Family tales: Huntley writer publishes mom’s memoir of Chicago childhood, wartime love story

She may not have had a lot of training as a writer, but as a person writing straight from her heart onto paper in the latter years of her life, Virginia Piotrowski was an excellent storyteller.

And that comes across clearly in “Recollections From the Heart: A Greatest Generation Portrait” about her life as a child, her teen years and early adulthood in Chicago to the love story with her husband during the World War II years.

The book was, in fact, a mission of love from her son and co-author Ed Piotrowski of Huntley, who discovered her memoir, gave it a bit of editing polish and completed her life’s story after her passing at age 96 in 2018. The book was published last spring.

Ed believes his mother was somewhat motivated to write her memoir because he had done it earlier, writing about his life’s ambitions and goals up to his retirement in “A Life Well Fished.”

“Many of us have such warm memories of our early childhood life, and our dating life and early marriage,” Ed said of what his mother focused on. “I think it was a chance for her to relive some of those happier moments from her early life … not to say children and grandchildren were not part of it, because you find love throughout the whole story.”

Virginia wasn’t looking to leave any grand message to future generations, but her finished book does just that, Ed noted.

“For those who have read the book, they find it to be such a sweet story — a simple life, but such a meaningful one, a story of love and family,” he said. “It was not necessarily her intention (to bring out such feelings), but she hit it out of the park.”

Ed is not sure how long his mother worked on her story, but he believes she was putting together bits and pieces over a two-year period. Her part of the book essentially stops with her memories up to 1952. Ed took another two years to complete his mother’s life story with the intention to publish a book, while also adding an introduction, prologue and epilogue.

Virginia had no idea the story she was writing would ever become a book.

“At one point, she mentioned she was working on it and I read about 10 or 15 pages, and I felt it was really good for someone her age,” Ed said. “I asked her later if she was still working on that story, because it was really good, and she didn’t acknowledge it too much.”

Though I have no connection to Ed or his mother, the book represented a nostalgic trip for me as well. Virginia’s writing about her childhood reminded me of my mother in many ways, as well as her recollections of things around her neighborhood. It also reminded me of my youth on the Southwest Side of Chicago.

She mentions a corner store with penny candies, and how the school she went to was right across the street from her house. I experienced both of those as well.

The pictures in the book seem just like my family photo albums, from the hairstyle of adults to those of the young kids. The haircuts on the little girls are surely something right out of a “Little Rascals” comedy short.

But the book, at its core, is not just about her life in Wicker Park, a place often referred to as the city’s “Polish Downtown.” It’s about her undying love for her husband, also an Ed, and his time in the service during World War II. In that regard, the love letters and postcards from overseas play a prominent role in the book.

It’s a story that many baby boomers can relate to, having had parents from that Greatest Generation. And that’s what made it so interesting.

I was grateful Ed sent me a copy of the book. It sounded interesting just from the reviews on Amazon, where the book is available.

But it took me on a ride again in my own parents’ shoes, and it should remind most of us from any generation that these were simpler times, yet epic in so many ways in terms of our history.

With a love story at its core, you get an idea of how important it was that Ed made the effort and took on the project of publishing his mother’s book.

Some thoughts in his epilogue sum up his mother well, noting that the loving environment of her family “built a woman of well-rounded personality — strong, yet sensitive, independent yet vulnerable, opinionated yet understanding. As an adult, protection and love of family reigned supreme.”

‘Landmark’ tree uprooted

It has been a typical summer in terms of how Mother Nature has treated us — plenty of hot weather and a few rugged storms.

One of those storms conjured up a powerful wind recently, especially in Sugar Grove, where a landmark of sorts in Bliss Woods came crashing to the ground.

That landmark would be what area residents say is a 200-year-old oak tree that greeted visitors right near a parking lot, path and shelter in the preserve.

You couldn’t miss this grand old tree, with its limbs hanging out far over the asphalt path, serving as a canopy or entryway arch into Bliss Woods.

A lot of folks will miss seeing that tree. I would imagine losing that tree had to be like losing a family member for Mary Ochsenshlager, whose name has been associated with Bliss Woods for several years.

Her love of nature steered her to that type of career, becoming the St. Charles Park District’s first naturalist and youth nature director.

She also served on the Kane County Plan Commission for 20 years, being a voice for the county’s open land and nature during a period of rapid development.

When she retired from St. Charles Park District in 2009, she became a volunteer steward for Bliss Woods, a role that, in part, helped her earn the Sugar Grove Citizen of the Year award in 2018.

I tried to reach Mary for a comment about the tree but could not connect with her before deadline.

But I do know this. Since about the 1980s, Sugar Grove residents and others have worked to restore Bliss Woods by removing invasive plants and keep the forest preserve clean.

Once a home to an RV campground site, Bliss Woods has garnered a reputation in the area as one of the finest forest preserves in the Kane County system. Its biggest fans would agree.

And the loss of that tree means something to them all.

Did you know?

Speaking of everything Bliss, we are reminded Bliss Road was named after P.Y. Bliss, a merchant and farmer from the St. Louis area who moved to Kane County after a thief stole all of his goods.

He arrived in St. Louis when he was in his 20s, after heading west from Vermont.

Once in Kane County, he settled in Sugar Grove and opened a store, later purchasing a farm near the village and becoming a successful farmer until his death in 1888 at age 82.

He was a well-educated fellow in his birth state of Vermont, and he leaned on that quite a bit in his business undertakings. He dabbled in journalism at one point, becoming a writer who contributed to newspapers and periodicals.

Bliss may have been most recognized by folks in Kane County simply because his home was looked upon as one of the most beautiful in the area.

He married Helen Mather of Lodi in Erie County, New York, and they had a son, Jedediah Bliss, who carried on the family farm tradition.

But Jedediah had another skill set that came in handy. He was considered a financial expert, a knowledge he advanced enough to become director of the Old Second National Bank in Aurora.

Cleaning the river

It’s a bit of a messy job, but worth the effort when considering how important it is to keep the Fox River as clean as possible.

The call is out for volunteers for the annual “It’s Our Fox River Day” cleanup efforts Saturday, Sept. 20.

The River Corridor Foundation hosts the event, which results in several cities along the river taking part in the cleanup and, in some cases, tying in the efforts with community events.

In St. Charles, the foundation teams up with the St. Charles Park District and Conservation Foundation to coordinate efforts from 9 to 11 a.m., starting with volunteer check-in at Ferson Creek Park (off Route 31).

To get more information or organize a group of volunteers, contact Rich Anderson at ra628@sbcglobal.net. Walk-ins are welcome, but registration at stcrivercorridor.org is encouraged.

Trash bags and collection tools are provided, but volunteers should bring their own gloves and reusable water bottles.

Experienced kayakers and canoeists are able to bring their own boats to use at launch sites in the park.

• dheun@sbcglobal.net