Leo John "Charlie" Talaska
June 10, 1936 to April 1, 2011   |  
Picture
Affiliations
NFLCC (National Fishing Lure Collectors Club) from around 1995 to 2011APS (American Philatelic Society) (stamp collecting) from around 1975 to 1995
USAF (United States Air Force), Airman Second Class, Still Photographer, AF1554 4043, 1956-1959Spartan's Basketball #32
      Leo John Talaska, Sr., "Charlie", was born in Toledo, Ohio on June 10, 1936. His father was a family physician who made house calls and his mother a nurse. As a child, Leo ran away from home and went to Tallahassee, Florida where a couple rescued him and contacted his parents. Leo realized he didn't have it so bad at home after all. Leo played basketball, bagged groceries and was golf caddie in high school.
     Leo was under some pressure to become a doctor just like his father and grandfather and was shown and offered an all expense paid education at Xavier University, but not being a bookworm and religious zealot, he didn't want to go to Xavier after a quick look there, so instead joined the Air Force as a "still photographer" and basketball player. He was stationed in Germany where he met Erika Lina Erler from former East Germany. Erika was working at the base's commissary as a cashier. They married in 1959. Leo repetitively showed up at Erika's doorsteps until she would marry him. Leo would have stayed in the Air Force if they would have let him stay in Germany, but they did not, so he did not reenlist and moved back home to Toledo with his new wife.
     While working in his Aunt Schindler's neighbor's yard, the owner, a manager at a tire factory, noticed his work ethic and offered him a job at a tire factory in Findlay, Ohio. He accepted and moved there. His children include Eric Talaska and Johnny (John William). Johnny died at age 5, incidentally due to a medical professional's neglect.
     In 1977, Leo was requested to transfer his job to Texarkana, Texas. He gladly moved there due to available hunting and fishing and worked as a shift foreman and then supervisor in tire building and then in tire curing. Leo's working conditions were extremely dirty and hot and had to rotate shifts, from day to evening to night. Leo's son Eric tried to follow in his footsteps at the tire factory, but resigned after two years because the working conditions were still extremely poor there.
     Leo enjoyed collecting many things such as lures, split bamboo rods, stamps, postcards, coins and antiques. He was, for a few years, an oil painter and jewelry maker. He enjoyed duck hunting and fishing. In one (family famous) incident, he shot a BB through his Buick car (license plates "PWE 22") to impress others that he can shoot through the open windows, but instead hit his windshield in the lower left, causing a massive crack all the way across that he never fixed. In 1986, he moved the family to Millwood Lake, near Ashdown, Arkansas so he could be closer to his preferred lake and golf recreation. One time while out fishing near "Jack's Isle", Millwood Lake, Arkansas, he says he saw one or more UFOs in the form of three dots.
     Leo retired from a tire company in 1992 at age 56 after 30 years, "30 and out" as he called it, of loyal service. He was regarded as someone who wanted to do things different there and participated in the transition from "bias" tires to "radial" tires. For retirement, he fished, made wood lures, collected old lures, collected coins, watched TV and golfed. Golfing became his ultimate passion and he claims he scored two hole in ones that were witnessed and one that was not witnessed.
     Leo was often a joker. He was regarded as exceptionally friendly in public. He was much like his father, soft spoken.
Leo had a very heavy pen print and a very loud voice.
     In 2009, Leo and Erika celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.
     After living in retirement for 19 years, Leo passed from an aortic abdominal aneurysm. There was an attempted last minute major, emergency surgery that was too late.
Routine things Leo liked / Habits:
History Channel, News, Dr. Oz, coin channel
.

Favorite foods: Crab legs, shrimp, fried fish, tacos, beef, pistachios.
His table manners included pushing his arm hard on the kitchen table so as to rock it while others try to eat. He may have been an alcoholic as he hid Vodka at least in his later years and often seemed a tad drunk. In his earlier years he drank a lot of beer.
He had a habit of drinking directly from family milk containers and eating junk food (ice cream bars, etc.) late in the night. He was a smoker from around age 18 to 50 and dipped tobacco very frequently since quitting smoking. He said the Air Force encouraged him to smoke by handing out cigarettes. Tobacco products were the devil of this family.

