Fred Straus

Posted on: Aug 04, 2021 at 4:33 AM

Posted on: Feb 19, 2021 at 8:03 AM

Hi Henry. The only Black caterer I ever knew in EP was Bessie Dickerson. She and her son Nate lived on Osceola across from Township Line. Nate was a star athlete at Cheltenham and was drafted by the Philies in the late 50's early 60's

This the first time I submitted an entry on our class site. I was just reading through our class list and especially remembering those dear friends we have lost. I stopped at Pedro Swenson. Why was this name meaningful to me? Pedro ( Pete as he liked to be called) and I became real good friends; not only in school, but outside as well. This was at a time, I might add, when it wasn't particularly popular for white guys to be friends with Negros; ( we were allowed to call African Americans Negros back then). you might remember. Any way, Pete came to me one day and asked me if I would like to hear Dr. Martin Luther King speak. He was to be in Philadelphia for a short visit. I jumper on the invite. It was one of the most memorable days in my life. I actually got the chance to shake Dr. King's hand at the end of his talk. This never would have happened had I not been friends with Pete.

Pete did not graduate with us. His family had to move across the boarder to that unmentionable township (Abington). He and his family met with the school board on more than one ocassion pleading to allow Pete to spend his senior year at CHS, even offering to pay tution so he might earn his diploma with his friends. He was denied his request. Instead of earning his H.S. diploma with strangers, he chose to enlist in the service. To this day I still hold resentment toward that board. 

His favorite song, "Stormy Weather". To this day I think of Pete whenever I hear it.

Posted on: Aug 04, 2017 at 4:33 AM