Between The Bluffs: Nov 17, 2008

Julianna (Wodenka) Waitrovich

My Dad, Andrew, migrated to Niagara from Oklahoma in the 1920’s. Like so many people at that time, he heard there were jobs available in that area. He specifically was told that by his Uncle, Frank Brynak, who lived in Breitung and worked at the Ford Motor plant. But when my Dad arrived, there were no jobs to be had at the Ford plant. Someone told him about Kimberly Clark Paper Mill in Niagara so he went there and was hired the same day. His three brothers, Ed, Midge and Joe followed shortly afterward. As a result I grew up surrounded by cousins. My maternal grandparents, Frank and Mary Wodenka, lived halfway up the hill in back of our house. The hill was known at that time as Wodenka’s hill. I skied down that hill many times. There was no ski lift to take us back up. We would just trek back up the hill in snow up to our waists and think nothing of it. We would build a ski jump and have our own little tournaments. All the kids in the neighborhood would join in and the Dads’ would officiate. My cousin, Therese was really good and could jump as far as any boy. There was Jimmy Durand, Dougie Maes, Jimmy Heisenfeldt, Jan Bovee, Jerry Waitrovich, Larry Waitrovich and others that I can’t remember off hand. My cousin Therese and I were the only girls.

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Monday, November 17, 2008

Julianna (Wodenka) Waitrovich

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