The True Book of Mostly Unrelated Stories

Mr. Joe Habas
by John Mooy

In case you don’t recognize the name, it’s because you don’t know Joe Habas. He was a friend of ours who lived in Colorado. He passed quietly away the other day and the reason I mention him is that the first time we met him and had a chance to listen to his stories, I couldn’t help but think he would have been right at home in the greatest small town in the country, Marcellus, Michigan.

 While Wendy and I knew Mr. Habas primarily through the stories about him we heard from Tina Habas, one of his two daughters, his story was highly unlikely and in many respects his adult life was a love story. He and his wife-to-be eloped at a young age with virtually nothing in their pockets, but with hearts full of the greatest intentions to build their lives together which they did quite successfully. Prior to marrying, Mr. Habas put his not yet wife up in a modest hotel while he slept in the car. He took various jobs to cover their expenses and once married they began their journey together.

Mr. Habas was tall, with a slender build and a soft demeanor with the ability to adapt, work hard, provide for his family and on occasion reveal the smile which I would describe as being a bit understated. He was what we would now consider to be almost old school in terms of work ethic which could be summed up quite easily; he showed up and he did his job to the best of his ability, year after year after year.

Up to this point I have referenced Mr. Habas as, well, Mr. Habas. He was my elder and the term is one of respect. But if you had ever met him, you would quickly understand that the respect for him would be paramount by referring to him as Joe, Joe Habas. The name fit him so well and from what I know he was no ordinary Joe.

One beautiful Saturday afternoon several years ago Wendy and I were taken to the Habas house to see Joe’s very impressive collection of old toys. Upon entering the house, you were overwhelmed by the size of the collection. In the collection there were several objects that produced music after Joe carefully wound them up. Wendy and I were fascinated by the size and the uniqueness of everything there. My best description would be that his house was filled with a “slice” of the old Bluegill Frolic in Marcellus during the fifties when we experienced everything from the musical carousel on Main Street with those magnificently crafted and colorfully decorated horses on poles to the painted kewpie dolls, to unusual lamps. A slice of Americana.

I was connected to all of this through a strange turn of events that placed me in a situation to work with Tina Habas, Joe’s daughter. That was how I first learned of many of her Dad’s stories. I was fascinated by them. Through the years Tina became a very dear friend to Wendy and me. Tina was a very accomplished lawyer who became an equally accomplished judge.  With Wendy a fine illustrator and myself being involved in the art world as a stone carver and storyteller, it was a real combination of humanity, and often times hilarity.

And in one of my best moves ever, I signed Tina up to receive the Marcellus News, as you know, The Only Newspaper in the World That Cares About Marcellus. We would often discuss stories that appeared in the paper. While Joe Habas never appeared in the Marcellus News, he certainly could have. And one day Tina indicated she wanted to visit Marcellus. So on her visit to Michigan, I brought her to our community. I took her on the tour around town, and on part of Dad’s mail route.  And then we went to visit my editor at the time, Ramona Moormann. 

Taking Tina to meet Ramona was another good move.

During the conversation it was established that Joe and Ramona both had roots in  Wisconsin, to the point that we believe they both knew some of the same people. And the stories rolled on. That day established the Tina and Ramona friendship and resulted in the exchange of letters, and even flowers.  

And on that day while sitting in the Moormann household living room, in a delightful conversation, Mr. Joe Habas took center stage as his daughter shared his life story. A life well lived.

And hopefully with the help of my editor, Mr. Habas will now, like many of you, make his appearance in the Marcellus News, the newspaper that continues to recognize the value of heart worming stories.

Joe Habas, Rest in Peace.

Have a great week Marcellus,

you’re the best.

Need I say more.