Code,500022
Subject,Marguerite Jost-Hrabak
Date,8/7/14
Interviewer,Joseph Wickens
Abstract,"This interview was conducted by Jost-HrabakÕs son, Christopher Hrabak, and has been included as part of Cleveland State UniversityÕs 50th Anniversary Oral History Project. Jost-Hrabak attended Fenn College for two years following World War II where she was one of two women out of a student body of over 700. She would later return to finish her degree at CSU in the 1970s. In this interview she recounts much of her familyÕs history and relates several stories from her life prior to 1962 when her and her husband purchased a large plot of land on Music Street southeast of Cleveland. Of particular interest his her discussion of attending Fenn College, her childhood trip to Germany in 1939, and the construction of their family home in Indian Hills. Also of particular interest his her description of her husband Frankie who was a graduate of Fenn who also served as part-time faculty of the college. "
Special Notes,"Joe is Hrabak's father, Mia is her mother, and Frankie is her husband. "
Minutes,
0,Introduction. Interview picks up in 1922 in Germany. Hraback relates that her grandfather had mining motor company in Germany. He supplied armaments for the German army during WW1.
1,After the war the industry collapsed. Describes that the whole economy was gone. They had had a comfortable life but that was dramatically impacted. Her father grew up rich. Her father Joe started raising rabbits because food was scarce during the war. 
2,"Relates how he raised rabbits. He would go out into the woods and gather food for the rabbits. He continued this the rest of his life. They survived the war. They had a family of six, 3 boys and 3 girls. "
3,"""Having a truck was a big deal."" They needed a truck to deliver the motors they were fabricating. Automobiles were new and you needed a special liscence and training to drive. "
4,Hrabak relates how Joe's truck was commandeered to deliver bread during the war. Her father realized they were driving into the fighting. He said something happened to the truck and pulled over. He disabled the distributer cap so that it wouldnÕt run. They in turn commandeed a a horse cart and after they left her father reinstalled the distrubuter cap and drove home.
5,"Joe recognized that he was responsible for the truck and didnÕt want anything to happen to it. Describes how they had to ""Accommodate"" following the war. Her father had a falling out with his father. "
6,Describes how the conflict arose. Joe decided to leave for the US. Joe had met his future wife by this time. Interviewer and Hrabak discuss this further.
7,Hrabak talks about a photo of her parents at their engagement party. DoesnÕt think that it was that radical to be leaving for the US right after getting engaged. Notes that this is largely due to the situation in Germany following the war. 
8,"Relates that her mother's father worked for the railroad. Describes his pay scale. ""Your money wasnÕt worth anything."" Inflation in Germany following the war. "
9,"Nothing was avaible for purchase. ""Nothing was availble to buy."" Notes that the first thing the Germans did when they invaded during WW2 was buy everything. Best soldiers were sent to Paris and the French capitulated. "
10,"Moves to the US. ""It was the land of milk and honey."" Joe was 27-28 at the time. Describes that he receives telegrams while en route to the US. He was in steerage."
11,"His wife, Mia, was working at the telegraph company and that is why he was getting them. DoesnÕt land at Ellis Island because it had already been closed. "
12,"Describes how the procedure had changed. It was done in the country of origin. DidnÕt travel with much. Arrived in NYC, took the train to Tiffin, OH. His great uncle lived there."
13,They work throught the genealogy for a while. The great uncle came to the US in 1874.
14,DoesnÕt know why he came to the US. The great uncle gets Joe a job. He gets him a sponsor and Joe proves that he is qualified. 
15,"DoesnÕt know how he proved his qualification. Lands in Tiffin but cant live with his uncle so he lives next door. The neighbor also works at the same place, ""The National."" "
16,"They are way behind technologically. ""There was no impetus to upgrade."" Joe was advanced because he read a lot. ""He knew what was happening in the industry."" Hrabak thinks he must have gone to ""Gymnasium."" "
17,"Joe wants to get out of Tiffin. ""The people of Tiffin were happy."" He wanted to go to Detriot because it was the hub of the auto industry."
