Playing sports with my uncles
When I was in high school and college, I played a lot of softball at the Jewish Community Center (the “J”). Sunday and Thursday nights, I played with my uncles and my brother. I remember one team: Ben was third base, Irv was shortstop, Leo was in centerfield, I’m not sure where Bob was playing, and I wanted to be catcher; that was my desire. But Ben didn’t like that. Ben wanted me out in the field, so I learned to play there, and then he put me at third base, so I became an infielder through his encouragement.
Thursday night leagues were teams that were made up – and Sunday morning there were A teams. There were captains and the captains would select who they wanted. Sometimes I’d be on their teams; sometimes I’d play against them. It was so wonderful.
World War II
During the war, my mom had an Underwood typewriter, and she used to edit and type all the letters my uncles wrote and send them on to everyone.
Irv was too old to fight. Walter was in Africa; Chippy was in Battle Creek Michigan. Ben ended up in the Battle of the Bulge. Leo was turned away because he’d had rheumatic fever. The doctor at the enlistment center wouldn’t accept him, so he went to another center and enlisted there. He was stationed in China.
Uncle Irv
Uncle Irv was a bookmaker in St Bernard. Bob and Leo worked for him there, answering the phone and taking bets.
The police in St. Bernard were paid off so Irv had no problems until much later when the Kefauver Commission got involved in Newport to break up the gambling. So that sort of ended that. Irv got out of the bookmaking business at that point. He opened a bowling alley, and I worked for him there, setting bowling pins. I had to pay careful attention at that job, to make sure I didn’t get hit by a flying pin when the ball was delivered.
Irv went to Salmon Chase after high school, but he did not go to college. The family needed him to work. However, he was the one who educated all the kids in math.
Memories of my aunts and uncles
At an early age I was told not to call my uncles “Uncle” — we were always on a first name basis. They were close to my age. Bob and Leo were maybe three years apart.
Leo and I became very close. Leo managed an army surplus store in Hamilton, Ohio. And I used to work there. I waited on customers and stocked the shelves. Later, he was in charge of a hospital in Kansas City, and he used to stop in St. Louis on his way to Cincinnati. He always wanted me to get into computers, which I never did.
Louise was married and then later divorced from Leo Pritz. Leo Pritz used to take me to the ball games.
Louise was executive director at the J, on Dana Avenue. But I think she stopped when she married the second time. Her second marriage was to David Abramson, who I believe was head of research at Jewish Hospital.
Walter was a pharmacist first, and then he studied to become an MD. He moved to Greenfield and was a general practitioner there. At their house one side was all yard and the other was the porch where I spent one summer seeing how many flies I could kill. When you walked into their house, you’d turn right for the doctor’s office and left for the living room.
Chippy was an internist. He set up a partnership and practiced in Cincinnati.
When I was a kid, I didn’t go to any of my uncles when I needed a doctor, although Chippy was the one who cleared me to play football in High School. I also did some work for Ben when I became a CPA.
All the brothers looked out for me. It was wonderful. I’m sure if I had wanted to go into medicine, I could have gotten into medical school, because I knew enough people with connections to get me in.
The Felson Family 