Michael Loss, Class of 1969, son of the late Claire Suzanne Barr Loss, Class of 1948, and Arnold “J.B.” Loss, Class of 1947, has warm memories of his aunt, Gezala Futten Loss, who with husband Frank Loss owned a 100-acre Mill Fall farm that Michael’s parents later purchased.

As in, hot damn, that woman could bake!

Michael tells the story in his email to Rivesville's Jackie Olesky Straight, Class of 1950, Gezala’s niece, who directed Mike to the Holy Cross Cemetery in Fairmont so that Mike could pay his respects to his (and my) Aunt Gezala and Uncle Frank who are buried there:

“Thanks so much for helping me find Aunt Gezala and Uncle Frank. Really needed to pay my respects.  Thought about times we shared together.

“Uncle Frank passed the year ('63) after my brother Elliot.  (I was 12)  Aunt Gezala passed in '71. 

“After Vietnam, I was stationed in Germany at that time.  I loved her so much!  She was always there for me.  She always made me feel welcome and appreciated.  Spent a great deal of time hanging out with her. I was all boy and she went out of her way to amuse and entertain me. 

“As I'm sure you recall, all the Losses (JB, Frank and Bill) raised chickens.  Occasionally, she would lop off a chicken's head and let it run around. (Gross I know, but amazing to a young boy.)  Helped her process hundreds of chickens. 

“Talk about great cooks!  That Lady was the best!  Her bread and cinnamon rolls were soooo good.  Mom asked her for her bread recipe. Aunt Gezala told her she would have to spend the day with her.  Mom never baked as often, but made G's bread.  My girlfriend Susie spent a day with Mom and learned, too.  So Aunt Gezala's bread lives on.  While going through pics and personal effects, Susie found her recipes.  Will try and prepare some of her signature dishes.

“Growing up, I heard this story many times.  As a child, I fell asleep promptly at 8 p.m.  Which meant I was up at 6 a.m., fully rested and ready to go. When I was 6 or 7, Mom got up and saw me sitting on the cellar steps, happily enjoying a cinnamon roll.  She asked me where I got my roll and I told her, ‘Aunt Gezala.’  Mom said, ‘They're still in bed.’  I said, ‘That's OK, I know where she keeps them!’  Aunt Gezala just laughed when Mom told her.  So long as I live, Aunt Gezala will never be forgotten. I will cherish her memory.  Thanks again for your assistance.”

My stories about Aunt Gezala – sister of my mother, Lena Futten Olesky -- involved ice cream. She would use a gauze sieve to separate the cream from fresh milk they got from their Jersey cows. Then she put it into an ice cream maker, the kind where you had to turn the crank by hand (which I did many times). That was the best ice cream I’ve ever had. Ben and Jerry had nothing on Aunt Gezala’s ice cream.

I had to begrudgingly share the ice cream with Frank and Gezala’s children, Jerry Loss, who lives in North Olmsted with wife Elaine, and the late Robert Loss. And with my baby sister, Jackie, who is five years younger than me.

Aunt Gezala first learned to cook in Pellizzano, Italy, where she was born. Aunt Gezala, my mother and their brother, famed Fairmont barber Si Futten, came to America in 1920 with their mother, Maria Fedrigon Futten, to reunite with their father, Severino Futten, who immigrated three years earlier (World War I delayed their reunion on Swisher Hill).

On my father’s side, my Aunt Helen Olesky Kerekes, married to Steve Kerekes, was legendary for baking Christmas cookies. She would mail me a package in Ohio every year. I salivated before I opened the package, like Pavlov’s dog. Helen was the sister of my father, John W. Olesky, Sr., and Frances Olesky Fazio, who married Renzy Fazio and had the Fazio Grocery on Jackson Street in Monongah.

Michael Loss, who was in the Army from 1969-1972, lives with Susie Jett on Harter Hill. David Loss and wife Mary live on the Mill Fall property, which has several houses on it today.

 

Suzi’s father was the famous Dr. James Barr of Worthington, who delivered most of the babies in the town.  Eva Barr was Dr. Barr’s wife. Suzi’s sister, Jeanette Barr Baczuk, Class of 1940, lives in Ashland, Ohio.

Predeceasing Arnold were siblings Lucille Loss Blocker, who lived with husband Richard Blocker in Monongah; Mildred “Jean” Loss Carlot, who with husband Julie ran Carlot’s Grill across the street from Monongah High for decades; Bernard (his widow, Kathryn, lives in Monongah); Don; and Arnold & Suzanne’s son, Elliott Barr Loss.

Their parents were John “J.B.” Loss and Josephine Dieling Loss

Lucille’s children are Barbara Blocker Tennant, in Fairmont; Alan Tenant, Class of 1966, in Elkins; Scott Blocker, Class of 1968, in Clarksburg; and Victoria Blocker Nottingham, Class of 1969, in Worthington.

Rosemary Loss Hartman, Arnold and Lucille’s sister, lives in Phoenix, Arizona.