18,"He was going to get on a train for Detriot but the next one to was an express and didnÕt stop. The next train was going to Cleveland and he got on that one. ""Well Cleveland was second best."" ""Cleveland was a hub of manufacturing."" Relates the industry of Cleveland at that time. "
19,"Isnt sure what he did when he initially arrived. That was his personality, to get up and go somewhere. DoesnÕt know his first job. Mia joins him later in the year. "
20,"He got an apartment before she arrived. She had to have a sponsor and protection as a white woman. Went to the courthouse and were married almost immediately. ""This satisifys her visa."" "
21,The next day they go to the church and have a catholic wedding. The priest was not happy about them already being married. 
22,After the wedding they went to Mia's aunt Sophie's in New York for their reception dinner. Relates the story of her family close to Sophie. 
23,"They are there one night and head back to Cleveland. Mia was disgusted because this was during prohibition and they had no wine with dinner. They had come from wine country in Germany. ""You didnÕt have a celebration without wine."" "
24,They lived in an apartment off of 123rd street. First thing she did was go to learn English and went to the synogauge to learn. They told her to go to a Cleveland school for lessons because she was farther along than the older woman at the temple.
25,"She ended up learning English by going to the store and listening to people speak and listening to the radio. She would copy down what was written on signs. ""It wasnÕt that difficult to pick up."" Got a job in the garment industry. "
26,"She last until noon. ""I didnÕt come to the land of opportunity to work in a sweat shop."" and she left. They were still in an apartment when the Depression set in. Conversation digresses to another apartment that had lived in previously."
27,They lived in a upstairs suite and paid $40. Downstair was $5 more. As the Depression continued the landlord kept having to lower the rent. He would come to them and tell them. Her father had rabbits at this apartment in the back of the garage. 
28,One of the other tennants raised carrier pigeons. Relates that one time her mother had to take care of the pigeons. Even during the Depression her father is never out of work for more than a week.
29,"Relates that one of their neighbors was out of work for over 1.5 years, it didnÕt go over well. Since he was German there was a great deal of resentment for her father's ability to maintain employment. ""Taking our jobs."" Hrabak is born in 1930. "
30,"Remembers living in the upstairs duplex. Relates learning to rollerskate living there. ""I wore a scab on my knee all summer long."" Describes the phyiscal layout of the duplex. "
31,"Desciption continues. ""It was a full suite."" They were never cramped. Went to Chambers School. The school isnt there anymore. Takes a trip to Europe in 1937 with her family. "
32,"Times are getting better at this point. ""My mother was a good money manager and my father was happy to let her do it."" Relates that her uncle was ""shanghaied"" in Paris and forced into the foreign legion. "
33,"He was there for a while, stationed in north Africa. Hrabak notes that a movie was recently made depicting a similar situation to her uncle's. Joe puts up the money to release him from the legion."
34,Mother was not happy that he put up the $500 for his uncle. Hrabak's mother arranges for her teacher to give her the work she would be missing while she was on the trip to Europe. 
35,The train was dirty to NYC. Got on a huge trip to Bremen. Discussion of what was powering the ship. Travelled in the lowest class. 
36,"Ships at this time were designed for tourist travel. ""It was small but it was adequate."" Her little sister was with her and 3 years old at the time. Parents would tour the ship at night and Hrabak and her sister would stay in their cabin. "
37,"They spoke German in their home until WW2. After the start of the war, ""it wasnÕt politically wise to speak German."" Relates the home of the family they stayed with while in Germany. "
38,"They spoke English when they first arrived in Germany but soon switched to German after they were confused for Poles and negatively called ""pollocks."" Sister actually forgot English during the trip. *RECORDING PAUSES MOMENTARILY* The boat ride was a 5-day trip. Welcomed the days that were rough seas."
39,"Would ride the horses on board. Also would swing on the ropes that would be in place to keep people from going overboard. ""We had the run of the ship!"" They had freedom, no parents constantly watching."
