My Story

My Story - My Parents

I waas born in 1961. It was a very different time..My father, Ken Pretzer, was born in 1919. His family was extremely protestant. He really didn't like school, but he loved the lake. He had 2 siblings, his brother Willard and his sister Margie. Willard was 2 years younger them him. My Aunt Margie was 9 years younger. My grandparents lived on Schaaf Road in Cleveland Ohio. Howard worked for the Federal Reserve of Cleveland. My grandma Florence was a stay at home mom, but everyone was back than. My dad was a roadie in a band in high school and he was not allowed to o if the band played at a Catholic school. My grandfather was a 32nd degree Mason. My grandma was in the Eastern Stars. My dad was never lik

He was drafted the day after Pearl Harbor and was in basic training January 1, 1942. He spent the entire war in Australia. He was a decorated Staff Sergeant. He handled all of the supplies for everyone stationed in Australia. Although he was Army, he was detached to the Air Force. He took dead bodies out of planes, rescued down pilots, and a bunch of other things. Unfortunately I don't know alot about that time. He, like most of the boys, didn't talk about when they got home. I know he had a pet kangaroo and a parrot that swore at officers. He got malaria that had negative effects on him the rest of his life. He was on a boat home on VJ day. He crossed the equator twice.

My Uncle Will volunteered for the Air Force. He was a pilot based out of Italy. He was shot down over Czechoslovakia on Friday, October 13, 1944. Yep Friday the 13th. He spent the rest of the war in a POW camp.

My grandma made scrapbooks for both the boys. They were incredible and told a story of their war years.

My mom was born in 1920 to polish immigrants, and she was very poor. They spoke Polish at home. My Grandma was bed-ridden from the time was 9 years old. She had an older sister, Helen, an older brother, Chester, and a younger sister, Eleanor. Uncle Chester dropped out of school, so he could go to work. Aunt Helen was a wild child and left home at 14. She and my mom were not close. My Auntie Eleanor was very close to my mom and very much a part of our life growing.

Ultimately, my mom, Ann Loje, went to work for the Federal Reserve of Cleveland, and that is how my parents finally met.

My Story - Growing Up!

Like I said I was born in 1961. I was adopted by Ann and Ken. I had an amazing older sister, Karen. She was creative, fun, funny, and put up with me even though really wanted me to be a live doll! Like I said , she was ver creative. She curled m hair when Mom and Dad had a big New's Eve Part with the Birthda Clb. It wasn't her fault I wanted to see if the heating element was still hot whemn ou took the roller off. I still have the scar! It wasn't her fault I freaked out 8 months after ou decided to tell me m real partners were Jewish. We were swimming in Economos pool when she told me. It was April the following year. I was preparing for m First Communion. I came home cring. M Mom asked what was wron, so I wanted to know if I could make m First Communion even though I was Jewsh. M mom caught on when she noticed Karen crawling out of the famil room. I didn't beleive when she told me I was Charles Mason's bastard child. She introduced me to Dark Shadows. I had the worst night,\mare I ever had after an edipisode of that show. She introduced me to Bruce Springsteen when I was in 8th grade. She played "Born to Run", and I fell in vlove with the music and the man. It's lasted my whole life!..She got me a fake ID, so I could go to see Bruce at the Agora in 1977. Wow, I rocked it! She influenced all of m music choices from Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, James Taylor, Joannie Mitchell, Paul Simon, and many more. Karen passed aw in 2020, and I will miss her forever.

My family moved into the pink house in 1965. It was a great place to grow up. Lots of kids, great neighbors, the valley, a tandem, Economo's pool, the church bells from OLA, the lightening bugs, the games of Red Rover, watching Dark Shadows, Lost in Space and reruns of Gilligan's Island on the black and white TV, and eating snacks that were SOOOO bad for you. I remember the Moon Landing on July 20, 1969. It was Sal's birthday, and I got him a rocket. My family watched iut together on the couch. My dad and I were enthralled. Karen and my mom were not as ecited.

There was also the really bad stuff like JFK's assassination, Jon Jon saluting at his father's grave, my first memory, MLK's assassination, RFK's assassination, Kent State, the race riots in Hough. Hard to believe it was 56 years ago. We celebrated the Bicentennial in 1976. It was my first paid babysitting gig!

Life went on. In 1975, I graduated from St. Angela Merici's. We are having our 50 Runion this year. I would like to go back. I went to Magnificat for high school. I was in plays at Mags, St. Ignatius, and St. Ed's. Smoked a lot of weed at Freak's Field by the green barn. Drank and smaked too much. I made tons of friends. I still consider them the best friends ever. Oh Eileen and I have been best friends since kindergarten. Love you, Een! I graduated in 1979 and headed for Purdue.

