"Ancestrees"

John Joseph DUDICK Sr. ^{1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10}

  General Notes:

John Joseph Dudick, Sr. was either born in Germany, Austria or in Johnsonburg, Pennsylvania His marriage certificate, death certificate and social security records say Pennsylvania, but his son, John remembers him saying he was born in Germany. His birth record has not been able to be located, even though Elk Co., PA kept track of birth records from 1893 to 1905. He also lists his age differently in a couple different forms. In his marriage record dated Dec. 29, 1919, he lists himself at age 25.

He lost his father when he was around 12 years of age. He worked on the railroad as a young man and picked up quite a bit of Italian because of it. He was a soldier in World War I. He first enlisted May (1), 1917 as a Rig builder. His character was defined as "excellent". He was honorably discharged from the 16th Infantry, Co. C, National Guard on Aug. 5, 1917. (D-131) He then apparently re-enlisted in the 112th Infantry, Company C and served in Le Mans, France from 1918-May 6, 1919. (D-132, 134) He was wounded in battle on July 18, 1918 and received the purple heart for gallant service. His son John has a large wide angle picture of him and the 112th in his home. (D:DOC, E)

In the 1930 census records for Bradford, McKean Co., PA, John was renting his home. It's contents were worth $35.00. He was age 36 and his wife was listed as age 28. They were married when he was 26 and she was 18. He lists his birth place as New York and his wife's as Pennsylvania. His parents were born in Italy (his stepfather and his spouse) and her parents were born in Austria. Children living in the family were Dorothy Irene, Donald, Evelyn, John and Edward. He was a fireman by trade.

He is listed as receiving 26 Park St., in Bradford, PA on Aug. 31, 1954 in Smethport Deeds which was willed to them by neighbors. John and his wife never lived in this home, but continued to rent the home at 15 Park St. which they had lived in for much of their adult lives. (D-22) Before renting 15 Park St., they lived at 283 Congress St. in Bradford, Pennsylvania.

John Joseph Dudick, Jr., my father-in-law, remembers both his parents as hard workers. His dad was a jack-of-all trades. He worked much of his life in the fire department as a fire fighter and mechanic, doing all the necessary repairs on the fire fighting equipment. He had built a pumping truck from the ground up and was naturally proud of this accomplishment.

He had several heart attacks, one of which forced him to retire from the fire department. He was always a good provider for his family. For pleasure, he loved to fish. He would take his sons, fishing and hunting.

His wife was a very attractive woman. It was always said that her children were well behaved. She liked her children to be well dressed and well mannered. She loved to collect pretty objects. By the end of her life her home was a wall-to-wall and ceiling-to-ceiling collection of old fashioned glassware, photographs and well loved objects. She was a born seamstress and did professional paper hanging. No job was too large to tackle. She did everything well.

John, Jr. remembers this about his family life. He says they always ate well, even during the depression. His father only took a belt to him once when he kept a friend out in the hills so long that his parents had gotten worried. He remembers fighting with his brothers, going hunting in the hills of Bradford often with his friends and building a radio receiver from odds and ends. He used it to listen in on his older brother and his girl friend while they would talk on the telephone. He felt he had a good childhood, "a damn good childhood with lots of fun." There was lots of snow in Bradford during winter months. Snow was enjoyed with ice skating, bob sledding, skiing, tobogganing and all other winter sports. He had a good time in the hills with his bicycle, model planes, soap box derbys, guns and all the good things of youth. ¹¹

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation. Fireman

John married Susan Irene KUTCHMIRE, daughter of Mihaly KACSMAR and Maria HRUSKOVIC, on 1/24/1920 in Bradford, McKean, PA, USA. (Susan Irene KUTCHMIRE was born on 6/17/1902 in Ormsby, McKean, PA, USA, christened on 6/28/1902 in Bradford, McKean, PA, USA, died on 10/20/1981 in Bradford, McKean, PA, USA and was buried on 10/22/1981 in Bridge View Cemetery, Mt. Jewett, Mckean, PA, USA.)