40,Would go to the dining hall on their own when parents were took seasick to take the. Stopped in France first before continuing on to Bremen.
41,Continues to describe the journey. Names the town they stayed in. Stayed with her mother's parents. Her father's parents lived there too but later. 
42,She knows that all of them died during the war as a result of deprivations. Hrabak was the first grandchild on each side of the family. 
43,"People couldnÕt get married following WW1 so even though her mother wasnÕt the oldest, she was the first to have children. Remembers her Uncle Fritz who was an army officer. He couldnÕt be seen pushing the baby buggy or even holding the baby. "
44,"Loves seeing fathers sharing in taking care of babies today. Hrabak notes that the house they stayed in must have been built before indoor plumbing. ""They owned the building and I would say they were probably upper middle class."""
45,"Economic status was similar to their's in the US, it was much different though. Hrabak travelled under her father's visa but sister didnÕt. "
46,Relates why this was the case. After working at in the garment industry Mia didnÕt work outside the home. 
47,When WW2 broke out they stopped speaking German in the home. *PHONE RINGS AND RECORDING STOPS* The Red Cross was active in transporting letters between conflicting contries. Black rimmed letters meant someone had died. 
48,"This was a ""Red Cross thing."" A letter to the editor that appeared in the newspaper regarding the attitude towards the German community, it was negative."
49,"A neighbor who was not German wrote a response to this letter. ""When they get letters it hurts too."" Mention of Red Cross care packages. They sent thiers to Germany. "
50,"""The black market was alive and well."" They saved ration stamps and sent them to Germany, ""They were better than money."" Description of how the care packages were packed. "
51,Description continued. Packaging was reused as dish towels. Got requests for others when neighbors saw these towels hanging on a drying line by a neighbor. 
52,"Mens' work clothes were in high demand. Hrabak was part of the ""Campfire Girls"" and received a lot of donations. Worked in a butcher shop during the war because all the men were off to war."
53,Earned 25 cents an hour. Ground beef was 39 cents/lb. Description of how staples were weighed. 
54,Did the math in their heads. One day a shopper came in. A shopper is hired by the company to check on the operations by the company. 
55,"""How did I do?"" Manager said she did too well and didnÕt give them enough. She was too accurate. WasnÕt working at her father's shop at this time. His garage was on Eastlake."
56,"Garage was part of an industrial area. He had one machine, a big milling machine. ""The Kerney-Treker"" a vertical milling machine. Mortagaged the house to purchase the machine in Detroit."
57,He than had to transport it back to Cleveland. He had an order that he had to fill. He got it to Cleveland but had no power to run it and the city couldnÕt hook up power because there wasnÕt any transformers near by. This was just after the war. 
58,Hrabak knew there was a pole near where she swam and told her father. They went and took the pole and put it up. Later he found a transformer. He wasnÕt in the shop long. Description of the work he did at that time.
59,"Description continued. ""It was not a money maker."" About that time he entered into a partnership with Harvey Kruger. His family had a business making sanitary dividers in bathrooms."
60,"Discussion of RFQ, ""Request for Quotation."" Sent by the federal government. Hrabak translated these RFQs for her father."
61,Further discussion of this work. Talks about the one time when they got a different print from the government and Hrabak called them on the mixup.
62,"The government inspector passed the print. ""When you know youre right youre right!"" At home her mother was perturbed that her father ""took her over."""
63,Mother taught her all the womanly things as well. Sister came along and her mother wouldnÕt let her go to their father's shop. Spoke english at home after the war. 
64,"Parents spoke German and Hrabak answered in english. ""Everything was fair game to be discussed."" At the dinner table the war in North Africa was discussed at length. "
65,"""That we followed daily."" Joe (father) knew the hardware involved. They had a big map that was left on the dining room table at all times."
66,"""It was all right there in front of you."" Joe really got started after the war. Joe didnÕt want to help arm the US since he came from Germany. After the war he had war contracts. "
67,He was able to take on small-batch contracts and do change overs. They made the dials for b-17 bombers. Description of the dials and Hrabak's job in producing them.
