Hudson-Bergen County NJ Archives Biographies.....Polites, David Allen June 30, 1950 - August 7, 1979 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/nj/njfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Henry Sundvik vze25shd@verizon.net February 27, 2005, 10:48 am Author: Henry J Sundvik DAVID ALLEN POLITES David Allen Polites was born 30 June 1950 at 8:27 PM in Jersey City, New Jersey at Margaret Hague Maternity Hospital, The Jersey City Medical Center, 50 Baldwin Avenue, Jersey City, Hudson County, NJ zip 07306. His birth doctor was Dr R Jacobus. Birth certificate #129 50-041333. His parents were Alexander Polites and Mary (Domolevich) Polites. Alexander Politis, born Atlas, Northumberland County, PA zip 17851, February 1904 (David's birth certificate shows his father was born 1906, reporting his age 44) - laborer in PA coalmines - died Jersey City NJ, November 1966 Social Security Number 207-03-9659 PA . Alexander at the time of David's birth was an unemployed pipe-fitter. Alexander's father (William Vincent) or (Vincent William) or John Politis a Lithuanian surname. His mother Helen Tloczynski a Polish surname. Mary (Domolevich) (David's birth record show Domolewicz) Polites was born Atlas, Northumberland County, PA zip 17851, 4 October 1905 (David's birth records shows her to be 38 years old, meaning she may have been born 1912) - a living son claims she was born 25 December ? - died September 1969 Jersey City, Hudson County, NJ Social Security Number 141-16-8668 NJ. Her death residence is reported to be Atlantic City NJ 08404 - the son claims she died in Jersey City at the Medical Center. Her body was cremated. Alexander and Mary were married in Atlas, Northumberland County PA in 1929 and lived at 438 West Girard St. Atlas (Mt Carmel) PA 17851-1018. It is not too far from Shamokin PA, just south of Route 80 and west of Route 81. In about 1938 the family moved to Jersey City, Hudson County, NJ. Mary Domolevich had a brother John who died 1992 and a sister Emelie. Their father was Frank (Franz) Domolevich arrived in the US 15 October 1907 aboard the SS Finland and resided in Sowalska Russia, his brother Peter (Piotr) arrived with him, and their mother was Emelie "Minnie" Domolevich born 1893, immigrated from Poland 1894 and was married 1906. Franz's (Frank) father's name Antoni.. David, at the time of his birth lived at 157 Mercer Street, Jersey City, Hudson, NJ, but later lived at 446 Palisade Avenue just off Griffith Street in Jersey City, NJ. I owned a real estate business a few doors from where David lived at 474-476 Palisade Avenue, Jersey City NJ. He was a quiet, friendly boy. Probably looking for someone to take an interest in him, he would come by the office regularly. He would pop in and say hello. We would send him out for coffee and buttered rolls. Subsequently, we became very friendly. Our office was one of the first places he would visit going to and returning from school. David attended St Paul's of the Cross Roman Catholic Elementary School on 156 Hancock Avenue in Jersey City, NJ until about the 6th grade. He was a frisky young kid and his mother had a hard time keeping up with him. Mary Polites, who had been a nurse at Pollack Hospital (The Jersey City Medical Center) in Jersey City, contracted multiple sclerosis and was soon virtually crippled. His father, so I've heard, was an ambulance driver for Medical Center. I never met him since he was not living at home. He reportedly lived on West Side Avenue in Jersey City. For the years I knew David, I didn't know much about his family. I did meet with his mother on a few occasions before we moved to Louisiana. She was pretty much an invalid by that time. The longest conversation I had with her was when she gave me information about his school enrollment and when she signed the papers giving me custody of David. As far as David's brothers and sister were concerned, I remember going to the homes of some of them to see if anyone would take him to raise him. In each case, there was a reason they could not help, It came down to the State wanting to take custody of him and putting him in a "home". At the time, I didn't know that David's father was not living with his wife. That meant that David and his mother were living alone. Since Mary Polites, David's mother, was a virtual invalid, there was no one to supervise him. In those days, kids his age, 10 and11 years of age, were sniffing glue, smoking cigarettes and generally experimenting with other substances. I never heard of David doing anything but smoking, but it may be the reason why the State took an interest. One evening, after having eaten supper, David ran, impulsively, out onto busy Palisade Avenue to cross to Riverview-Fisk Park. He was struck by a car and catapulted under a parked car. Kids in the neighborhood came to tell me what had happened. I crawled under the car to help, but David wasn't responding. The ambulance took him to Medical Center. Visiting him frequently in the hospital, I brought books, toys and a plastic "Visible Man", complete with internal organs, to entertain himself while in the hospital. He made a complete recovery. Because he was an unsupervised "free agent", he got into occasional