Ships Ahoy!

Tony decides it's time to run from the Appalachian Mountains to the vast blue water.  It was his privilege and patriotic duty, a way out of Beckley, WV and a means to provide a financial future for himself and wife-to-be, Zina Mae Coffman.

"What a handsome Sailor Man!", my Mother, Zina must have thought when he came back to town on "leave" before his official tour of duty began with the United States Navy.  I remember the story well when Zina was all dressed up in her poodle skirt and roller skates, sitting with her group of girlfriends at a hamburger joint when Tony walked in and over to her and said, "How's my girl been?" and "Have you missed me?".  Well, the rest is history!

 

Zina Mae Coffman, 812 N. Oakwood Ave, Beckley, WV

As the Story Goes...Little Tony Grows.

As the story goes, little Tony grows up in the midst of being shuffled around afterall.  After Uncle Angelo and Aunt Tillie began having children of their own, they had to make a better living and decided to move to Chicago to join the rest of the Italian family.  Tony's father Jake and wife Mary came to the rescue and welcomed the young son into their home.  This was the first time that son and father had lived in the same home since Tony was a baby.

My Father never spoke of this period of time in his childhood.  I believe it was a hard adjustment on him.  In later years, I did hear a troubling story from my Mother that Jake and Mary used to send little Tony to the shed outside for punishment...after a spanking or two.  I can only imagine it and don't like to think about it.  I cannot imagine my sweet Father being a bad boy or being the cause of anyone losing their patience.  So, I try not to think about it.  I do remember Mary Cumbo always being very nice to me although I've heard from others that she had a temper. She was quite lovely to look at and reminded me of glamorous movie starlet even though she always had darkened circles under her eyes.  Her cheekbones were high and her smile was really beautiful.  She was an Italian beauty in many ways and she and Papaw Jake shared many years together.

Mary, Papaw Jake and Aunt Clara "Tootsie" are featured here in this photo with Mom and Dad on their Wedding Day on September 9, 1950, Beckley, WV.

Papaw Jake was very proud of his son and always enjoyed it when he played his accordian.  In later years, my Father would play the hymn "Just a Closer Walk With Thee" in memory and honor of a special place and time with his Father, Jake.  He would recall the story that took place while standing in front of a jukebox in a little diner in Beckley, WV.  Dad was there eating dinner and in walks Jake.  Jake visits with Dad for a little while and asks his son to come up to the jukebox with him.  He is looking for the hymn "Just a Closer Walk With Thee" and Dad helps him find it, places the coins in the slot and pushes the button to select this special song.  As it plays, Jake tells Dad that this is his favorite song and wants him to remember it as one to play when he is performing for others at events.  My Dad did play it from time to time as he replayed this fond memory in his mind of a special moment in a small diner in a small town standing beside his Father.

Thank you Uncle Angelo!
Thank you Uncle Angelo for being a caring soul.  You and your lovely young wife, Italy decided to stop the madness of passing little Tony around to all the family members and give him some stability and a place to call home temporarily.  The love and consistancy you showed him as a child proved to mold his character and become a thread that he would eventually sew into the lives of his daughters and grandchildren.  He was a gentle caring soul like you Uncle Angelo, my namesake.

(r) Angelo, daughter Carmela, wife Italy and son Jobe in front

Little Tony, Angelo and Italy's youngest born in Chicago

Aunt Italy, also known as Aunt Tillie, insisted on a routine that included music lessons beginning at the age of 7 with an instrument that was half the size of little Tony.  And the rest is history...he was a natural at playing the accordian.  He had the opportunity to teach others, to perform regularly and earn extra money to support his family with his talent.  I remember Dad mentioning how much he enjoyed making people happy when playing his music. He had so many opportunities to perform in important places and fondly remembered being invited to perform for The United States Generals that were meeting at The Greenbriar in West Virginia.  He always wanted his grandkids to learn to play, although they were interested in sports and such. I remember when he purchased a beautiful small accordian with mother of pearl inlay...his pride and joy since he purchased while on a very limited budget in later years. This instrument was for my boys to have in case they ever wanted to test their own musical talents.  Time gets away from us sometimes and we get busy with our routines.  Lets learn from this and keep music alive in our little ones to come...music instruction will hopefully be incorporated into Jasper, Cora and our little ones that will be born in the future so that little Tony's legacy can live on.  God gave him a rich talent which is another thread that runs through me and onto my boys and onto my Grandchildren.

A Few More Family Names from the Great-Greats....

I found my baby book today that included a family tree handwritten in my Mother, Zina's handwriting.  It's pastel pink with the title, "Baby's Memoir".
How sweet to find this at this time...Mother's always seem to know what and when we need things to help us along.  Thank you, Momma!

On the Cumbo side, we begin with the Great-Great Grandfather, Sam Cumbo who married Rosalie Cumbo then had a son, Anthony Cumbo who married Nellie Cumbo who had a son, James Anthony Cumbo who joined with Nell Clarke and had a son Tony Edward Cumbo.  I have also seen my Grandfather's name as Joseph instead of James in different places.  They called him "Jake" for short.