68,"""That was the dial for the b-17 bomber."" That work was done on the band saw that is still in her basement. When her father passed the implements in her father's shop came to her shop in her basement. Her mother wanted a knew house."
69,"They found a lot for $1500. Builder had just finished a house nearby and they contracted to build the same, only bigger. This was on Ashton Rd. "
70,Went to Chambers School untill the 3rd grade. After returning from Europe the school system had changed and she was put ahead a grade. The home schooling while abroad helped as did the exposure to European culture. 
71,"She went to St. Filomino School. There were 72 in her class. ""They were all the immigrants' kids!"" Lots of Irish."
72,"Description of how the classes were divided. ""We taught each other essentially."" "
73,"Teacher was excellent. ""ThatÕs where I learned to think, and speak out."" Went on to high school at Notre Dame Academy on Ansel Rd. Walked to the street car to get to school. "
74,Relates the story of father attending rabbits. He travelled for his company and while he was away one of the neighborhood wanted to play with the rabbits and they ran away.
75,"Word got out and they got more rabbits back than they had before. ""The wild ones were dinner first."" Streetcars were made with cane seats and they had bedbugs. "
76,"Hrabak stood the whole way to avoid them. ""Its not nice to be bitten on the back of your calves."" Nuns didnÕt react well to her because she spoke her mind."
77,"She graduated first in her class but was not invited to be in the National Honor Society. Had trouble in religion class because she asked questions. Parents told her ""You have to consider the source."" "
78,After high school she went on to Fenn College. Wanted to get a scholarship and Notre Dame had one. She took the test for the scholarship as practice and received it but didnÕt take it.
79,Had to explain when she went to college why she wasnÕt in the NHS. Fenn had two girls and 700 guys. This was 1947. Her future husband was in VA. Discussion of what he did immediately after the war.
80,Story of an incident of riding his motorcycle. He falls off the bike but is a gymnast and falls properly. 
81,Discussion of his exploits in the gym. Frankie (husband) saw that the opportunities in VA were not for him. His girlfriend at the time was serious about him but he still leaves for Cleveland.
82,"GI Bill was available. Description of GI Bill. ""It was hugely popular."" "
83,"""They flocked to the schools."" Frankie had specialized training while in the military in radio engineering. He was in the Navy. "
84,"He decides to go to Fenn. Everyone wanted to get their degree done. Students actually talked back to profs. ""No one took any guff."" Hrabak met Frankie on the first day because everyone sat alphabetically. She was Jost and he was Hrabak. ""He was a sarcastic SOB."""
85,"Interviewer talks extended. Hrabak didnÕt like him at first. ""He was always able to pull me down a peg."" "
86,"""A gal gets attention, everybody had a nickle to buy her a cup of coffee."" Had to stop drinking it with cream because she was getting fat. Weighed the same as Frankie. "
87,Hrabak thought it interesting that she liked that she had a brain. Hrabak had atleast 6 guys chasing her at that time. 
88,Dated a football player but not for long. It didnÕt last because he didnÕt know how to drink beer. She did because it was part of meals in her home growing up.
89,Frankie had issues with grammar and she helped him with his english courses. He ended up passing his courses. 
90,"Frankie helped her with her physics. ""We didnÕt have calculus at Notre Dame."" She was ill-prepared for Fenn from the math standpoint. "
91,"""He picked up what he had to. He knew the physics instinctively."" ""It was unusual for girls to go to college at the time."" Only 15% of college students were female."
92,"""There were no expectations like today of going to Ivy League."" The second year they decided they were definitely a couple."
93,Talks about the Fenn Co-Op. Frankie decided he would find his own co-op after finishing his first. Talks about having lunch at CSU and talking about reinstating the program.
94,"Relates how valuable to hands-on stuff they did was. ""How do you learn without using the equipment?"" in regards to liability preventing CSU from having the equipment on campus."