mischief. While smoking in his bathroom, he caused a small fire. The city wanted to send him away to a "reform" school because he wasn't supervised. I intervened by first trying to find a brother or sister of his who would take him in and raise him. Each had their own families and/or problems to contend with and could not help. So, I assumed legal custody of David in 1962, his mother being too disabled to monitor and take care of this active boy. He came to live with me just as my real estate business became too unprofitable to maintain; so, I sold my interest in the business to my partner and David and I moved to Hampton, VA where I had taught school previously and resumed my teaching career as a substitute teacher while waiting for a permanent vacancy in the school system. We lived in a furnished apartment in Hampton. Since no permanent positions developed and the money was running out, I called school districts up and down the east coast. October was the time of year when most teaching vacancies were already filled, so I would have to wait for a vacancy to develop. We remained there until early 1964. No permanent positions became available. In Hampton, I enrolled him into a public school and discovered that David could barely read. Imagine a sixth grader in school unable to read. I often thought back upon his Catholic school education. How could he continue to be promoted from class to class without the ability to read? Anyway, I bought a bunch of books that I thought a boy would enjoy and sat with him every day after school and tutored him in reading. It was a bitter struggle with tears and anguish on both sides, but he learned. David seemed to like drawing, so I enrolled him in an evening art class. He was taught to do charcoal and pastel sketches. He was pretty good. I finally found a permanent position as a high school mathematics teacher in Morgan City, St Mary Parish, Louisiana. We moved to 907 First Street, Morgan City in early 1964 where I taught in high schools in Morgan City until 1972. When we arrived in Morgan City, I was about flat broke. We took a hotel room for the night. The next morning I was to interview for the teaching job. We were up on the third floor of the hotel. I remember a strange smell in the building, but figured, since Morgan City is an industrial-type town, that that was normal. We slept the night and in the morning I began getting washed and dressed to go to the interview. When I opened the door to our room, the hallway was filled with smoke. The smoke and heat was coming from the next room. I called the manager, told him not to get excited, but I thought the hotel was on fire. We grabbed our belongings and descended to the lobby. They let us use a vacant room on the ground floor so I could finish getting dressed. By the time I arrived at the assistant superintendent of schools' office, I was already a "local hero" for having turned in the alarm. It seems that the assistant superintendent was also connected with the fire department. I got the contract. I had no money to speak of and no place to live. The assistant superintendent made a few phone calls and gave me an address of a man to see . "Slim" Richmond became our landlord, next door neighbor and a friend. He was a wealthy man and had no reason to live in a house next to ours. His wife, however, did not want to leave the neighborhood even though he could more than afford a much better house. He rented us a house which he owned next to his own house. He always said he owned the house next door because he wanted to be sure who lived next door to him. Since I had no furniture, Slim made a phone call, sent us to LeBoeuf's Furniture Store and with a hand shake, I had $1200 (1964 dollars) worth of new furniture and appliances. "Pay me when you get it", he told me. I paid him back in a year. The people in Morgan City were exceptionally friendly. We were immediately invited to spend a day on a private island, Avoca Island, to fish or hunt and eat barbecued Cajun foods. We had a wonderful day out and returned occasionally to repeat the fun. Shortly after that, we sailed on a crew boat out to the Gulf of Mexico to the off-shore oil wells. "Slim" owned a fleet of beautiful crew boats which he leased to oil companies in the area to run men and food out to the off-shore rigs. The ride out to the wells was great: fast, smooth and no rocking. It was smooth sailing from the dock to the rigs. But when the crew-boat pulled up alongside the oil rigs, it would ride up and down alongside of the rig. Up and down, up and down. David was a very good sailor. He had an iron stomach. To the amusement of the crew, I became sick as a dog. David attended M D Shannon Elementary School and later Morgan City High School which he left in the latter part of his junior year to join the army. At one time he had me for a teacher of algebra. I could see right away that he wasn't trying very hard to master the subject. I offered to help him at home and warned him not to let our relationship lead him to think that I would give him a grade that he didn't deserve. I warned him frequently. I failed him. My reputation of not playing favorites went around the school like fire. The students would