The story of Kosrel

cgrab

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cgrab
I posted some thoughts on turning 63 and many of them reminded me of my grandfather. This is his story...

Kosrel was the 19th child in his family and his mother died in childbirth. When he was ten he had seven siblings. His older brother stole a cow from a neighboring farm and when caught he gave the farmer Kosrel as payment. This was good for Kosrel because the farmer new how to read and write and taught Kosrel. He worked hard and grew strong.
When the traveling circus came to town he joined it as a strong man. He performed all through Europe until the circus arrived in France. He quit the circus and went to work in a bakery kneading the dough. He paid attention and became a baker. He was married and had two children.
When the WWI broke out, Kosrel joined the French Foreign Legion and was sent to the front. The conditions were horrible and the French sergeant was stealing the troops pay and burning their mail. He had to eat rats in the trenches to stay alive. He did not know what was happening to his wife and children and they did not know anything about him. When the war ended he went back to Paris to find his wife. He went to the Legion office to find out about his back pay and they said they wouldn't help. He went out side and pushed in the side of the building until it collapsed.
He moved to Breast and opened a bakery. He sold rolls to the passengers boarding the liners to America. His wife had a basket on a pole and would give the bread and the customers would put coins in the basket. Another baker came to do the same but started undercutting the price. Kosrel became mad and hit the other baker. The people on the ship enjoyed the show so much they threw coins and Kosrel's wife picked up enough to buy two tickets to America. The only problem was they had three children by then.
Kosre'ls wife took the money and bought a large hoop skirt and told the two older children to hold onto her legs while they boarded the ship and she carried the baby in her arms.
Once in America they opened a bakery in New Jersey and had four more children.
 
Very interesting. Sounds like quite the life.
 
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