ELLEN (Melania) and AMBROSE
Both Aunt Ellen and Uncle Amb have incredible life stories that most in our family are not aware of. Two extremely strong individuals who devoted so much of their lives to helping so many others.
The following Comments are from the Fraga family Facebook group (copied and pasted here by Len)
The name of the person who wrote the comment is on the 1st line
Please consider adding your own stories, anecdotes or comments about Aunt Ellen and/or Uncle Amb below. Your personal contribution adds an important element to their life’s story.
Mary Ellen Cortez
Uncle Amb. was a big part of my life too! Through many summers before we were teenagers together, Aunt Ellen would ask my mom if they could take me on vacation with them! They were wonderful times we shared because he loved to laugh, and tease Aunt Ellen and take us fishing and take walks in the woods, and play card games at night with his two sisters and three brothers who often stayed close to where we were staying, and those nights were filled with laughter for all the jokes they would all tell! Uncle Amb used to always stop by our house when he was delivering pastries and bring us a tray filled with the day old ones, that were so good! He was a Prince of a man in every way and left us all too soon! ♥️He will never be forgotten
Lorraine Abdoo Radjewski
When I was a child I was in the hospital and U Amb brought me decorated cookies. I spent a lot of time at U. Amb and A. Ellen’s. I went to see a James Bond movie with him. I would sit on their back door landing and call him in their garage cause they had a phone to the garage. lol I am soooo happy, fortunate and blessed to have a fantastic big sister named Cathy! 💗
Bill Radjewski Sr.
I have a special love for Uncle Amb. I asked him to be my confirmation sponsor, he was a special person and this was what made me to select him for this. I have always felt honored that he agreed. When we would be at the farm I was always trying for the pheasants that nested along the entrance driveway to the farm house from Norman road. I would stalk down the drive with my sling shot in my hand, tiptoeing between trees trying to get as close as possible. as I neared the mother and her chicks would and make a mad dash into the alfalfa field that was just a few steps away. Uncle Amb would be near the milk house watching me and laughing like crazy. He promised me that when I turned 12 that he would give me his shotgun, and he did. I still have it today and cherish it and the memories that it brings. It is a 12 gauge double barrel, it is quite old and I guess that it dates to 1920’s or 1930’s My memories of the 1st house our family lived was on Harry st. in Detroit. We lived in the upper flat, and Uncle Amb, Aunt Ellen and Cathy lived in the lower. We lived there until I was 5 years old. Our families were always close. I can recall the many weekend construction projects that the men of the family all pitched in and helped out. Building Uncles Joe’s, Uncle Paul’s, Uncle Lenny’s and others homes. laying block and brick, pouring cement and grading. Uncle Amb was always there. Always good memories of Uncle Amb and Aunt Ellen. Both brimmed with love. Prayers for both.
Lorraine Abdoo Radjewski
I also remember U Am to be the only one my dad would turn his keys over to
Carmen Dotterer
I absolutely remember the Goodies Uncle Amb brought to us on 18th Street!
Carmen Dotterer
Heavenly Blessings Uncle Amb!
After Cathy’s and Harold’s Wedding there was a lot of liquor left over.
Uncle Amb gave it to me and my Fiancé Gary for our Wedding Reception the following week!
He wouldn’t take any money for it!
Uncle Amb was so generous!
Len Radjewski
I remember him stopping by our house in Detroit from time to time when he was on his Red Star yeast route
Daniel E. Fraga
I did not want to miss the opportunity to comment on one of the most wonderful people that was part of our Fraga family. Not only was he a great caretaker of his young brothers and sisters, but he was also a wonderful husband for my sister Ellen and a wonderful father for their daughter Cathy. My mother always appreciated his visits since she could count on him to fix things for her. He was someone of outstanding character and capability and I always had the greatest respect and admiration for him. Now I hope that this gets seen by our family.
From Facebook
Daniel E. Fraga
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Of course there’s the memory of mother often having a job for Amb to help her with when he visited. But another memory for me was that when Amb joined the Army he had an old Plymouth car that, before he went in the Army and before he and Ellen were married, he stored on our Claude Wood farm. Shortly after Amb was discharged He and Ellen were married in August 1946 and he left the car on the farm for a couple of years after. Martin and I worked on the Muck farms in the summer for 50 cents an hour and I was able to save $25. I heard Amb say that he didn’t know what he was going to do with that car so I offered him that $25 and he took it. So I was around 12 years old and owned a car even though I didn’t yet know how to drive.
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Dawn M Tiffin
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Daniel E. Fraga great story Uncle Danny. Love hearing these stories.
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Len Radjewski
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Daniel E. Fraga Muchas gracias – Great story about all 3 of you!
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Carmen Dotterer
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Daniel E. Fraga HAHA! $ 25.00 in 1946 was a lot of money for a 12 year old! So Uncle Amb sold you his car BUT….did you drive it? What did you do with it until you got your drivers licenses?
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Daniel E. Fraga
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Carmen Dotterer There is quite a story here about the car. I didn’t drive it but Martin did and he would drive us into town and places like the gravel pits where we went swimming and we used it to drive to a summer job we had on the muck farms. What happened later was that after Martin’s Junior year in the Brown City High School he had some kind of falling out with Dad, so he left the farm and took my car, without asking me, and drove to Flint and got a job and he eventually sold the car and bought a better one and paid me my $25.
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Carmen Dotterer
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Daniel E. Fraga OH WOW! I remember reading you getting in a car accident and how your Father, (my Grandpa) handled it!❤️🌹🙏
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Carmen Dotterer
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Oh Lenny! I so very much appreciate you posting these wonderful stories of our Fraga Aunts and Uncles!
Sweet Uncle Amb!
Mine and my Husband’s favorite and Special Memory of Uncle Amb is his Generosity!
His daughter Cathy’s Wedding was June 8th 1973.
Mine and Gary’s was a week later June 15th.
There was a lot of Beer and Liquor left over from Cathy & Harold’s Wedding. Uncle Amb insisted that Gary and I have it for our Wedding the following week!
He wouldn’t let us give him any money for it. Since Gary and I were paying for our own Wedding, we really appreciate Uncle Amb’s Generosity!
And he still gave us a generous amount in our Wedding Card!
Heavenly Blessings Uncle Amb!❤️🌹🙏
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Len Radjewski
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Carmen Dotterer Muchas gracias for adding this! Each of these personal stories adds so much to their legacy