My Beloved Cuz!

I have many cousins and they are all loved. The one that I was closest to growing up, and the one that I am still closest to is my beloved Margie Sue (as I like to call her.) She goes by Margie these days. 

Mark Draskovich, Eddy Rodatus, Margie Sue Draskovich.

Margie Sue, her brother Mark, and I (the one in the middle at the left) hung around together when I visited in the summertime, we played together, laughed together, and laughed until we cried together. Their parents, my Uncle Matt and Aunt Marge, would take us to Kennywood Park near where they lived in Pittsburgh, PA. We would go to the Croatian Day festival which Kennywood still has around the Labor Day weekend.

It was a safe time for children to wander around the neighborhood. The only trouble in the neighborhood would be whatever we might cause and, as I remember it, we were pretty good kids. We would build forts in their back yard. We would play pinball or on the piano in the basement. We'd play hide-and-seek, tag, ball, anything and everything until we were too tired to play.

Then we would go inside and get ready for bed. But who wanted to sleep? So we would crack our toes and laugh until someone yelled, "you better get to sleep up there!" And then we would crack our toes again and laugh, but this time more quietly. I don't remember falling asleep.

But we would wake up to the pleasing odor of kielbasa and eggs frying on the griddle. My Uncle Matt taught me how to make it.

Over on the right is my Aunt Margie holding Monica, the youngest. Next to them, well, I can't remember. Then Margie Sue who is holding my hand and then Mark. Behind us is my mom and to the far right is her brother, my Uncle Matt.

It's funny how I can't remember how I got up to Pennsylvania or how I got back. All I remember all the great times I has while I was up there!

Aunt Margie, Monica, ?, Margie Sue, Eddy, Mark.
Mimi (my mom) and Uncle Matt are behind us.

Margie Sue wrote poems. She was much better at writing poems than I was at composing music. I did put one of her poems to music but again her poetry far excelled my music. We had many other things that we shared.

This is one of my cousin's poems.
The right side of the page is cut off.

Margie Sue and I both had a love for God at an early age. We both loved Mimi (who is my mom) and we both loved Teti, our aunt. Aunt Teti died earlier this year and we both miss her very much. But Margie Sue and I also share the assurance that we will see her in Heaven.

Teti was a unique, a very rare individual. She demonstrated loyalty, faithfulness, generosity, love, godliness, and so many other great characteristics. And she prayed for us.

Teti liked birds. She would talk to her birds and they learned to talk back. She would get up and pass by them and say something like "what are you doing?" After a while, she would get up to do something and the bird would say to her, "what are you doing?" Teti always had something witty and funny to say. She was an intelligent and interesting character. She could be on the USA Network Cable TV channel.

Francis Draskovich AKA Teti
1925-2005

My beloved Cuz Margie Sue lives in Alaska now with her husband Greg and two very large dogs. She is one of the most beautiful people that I have known and I love her very much. Happy birthday Cuz!

Love,
Eddie