My parents came to the United States from Poland in 1911, and I was born on September 3, 1917.

My early years were spent on a farm in Leeds, Missouri. Didn't know a word of English and failed the first grade. My family moved to Wyandotte County and lived just North of 35th street near City Park.

In 1929 I started delivering the Journal Post newspaper after school for 5 years. My route was a rural route out of the then city limits starting on an old gravel road called Mantoon road then extending from old 40 highway to around City Park, and Muncie road to 18th Street. I only had 6 to 8 customers. Back then newspapers cost 15 cents per week. The rural route manager charged me 8 cents which left me with 7 cent profit. I delivered the papers by bicycle, never missed a day rain or shine.

Retired from Philips Petroleum Company in 1980 after 40 years of service and began my hobby of making wooden comic characters that I remember from the "funnies" as we called them that were in the Journal Post. I recently donated my collection of 300 plus characters to the Strawberry Hill Museum hoping that everyone enjoys them as much as I did making them.

While living on the farm my father bought me a Blue Bird coaster wagon. After we moved to City Park I took the wheels off the wagon and built a small racing car to ride up and down the street in front of my house. My love for peddle cars led me to build 50 different models made out of wood, each one different styling and paint scheme. NASCAR race driver Kelly Petty is scheduled to start construction on his camp for kids called Victory Junction very soon in Wyandotte County. I have had discussion with them and I plan to donate my homemade car collection to them for all of the kids to enjoy.