Tamarack Magazine Issue 5

"I'm Benny the Jew in Killaloe!"

Benny Afelskie
When you go to Afelskie Shoes you can expect two things; a good deal and a good story. Although we didn't buy anything, we did get plenty of great stories. Benny Afelskie is a natural storyteller He was comfortable and had no problem sharing his memories with us. As we sat in the back of Afelskie Shoes, listening to Benny and looking at his wall of pictures, it was obvious that Benny had lived a full and rewarding life. We could quickly see by the easy-going atmosphere of the store that Benny is a well-liked and greatly respected businessman.

Benny was born November 21Ľ 1927 in a house in Killaloe. He started by telling us about his school life...

By: Mike Sage and Sarah Lee

"I left school, I did not get my grade eight. They moved me up to grade nine and told me that if I got my grade nine and ten they'd give me grade eight. And I'm sorry, but I just could not take the French and the Latin. So, I walked out at noon and came home. My mother said, 'Well you'd better find a job.' I knew where there was a job; a carpenter was building a garage and he was looking for some help. I started to work over there at 1:00pm. I haven't quit working since- it's as simple as that.
I lost my eye when I was a kid- six years old. I put a piercing awl in it, here in the shoe repair shop. Later, when I got a hockey stick across the face and broke my glasses, my dad came out on the ice, grabbed me and threw me over the boards. He said, 'Benny, you've only got one eye, from now on you don't play hockey; you'll start refereeing.' And I enjoyed that. I refereed here in the valley for over 18 years. I'm talking the old-time,

hard-rocked Bonnechere Valley League. There were some rough, hard games but they were good.

When my father died he left quite a burden for my family but we've done very well. He was taken off this earth by the way of drowning, so we had to buckle down with my mother and really do what she asked us to do. Nobody said no; everybody did their job."

Benny and Teresa enjoyed local country dances before they were married.

"We had some wild ones that were held at three particular farms not far from here. There were five of us and we were sort of peace makers at these dances. Some of the boys would get a little bit under the weather by the way of bending their elbow to their mouth. They'd get kind of upset with a bit of booze

Benny bringing in hay on the Harvest Excursion

"I'm Benny the Jew in Killaloe!"
Benny Afelskie	When you go to Afelskie Shoes you can expect two things; a good deal and a good story. Although we didn't buy anything, we did get plenty of great stories. Benny Afelskie is a natural storyteller He was comfortable and had no problem sharing his memories with us. As we sat in the back of Afelskie Shoes, listening to Benny and looking at his wall of pictures, it was obvious that Benny had lived a full and rewarding life. We could quickly see by the easy-going atmosphere of the store that Benny is a well-liked and greatly respected businessman. Benny was born November 21Ľ 1927 in a house in Killaloe. He started by telling us about his school life... By: Mike Sage and Sarah Lee
"I left school, I did not get my grade eight. They moved me up to grade nine and told me that if I got my grade nine and ten they'd give me grade eight. And I'm sorry, but I just could not take the French and the Latin. So, I walked out at noon and came home. My mother said, 'Well you'd better find a job.' I knew where there was a job; a carpenter was building a garage and he was looking for some help. I started to work over there at 1:00pm. I haven't quit working since- it's as simple as that. I lost my eye when I was a kid- six years old. I put a piercing awl in it, here in the shoe repair shop. Later, when I got a hockey stick across the face and broke my glasses, my dad came out on the ice, grabbed me and threw me over the boards. He said, 'Benny, you've only got one eye, from now on you don't play hockey; you'll start refereeing.' And I enjoyed that. I refereed here in the valley for over 18 years. I'm talking the old-time,	hard-rocked Bonnechere Valley League. There were some rough, hard games but they were good. When my father died he left quite a burden for my family but we've done very well. He was taken off this earth by the way of drowning, so we had to buckle down with my mother and really do what she asked us to do. Nobody said no; everybody did their job."	Benny and Teresa enjoyed local country dances before they were married. "We had some wild ones that were held at three particular farms not far from here. There were five of us and we were sort of peace makers at these dances. Some of the boys would get a little bit under the weather by the way of bending their elbow to their mouth. They'd get kind of upset with a bit of booze
	Benny bringing in hay on the Harvest Excursion