say, "Yeah, Mr Sundvik is tough. He even failed his own son." David, among other activities tried out for the football team. Unfortunately, they had strict rules about grade averages, and because his grade average was not high enough, he was cut from the team. David was a smart boy, but he found girls around that time. As Walt Disney used to say, "He was twitterpated." He did, however, complete his high school curriculum by passing the General Education Development test in the army. As a Scout Master and David one of the Scouts, our troop took several long hikes on historic trails in Louisiana and Mississippi and we were awarded shoulder patches for hiking historic trails. During one of the summers, about twelve of us hiked the Red Dirt Game District Management Forest. It was a five day-fifty mile trek, a story in itself. The boys held up very well. I was bushed. We all received a special patch to wear on our uniforms and received a letter of congratulfations from the White House for the accomplishment. In the summer of 1965, I attended George Peabody University in Nashville, TN, having won a scholarship from the National Science Foundation. We lived at 113 Seventeenth Avenue South, Nashville TN and spent the entire summer there. While attending college classes, David was enrolled in George Peabody Demontration School for the educational enrichment of high school students. He benefited greatly from the experience. After his classes, he would come by my laboratory class and visit with the nuns who were students in the same class as myself. The nuns loved David. They threw a 15th birthday party for him, complete with birthday cake and gifts. David loved the attention and affection given to him by the nuns. Each afternoon, after class, we would tour a little bit of Nashville: Grand Ol' Opry, the famous Last Supper carving in a church near Peabody University, the life-sized replica of the Parthenon, free outdoor Grand Ol' Opry concerts, demolition derbies and other pursuits long since forgotten. In the evening, he would do his homework while I worked on my class assignments. Back in Hampton one day, David was watering the lawn with a long garden hose. When I got out of the car returning from school, he sprayed me with the hose. I fought him for the hose, and by the time we were finished laughing and struggling, we were both soaked to the skin and muddy. It was one of the many fun times we had together. David had a strange habit of carrying on a conversation that he was having in his mind by just speaking out loud as if he had been talking all along. Especially, when he entered the house, whatever he was working on in his mind would just come out in middle sentence. David was a very complex boy that way. He was quiet, but the wheels were always turning. David had a good appetite. Eating was one of his indoor sports. One night I was awakened by a quiet noise in the house. From my bedroom, I could see the kitchen. I saw David silhouetted by the refrigerator light. He stood in front of the open door of the refrigerator motionless. I asked him what he was doing. He came out with an unintellgible mumble, closed the door and went back to his room. He was sleep walking. He finally arrived at the age to drive a car. I volunteered to give him driving lessons. He got into the driver's seat and drove a few blocks while I gave him instructions on which streets to turn down. I told him to make a right hand turn down a particular street. He proceded to do it but did not turn sharply enough and ran down a stop sign on the opposite side of the street. Class was over! I immediately enrolled him into a driver's education class. I had failed as a driving teacher. We "inherited" a dog, Tippy, who David grew to love very much. Tippy was half Daschund and half Spitzs as well as we could figure. Built low to the ground, he was the fastest dog on the block, and allowed no other dogs to use the sidewalks or street. I saw him face down a dog four times his size. One of the hilarious things David would do with Tippy was to set up plastic bowling pins at one end of our long dining room, grab Tippy by the scruff of the neck and butt and slide him up the "alley". Tippy would crash into the pins and immediately run back, tail wagging and tongue hanging out ready for another shot at the pins. From then on, Tippy traveled with us everywhere. We traveled coast to coast and the dog would love sticking his head out the side window to catch the breeze. The laugh was watching his long ears flapping in the wind. Each time we would arrive at an important landmark, Tippy would jump out of the car, look at the landmark for a few seconds and then crawl under the car to sleep, At Grand Canyon, Tippy ran up to the edge of this several hundred foot drop and disappeared. David and I were horrified. We thought he had jump off the edge. When we got to the edge, we could see him, a ledge below, admiring the canyon. Then, he jumped back up, trotted back to the car, crawled underneath and went to sleep. He got bored easily. Another time at Niagara Falls, Tippy ran to the barrier overlooking the falls, jumped up onto it to admire the falls. I thought sure he would fall over the falls. He admired it