind blowing. The place was teeming with happy people, learning and just enjoying themselves. We got an official tour and it was amazing.
If you are in Boston you have to see the historic McKim Mead and White building of the original library built in the late 19th century, it’s an architectural wonder but sadly in bad shape. I was furious when we were there because a cool billion could so revive it and people like Musk or Bezos could hand it over so easily. The place is so deserving, it could be revived as the world class masterpiece that it is.
Hats off to librarians.
891 chars
Julie Robinson said on October 12, 2024 at 8:23 am
We got our power back! Last night we were debating if it was worth trying to save our remaining food. I have to thank everyone who recommended filling the freezers with water. That and the three bags of ice we were given kept our food cold.
240 chars
Jeff Gill said on October 12, 2024 at 11:17 am
Happy birthdays to all those celebrating, blog posters & spouses, and an easy fast to any observing Yom Kippur (who probably won’t be online today, but anyhow).
I’m off to hunt up some acorn squash, darn it. I need to get in the autumnal mood.
250 chars
basset said on October 12, 2024 at 12:08 pm
Went to the National Museum of African-American Music here in Nashville this past week and was very impressed… lots of detailed information and interactive displays, I passed on wearing a robe and singing along with a gospel choir in front of a green screen though. You can even download a lot of the music onto a wristband and take it with you.
The museum’s right in the heart of the tourist district so you get to walk in crowds past loud bars and watch the bachelorette parties go by hooting and carrying on, quiet and well laid out once you get inside and organized by genre all the way from African origins to hip hop and rap, which I skipped. Definitely going back for a closer look on a day when I have more time.
727 chars
Colleen said on October 12, 2024 at 12:47 pm
Here I am! No real damage, but no power for 48 hours, which was a real drag, but some people are still out, so, blessings counted. We lost all the stuff in the fridge and freezer, but I filed a claim with USAA and should have grocery money in a few days.
254 chars
tajalli said on October 12, 2024 at 2:35 pm
Happy birthday to Deborah and Dave. Here’s a good collection of pictures of the McKim Meade and White library, exterior and interiors shots. Also glad fellow Nallers are recovering nicely.
https://www.bpl.org/mckim-points-of-interest/
241 chars
Deborah said on October 12, 2024 at 8:28 pm
Thanks for the BD wishes, yesterday was one of the best BDs so far.
Saw this on the NPR website, one of the cool things I saw at the Boston Public Library too. Guess it’s happening in a lot of libraries which is fantastic https://www.npr.org/2024/10/10/nx-s1-5107904/public-library-small-business-nonprofit-entrepreneurs
325 chars
Dexter Friend said on October 13, 2024 at 12:12 pm
As Willie Geist does on his Sunday show, I salute a life well live.
Elbert Wolfe was born on September 10, 1892, in Huntertown, Indiana. He dropped the El part and was known as Bert. He worked various jobs and was working with Eugene V. Debs during the Pullman strike and the infamous Presidential campaign when Debs was imprisoned. Bert was a veteran of the war to end all wars, WWI, as a railroad track repairman in France. He spent many a night in those awful trenches there.
Bert returned and landed in Bellevue, Ohio in 1929. He married his love, Gladys, and worked until retirement on the railroad.
My brother lived there and introduced me to Bert in 1979; Bert was 86. Bert had instant recall, knew every President’s history, and amazingly, every VP. He knew every county in every state and the state capitol location. He understood scientific theory and proof, leaving me stunned and quiet as he talked. I’d drive the exactly 100.0 miles from my house to his
every month or so for the 2 years he retained health, and the few months he was in Clyde, Ohio, where he passed on this calendar day.
Bert Wolfe passed on October 13, 1981.
Gladys laughingly always called him “You old bastard!”
Yeah…the damndest man I ever met. Hard core atheist and oh how he hated the Republicans.
1294 chars