In the 2000's, Erika started collecting a book of state quarters. Not to be outdone, Leo decided to outpace her and ended up with an extreme collection. He would clean the coins with chemicals and rags. Eric warned that hurts the collector value of them, but he kept doing it anyway and would sit at the kitchen table for many hours looking through bank bags of quarters and picking some out to clean and put in his vast collection of books.

In Leo's later years, he developed some odd new habits such as picking at his arms (out of nervousness) and he stared at a oil painting of a woman in the living room, claiming that her eyes move as you move. He loved noisy vintage clocks with keys.
Picture
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Picture
Grandchildren
Most Photos Removed Until Permission
Picture
Picture
Picture
Environmental Advocacy
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
               Oil Paintings
Oil Paintings
Leo copied / traced most or all his designs from magazines and books
Scanned / photographed in high resolution by Eric (click to enlarge & save copies)
About 10 autographed prints were also made by Eric around 2008 and given to siblings
Cut Coin Jewelry
Picture
Picture
Awards & Achievements
U.S. Air Force 1956-1959
MOS / Occupation: Still PhotographerUnits: Lowry Air Force Base, Colorado, Spangdahlem, Germany? SpainAwards: Good Conduct Medal, Presidential Certificate (upon decease)
Mystery: Did he take any classified or famous photos?
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Spartans Basketball, Leo Talaska, Sr.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
"Every time I go fishin' the wind blows." 
"Go, go, go, go, go, go, go..... allright." 
"How old were you when you were born?"
Answer to "What time is it?": "A hair past a freckle."
Health:
     Website design and videos by Eric since 2000 with many major sophisticated digital photo repairs in 2014. Those who only seek something to complain about but don't collaborate or compliment the good are omitted. Right click and save the images I repaired and then continue complaining, fools. Estimated solo work hours: 500.
Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
      Get Started
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               Diary & Travels                Fun Campervan Photos      Compare Custom MH to Name Brands      Nomadic History      Travels                Pacific Northwest      World Record Sand Dollar                Childhood Art             Whistler, B.C.      Childhood      License Plate Collection      Wolf Interaction             Celebrities      Home Remodel      Sports                Motorcycles, ATVs, Bicycles             Spiritual                       Personality                Autobiography                Childhood                1969                    Portfolio                Web & Eco Continuing Ed      Inline Skate Braking System Patent - Invention                Patent Text             Paralegal                Law School             Military Service                REFORGER 88 Certain Challenge             BA Communications                College Story             Tech History                Custom Computers                    Humor      Dumbest Things I've Done      Family                Family Humor      Tippy II Dog      Donations & Monuments                Green Burial             Erika & Leo      Erika Erler - Talaska                Erika's Memorial & Religion                Erika's Health             Erika's Quest for Freedom      Erika's German Ancestry                Louis Erler             Erika's German Hometown      Erika's Recipes & Kitchen             Leo J. Talaska, Sr.                Leo Talaska "LT" Lures                museum lures             Leo John's Ancestors                Flies                    Johnny Talaska      Former Pets      Eco History      Sentimentals                Easter & Christmas      Baptismal Gown Tradition             Homes      Family Mission Statement      Family Media Work      Thorns                Room to Improve      Unsolved Mysteries                                     EcoNeato.org                            Videos                            Mission                            Contact    
Leo John "Charlie" Talaska
June 10, 1936 to April 1, 2011   |  
Picture
Affiliations
NFLCC (National Fishing Lure Collectors Club) from around 1995 to 2011APS (American Philatelic Society) (stamp collecting) from around 1975 to 1995
USAF (United States Air Force), Airman Second Class, Still Photographer, AF1554 4043, 1956-1959Spartan's Basketball #32
      Leo John Talaska, Sr., "Charlie", was born in Toledo, Ohio on June 10, 1936. His father was a family physician who made house calls and his mother a nurse. As a child, Leo ran away from home and went to Tallahassee, Florida where a couple rescued him and contacted his parents. Leo realized he didn't have it so bad at home after all. Leo played basketball, bagged groceries and was golf caddie in high school.
     Leo was under some pressure to become a doctor just like his father and grandfather and was shown and offered an all expense paid education at Xavier University, but not being a bookworm and religious zealot, he didn't want to go to Xavier after a quick look there, so instead joined the Air Force as a "still photographer" and basketball player. He was stationed in Germany where he met Erika Lina Erler from former East Germany. Erika was working at the base's commissary as a cashier. They married in 1959. Leo repetitively showed up at Erika's doorsteps until she would marry him. Leo would have stayed in the Air Force if they would have let him stay in Germany, but they did not, so he did not reenlist and moved back home to Toledo with his new wife.
     While working in his Aunt Schindler's neighbor's yard, the owner, a manager at a tire factory, noticed his work ethic and offered him a job at a tire factory in Findlay, Ohio. He accepted and moved there. His children include Eric Talaska and Johnny (John William). Johnny died at age 5, incidentally due to a medical professional's neglect.
     In 1977, Leo was requested to transfer his job to Texarkana, Texas. He gladly moved there due to available hunting and fishing and worked as a shift foreman and then supervisor in tire building and then in tire curing. Leo's working conditions were extremely dirty and hot and had to rotate shifts, from day to evening to night. Leo's son Eric tried to follow in his footsteps at the tire factory, but resigned after two years because the working conditions were still extremely poor there.
     Leo enjoyed collecting many things such as lures, split bamboo rods, stamps, postcards, coins and antiques. He was, for a few years, an oil painter and jewelry maker. He enjoyed duck hunting and fishing. In one (family famous) incident, he shot a BB through his Buick car (license plates "PWE 22") to impress others that he can shoot through the open windows, but instead hit his windshield in the lower left, causing a massive crack all the way across that he never fixed. In 1986, he moved the family to Millwood Lake, near Ashdown, Arkansas so he could be closer to his preferred lake and golf recreation. One time while out fishing near "Jack's Isle", Millwood Lake, Arkansas, he says he saw one or more UFOs in the form of three dots.
     Leo retired from a tire company in 1992 at age 56 after 30 years, "30 and out" as he called it, of loyal service. He was regarded as someone who wanted to do things different there and participated in the transition from "bias" tires to "radial" tires. For retirement, he fished, made wood lures, collected old lures, collected coins, watched TV and golfed. Golfing became his ultimate passion and he claims he scored two hole in ones that were witnessed and one that was not witnessed.
     Leo was often a joker. He was regarded as exceptionally friendly in public. He was much like his father, soft spoken.
Leo had a very heavy pen print and a very loud voice.
     In 2009, Leo and Erika celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.
     After living in retirement for 19 years, Leo passed from an aortic abdominal aneurysm. There was an attempted last minute major, emergency surgery that was too late.
Routine things Leo liked / Habits:
History Channel, News, Dr. Oz, coin channel
.