for a minute, jumped down and crawled under the car to sleep. Bored again. When I would leave the house to go to school in the morning, the dog would follow my car. Seeing him running after the car in the rear view mirror, I'd brake and shoo him back toward the house. Later, teaching class, a commotion would erupt in the back of the class. He had a kean sense of smell and direction. Tippy found his way to my classroom a story up, prance up and down the aisles to be petted by every student and then go to the back of the room to sleep. For eight years I prepared three meals a day. I became a good cook, and David thrived on the food. One day I worked very hard to make a delicious supper for us. At six o'clock the dinner was ready, but no David. I waited and fumed for two hours until he walked in the door as if nothing was wrong. That's when I found out about his new girl friend who lived several miles up from what is now Route 10. He was definitely twitterpated. David obtained a social security number in Louisiana in 1966. His number was 438-80-4517 LA. We traveled a lot throughout the country during vacations, including trips to Mexico, Guatemala and Canada. We visited Philadelphia's Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, Kitty Hawk North Carolina, Colonial Williamsburg Virginia, Luray Caverns, Grand Canyon, national parks, Howe Caverns, the 1966 World's Fair in New York City, Niagara Falls, St Louis' Gateway to the West, several battleships such as the USS North Carolina and the USS Massachusetts. and many other places of interest. Particularly exciting for both of us was Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The first time, out of eight successive years that we went to Mardi Gras, David, newly moved from Hampton and still not acquainted with Louisiana, and only barely knew his new home address. I cautioned him to stay with me so he wouldn't get lost. The crowd on Canal Street was unbeleiveable. I turned to take some pictures of the parade passing by. When I turned back, he was gone. Frantically looking around for him, I finally had to get the police involved. After frantically looking for him with no luck, he suddenly showed up next to me as if he had never left. It scared me half to death! On one of our trips back to Jersey City during the summer, I was having a lot of trouble with my four- door 1959 Delta88 Oldsmobile. A mechanic, having done a tune-up, removed the battery and put it back into its holder, jamming the cable between the battery and the battery bracket. The vibration of the trip began to rub the cable bare. The car would go fine for a while but with the virbration against the cable, it would stall. Then it would restart. We brought it into several gas stations along the way, but they couldn't find anything wrong. Ten o'clock that night, on a dark road in Georgia, the car completely died including the headlights. I carefully steered the car over to a shoulder in the road, not knowing whether we would tumble down a ravine. As soon as the key was turned off, the lights started blinking on and off, the horn blasting, the ignition grinding and generally one hell of a scary situation. I picked up the hood, and flames shot up. As soon as I saw that, I moved my head around the hood to tell David to get the luggage out of the trunk and save what we could. At that point he was a quarter of a mile up the road out of harms way, where I guess I should have been because of the fire and potential explosion. Anyhow, the fire died out by itself and we waited to be towed to a garage. They did not have a wiring harnass so they had to tow us and the car to Chatanooga Tennessee where a complete wiring harness had to be installed. We took a room in a hotel to wait out the repairs. It just happened to be the room in which William Jennings Bryant had died. By the next morning, I was so sick, I thought I would die there too. We made it to New Jersey and I was treated for several weeks with a severe strep throat. David enlisted in the US Army 21 May 1969. He arrived at AFEES (Armed Forces Examination and Entrance Station), New Orleans LA, and from there to Fort Polk LA for basic training. His service number was RA15904040. From there, he trained as a combat infantryman at Fort Benning GA. He spent 11 months and 17 days in the Republic of Vietnam near Hue, Firebase Ripcord, attached to HHS Battery, 2nd Battalion, 10th Artillery, 3rd US Army as a Basic Field Artilleryman (MOS 13A10). He served in Vietnam from 6 November 1969 to 23 October 1970. His service record (DD214) inicates he was awarded the National Serivce Defense Medal, the Vietnam Serivce Medal with Bronze Service Star, Army Commendation Medal with V for Valor, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with 60 day combat device, sharpshooter badge with rifle and B.A.R., and two overseas bars. His last command assignment was B Battery, 2nd Battalion, 18th Artillery, 5th Army in the United States. He resumed active service in the US at Fort Benning GA 21 December 1970. He was discharged at Fort Sill OK. David served a year in Vietnam in the artillery in and around Hue. He is believed to have received the Silver Star for an heroic act, however, I can't