95,"Frankie never proposed directly. ""You know you never asked me? What? Will you marry me? Well yes of course!"" Laughter. ""Of course it was by plan."" "
96,"""That is how it was settled."" She was 19 at the time. The two go to her parents. Her father wasnÕt happy because Frankie was a Bohemian. "
97,"Father went to talk with their priest for advice. He agreed that things could be worse than getting married. ""Having children out of wedlock was a big problem then."" "
98,Joe finally came around. Relates the story of their wedding. It wasnÕt a big wedding. 
99,Joe borrowed $500 for the wedding but had to make payroll and there was only $200 left. Hrabak worked at Halle's at the time and after scouting out the dress she wanted she actually made her own just like the one at the store. Got the material and since she was an employee she got a discount on it. Spent $22.
100,"Honeymooned in Eastlake, OH. Relates the story of Joe giving Frankie a bottle of booze at the reception and telling him he may need it. "
101,"Frankie worked at Joe's shop for a time and had the nickname, ""Plus or minus quarter of an inch."" They lived at Rushton Rd with Hrabak's parents. It was a bungalo. They shared meals and whatnot but they moved as soon as possible."
102,"They had $20 for the honeymoon. Enjoyed themselves during that time, stayed for 3 days before Frankie had to return to school. Mother liked him from the get-go."
103,"""He was charming."" He smoked but gave it up on a $5 bet. Hrabak dropped out from Fenn after getting married and worked at her father's shop. "
104,Relates story of going out for beers on Friday nights. Went to a tavern on 200th ST. For 25 cents you could get a glass of wine so for a buck you could have a wonderful night.
105,"Frankie didnÕt dance when she met him. ""He had natural rhythm."" Hrabak could always dance with him and danced with him whenever she could."
106,That was the thing she missed the most when he contracted Parkinson's. 
107,Frankie's father owned his own dairy until the depression put him under because he refused to stop delivering to families with young children even when they couldnÕt pay. He later worked at an axel company.
108,Describes how they had to share the car when Frankie wanted to go on a date. After graduating from Fenn in 51 Frankie took a job at Brush Electric. He was assigned the task of figuring out what size motor they would need to use for a particular fan.
109,Continued. Relates story of repairing hearing aids.
110,He noticed that 90% of hearing aids had the same problem so he replaced that part and they didnÕt like that. He taught throughout this whole time at Brush. At this time they were living at E. 222
111,Description of the house at 222. Wiring was done in DC and was done in series. Europe was still in DC so it must have been done by an immigrant.
112,"""When you plugged light bulb you got 110, when you plugged in twoÉlaughter."" Talks about the rent. Discussion of the traffic and physical description of surrounding area."
113,"First child is born and they decide to build. They found a lot in Indian Hills. Physical description of the lot and area. $1500 for the lot. ""This was building boom time."" "
114,"They decided to build themselves. Frankie took a 3 month leave from work to build the house. Hrabak designed the house from a plan in ""Popular Mechanics"" magazine. Altered it to be bigger. Describes the process."
115,"Construction of house continued. ""Off we went knowing nothing about anything."" Story about laying the foundation incorrectly."
116,"A neighbor told him that he was doing it wrong. ""He was a perfectionist."" He ripped the wall down multiple times. The neighbor came every night to check on them."
117,He always had a bag with something his wife had made. Continued description of construction. Frankie wasnÕt going to put gaps in his floor but was told not to because it would warp.
118,"He spent the next couple hours making spaces between the wood with a saw. ""Learning on the job."" Everyone came out to help. Built the trusses for the house on site. *PHONE RINGS AND RECORDING PAUSES*"
119,Picks back up with Frankie teaching at Brush and moonlighting at Fenn. Taught at Fenn at night. Relates story of coming home and being stopped by the police. 
120,There is a fire by his house. There was a magnesium fire right next door to their home. Fire department was there in two minutes. 
121,Discussion of how the fire started. Conversation circles back to construction of house in Indian Hills. They run out of money and attempt to get a loan from the bank. Bank wasnÕt sure they could give them one. 
