  Dclement Member Username: Dclement Post Number: 2 Registered: 02-2009 |
Does anyone remember Stella of Greek Town? | |||
Davemarc Member Username: Davemarc Post Number: 156 Registered: 06-2008 |
Sure do,my dad was at 1300 beaubian,so we spent some time in greektown.She was allowed to use the ladies room in the basement of the station,to "freshen up".She had two sons,One was a doctor and one was a lawyer.They would pick her up and take her someplace and she would be back in a week.Dave | |||
Detroitchef Member Username: Detroitchef Post Number: 61 Registered: 09-2008 |
Was this the lady we called 'Sarge' who almost always wore a flowered dress of some sort, with a US Army Field Jacket over it? | |||
Dclement Member Username: Dclement Post Number: 3 Registered: 02-2009 |
That's the one! I am not really sure where the story came about with the 2 son's but I have heard it before. She had 3 sons- one worked road construction and 2 worked at the auto plants. Someone posted a picture of her a while back and i wanted to know if they had anymore photo's. | |||
Maof2 Member Username: Maof2 Post Number: 1364 Registered: 06-2008 |
i remember her. is she still "around"? | |||
Dclement Member Username: Dclement Post Number: 6 Registered: 02-2009 |
I am not really sure what happened to her when the casino's came to town I heard she ended up in a nursing home. | |||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 3860 Registered: 01-2005 |
Okay. One more time.  | |||
Detroitej72 Member Username: Detroitej72 Post Number: 1161 Registered: 05-2006 |
I remember in the mid-80's, the DPD gave her some sort of community medal for keeping the buildings 'in line' in Greektown. Many of the restaraunts used to give her food and shelter on cold days. I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that she died a few years back. | |||
Dclement Member Username: Dclement Post Number: 7 Registered: 02-2009 |
That is a great picture-have anymore? | |||
Dclement Member Username: Dclement Post Number: 8 Registered: 02-2009 |
Does anyone know what nursing home she was in? I tried to get some information on her death but could not locate anything. | |||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 3864 Registered: 01-2005 |
Only photo I have access to, Dclement. I'd bet the guys in DPD Central Photo prolly have a few, but I've lost contact over recent years. | |||
Davemarc Member Username: Davemarc Post Number: 157 Registered: 06-2008 |
Ray,Thats where dad worked for close to 10 years. | |||
Jfk Member Username: Jfk Post Number: 6 Registered: 03-2008 |
Found this on the web  | |||
Dannyv Member Username: Dannyv Post Number: 537 Registered: 08-2007 |
I worked at Detroit General Hospital from '70-'76 when it was on St. Antoine, a block over from Greektown. I spent my lunch hour in Greektown, mostly at the Macedonia Club. Stella passed through most of the establishments in Greektown. At this time, Stella wore a nurses' uniform. The picture of Stella on this thread came much later as Stella looks much older and a bit rough. The thing about Stella that I guess most people are leaving out is that she would get into arguments with phantoms who were not visible and shout at them. I don't recall her episodes ever involving other people but it's possible. I wondered what happened to Stella too and I'm sure she was taken care of just as she was in Greektown. | |||
Detroitchef Member Username: Detroitchef Post Number: 68 Registered: 09-2008 |
Those are my memories of Stella. I was cooking at the Whitney and we spent a lot of time at the Bouzoki in our off hours, used to eat at Blue Nile for lunch all the time before Trappers closed. Stella'd be out on the sidewalk, shouting at the lightposts and cadging free food from the storekeepers and sare change from the fudgies. I never saw her get violent, but sometimes the Greektown workers told me, she'd fight them if they were trying to get her in from out of the rain and snow. Most of the cops seemed to look out for her too, and anyone who gave her a hard time usually got the old 'what for' There was another street guy, Johnny One Eye that sticks in my memory also. He was a white guy, about 6'3 and built, with crazy frizzy hair and beard and a glass eye that rolled around in his head. Not all there upstairs, he'd had some kind of head trauma and later on progressed from drinking to crack, but he was gentle and kind of sad at the time. Always trying to clean windshields on Monroe. And the 'barking guy' who used to patrol Woodward by the MAjestic. He'd growl like a dog at passing Whites, bark and snap at them and when he was behind them, toss little pebbles and chunks of rock at their heads. The nicer they were dressed, the crazier he'd get. That's the thing I hope Engler rots in hell for, closing all the mental care hospitals and tossing all those folks out on the street, dependant on outpatient medication through the UHC. | |||
Bobl Member Username: Bobl Post Number: 454 Registered: 07-2008 |
I remember Stella, and her "conversations" well. Is Jim, the photographer who took five dollar Polaroids of tourists and bar patrons in the late 80s through early 2000s in the Greektown/Bricktown area still around? | |||
Reddog289 Member Username: Reddog289 Post Number: 889 Registered: 08-2007 |
I remember that lady "Screeming Stella" she freaked me out as a kid. I always remember her by the parking garage at Monroe & St Antoine. Kinda miss her now. | |||
