Hello All,
I am sorry to share with you that Jerry Mrsnik has passed away. Jerry and her husband John, who survives her, moved to their Spanish-style home on the south side of Shore Acres Drive 52 years ago this September. They recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.
Visiting hours are from 2-4 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. Friday, December 26th at the Zele Funeral home (452 E 152nd St, Cleveland, OH phone:481-3118). Funeral mass will be celebrated at St. Jerome's Church on Saturday, December 27th at 10 a.m.
Visiting hours are from 2-4 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. Friday, December 26th at the Zele Funeral home (452 E 152nd St, Cleveland, OH phone:481-3118). Funeral mass will be celebrated at St. Jerome's Church on Saturday, December 27th at 10 a.m.
A flower arrangement has been sent from the Neighbors of Shore Acres (paid for by the non-dues based "special projects" Shore Acres Association fund).
Below is the article from our Newsletter about the Mrsnik's. We will all miss her dearly.
THE MRSNIKS by Kathy Baker
If you moved into the Shore Acres neighborhood before September of 1956, almost a half century ago, you have lived here longer than John and Jerry Mrsnik have. But if not, the Mrsniks can claim the Shore Acres longevity record.
They bought their Spanish-style house at 15020 Shore Acres Drive for $37,000, quite a step up from their previous home in Mentor, priced at $15,000 even though it was on 8 acres of land. For an extra four thousand or so dollars they bought the small white clapboard cottage next to their current home, previously used as servants’ quarters. The Mrsniks had no servants, but they hoped that Jerry’s parents would live there upon retirement. Her parents moved to the Euclid Beach trailer park instead, so through the years they have rented the cottage to a variety of people, but never a maid.
John and Jerry, but especially Jerry, had been lonely in their Mentor home. The houses were far apart and they had trouble getting to know their neighbors. John was traveling all over the world then, first as an engineer and then as a salesman for Zagar Inc., so Jerry was often left alone with their two small children. All that changed when they moved to Shore Acres, where the Mrsnik kids soon had many playmates and Jerry had many neighbors to talk to, since in those days almost all of the mothers stayed at home. Jerry remembers fondly the streets and yards and Park being full of playing children. Summers were the most fun of all, of course, with a beach and boat docks all along Shore Acres, swimming and a beach house at the park, and the Fourth of July parade a genuine extravaganza, with many of the larger families (8-10 children per family was not considered unusual) producing elaborate floats. Jerry was the Den mother for a Cub Scout den made up entirely of neighborhood boys.
Gradually, however, erosion was taking its toll on the Shore Acres beach and yards along the lake. Some say that a major storm in the ‘70s destroyed the beaches, docks, and Park beach house, but the Mrsniks remember that even in the ‘50s their neighbors on the north side of Shore Acres were spending thousands of dollars on erosion control. Finally the Corps of Engineers put in gabions and rocks at a cost of $10-15 thousand per house. Those who didn’t pay up had their gabions removed.
The Mrsnik children, Frank and Kathy, grew up on Shore Acres, attending St. Jerome’s, Villa Angela and St. Joseph High School. Both still live here in the Cleveland area. Frank is a dentist, and Kathy pupil personnel director for the West Geauga School District. John and Jerry have three grandchildren.
Meanwhile John was still traveling to England, Germany, and Italy. He knew his wife and children were safe and happy in their friendly neighborhood so he never worried about them. But his work was stressful, and in 1974 he had a heart attack. He didn’t expect to live five more years, but he took his doctor’s advice and changed jobs, and here he is 30 years later, healthy and vigorous. He still works for Ohio Broach and Machine in Willoughby.
Jerry has had some health problems, however, and recently the Mrsniks considered selling their house and moving to something smaller, without the stairs that she has difficulty navigating these days. But the grandchildren objected (“Strangers will live in our house?”) and other houses John and Jerry considered buying were poorly constructed and had outrageously high taxes by comparison. So they put in some chair lifts, and took down the for sale sign.
People look out for each other here,” John says. “The Association is maintaining what we’ve had all these years. It always was and it still is a great neighborhood.”
Below is the article from our Newsletter about the Mrsnik's. We will all miss her dearly.
THE MRSNIKS by Kathy Baker
If you moved into the Shore Acres neighborhood before September of 1956, almost a half century ago, you have lived here longer than John and Jerry Mrsnik have. But if not, the Mrsniks can claim the Shore Acres longevity record.
They bought their Spanish-style house at 15020 Shore Acres Drive for $37,000, quite a step up from their previous home in Mentor, priced at $15,000 even though it was on 8 acres of land. For an extra four thousand or so dollars they bought the small white clapboard cottage next to their current home, previously used as servants’ quarters. The Mrsniks had no servants, but they hoped that Jerry’s parents would live there upon retirement. Her parents moved to the Euclid Beach trailer park instead, so through the years they have rented the cottage to a variety of people, but never a maid.
John and Jerry, but especially Jerry, had been lonely in their Mentor home. The houses were far apart and they had trouble getting to know their neighbors. John was traveling all over the world then, first as an engineer and then as a salesman for Zagar Inc., so Jerry was often left alone with their two small children. All that changed when they moved to Shore Acres, where the Mrsnik kids soon had many playmates and Jerry had many neighbors to talk to, since in those days almost all of the mothers stayed at home. Jerry remembers fondly the streets and yards and Park being full of playing children. Summers were the most fun of all, of course, with a beach and boat docks all along Shore Acres, swimming and a beach house at the park, and the Fourth of July parade a genuine extravaganza, with many of the larger families (8-10 children per family was not considered unusual) producing elaborate floats. Jerry was the Den mother for a Cub Scout den made up entirely of neighborhood boys.
Gradually, however, erosion was taking its toll on the Shore Acres beach and yards along the lake. Some say that a major storm in the ‘70s destroyed the beaches, docks, and Park beach house, but the Mrsniks remember that even in the ‘50s their neighbors on the north side of Shore Acres were spending thousands of dollars on erosion control. Finally the Corps of Engineers put in gabions and rocks at a cost of $10-15 thousand per house. Those who didn’t pay up had their gabions removed.
The Mrsnik children, Frank and Kathy, grew up on Shore Acres, attending St. Jerome’s, Villa Angela and St. Joseph High School. Both still live here in the Cleveland area. Frank is a dentist, and Kathy pupil personnel director for the West Geauga School District. John and Jerry have three grandchildren.
Meanwhile John was still traveling to England, Germany, and Italy. He knew his wife and children were safe and happy in their friendly neighborhood so he never worried about them. But his work was stressful, and in 1974 he had a heart attack. He didn’t expect to live five more years, but he took his doctor’s advice and changed jobs, and here he is 30 years later, healthy and vigorous. He still works for Ohio Broach and Machine in Willoughby.
Jerry has had some health problems, however, and recently the Mrsniks considered selling their house and moving to something smaller, without the stairs that she has difficulty navigating these days. But the grandchildren objected (“Strangers will live in our house?”) and other houses John and Jerry considered buying were poorly constructed and had outrageously high taxes by comparison. So they put in some chair lifts, and took down the for sale sign.
People look out for each other here,” John says. “The Association is maintaining what we’ve had all these years. It always was and it still is a great neighborhood.”
1 comment:
Hello, while working on some family history I stumbled upon this website. You could say I sort of grew up on Shore Acres. My grandparents were Joe and Betty Sprenger and then Dr. Norman and Dorothy Lavine. I remember hearing the last name "Mrsnik" growing up and my dad most likely knew the Mrsnik's.
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