122,"Manager of the bank was a neighbor and they had a loan the following week. Loan was for $15,000 and payments were $52 a month. Discussion of what the prices were for the lots. "
123,"1954. Frankie goes to work for Reliance and they buy a VW Bug. ""He could come home for lunch at Reliance."" "
124,"They moved into the basement of the house after they got it roofed. ""The back and forth thing was killing us."" DidnÕt ask the city to move in even though the city has to inspect it first. Relates story of building inspector paying them a visit."
125,He gave Hrabak the occupancy permit even though she thought they were done. Later they found out that Frankie's secretary was married to a policemen and they kept an eye on the place.
126,Story of a mason from the masonry union asking if the job were a union job. He wanted to know if the project was a union job. He was astounded they were trying to do it.
127,He came by to make sure they werent hiring scab labor. Frankie had a Studebaker when he graduated from Fenn. Description of how he modified it to have a 3rd headlight. 
128,The VW Bug was their second new car. Relates story of how they were pulled over out west. He was speeding to get up a hill and needed the momentum so the policemen didnÕt ticket them. 
129,"1956. House is still under construction. Christopher was born this year. ""You were a good baby."" Relates story of him being covered in drywall dust because he was in the basinet in the house while they were working on the house."
130,Hrabak would put her children in a playpen and they could watch their mother work. Had to get a final inspection done because of the electrical. House was wired for a low-voltage switch system.
131,"He hadnt finished when they came to inspect. ""Well all I can say is that it hasnÕt blown up yet so it must be ok."" Tells story of changing gas lines at their former house. "
132,Story continued. After installation Frankie checked the line. Describes how he did this.
133,Story continued. During construction they found that they had miscounted the trusses for the house. 
134,There was an extra one and they decided to leave it in. Discussion of how they put the walls up. 
135,"""It was a very unique house."" Describes the chimney of the house and how Hrabak built it from a book. It was a triple-flute. "
136,Story of building the chimney. When building the roof she accidently stepped in the roof hole because it had been covered over with tar paper. They had a dog named Nicky.
137,Nicky was a hound dog. To exercise Nicky Frankie would put the dog in the car and take her to St. Claire and let her run next to the car along the street. 
138,Relates story of how Nicky ran right over a car that was pulling out onto the street one time. Describes the doghouse at the Indian Hills house. 
139,They put her in the house the first time and during the night Nicky ran back to the house on E. 222. When the house was finished Hrabak wasnÕt sold on it being the house to retire in. Describes Frankie's ambitions/desires at this time. 
140,"Hrabak realized that the house would never be more than it was once it was done. She wanted land. This was the house her mother wanted. ""It was the rage at the time."" ""When it was finished and furnished and I looked around I realized it was a page out of a magazine."""
141,"It was a ranch in a subdivision. ""It didnÕt feel like home."" Relates story of a neighbor kid getting into a situation with the police and the father got him out of it. This was concerning for them."
142,"""I found a man who liked a smart woman and he couldnÕt argue it."" Hrabak starts looking for a new house. "
143,"Wanted something on a plot of land. Frankie was called ""The Nature Boy."" She looked for something in the area she lives now. Relates why. "
144,Discussion of what she had looked at leading up to finding their current place. Trouble dealing with realtors. 
145,"Wanted acreage with an old house. ""It would cost a fortune just to heat it."" Found Music St. The buildings were bad a placed it within their price range. "
146,"Neighbors said they overpaid. ""This is a worthless swamp."" It is the headwaters of Silver Creek, a class 4 wetland. ""We paid $300 an acre."" No one afterward paid anything less. "
147,"""I liked what I saw."" ""It was the worst house in the best neighborhood."" Hrabak said she liked it right from the get-go. ""Its so bad you cant do anything but improve it."" Physical description of the lot. "
148,Discussion of the neighbors. Children werent wearing diapers. The neighbors were afraid. The back house was built in 1837 and the front house was a kit house built in 1881.
149,"""Like you would get from Sears."" Physical description of the front house. ""Baloon construction was the new rage at the time."" "
150,Discussion of what was being done with the house when they bought the house in 1962. *END OF INTERVIEW*