Favorite foods: Crab legs, shrimp, fried fish, tacos, beef, pistachios.
His table manners included pushing his arm hard on the kitchen table so as to rock it while others try to eat. He may have been an alcoholic as he hid Vodka at least in his later years and often seemed a tad drunk. In his earlier years he drank a lot of beer.
He had a habit of drinking directly from family milk containers and eating junk food (ice cream bars, etc.) late in the night. He was a smoker from around age 18 to 50 and dipped tobacco very frequently since quitting smoking. He said the Air Force encouraged him to smoke by handing out cigarettes. Tobacco products were the devil of this family.

In the 2000's, Erika started collecting a book of state quarters. Not to be outdone, Leo decided to outpace her and ended up with an extreme collection. He would clean the coins with chemicals and rags. Eric warned that hurts the collector value of them, but he kept doing it anyway and would sit at the kitchen table for many hours looking through bank bags of quarters and picking some out to clean and put in his vast collection of books.

In Leo's later years, he developed some odd new habits such as picking at his arms (out of nervousness) and he stared at a oil painting of a woman in the living room, claiming that her eyes move as you move. He loved noisy vintage clocks with keys.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Grandchildren
Most Photos Removed Until Permission
Picture
Picture
Picture
Environmental Advocacy
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
               Oil Paintings
Oil Paintings
Leo copied / traced most or all his designs from magazines and books
Scanned / photographed in high resolution by Eric (click to enlarge & save copies)
About 10 autographed prints were also made by Eric around 2008 and given to siblings
Cut Coin Jewelry
Picture
Picture
Awards & Achievements
U.S. Air Force 1956-1959
MOS / Occupation: Still PhotographerUnits: Lowry Air Force Base, Colorado, Spangdahlem, Germany? SpainAwards: Good Conduct Medal, Presidential Certificate (upon decease)
Mystery: Did he take any classified or famous photos?
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Spartans Basketball, Leo Talaska, Sr.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
"Every time I go fishin' the wind blows." 
"Go, go, go, go, go, go, go..... allright." 
"How old were you when you were born?"
Answer to "What time is it?": "A hair past a freckle."
Health:
     Website design and videos by Eric since 2000 with many major sophisticated digital photo repairs in 2014. Those who only seek something to complain about but don't collaborate or compliment the good are omitted. Right click and save the images I repaired and then continue complaining, fools. Estimated solo work hours: 500.
Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
      Get Started
Menu
               Diary & Travels                Fun Campervan Photos      Compare Custom MH to Name Brands      Nomadic History      Travels                Pacific Northwest      World Record Sand Dollar                Childhood Art             Whistler, B.C.      Childhood      License Plate Collection      Wolf Interaction             Celebrities      Home Remodel      Sports                Motorcycles, ATVs, Bicycles             Spiritual                       Personality                Autobiography                Childhood                1969                    Portfolio                Web & Eco Continuing Ed      Inline Skate Braking System Patent - Invention                Patent Text             Paralegal                Law School             Military Service                REFORGER 88 Certain Challenge             BA Communications                College Story             Tech History                Custom Computers                    Humor      Dumbest Things I've Done      Family                Family Humor      Tippy II Dog      Donations & Monuments                Green Burial             Erika & Leo      Erika Erler - Talaska                Erika's Memorial & Religion                Erika's Health             Erika's Quest for Freedom      Erika's German Ancestry                Louis Erler             Erika's German Hometown      Erika's Recipes & Kitchen             Leo J. Talaska, Sr.                Leo Talaska "LT" Lures                museum lures             Leo John's Ancestors                Flies                    Johnny Talaska      Former Pets      Eco History      Sentimentals                Easter & Christmas      Baptismal Gown Tradition             Homes      Family Mission Statement      Family Media Work      Thorns                Room to Improve      Unsolved Mysteries                                     EcoNeato.org                            Videos                            Mission                            Contact    
