My Brother Artur

My older brother Art.....

I was told that he was adventuresome and did not like school.He left his books in the corner and went outside to play.One day he and his friend played with a machine with gears...wheels with big teeth.They pushed and pushed and the frozen mechanism moved and his right hand got caught and crushed the fingers between the small and large gears.The doctors were able to save the thumb and the two outside fingers but not the two center ones.This accident gave him an advantage in arm-wrestling...no one I know off could beat him.

He was separated from the family in 1945 and returned to us in 1949.

When it was for sure that my big brother would get out of Poland,I was elated.Now I am going to have a champion that could stand up to my tormentors and put them in their places.Dream on ...he came to the village and became good friends with some of them instead. I guess back to diplomacy and running...and fast even from him.I must have been a pain.

He barely spoke German...good thing the folks,grandparents 

Redschlag,and the two uncles ,Erwin and Erich Redschlag, could speak Polish.He adjusted quickly and started school.As you may remember books were not his strong points.I disagree on that point.In taking tests the school authorities felt he would be best with farm work.Of course that is what he knew and had worked in for free in Poland.Good thing we moved three years later to the Land of Promise.He started out in farm work in Texas but by moving to Belvidere,he became an apprentice with a Polish builder...no language barrier here.He learned to be a carpenter...union man too.He went on his own to build houses and duplexes. He is now retired but sometimes his knees hurt.He is a solitary man and loves to go fishing in any weather...rivers, ponds and lakes you name it... he was there.

I never went fishing with him.I am not good at it. Ask my friends... I always caught the least or the smallest fish or the eelpout. Now with the move to the Chicago area maybe we can try it and still stay friends.My Father-in-law taught me how to fish in the summer of 1961 and we managed to stay friends until he passed away from cancer many years ago.

I don't have to duck and run anymore and I have to give my brother due respect on a few subjects to stay out of trouble. But...the temptations are always there...how to pick on him,get a rise,and still manage to stay brothers. Is that a character flaw of mine or just seeking trouble?