Handsome
Freddy Johnson (second from left) and his crew pose together while on the job in Hartford, Connecticut. (Courtesy: Eva Johnson)
Story told by: Eva Johnson
My father’s name was Freddy Johnson but his nickname was Handsome.
Till this day, people will come up to me and say, “Your father liked me so much that he would always call me handsome!” I never have the nerve to tell them that he called everybody handsome because he couldn’t remember their name.
Before he was an ironworker, he was a military police officer in the American Army. It was hard to believe because of how much he despised the RCMP - he would get beaten up by them all the time.
But I have pictures of him in his military uniform with MP on it for “Military Police”.
When I seen it I said, “Daddy, I can’t believe this! You were a cop!”
He was also a fisherman. He would catch the fish from the river and charge a dollar for a dozen, and another quarter to clean it and deliver it. That’s why I have such a connection with the water.
(From left to right) Buddy Rice, Freddy Johnson, Pearl McComber-Johnson, and Rita Prejean on Freddy and Pearl's wedding day, September 1st 1945. (Courtesy: Tracy Johnson)
My mother was catholic and my father was protestant. So it was always a little bit of tug-of-war with them because all the catholics would get their fish on Fridays. You weren’t supposed to eat meat on Fridays because of the religion. Well, my father would go out on Friday and get one big steak for himself. He’d say, “You can eat all the fish you want. This is what I’m having today.” He would say it just to get my mother mad.
Then my father became an ironworker until he was in his late 30s when he got a cerebral hemorrhage and had a stroke. That paralyzed him on his left side.
The doctor said he would never walk again, but he walked right out of the hospital with a cane.
KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION
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KANIEN’KÉHA VERSION 〰️
Rakonhsí:io
Freddy Johnson bartending at the Royal Canadian Legion in Kahnawà:ke, circa 1970's. (Courtesy: Tracy Johnson)
Eva Johnson IAKOKÁ:RATON
Freddy Johnson ronwá:iatskwe' ne rake'níha nek tsi Handsome nè:'e ia'thothsennatkónthahse'.
Shé:kon nòn:wa wenhniseraténion, ón:kwe akhén:ton enhónttate' tánon' enhonnì:ron', "É:so tsi rakenòn:we'skwe' ia'níha kwah tió:konte' kakonhsí:io wahakenà:tonhkwe'!" Iah nonwén:ton tewakatkonhsahnirá:ton nakhehró:ri' tsi ratikonhsí:io wahshakonà:tonhkwe' ase'kén kwah iah tehrehià:ra'skwe' tsi nihotihsennò:ten's.
Ohén:ton karista'kehró:non shahá:ton', raterí:ios karihtonhkó:wa roterihón:tahkwe' ne American Army raotinèn:rakon. Kwah iah teiotòn:'on iosnó:re' aontakéhtahkwe' thí:ken' ase'kén tsi niió:re' tsi wahshakokenhrà:ten' ne RCMP - tió:konte' shos enhonwanonhwenhserário'.
Wátien' ki' raia'tarónnion kwah ateriio'kéha iotahkwenniatkwéniens rotia'tahserón:ni eh kahiatóntie' MP "Military Police". Sha'katkáhtho' thí:ken wa'kì:ron', "Rákeni, kwah iah thaontakéhtahkwe' kí:ken'! Seríhtonhkwe'!"
Freddy Johnson playing shuffleboard, circa 1970's. (Courtesy: Tracey Johnson)
Ranitsató:ratskwe' ò:ni'. Enhshakoié:na' shos kéntson ne tsi kaniataratátie' nonkwá:ti tánon' skahwísta nenhanà:ton' ne sewatosèn:tshera, tánon' ó:ia' teréntsho ne ahentsahserón:ni' tánon' ahaiénhna'. Kwah nè:'e tiorì:wa' tsi iohní:ron teiatiatékhen ne ohné:ka'.
Teieiahsónthahkwe' ne ake'nisténha tánon' iah tha'tehaiahsónthahkwe' ne rake'níha. Iotkà:te' wa'thnirihwatirontónnion' ase'kén akwé:kon ne tehatiiahsóntha' ienhatítsako' tió:konte' ne Wískhaton. Kwah iah tha'teiotonhontsóhon othé:nen o'wà:ron' ná:ienke' ne Wískhaton ne kèn:tho karihwiiostonhtsherá:kon. Rake'níha ki' ienhaiá:ken'ne' ne Wískhaton tánon' énska ka'wahrowá:nen enhatatéhrhahse'. Enhèn:ron', "Enhsanónhton' tsi ní:kon enhsítsake'. Né: kékhe' nòn:wa wenhniserá:te'." Enhèn:ron' thí:ken ne ahshakona'kón:ni' nake'nisténha.
Thò:ne karista'kehró:non wahá:ton' ne rake'níha tsi niió:re' í:non iahà:rawe' áhsen niwahsénhshon sha'tehaohseriià:kon shahoié:na' ononhwara'kéha iakawenhetshíneken's tánon' wahaia'takénheie'. Kwah nè:'e wahoia'takenhé:ia'te' shanekwá:ti nahaià:tati.
Ratétsen'ts wahèn:ron' tsi iah nonwén:ton thaonsahahtén:ti' á:re, nek tsi orihwí:io tsi sahahtén:ti' roten'nihtsherotátie' tsi sahaiá:ken'ne' ne tsi tehshakotisniè:tha'.
Edited by: Aaron McComber, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Translated by: Karonhí:io Delaronde