I now wish I knew more about my Grandmother Nell Clarke.  I remember her as being a waitress in a diner located in Parkersburg, WV.  She was close to a niece there but I do not know her name.  Little Tony had some facial characteristics similar to his Mother like his smile and shape of lips but he mostly looked like the Cumbo's.  Nell was a smoker and when she came to visit, she would cough alot.  I remember this and also remember asking her why she smoked and to please stop so she would not be sick anymore.  I was about 5 or 6 years old then.  She passed shortly after her last visit and I remember seeing my Dad cry for the first time.  He then traveled to Parkersburg by himself for her funeral.  The family gave him a TV that they saved for him from her apartment.  She lived a simple life .

I will always appreciate the time I did have with her.  I remember her calling from time to time and a wonderful babydoll she mailed to me for my birthday.  I also remember one visit she made to Beckley at Eastertime  She stayed at Grandma Ada's home with us for the holiday and we had a big dinner, dressed up in our Easter outfits (mine was a butter yellow dress), went to Church and took a bunch of photos out in the front yard of Grandma Ada's home. 

The Cumbo Clan at Aunt Tootsie's Pub in Beckley, WV with Jake front left, Clara "Tootsie" beside him, Sam Alfonzo and Rosie standing, Mary (Jake's 2nd wife) and the unknown friend.

I do not remember Aunt Tootsie's husband but I do remember Pub they owned.  Aunt Tootsie prepared all of the meals there and her customers were loyal.  It was close to a factory that had some hungry workers that were regulars.  I remember she had the best grape soda and best grape bubblegum balls ever!

Aunt Tootsie used to invite us over for Spaghetti, Salad, Garlic Bread and Watermelon.  It was a lot of fun especially in the summer months when we could play out in the yard.  "We" being my sister, Jeanine and brother, Chip.  We would play batmitten and just hang out.  Ofcourse, I was 8 years younger than my sister and 11 years younger than my brother so I mainly just tagged along.  When it came time to leave, Tootsie always gave the best hugs...with a pat and a pinch on my check.  It would hurt a little but I recognized it as her "love pat"...she was consistant, let me tell you!  My little check would stay pink for hours!

Tootsie eventually moved to Chicago and was close to her brother Angelo and his first child Jobe.  She passed in the 1970's and remember her always sending birthday cards to me.  I remember the good times with her when I was a child and did not know her in later years when she became very stubborn as the story goes.

Seven Years Later....

The time passed quickly as Aunti Clara and Aunti Rosie grew up and wanted lives of their own.  There were many handsome Italian men to choose from in the mining communities around Winding Gulf, WV.   There was an understanding and a brotherhood among various Italian immigrant families that helped secure decisions for marriage for both Rosie and Clara.  They took care of their own, so to speak.  They also welcomed the Italian bootleggers coming in from Chicago from time to time.   Rosie had her eye on the clean cut man with the silver rim hat.  His name was Alfonzo Calleria and he spoke with a strong Italian accent that commanded her attention when he walked in her Father's store. 

The smell of fresh garlic and tomatoes cooking in the back kitchen was consistant with the clock chiming ten times in the morning.  Rosie would wait until Alfonzo passed the kitchen doorway before she would appear.  Alfonzo had a special place in his heart for this young lady and wondered why someone hadn't taken her out of this coal dust town.  One reason his fondness was geniune was because Rosie always a bowl of Gnocchi waiting for him and an extra helping for the road.  He was only there on business every other month.  It was September and he was running liquour and tobacco for a big group out of Chicago.  It was great money and he was well known for being on time and respecting who he worked for.  Soon, he approached Rosie about leaving Winding Gulf and marrying him.  The plan was to move to Chicago in the Spring with a promise that she be able to come back for visits when he came back to make his runs.  The big question would have to be discussed with her Father, Antonio.  And Rosie wondered if her Father would ever consent to her leaving the family and the coal dust to start her own life in another foreign land...Chicago.

Rosie Cumbo Calleria is standing 2nd left then Jake's second wife Mary, Aunt Italy then Aunt Clara(not sure who the first lady on left is).

 



  I did not know Rosie because she lived so far away and she did not return to Appalachian Mountains after she began having children, raising them and starting her own grocery store in downtown Chicago.

 

Clara Cumbo was someone I definitely remember.  We would go over to her home in Beckley, WV for dinner in the summer months to eat Spaghetti, Salad, Bread and Watermelon.  We had the best time with Aunt Tootsie, as we nicknamed her.  She loved my sister Jeanine who happened to look like an Italian princess.  She doted on my brother Chip and loved up on me with big strong hugs and a pinch on my cheek everytime we were saying our goodbyes at her front door.  She was a jolly but sometimes stubborn Italian woman who had to have her way...which is probably one reason little Tony came to live with the Cumbo's when he was a baby.

