The happy couple lived in Davenport, Iowa the first few months of their
married life. Louella was so homesick they decided to move to Marseilles. The
fall of 1919 they moved back to her home town. Chris got himself a job at the
National Biscuit Company where his father-in-law worked. He worked there until
one day he blew his stack at the foreman and quit. He left the plant and walked
down the street to Hunter and Allen Lumber Yard "asked for a job got it."Their first child was born Dec. 24, 1919. He was named Charles Christopher
Cunico, the other children are as follows: William, Barth Cunico, October 10,
1921; Thomas LaVerne Cunico, July 6, 1925; Robert Walter Cunico born July 25,
1926; Barth Phillip Cunico born January 6, 1928.
Chris continued working for Hunter and Allen Lumber Co. and when I and R
Beatty bought the lumber yard he recunicoed there to work for them. Being down on
cunico street Chris was close to the fire department, so he joined as a volunteer
fire department for the city of Marseilles.
On December 7, 1941 the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. The United
States went to war so Chris went to work for DuPont, in Seneca Illinois as
a security guard. Chris and Louella also had five sons that served in the
armed services. After the war Chris went back to work for I & R Beatty
Lumber Company.
When Chris would visit his sisters Mary, Angeline or Ambrogine that was
the only time when he would speak Italian. One time Chris and Louella went
to Davenport to visit Mary. Chris took the kids into the house, Louella
stayed in the car. Chris and Mary were talking in Italian, Chuck ran out
to the car and told his mother that his dad and Aunt Mary were talking
funny. Of course, when Chris got mad he would swear in Italian. All the
boys grew up knowing these words best.
Chris had a real Italian temper, but most of the time his bark was
worse than his bite. Guess he was a typical Italian with a terrible temper
and a great lover, so they say.
All thru the years Chris would pick up every nickel, dime or penny or
more. He could spot them long before anyone else could. When he died he
had a hundred dollar bill saved in the secret compartment of his wallet.
Chris never complained about health problems that he
had. He was always afraid that when something was wrong it would lead to
cancer. Both his parents had died from some form of cancer. In 1956 Chris
went to the doctor and was diagnosed as a diabetic. Shortly after this,
his grandson, Chris, son of Barth and Elsie also was found to be a
diabetic.
Chris's sores didn't heal very well, after having a sore on his foot
for quite a while he went to the Dwight Veterans Hospital in Dwight,
Illinois. They found he would have to have his leg amputated.
While there his sisters and their husbands came to visit him. Mary and
Art Mairet and Ambrogine and Frank Gheller were with Chris to help him
through this difficult time of his life. Chris later was fitted for a
wooden leg, which he handled very well.
After his retirement he went to Utah to fish for a couple of months in
the summers of 1960 and 1961. While there his grandkids Bob, LuJean and
John got a big kick out of him. He'd get Chuck to take him to the 5 & 10
cent store so he could buy a sack of candy bars for the kids. They were
brought home and put in the refrigerator. Maybe the kids got one and maybe
two, but Grandpa devoured most of them when no one was looking. Being a
diabetic this certainly was a no-no.
The day Chris died he had been to Ottawa and bought a new lawn mower.
Barth came out and was going to help him start it. Chris started into the
house to get a drink of water, as he took hold of the railing to go up the
steps, he had a fatal heart attack, May 17, 1962. Passing away the way
Chris did was really a blessing. The Good Lord knew Chris was afraid of
dying so it happened the best way possible for him.