Leo John "Charlie" Talaska
June 10, 1936 to April 1, 2011   |  
Picture
Affiliations
NFLCC (National Fishing Lure Collectors Club) from around 1995 to 2011APS (American Philatelic Society) (stamp collecting) from around 1975 to 1995
USAF (United States Air Force), Airman Second Class, Still Photographer, AF1554 4043, 1956-1959Spartan's Basketball #32
      Leo John Talaska, Sr., "Charlie", was born in Toledo, Ohio on June 10, 1936. His father was a family physician who made house calls and his mother a nurse. As a child, Leo ran away from home and went to Tallahassee, Florida where a couple rescued him and contacted his parents. Leo realized he didn't have it so bad at home after all. Leo played basketball, bagged groceries and was golf caddie in high school.
     Leo was under some pressure to become a doctor just like his father and grandfather and was shown and offered an all expense paid education at Xavier University, but not being a bookworm and religious zealot, he didn't want to go to Xavier after a quick look there, so instead joined the Air Force as a "still photographer" and basketball player. He was stationed in Germany where he met Erika Lina Erler from former East Germany. Erika was working at the base's commissary as a cashier. They married in 1959. Leo repetitively showed up at Erika's doorsteps until she would marry him. Leo would have stayed in the Air Force if they would have let him stay in Germany, but they did not, so he did not reenlist and moved back home to Toledo with his new wife.
     While working in his Aunt Schindler's neighbor's yard, the owner, a manager at a tire factory, noticed his work ethic and offered him a job at a tire factory in Findlay, Ohio. He accepted and moved there. His children include Eric Talaska and Johnny (John William). Johnny died at age 5, incidentally due to a medical professional's neglect.
     In 1977, Leo was requested to transfer his job to Texarkana, Texas. He gladly moved there due to available hunting and fishing and worked as a shift foreman and then supervisor in tire building and then in tire curing. Leo's working conditions were extremely dirty and hot and had to rotate shifts, from day to evening to night. Leo's son Eric tried to follow in his footsteps at the tire factory, but resigned after two years because the working conditions were still extremely poor there.
     Leo enjoyed collecting many things such as lures, split bamboo rods, stamps, postcards, coins and antiques. He was, for a few years, an oil painter and jewelry maker. He enjoyed duck hunting and fishing. In one (family famous) incident, he shot a BB through his Buick car (license plates "PWE 22") to impress others that he can shoot through the open windows, but instead hit his windshield in the lower left, causing a massive crack all the way across that he never fixed. In 1986, he moved the family to Millwood Lake, near Ashdown, Arkansas so he could be closer to his preferred lake and golf recreation. One time while out fishing near "Jack's Isle", Millwood Lake, Arkansas, he says he saw one or more UFOs in the form of three dots.
     Leo retired from a tire company in 1992 at age 56 after 30 years, "30 and out" as he called it, of loyal service. He was regarded as someone who wanted to do things different there and participated in the transition from "bias" tires to "radial" tires. For retirement, he fished, made wood lures, collected old lures, collected coins, watched TV and golfed. Golfing became his ultimate passion and he claims he scored two hole in ones that were witnessed and one that was not witnessed.
     Leo was often a joker. He was regarded as exceptionally friendly in public. He was much like his father, soft spoken.
Leo had a very heavy pen print and a very loud voice.
     In 2009, Leo and Erika celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.
     After living in retirement for 19 years, Leo passed from an aortic abdominal aneurysm. There was an attempted last minute major, emergency surgery that was too late.
Routine things Leo liked / Habits:
History Channel, News, Dr. Oz, coin channel
.

