Author: Brian Dries

October is not only the season of witches and ghosts, but also the finale of baseball, with the World Series starting on October 25th.  That’s why we thought it was a good month to introduce Mrs. Mary Johnson, who was the first female African American Little League Coach in Philadelphia.  Mary was born in Virginia to Blanche and Lynch Braxton.   When she was twelve, the family moved to Philadelphia. Mary was introduced to her future husband, John, by Evelyn Adams, the mother of our September Resident of the Month, Stanford, who lived in the same apartment building. They were married in John’s brother’s house in 1954, and together raised two sons, Calvin and Norman.  The men in the family were all into sports, and it was the love of baseball that led her two sons and their friends on Chancellor Street to plead with “Miss Mary” to start up a team.  This led to the birth of the Tigers, which she coached and managed from 1964 to 1971.  Of his mother’s coaching style, Calvin said, “She freelanced.  She could hit the ball and she had the respect of the boys.” In 1965, “Miss Mary” started the Tigers basketball team at the 52nd Street Y.  Mary’s son, Norman, shared that both he and Calvin went on to coach teams themselves, and have won several championship trophies between them.  Mary’s words of advice:  “Have respect, both for yourself and for others.”  

Ms. Hariklia “Lula” Bouikidis was one of two children born in the small mountain village of Tsotili, Greece to her parents Helen, a seamstress and Christos, a taxi driver.  Miss Lula picked up a love of cooking as a child while listening to her mother’s customer’s trading recipes.  She would “butt in” (in Miss Lula’s words) in order to write down the recipes so she could practice them for the family meals.  Miss Lula came to America at 16 after marrying her husband Paul, who was Greek American. They had two daughters together, Effie & Christina.  Miss Lula initially worked as a seamstress in a factory, but kept up her passion of cooking, making meals for her friends and neighbors.  Eventually her husband said, “Do you know what you’ve done?  You’ve started a business!” Miss Lula opened her restaurant Effie’s, named after her daughter, 27 years ago in Washington Square.  Miss Lula is known for her Greek specialties, including lamb shanks and whole Branzino.  Miss Lula’s words of advice are “Have faith in yourself.  Don’t give up in fighting for what is in your heart or in your dreams”. 

Mr. Stanford Adams was born in Clinton, South Carolina, to Samuel and Evelyn Adams.  Stanford’s father was in the military and they moved north to Philadelphia when he was sent to Korea during the war.  After Mr. Adams returned, Stanford’s parents had four more children before  Stanford’s mother passed when he was seven, and his father remarried.  Stanford says that he and his siblings never referred to his stepmother, Marietta, as anything but “Mom” because that’s what she was to them.  The family lived at 51st and Ogden, but in the summer “went home” to his grandparents’ farm in South Carolina.  

Stanford says that back then the people down South were friendlier and more open than up North. “The ones that didn’t like you, you knew it. The ones that did like you, you knew that, too.”  He met his wife Lisa, the sister of his friend, and told the friend, “I’m in love.”  Stanford says that he chased her until she let him catch her, and that they had 48 great years together.  Stanford first worked in construction, then for SEPTA, doing everything from laying track to driving trolleys.  He was working in construction again, turning warehouses into apartments, when he retired following a back injury. Stanford’s words of advice to young people: 

“Stay in school!  I don’t want you to have to work outside in the winter cold and the summer heat like I did!” 

Mr. Lebert Tapper was born in Spanish Town, Jamaica.  When asked about his name, he said that his parents, Hubert and Emma, created the name, combining “Lee” and “Albert.”  Mr. Tapper shared that the family was very poor, eking out a day-to-day living.  His mother died when he was young and his father had difficulty finding gainful employment.   

Mr. Tapper’s first job was herding goats after school, taking them from one field to another through the city streets.  The goats knew him and would run towards him while excitedly bleating in greeting. They also knew their way home by heart, taking every turn until arriving at their destination.  Mr. Tapper followed his wife to the U.S. in the 1980s when he was in his 40s, saying, “In America it easier to find a job than in Jamaica.  Here there is a chance to become rich through work.”  

After retiring, he enjoyed traveling to England and his adopted city of Philadelphia. For anyone planning a trip to Jamaica, he highly recommends visiting the cities of Kingston and Spanish Town and sampling the traditional Jamaican meal of curried goat with rice and peas.