Monthly Archives: April 2013

111 years ago today… #89

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REMEMBERING MY GRANDFATHER

My paternal Grandfather, Dr. Kusztos Denes was born 111 years ago today, on April 28, 1902 in a small village, called Kibed, in Erdely, Magyarorszag (Transylvania, Hungary), part of Romania since 1921. He was the last, the  32nd child of his family and grew up in an orphanage. He graduated as a teacher and protestant minister in Nagyenyed. He studied  law and theology at the University of Kolozsvar (Cluj-Napoca). He worked as a teacher and protestant priest in various small villages in Erdely and founded a school, a rectory and a community center for the Hungarian minority in an area that became overpopulated by Romanians. He was a talented musician, well known conductor and played the organ, piano and violin.

He moved with his wife, Eszter and two children, Denes and Judit to Hungary in 1941, before Erdely again became part of Romania after WW II. He taught languages in various schools in Debrecen and then Budapest until his retirement. He spoke several languages, including Hungarian, Romanian, Russian, Polish, German, Esperanto and English. He died at the age of 82 after a long and prosperous life serving his country in a tragic historic period of Hungary.

I made the above Conte crayon drawing of him about ten years ago from memory and based on some photographs. On this drawing he was about 80 years old, still vigorous, full of life and energy.  We were very close and I cherish a lot of memories about him. My Grandfather lives in my heart…

Capitol Spring 2 Aphorisms #88

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“It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.”

“In general, the art of government  consists of taking as much money as possible from one class of citizens to give to another.”

“History supplies little beyond a list of those who had accommodated themselves with the property of others.”

VOLTAIRE

Capitol Spring Aphorism #85

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“Man is not made for the State but the State for man and it derives its just powers only from the consent of the governed.”

THOMAS JEFFERSON

It had been a beautiful day walking around the Capitol and enjoying the fresh colors of blooming trees, the brisk wind and the bright sky, all gifts of this wonderful Spring. I wish our politicians would also renew their commitment to the public good and remember what Thomas Jefferson said quoted above.