Pappou & Yiayia

For starters, I don't think it's fair that when you finally grow up to appreciate the older people in your life, they are gone. I would loved to have had the opportunity to get to know my grandparents. I would have so many questions for them...

In 1912, my pappou "Gus" immigrated from Greece and my yiayia "Matilda" immigrated from Austria. This was the same year the titanic sunk.

Me (1 yr), Pappou (75 yrs)

Me (5 yrs), Yiayia (70 yrs)

Yiayia's father was a coal miner and he had immigrated before yiayia, her mom and her sisters. Since Price was a mining town, this is where he settled. Pappou's family sponsored him to move to the U.S. because of his age (18) and his smarts. He went to California to join a cousin (who turned out to be a crook), then to Nevada to work building railroads (hated the snakes), and then to Salt Lake City selling vegetables on the street corners. In SLC, he met some other Greeks and eventually he and his new friends decided to go down to Price to make a living working in the coalmines. Working conditions were horrible...

After a short time in Price he became pretty well known for his wit, personality and work ethic. He was told about a confectionery in town, which he later came to own. Shortly after that, he hired, courted and married my yiayia! It was 1920, he was 26 and she was 17!! Then came 13 kids...

Centruy Cafe (once the confectionery)

1992 Platis/Hvala Reunion - Park City

In order of age: Bessie, John, Helen, Nick, Vange, Connie, Mary, Tom, Paulette, Paul (my dad) & Dean
George passed away in '75 and Chris was unable to attend

I spent quite a bit of time with them when I was very little but after we moved to Canada, I only saw them once a year. I remember certain things about their house in Price: the ginormous table and sink in the kitchen, the patio and fire pit (fireplace) in the backyard, the playground near their house, and getting to eat whatever I wanted at the cafe (I also got to sit at the bar and play music on the jukeboxes).

This is me helping yiayia with dishes in her big 'ol sink! I would have been 3 - Jace's age.