verify that. He attempted to rescue a man wedged in a burning helicopter. He ran up to the burning helicopter, but could not extract the man who was pinned in. Everyone nearby screamed at him to get away from the potential explosion. At the last second, he ran. The craft exploded and David caught shrapnel in his butt. In October 1970, David returned from Vietnam and came back to Morgan City to stay with me for a short time while on leave. I couldn't have been more relieved when he came through the door. I then realized how much I loved him. A chill ran up my spine when I saw him at the door dressed in his army uniform. He later went off on his own. The following article appeared in a local Morgan City, LA newspaper 26 October 1970 upon David's return from Vietnam: Headline: "Area G.I. Wins Honors For Vietnam Service Spec. 4 David A Polites, son of Henry Sundvik of Morgan City, has been awarded the Purple Heart, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star with clusters and the Army Commendation Medal for Valor in action in Vietnam. Polites, now visiting in Morgan City, was stationed for one year on various fire bases less than 30 miles from the borders of North Vietnam. The twice-wounded soldier won the Silver Star and Purple Heart at Fire Base Ripcord "Hill 927" during an action in which a helicopter was downed by enemy fire. The helicopter fell on an ammunition dump and burned. In an unsuccessful attempt to save one of the passengers, Polites sustained injuries when the ammunition exploded. A former resident of Jersey City, N.J. Polites came to Morgan City in l964 and attended M. D. Shannon Elementary School and Morgan City High School. Upon completion of a 30-day leave, Polites will be transferred to Fort Lewis, Washington for re-assignment. Polites said he plans to join the Green Beret or Special Forces and has re-enlisted with tentative plans of making the Army his career." David married Susan McFatter on 5 June 1974 in Jefferson County, TX. He was 23 and she was 21. They resided near Beaumont, Jefferson County TX 77704. They divorced less than two years later on 12 January 1976 in Harris County TX #101. See Court of Domestic Relations, Harris County TX Volume 1244 Page 91 & 92. Decree number 003068. David ultimately settled in and around Houston TX. His last known address was 153 Rockleigh Place, Houston TX 77017-2554, where he lived with his new wife Doris Marie Willtrout Polites at 153 Rockleigh Place, Houston, TX with his step son Troy Allen Willtrout and his biological son David Wayne Smith. The older boy is Troy Allen Willtrout, born 9 December 1973, and David's biological son David Wayne Smith, born 5 February 1979, both born in Harris County Texas. The difference in David Wayne's last name comes from the fact that Doris was married to Gary G Smith at the time of Doris and David's union. Smith walked out on her after 4 years of marriage. When David Wayne was born, the hospital would not allow her to give David Wayne his true father's last name, being given Smith, the name of the missing husband. David was murdered in Cleveland, Liberty County TX, Tuesday 7 August 1979 at 7:15 PM while attempting to repossess a vehicle belonging to Tanye Lilley of North Salem Road, Box 560, near Cleveland TX . David was accompanied by another "repo" man named Randel Jules Kirchen of 3311 Ashton Place #25, Galveston TX. After a brief exchange of words, Easter shot David with a .22 caliber pistol. The killer, Eddie J Easter, 35, was living at North Salem Road, Box 560, Cleveland TX . Tanye Lilley was visting at Easter's home at the time. In an attempt to protect himself, David raised his arm to his chest. The bullet went through David's arm and into his chest. Kirchen took him to Leggett Memorial Hospital but David was dead on arrival. A radio bulletin, reported on the evening news concerning the incident, inferred that David had a criminal record. I paid two investigators to confirm or reject this allegation. Each organization stated that he had no criminal record. Possibly they were referring to the other "repo" man, Kirchen. An inquest was conducted by Justice M W Perkins and the case was handed over to the Grand Jury which met 15 August 1979. Eddie J Easter was convicted of "involuntary manslaughter" and sentenced to 10 years probation and fined $500.00 plus $85.00 court costs. The case record is #13240 kept in Volume 27, Page 205 at Liberty County Courthouse, 1923 Sam Houston, room 303, Liberty TX 77575. Telephone 936-336-4682. Easter had to pay the debt in monthly installments. He defaulted on the payments at some point, jeopardizinv his parole. When threatened with the possibility of serving the full ten years in prison, he then agreed to pay up. David's body was sent to the Harris County Coroner's office for an autopsy. Telephone 1-713-796-9297. I left a message with them on their answering machine. They never replied. The funeral service, 11 August 1979 at 3PM was held at Pat H Foley & Co, Chapel of the Garden, 1200 W 34th St, Houston TX, Reverend Jerry Baker officiating. Telephone 713- 869-6261. They were not helpful during my phone call in attempting to find Doris Marie or the children. They gave the "privacy" law as the reason