 

I am repeating some of this story about Clara in the next post because of my fondest of two strong memories of her.

 

 

 

 



The Cumbo Clan...Bootleggers, Coal Miners and down-right dapper Italian fellas.

My Grandpa Jake is standing on the left end next to my Uncle Angelo who is much shorter. Jake was a dapper man with his thick wavy black hair slicked back.  His stylish attire lent itself to the cigar he is holding in this photo.  As I remember, he always had a cigar in his hand and smelled like fresh tobacco.  He also always carried a little bottle in his jacket pocket...it looked milky but smelled of licorice.  Something to "sip" on throughout the day. I was only 4 years old when I sat on his lap for the last time and to this day remember all of these smells.   Grandpa Jake didn't come around often but when he did was so gentle and kind and always promised to bring me a Teddy Bear on his next visit.  I remember waiting for him and always hoping he would knock on our door with Teddy Bear in hand.  Well, it never happened but I know he loved me because I felt it and his heart was in the right place when he made his promises. I keep a few Teddy Bears with sweet faces around for my grandkids to play with...just a little reminder of Grandpa Jake.

Little Tony was a special little fella whose young Mother Nell was considered too young to raise him in the eyes of the Cumbo women.  So, they kept him away from Nell Clarke and decided to raise this precious boy themselves. 

Jake's Mother, Nellie, enjoyed having little Tony around as he reminded her of her own boys, now grown men.  Her sons, James "Jake", Angelo, and Sam were strong men with passionate hearts and she hoped all the more for little Tony, who was named after one of her sons that died at a young age.  Nellie kept him close as she prepared the daily meals which included Polenta.  Preparation for their evening meal began in the morning and lasted all day until the last son arrived home from working the coal mines. Only then was the hot meal of Polenta served on a large fireroasted wooden cutting board. 

One day, while Grandmother Nellie began her daily ritual in the kitchen, she fell to the ground.  Little Tony found her there and ran to get his Grandfather who was nearby managing their grocery store.  A heart attack claimed the life of my Great Grandmother Nellie in the eyes of my father, her only Grandson, Tony.  My father was only 5 years old when he experienced someone he loved leaving this world.  And now with his Grandmother gone, a family meeting would be held to decide who would raise him. Jake's sisters, Clara and Rosie, would step in and manage raising Jake's boy.  Little Tony did not mind this at all because his Aunti's doted on him and gave him a lot of love that he needed.

You know that familiar song lyric, "Well, I'm proud to be a Coal Miner's daughter"...well, I'm not singing it because I'm not a Coal Miner's daughter but might have been, had my father followed the footsteps of his Italian uncles who found themselves living and working the Coal Mines in Winding Gulf, WV. 

Anthony Cumbo brought his entire family over from Palermo, Italy seeking a better life.  Anthony and wife, Nellie were Grociers in Italy and set a grocery store in their new homeland so the miners could spend their hard earned paychecks on the basic necessities needed for meals and supplies.

James Edward Cumbo, one their eldest sons, was my Grandfather and a worker bee of the family.  He was a handsome man with large, round brown eyes and had a long face with a strong square jaw line.  His olive skin had a shiney cast over the day old beard he always seemed to wear.  He was a sensitive man that was often misunderstood and covered it all up by nipping the bottle.  Working the mines at the age of 17 was not what he wanted for his life.  He missed his homeland and the familiar surroundings of Palmero. 
So to ease his pain, he found himself stopping by the local diner to see a sight for his sore eyes...she was strawberry blonde and green-eyed Nell Clarke.

Nell and "Jake", as they called him, spent more time together when they weren't working their jobs to help provide for their families.  And somewhere in this coal dust filled mining town, where the shacks and shanty's lined the dusty dirt road called Main Street, my father was conceived.  I'd like to think it happened in a beautiful meadow filled with wildflowers as the sun was setting over the Appalachian Mountain range, nonetheless, little Tony Edward Cumbo was conceived in the coal dust and born on an early September morn in 1930 in Winding Gulf, West Virginia.

Through the Eyes of a Wildflower

"If God cares so wonderfully for Wildflowers, He will certainly care for you."  Luke 12:28

I am a Wildflower. I am one of God's creations who is going to put her best foot forward in an attempt to become a blogger.  I've always wanted to write a book or two and share my life experiences in a way that will encourage and hopefully inspire readers. I want to share my life story and lessons learned along the way so my children and grandchildren will know the things about my life we don't take the time to talk about.  I also want to express my creativity by using the creative eye and hands our Lord gave especially to me. In the midst of all of this, I want to share my experiences of faith...my "whispers of faith", to help us remember, we always have The Helper as God's word has promised to help us through this life. 

So now, here we go...my thoughts, my memories, my life experiences, my family, my creativity and my whispers of faith...ready to blossom again.



THIS HEART OF MINE
Wildflowers are red
The green grass grows blue
The river is wide
The music runs true