Favorite foods: Crab legs, shrimp, fried fish, tacos, beef, pistachios.
His table manners included pushing his arm hard on the kitchen table so as to rock it while others try to eat. He may have been an alcoholic as he hid Vodka at least in his later years and often seemed a tad drunk. In his earlier years he drank a lot of beer.
He had a habit of drinking directly from family milk containers and eating junk food (ice cream bars, etc.) late in the night. He was a smoker from around age 18 to 50 and dipped tobacco very frequently since quitting smoking. He said the Air Force encouraged him to smoke by handing out cigarettes. Tobacco products were the devil of this family.

In the 2000's, Erika started collecting a book of state quarters. Not to be outdone, Leo decided to outpace her and ended up with an extreme collection. He would clean the coins with chemicals and rags. Eric warned that hurts the collector value of them, but he kept doing it anyway and would sit at the kitchen table for many hours looking through bank bags of quarters and picking some out to clean and put in his vast collection of books.

In Leo's later years, he developed some odd new habits such as picking at his arms (out of nervousness) and he stared at a oil painting of a woman in the living room, claiming that her eyes move as you move. He loved noisy vintage clocks with keys.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Grandchildren
Most Photos Removed Until Permission
Picture
Picture
Picture
Environmental Advocacy
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
               Oil Paintings
Oil Paintings
Leo copied / traced most or all his designs from magazines and books
Scanned / photographed in high resolution by Eric (click to enlarge & save copies)
About 10 autographed prints were also made by Eric around 2008 and given to siblings
Cut Coin Jewelry
Picture
Picture
Awards & Achievements
U.S. Air Force 1956-1959
MOS / Occupation: Still PhotographerUnits: Lowry Air Force Base, Colorado, Spangdahlem, Germany? SpainAwards: Good Conduct Medal, Presidential Certificate (upon decease)
Mystery: Did he take any classified or famous photos?
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Spartans Basketball, Leo Talaska, Sr.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
"Every time I go fishin' the wind blows." 
"Go, go, go, go, go, go, go..... allright." 
"How old were you when you were born?"
Answer to "What time is it?": "A hair past a freckle."
Health:
     Website design and videos by Eric since 2000 with many major sophisticated digital photo repairs in 2014. Those who only seek something to complain about but don't collaborate or compliment the good are omitted. Right click and save the images I repaired and then continue complaining, fools. Estimated solo work hours: 500.