My Grandfather

My grandfather was from Hungary. He came to this country as a young man. He was around 17 or 18, I would guess. He came alone, somewhere in the early part of the 20th century, probably around 1905 or so. He left siblings, parents, aunts and uncles in Hungary. But nonetheless, he struck out for the United States, the land of opportunity. 

I remember him telling the story about shortly after he arrived in this country how grand it was that he would give the bus driver a dime, and the bus driver would give him back, as change, an even larger coin; a nickel!! What a great country this must be. 

Of course, it wasn’t until nearly half a century later that I met him. By the time I did, he had 3 married daughters and 2 grandchildren. I was the 3rd of what would be 5 grandchildren. 

He was a loving man. He was a kind man. His wife, his children, his grandchildren, and his job were most important to him. He worked in a factory, as I’m sure many immigrant men in the Detroit area did. Not in an auto factory, but in a company that smelted copper and brass. 

My grandfather walked with a limp. It was pretty obvious, but no one ever commented or said a word about it. It was just the way that grandfather was. And then one day, years after he had passed, I found a well worn newspaper article. The small article was almost falling apart from age, buried between the pages of a family bible. 

I have transcribed the article here: 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  Values Life less than leg                                                                                                                           August 8, 1908 

John Horvath thought it better to die than be a cripple. Friends persuaded him at the last minute to have operation performed. 

Rather than go through life deformed, John Horvath, Hungarian, age 21, refused to allow Dr. H. Wellington Yates to amputate his left leg in St. Mary’s Hospital. 

The doctor told him Friday night that amputation was absolutely necessary to save his life, gangrene had set in, and he agreed to the operation. 

When wheeled into the operating room Saturday, however, he had a change of heart and wouldn’t allow anesthetic to be administered, in spite of the fact that he was told he would die if the leg did not come off. 

He was taken back to the ward and the nurses were reconciling themselves to the sight of seeing his life slowly ebb away. When Mrs. Susie Weizer a Hungarian friend called on him. She advised him strongly to allow the operation. A catholic clergyman also gave him the same advice. With the result that he consented to part with the limb. 

Horvath boarding at 10 Anderson Street, Delray, was injured in a foundry in the 18th ward last Monday. A ton of metal falling on his leg. He has only been in this country a short time. He cried at the thought of losing his leg and clutched a prayer book tightly to his breast before and during the operation. 

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I'm glad that he consented to the surgery.  Were it not for him, I would not be here.  He was a great man!