for not helping. David's body was cremated at Memorial Oaks Crematory, Houston TX and his ashes were spread by his wife in his favorite park in Houston at David's previous request. --------------------------- Brothers and sister of David Allen Polites: Alexander Polites born circa 1930; possibly 1922 William F Polites, 502 W Girard St, Mount Carmel, PA 17851-1020, telephone (570) 339-5935, email address: wpolites@aol.com; Thomas Robert Donald Polites, nicknamed "Woody", born 11 January 1934 of New Jersey died 26 November 1987, SSN# 142-26-5403 NJ, in Meadowlands Hospital, Secaucus, NJ. He was married to Linda A Polites Jean Polites Zerbarini, born 3 November 1934 died 18 April 1997 last residence East Meandow Nassau County NY 11554 SSN#098-26-9872 NY; Peter Polites died of pneumonia 1956; Leroy Polites born 31 July 1946 died 4 May 1999, last residence Rutherford, NJ, SSN#085-36-6574 NY, worked for Dewland's Auto Body Shop on Route 1 & 9 in Union City NJ, died under strange circumstances at work. Rumored to have been murdered in a robbery or in revenge for an unpaid debt: David Polites born 30 June 1950 died 7 August 1979, SSN#438-80-4517 LA ------------------------- Doreen D Polites, 7089 Copperfield Circle, Lake Worth FL 33467. Telephone 561-514-8507. She is a widow of Leroy Polites, one of the brothers of David. She has never answered any letters, e-mails or telephone calls. Doris Marie "Willtrout" Gibson, born 26 August 1956, telephone at Leeland Street address is 713-574-0341; work number at the home of a "patient" is 281-997-7207. Her home address is 4304 Leeland Street, Houston TX 77023-3018. Born 26 August 1956. Doris Marie Willtrout age 17 married Gary Gene Smith (born 11 Sept 1954) age 19 on 19 June 1974. They were married for 4 1/2 years but lived together only 4 1/2 months. They were divorced in Charleston SC about 1979. David Allen Polites lived with Doris until his death in 7 August 1979. With two children to take care of, she married Elmer Rayford Gibson 18 July 1981, living at 505 Wafer Street, Pasadena TX 77506-2431. Rayford essentially raised the boys. After divorcing Gibson, she married William O Edwardson, with whom, I think, she is separated. She lived at 505 Wafer Street, Pasadena TX but now lives at 4304 Leeland Street, Houston TX 77023-3018. Doris' mother is Dorothy. I hired several online "detective" agencies, but none of them were of much use. I spent my way through these "sureshot" agents starting at $10.00s here, $20.00s there. On 12 September 2004, I hired a detective agency Customer Care at omnitrace.com and the agent's name was Karen. The cost $190.00. They were only modestly helpful, giving me names of Politeses throughout the Houston area. There are several Politeses located in the Houston area but mone of them related to David Allen or David Wayne. Of coure, since the Polites name didn't enter into the search, the whereabouts of David Wayne and Troy Allen still remained unknown to me. On 15 October 2004, I hired LocatersPlus on the internet. The fee was $375.00. A conversation with Perry Fernaldi indicated that they would be able to find the boys even if adoption records had to be consulted. Perry Fernadi, 1-866-562-2831, located in Lincoln Park NJ. PO Box 554, Lincoln Park, NJ 07035. I forwarded a biography and photograph of David. As of 15 January 2005, nothing. After 12 weeks I called them. I had already pieced together a lot of information on my own, but figured they might top off my search. I narrowed things down to the fact that Troy Allen was not David Allen's son, but David Wayne Smith was. They gave me a David Wayne Smith, born 5 February 1979 in Houston, living at the home of Julius Smith, 3706 Palmer Street, Houston TX 77004-4414. I told them I didn't think that was the David Wayne Smith I was looking for, but I would call that number. David Wayne Smith answered the phone, said he was not the son of David Allen Polites or that of Doris Marie Willtrout. I apologized for taking his time. But wasn't it interesting that this David Wayne Smith was born the same day in the same area? The total figure has to have come to $1,000.00 with little or no results. The greatest break, aside from my working seven days a week for seven months, came from two sources. They were both hobbyists and helped me greatly. But my main source was Shelle from Utah, email address: UTAHBOND@aol.com On 3 October 2004, in response to hundreds of letters I sent to Politeses throughout the country, I received an email from Linda C Polites who is the widow of one of David's brothers, Thomas. Her email address is silverbird115@aol.com and would be happy to correspond. Her note read as follows: The paraenthetical remarks are mine: "dear henry,my name is linda polites i am the wife of one polites brother.my daughter linda (Linda A Polites, 365 Stephens St, Belleville NJ, phone 973-844-9143) received a letter from you today in the mail&called me about it. david was my husbands brother.my husband (Thomas R Polites, born 11 January 1934 died 26 November 1987, North Bergen NJ resident, SS#142-26-5403, born in Atlas PA, 570-894-5404, Thomas lost both legs in a railroad accident, but worked all his life as a truck driver in spite of his