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Tom Zeleles was born April 23, 1931 at Montcoal, W.,Va. The son of Chris and Rosa Antonaros Zeleles. The family moved to New Boston, Ohio in 1943 after the death of Chris Zeleles. Rosa's only relative, a sister, lived in New Boston so the family moved to be close to each other. Tom went to Glenwood High School in New Boston. He didn't graduate but enlisted in the army in 1949. He was taking tests to receive his GED while stationed at Fort Bening, Ga. Tom was a soft spoken very quiet person. He was easy going and kind to all, and never spoke badly of anyone. His favorite thing was spending time with his big brother Leroy and working on cars and motorcycles. When he wasn't doing that he was generally hanging out with friends. He was really looking forward to buying a motorcycle when he got out of the army. He was very concerned about his mother. Every letter he sent her money and told her not to worry about him. Rosa had been widowed for many years so he wanted to be sure she had money for her needs. He never missed a month in not sending her money. He was most comfortable with friends and family. He was killed in action Sept. 1, 1950. His body was returned on June 23, 1951 (a long time between death and return). He is buried next to his mother in Wheelsburg, Ohio. Chris and Rosa Antonaros Zeleles were Greek. They immigrated to the U. S. sometime around 1920. They did not arrive in the U.S at the same time. They never knew each other in Greece but met in West Virginia through Rosa's sister. Chris and Rosa were married in West Virginia The children of Chris and Rose never knew their grandparents as they lived in Tenedos, Greece and died a relative young age. Chris Zeleles born Dec. 25, l887 at Tenedos, Turkey an island on the Dardenelles near Turkey. It was Greek owned but later in wars captured by Turkey. His children never knew anything about his family as they lived in Tenedos and died before they were born possibly war related deaths. The children never knew their names. Chris Zeleles owned a restaurant in Bell, West Virginia but lost it during the Depression and took a job mining coal for the rest of his life. He was a fun loving man and a great story teller favoring stories of Greek mythology. Chris Zeleles died April 7, 1942 and is buried in a cemetery in Birchton, West Virginia. Rosa Antonaros was born Sept. 17, 1896 in Tenedos, and died Sept. 26, 1970 at New Boston, Ohio and is buried at Memorial Burial Park in Wheelersburg, Ohio. Her father, Aristos Antonaros, died when she was a young girl. Her mother, Bertha Antonaros, remained in Tenedos and died in 1944. Rosa was a homemaker, but worked outside of home for a short while at a commercial pie factory. Contributed by Tom's sister, Ida Aho |
