Leon P. Granacki Family Collection
Collection Items
- 1963 Vacation Hartmanns
- 1965-02 Us Guys Out In The Snow
- 1965 Easter Sunday, Doreen, Spring Fishing, Memorial Day
- 1965 Lake, Ladies Briefly At End
- 1965 Swimming, St.Louis
- 1965 Vicki Graduation, Miniature Golf, Channel Lake
- 1966 Minnesota, Big Snow
- 1966 St. Louis, Zoo
- Long Lake
- Squaw Lake
- St. Louis
- Vacation at Harolds + Grandma
Acquired as part of the Not-So-Ordinary project, an initiative to preserve home movies from Polish Chicago.
Leon P. Granacki was born in 1915 in Racine, Wisconsin and died in 1993 in Chicago, Illinois. He married Myrtle Meyer Granacki (b. 1925 Wabasha MN; d. 1989 Chicago IL) at St. Sabina Church, Chicago, IL in 1994. They had three children: Victoria Ann Granacki, James Leon Granacki, and Paul Allen Granacki. Leon and Myrtle are buried together at St. Adalbert Cemetery, Niles IL.
Leon’s parents, Joseph and Victoria Fieczko Granacki were Polish immigrants in 1900. Leon spent his childhood on a farm in Pulaski Wisconsin where he attended St. Mary’s Catholic School. The family moved to 1712 N. Washtenaw Ave. in Chicago in 1929 and were members of St. Fidelis parish. Leon graduated from Lane Technical High School in 1933, pursuing a career in commercial art.
He was drafted into the Illinois National Guard 33rd Division in April 1941 and served until his discharge from Fort Sheridan June 13, 1945. He rose from the rank of private to Master Sergeant working as a mapmaker in the Intelligence Section in the South Pacific. He designed the shoulder patch for the Americal Division, the US Army’s only named division – taken from Americans in New Caledonia.
After his discharge he returned to his position as an advertising and display manager for Petersen’s Furniture Company and then Polk Brothers. He and his family moved to a three-flat at 3736 N. Keeler Ave. in the Old Irving Park neighborhood of Chicago in 1953 and resided there for 40 years. His sister’s family, John and Joy Rojewski lived on the second floor and his parents, Joseph and Victoria Granacki lived on the third floor. Leon was active in St. Viator Parish Holy Name Society, ran the Boy Scouts Pancake Breakfast, and did sketches of neighborhood houses for the Old Irving Park Association. He painted watercolor nature scenes and sold paintings at local art fairs.