disability) passed away in nov.of 1987.when david died his wife reached us by phone in north bergen ,n.j. where we lived at that time.i have 2 children a boy&a girlwho you wrote.are you a relative of the polites.if you would like to talk my phone #is 570-894-5494and my email address is silverbird115@aol.com thanking you linda c polites" Linda Polites told me that David's parents had 9 children. One, Leroy, was killed in Dewland's Auto Repair Shop in Hudson County New Jersey under strange circumstances. She also rumored that Doris may have moved to VA or WV. She did not. What a wild goose chase that turned out to be!! On 29 October 2004 I sent a request for David's Military Record to National Personnel Records Center, Military Personnel Records, 9700 Page Avenue, St Louis MO 63132-5100. The reply gave a detailed history of his activities in the service. A letter to Charles B Kirklin, The Kirklin Firm, 1100 Louisiana Street, Houston TX 77002. Mr Kirklin handled the divorce David Polites and Susan McFatter. 14 October 2004. The hope is that he may know something more. No reply as of 15 January 2005.. Linda C Polites, phone 570-894-5404, silverbird115@aol.com, David Allen's sister-in-law. Thomas Robert Donald Polites born 11 January 1934 in Atlas PA died Meadowlands Hospital, Secaucus, NJ resident of North Bergen NJ 07047 on 26 November 1987. Doreen Polites, phone 561-514-8507, is David Allen's sister-in-law and David Wayne's aunt through marriage. She was the wife of Leroy Polites, born 31 July 1946 died 4 May 1999 SS#085-36-6574 NY. No reply to any correspondence. William F Polites, phone 570-339-5935, is David Wayne's only living uncle, 502 W Girard St, Mount Carmel, PA 17851-1020, telephone (570) 339-5935, email address: wpolites@aol.com. He would be happy to hear from David Wayne. He was very helpful in providing information concerning David's parents and grand parents. Linda A Polites, daughter of Linda C Polites and cousin to David Allen Polites, phone 973-844-9143. She is David Wayne's first cousin once removed. Charlie Zerbarini, widower of David's sister, Jean Polites Zerbarini lives at 2219 Coit Road, Clearwater FL 33764; Jean born 3 November 1934 died 18 April 1997 SS#098-26-9872 NY. Died in East Meadow, Nassau County, NY 11554. No reply to letters as of 15 January 2005. ----------------------------- The significant others in the life of Doris Marie Willtrout: Gary Gene Smith age 19 (born 11 Sept 1954) married Doris Willtrout age 17 19 June 1974. They were married 4 1/2 years but lived together only briefly. He was abusive and she stayed with him about 4 1/2 months. They were divorced in Chaleston SC. David Allen Polites age 26 (born 30 June 1950) "married" Doris age 22. David Allen died 7 August 1979. Elmer Rayford Gibson, born 1953, Marriage License Number C0001028 28 years old living at 505 Wafer Street Pasadena TX 77506-2431 married Doris Marie Polites, born 1954, 24 years old living at 505 Wafer Street Pasadena TX 77506-2431 License date 17 July 1981 Marriage date 18 July 1981 Film code #464042104 071381 071381 071781 James T Neff Pastor. They divorced 30 March 1989, he being age 36, she being age 32 in Harris County. Essentially, he raised the boys over an 8 year period, the boys forming a close relationship with Rayford. David Wayne admired Rayford enough that he named his son by Martha Zambrono, Rayford Gibson Smith. William O Edwardson age 34 (born May 1959) married Doris age 37 in Harris County TX 14 February 1994. When Doris contracted cancer, he decided he didn't love her any longer and they divorced about 2002. They were married 9 years. -------------------------------- Troy Allen Willtrout, 4304 Leeland Street, Houston TX 77023-3018, phone # 832-368-9591, born 9 December 1973 in Houston Heights Hospital, Harris County Tx. Troy Allen Willtrout age 29 married Michele Lea Gerda age 33 19 July 2002 Harris County #095725. Texas licence #W0002520 Licence # W0002520 WILLTROUT TROY ALLEN Male LARGE MICHELE LEA Female 06-24-2002 07-19-2002 408232359 PASADENA TX INSTR 10215 SOUTHPORT HO TX ENTERED JO ANN DELGADO JUSTICE OF PEACE 07-23-2002 Has a live-in girl. Separated. David Wayne Smith, phone 713-947-7460, Address 1409 Avenue N, South Houston TX 77587-5126, graduated Pasadena High School 1997, works installing swimming pools for a company owned by Martha Alicia Zambrano's father in Harris County TX. They live with his "in-laws" in the same house. David was born 20 September 1977 at Jefferson Davis Hospital in Houston, Harris County TX; height 6' or 6' 4". Marriage #113077 SMITH,DAVID W 21 BALL,DEBORAH A 21 9/5/1998 HARRIS. He has a daughter 5 years of age, Ivy Fairlane Smith. Divorce #028717 SMITH DAVID W 23 DEBORAH A 23 01 child 09/05/1998 03/30/2001 101 HARRIS. Martha Alicia Zambrano, born 5 March 1984, Chicago IL, moved to Houston 1990. She has two older brothers and two older sisters. She is 5'3" tall, 150 pounds, dark brown hair and eyes, tan skin, attended South Houston High School to the 10th grade. Suffered anxiety attacks after 9/11 and was hospitalizxed for a time. She is diabetic with a low immune system. They met at a Club called Numbers where Punk Rockers, Rockabillys, Skaters and 80's fans meet. Martha met David