Purdue was a corn field in Indiana. It was not the right place for me, but I had good friends. Unfortunately, I have lost touch with them. Bernice, Matt, Joe, Donna, Ginny, Sue, I miss you. If you see this, please touch base!

My Story - Pretending to be an Adult...

In May 1983, I graduated from Purdue, I went home to the pink house in Fairview ParkOhio. I started work at the Board of Elections in Cuyahoga County. Crazy as it might sound, I got my jobs through the Republican Party since my dad was a staunch republican. I went to work for the Big Haired Lady, Jimmy's mom, and she was a great boss. I mostly stayed out of trouble!

In September, I got my first real job at CNS as a reporter for a trade publication Ken Krych hired me and during my interview I learned he was playing the piano in the chapel at Kent State during the riots. I was sold on Ken and the job. I met Susan, and she became another life long friend. She was a wild women, and we had soooooooooo much fun! The job was great. The people were great, but unfortunately it was a start up with minimal cash, and paychecks bouncing didn't work!

In 1985, I went to work for Society Bank fixing ATMs. The job was wild dealing with lots of cash. I grew to hate money, smelly and dirty! I got a place to live. I got a dog. And I got pregnant. Crazy! My mom was a very strict Catholic, so I was scared to tell her. I left a note in the bathroom. IAfter she called and screamed at me, I didn't talk to her from September until after Kenny was born. I hid my pregancy very well. I also realized I wasn't going to marry Kenny, but I wanted my baby! Because I had a choice, it made me see abortion differently. I changed from anti abortion to pro-choice!

Life went on. I had Kenny! I moved to Toledo for work with the bank. I met Bill. My mom got sick. I moved back to Cleveland with Bill. My mom died! Bill would steal my car and get DUIs. I married him.

Kenny got sick, We found out he had a brain tumor. Kenn went to the Cleveland Clinic for surgery immediately. Dr. Cohen was his pediatric neurologist, and he kept me sane for many years. They put a hole in his 3rd ventricle to allow the fluid to drain. That didn't work, so the took him in the emergency surgery to shunt him. Life went on!

We moved to Tulsa, so I could work for First Data Resources. I met Valerie and Iris, and we became life long friends. I had a beautiful baby girl named Elizabeth. We moved to Omaha. We moved back to Tulsa. I had a beautiful baby girl named Samantha. We move to Winfield Illinois. Kenny told everyone he was in the witness protect program. We moved back to Ohio!

I came back with 3 kids, 3 dogs, and unfortunately Bill. My dad couldn't drive anymore, and I needed to be there. We found a great place to live in Fairview. Ultimately I got rid of Bill. He went to jail for 4 years, and I was the victim. Kenny went to St. Ed's and started swimming and diving. We moved in with my dad in 2004. We lived in the pink house until my dad passed away on Christmas Eve 2009.

Kenny went to warren Wilson College and graduated in 2009. He left for the Peace Corp that summers. The girls and I move to Deep Gap NC in March 2010. They hated me. Leaving Ohio and moving to a place that the closer Target was 60 miles away was horrible! But the grew to like the mountains. I relearned how to drive in the mountains. Samantha excelled at school. Liz joined Mountain Alliance. Kenny came home to a place he had never been beforee.

I got an incredible job offer at Family Dollar in Charlotte, so we move again. The girls were not happy with me, but Charlotte was a better place academically for them. We found a great place to live off of Providence Rd They went to Providence High School. Liz joined ROTC and drill team. Samantha joined theatre and met Ken. Kenny moved to Asheville and started dating Brett again. We had 4 dogs, Curly, Hope, Sparkels, and Wilco.

Family Dollar merged with Dollar Tree. I lost my job. Liz graduated from High School. I went to work for Wells Fargo, then Delhaize, then NCR. Lizzie went to Western Carolina. Samantha graduated from high school and went to UNC Greensboro. Kenny and Brett came back from Hawaii, tried Denver, the San Diego. Ultimately, they came back, bought a house in Sylva, and went to Western. Samantha decided UNCG wasn't for her, so she moved home and went to UNC Charlotte. Kenny got his Masters in 2018. Lizzie graduated in 2019 with her Bachelor's Degree. Brett received her PHD in 2019. Everyone went to california by way of Vegas for Kenny and Brett's Wedding.

I think I did okay growing up. I still drink to much. I like eating gummies, but I don't smoke anymore.