MOVING TO OUR DREAM HOUSE

Before I got married Carol and I looked for a place to live. With the help of her father we found a nice apartment, located at 8308 S. Kedzie, behind Max’s Barbershop. We fixed it up and bought furniture and were ready to live there by the time we got married, it was convenient for Carol to go to Christ Advocate Hospital. I was working at North American and took a bus downtown. We moved there in June 0f 1968. In June, 1969 Georgie was born. When we moved there, Max the owner said he wouldn’t raise our rent. Well after a year the rent was raised from $130 to $150 a month. We felt it was too high. We started looking for a house. We started on the North Side were prices were higher and then scaled down our expectations to look on the SW side. The houses were newer and cheaper. Again Carol’s father came to the rescue. At the time he owned Frank and Walt’s Grocery Store on 56th Place and Pulaski. One of his customers had died and the family was selling their home at 5436 S. Avers. The house was about 20 years old and in decent condition. It needed a lot of paint and some work but was worth the $23,000 price tag. Our parent agreed and we bought the house. Over time we fixed the lawn, built a garage, redecorated the basement, put in new kitchen cabinets and remodeled the bathroom. I especially liked the basement and the bar that Carol’s parents had bought us. We had many parties that provide us with many fond memories. When my mother passed away, we built an apartment, in the attic, for my sister Loretta. It had become a very beautiful home for the area. It was conveniently located with the Pulaski and Archer Bus Lines close to Chicago’s loop. In April 1970 I started working for the City and the transportation was good. Carol was working at Christ Hospital which was straight down Pulaski to 95th Street. Georgie was going to St. Turibius where he could walk or get a ride to school. It turned out to be a practicable and good decision for a first home.



We lived in St. Turibius Parish, were Carol had gone to grammar school and had attended Lourdes High School. As Georgie got involved in various activities: soccer, band and scouts; I also got involved in the School Board, Scouts, and Band Boosters. Monsignor Mroszkowski was pastor and was an excellent religious leader. The Monsignor was always pleasant and treated the people who worked around the church to a variety of parties. He was a gifted organist and singer. Because of his love for music Georgie participated in a number of organ recitals that were held in the church hall. While at Turibius, Georgie’s interest in music grew. A big influence was St. Turibius’ Band Director Stan Robeson. Georgie took Organ and accordion lessons from Mr. Robeson. Stan also worked with Otto Nagel who gave Georgie Clarinet and Saxophone lessons. As his skills grew he was able to join Mr. Nagels Spartan Band. The Spartans were composed of mostly grownups but he was able to fit in. The Spartan Band also played at the Chicago Sting Soccer Games at the Chicago Stadium. In between those activities he participated in numerous organ recitals that he placed 1st place. Because of his interest we purchased a Hammond Organ. It would turn out to be an excellent investment for his future. By the time he was going to high school he was beginning to play at churches. St. Turibius was probably the most enjoyable part of living at 5436 S. Avers.



After along 10 years Carrie was born on January 19.1980. We had three bedrooms so it worked out just fine. Georgie had some neighborhood friends, bur Carrie didn’t have any one her age in the area. She had one lone friend, Kathleen, who came to visit her grandmother. By the time Carrie was ready to go to grammar school we had to make a decision on where we would live. Georgie was to go to Marist High School at 115th and Pulaski. We knew the neighborhood was changing. Next door we had a drug dealer and 2 frame houses that were neglected. Was this the neighborhood we wanted our children to grow up in? The major problem was, I worked for the City. That was a problem. The residency rule didn’t allow you to live outside the city. So the decision was made to look for another job.



Finding a new job wasn’t easy. The private sector had reservations about government employees, the ads were fruitless and networking was limited. Through a friend in the National Guard I was able to secure a position with the State Of Illinois’; Department of Employment Security. The money was a little less, but it provided the opportunity to leave the City. Next we had to select a place to live. After searching for a time we opted to build a new home. By chance, one Sunday I found a small ad in the Tribune with a vacant lot for sale in Homer Township. So we took a ride to Homer, which was still a small farming community. Our destination was the Old Oak Country Club. There, we met Al Lieponis who was representing property in Old Oak Estates. He took us around and we found lot at the corner of Old Oak and Pin Oak. It was a quarter of an acre with plenty of room. There was only one home at this location. To our back was vacant land that butted up against horse ranches located on Bell Road. We liked it and decided to purchase the property. The cost was about $18,000. We would need a mortgage. This would be a problem because banks weren’t lending money for vacant land. I told this to Eleanor Orchowski, a friend at City Hall. who told me to see her banker son. Through Eleanor’s son we got a mortgage and bought the land. Carol’s parents liked the location so much they bought the lot next door.



Now that we had the land we had to find a builder and the plans to build our dreamhouse. Carol had been impressed with the builder who had built her mother’s home on 56th Place. So we went to Tatoo and Schroll but for some reason it wouldn’t work. One problem was that we needed space for my sister, Loretta. Carol’s parents were able to build and move before us. They had selected Mundo Builders. So we selected the same builder. We found the plans that we liked. It was a combination of a Gallagher and Henry design and another builder. It was to be 2800 square feet, not counting the basement. The rec room area was huge enough that we could build a studio apartment for my sister. The cost was about $240,000. That was a lot of money for 1985. To finance the property I took a loan on my City pension, and with the sale of 5436 we were able to obtain a reasonable mortgage. Interest at that time was about 12%. With Carol and me working we were able to manage the mortgage.



So with a new job and the sale of our old home we were off to Homer Township. The first thing was to make sure our kids were set in school. Carrie was bused to Goodings Grove and Georgie to Marist. I drove downtown and sometime took the train. We needed many improvements: landscaping, furniture and general odds and ends. Over time we used our money wisely and accomplished our objectives. We where now in our dream house as the story goes on.