Wayne 24 August 2003 and have remained together since. Martha loves swimming, dancing and cooking. David Wayne now has a son, Rayford Gibson Smith, by his new significant other, Martha Alicia Zambrano. Rayford was born 12 January 2005 at 5:13 PM, weight 7 pounds. He has green eyes and black hair. David Wayne is said to look very much like David Allen Polites, only a few inches taller. Like his father, he has had a tough time adjusting to life in general. His father straightened out early in life. I think the same is true of David Wayne. Notes: Sam Houston Library, Liberty TX 936-336-8821, have accounts of David's death on radio tape and in a newspaper article. They were very helpful in looking up information about David. County Clerk, Liberty County Courthouse at 936-336-4682 provided Grand Jury proceedings and arrest record. An autopsy report may be obtained from Harris County TX. Phone County courthouse 713-755-5000. Liberty County Court House 936-336-4682, provided newspaper articles. Harris County Coroner's Office 713-796-9297 Sam Houston Library 936-336-8821 Harris County Office 713-755-5000. ----------------------------- Conversation with William F Polites on 31 December 2004: Mary Polites' father and mother Frank Domolevich and Emelie "Minnie" Domolevich. Her brother was John died 1992 and her sister Emelie. Alexander is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Jersey City NJ and Mary's body was cremated. They probably married 1929. The children of Alexander Polites and Mary Polites were Alexander born 1930?; William F born 1931; Thomas born 1934; Jean born 1934; Peter died 1956? of pneumonia; Leroy born 1946; David born 1950. -------------------------------------- Atlas PA: across the viaduct from Mt. Carmel on Route 61; Also known as "Exchange" because trains exchanged their cars in the area Natalie : on Rte. 54 between Atlas and Elysburg, at the top of the Natalie Mountain. "I am and always be from this little patch of Natalie". Reynolds : south of Tamaqua. Has about 15 houses. Located about a half mile south of Clamtown on the old Atlas road. The Atlas Powder Company used to manufacture dynamite at the end of this road. Strong : on Route 61, between Atlas and Kulpmont ---------- WILLIAM F.POLITES - 07/05/99 02:08:37 My Email:WPOLITES@aol.com Comments: I am so happy I found this site it made me feel so good!! I was born in atlas 1931,left in 1938 I am going to move back soon,thankyou for the good feeling Bill polites ------------------- A letter received from Mary Tloczynski, Rayford's great-great grand aunt: living at 333 E 4th St, Mount Carmel, PA 17851-2305. Feb 10, 2005 Dear Mr Sundvik, I received your letter and I'm sorry to hear of your great loss. But God gives and God takes. I'm sure you found great comfort in your young grand son at that time and now a new great grandson. You truly are blessed. I'll start with Aunt Helen's parents. They came from Poland. Joseph Tloczynski and Pauline Kuchanski (Kuharski). I don't know when they were born, but Grandmom Pauline died in 1935 at the age of 87 years and Grandpop died 38 years earlier. So, I'd say Grandmom was born 1848. They had 6 children. "John" was born in 1883 and died 1948. He served in the 1st World War. He married but only had 2 step children., "Helen" died in 1949 and I assume you know she had 7 sons from her 1st husband and another son and finally a daughter with her 2nd husband Louis Dallago. "Clara" was born in 1890 and died in 1973. She married John Yannish (Yarish?). They were childless. "Stephen", my father, was born in 1891 and died 1960. He married Annie Broda and they had 7 children. Three of my brothers passed on and one remains and I also have two older sisters. I'll be 80 years old in May. "Agnes" died in 1940 at the age of 46, assuming she was born in 1894. She married Andrew Washko and they had two sons, One passed away and the other lives in Mount Carmel PA. "Walter" was born 28 Jan 1896 and died in Sep 1975, SSN# 181-01-3857. He married Anna Adams born 31 May 1896 and died Dec 1987 SSN# 171-50-3614. They had four children, all living. "Helen" is buried in St Peters Cemetery in Merriam PA. "Walter", they moved to Croydon PA so he is buried out there. "Clara" is buried in Our Mother of Consolation Cemetery, Merriam (but internet says Mount Carmel PA) "John, Agnes and Stephen are all buried in St Joseph's. Grandmom Pauline is buried with Agnes, Stephen and my mother in our family plot. Proably my Grandpop is in St Joseph's. I hope this will fill in soime gaps. If you want to know more about Aunt Helken's family, I'll be glad to help. I'm glad you wrote me. Always, Mary -------------------------------------------- Children of Walter, Agnes, Stephen Helen & John? ? JOHN TLOCZYNSKI 06 Feb 1929 Dec 1975 162-28-6878 PA ? MARY L TLOCZYNSKI 12 Feb 1928 23 Sep 2003 Mt Carmel 168-24-9253 Pa ? T M TLOCZYNSKI 19 Aug 1930 Dec 1990 184-24-3278 PA ? NORBERT J TLOCZYNSKI 28 Dec 1929 24 Jan 1994 Trenton, NJ 185-22-0599 Pa ? ANNA TLOCZYNSKI 25 Dec 1901 Nov 1979 Bristol PA 198-10-9058 Pa ---------------------------- Photo: http://www.usgwarchives.net/nj/bergen/bios/polites-da.jpg This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/njfiles/ File size: 42.6 Kb