Sumas Member Username: Sumas Post Number: 666 Registered: 01-2008 |
I do not have a personal connection to Stella. However, my sister worked at the Blue Cross White House and would park for free near the building. Stella had a home away from home in a nearby bus stop. She would harass my sister coming and going to work. | |||
Lferg Member Username: Lferg Post Number: 59 Registered: 07-2008 |
Quote: "Is Jim, the photographer who took five dollar Polaroids of tourists and bar patrons in the late 80s through early 2000s in the Greektown/Bricktown area still around" I knew a guy who would take polaroids around Greektown/Bricktown, but I think his name was Kenny. I still have a few of those pictures somewhere. I also remember Stella. The story I heard was the Greektown merchants had taken up a collection to move her into her own place and she refused. | |||
Bobl Member Username: Bobl Post Number: 457 Registered: 07-2008 |
L: Yes. It was not Jim, but Kenny. Been a few years since I've seen him, but we don't go to Greektown/Bricktown much in the evenings since the Casino eroded the vibe there. It would be interesting to see all of the photos he took through the years. Nice guy. | |||
Lferg Member Username: Lferg Post Number: 60 Registered: 07-2008 |
Kenny was a nice guy. I miss Bricktown, I had a lot of fun working down there. | |||
Macknwarren Member Username: Macknwarren Post Number: 119 Registered: 10-2007 |
I once walked into that great old Greektown restaurant, the International (1), with a female friend. She went to use the small restroom, and quickly returned, with a strange look on her face. "There's an old woman sleeping on the toilet," she said. It was Stella. I also saw Stella once throw her always-present billy club at a person on Monroe Street. (1) The owner of the International is one of the people in the above photo. He's the shorter man standing, with glasses. I think his name was Steve, and i believe he was from Cyprus. Very nice guy who ran a cool, diner-style restaurant. | |||
Cambrian Member Username: Cambrian Post Number: 1984 Registered: 08-2006 |
I remember Stella, nice pic of her Ray. It is nice to hear she was taken care of and so adored by those in the community. I also recall the weird guy with long white hair from the same time period in Royal Oak / Southfield area who would would walk the streets with a beet red face having an argument with some unknown person. | |||
Bobl Member Username: Bobl Post Number: 460 Registered: 07-2008 |
L: Where did you work? I especially miss the live music at Detroiter, Loco, and Music Menu. I once saw Stella argue with an invisible offender who had littered. She appeared to be winning the argument. | |||
Eastsideal Member Username: Eastsideal Post Number: 265 Registered: 10-2007 |
I remember the "nurse era" Stella from my high school and post-high school years downtown. I used to stop in at International a lot in those days, and Stella seemed to be always "guarding" the door, or very determinedly walking off somewhere important. Even in the coldest weather she was out in her nurse uniform. She often seemed to have a smile and something unintelligible to say to our little know of dorky teenage boys. I would also see her later at night hanging around the Athens Bar (in the glory days of legal 18 year-old drinking). Still miss that soup at International on every cold day. | |||
Kathinozarks Member Username: Kathinozarks Post Number: 1861 Registered: 11-2006 |
Ray, I copied your photo of Stella and emailed it to myself for safekeeping in a folder. Is that ok, or do I have to pay you for it? Did you take the picture? Great shot. It really is a lovely old face. Just lovely. | |||
Ahartz Member Username: Ahartz Post Number: 33 Registered: 04-2007 |
Hey Debbie...I work with your relative Beth. I showed her your post. She says hello....andy | |||
Birdie Member Username: Birdie Post Number: 114 Registered: 04-2007 |
i remember stella from when we would go to greektown when i was a little girl! that's a great photo. | |||
Lferg Member Username: Lferg Post Number: 61 Registered: 07-2008 |
Bobl - sorry it took so long to respond, I missed your post. I used to bartend at the Detroiter in 93. We had live music on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights and John would rotate between Steve Gornall, Robert Noll, Mimi and the Snakes, and I forget the other band, but the lead singer was named James. All the bands were great, but Steve Gornall was my favorite. | |||
Bobl Member Username: Bobl Post Number: 514 Registered: 07-2008 |
L: Those were good times at the Detroiter. I miss Mimi. The forgotten band is stumping me, maybe James Wailin'? A little help, RJ? I agree that Steve Gornall always gave a good show. | |||
Lferg Member Username: Lferg Post Number: 62 Registered: 07-2008 |
Nope, not James Wailin. James was there on Wednesday nights and once a month or so on weekends. He wasn't as well known as the rest of the bands. There were three guys, all were AA, and they did a mean version of Little Wing. | |||
Lferg Member Username: Lferg Post Number: 63 Registered: 07-2008 |
BTW, is that Jimmy at Plaka's in the picture JKF posted? | |||
Bobl Member Username: Bobl Post Number: 521 Registered: 07-2008 |
L: With help from Mike Boulan at No Cover Productions...was James Glass & Get To The Gettin' Band the one you were thinking of? They played often at the Detroiter. | |||
Lferg Member Username: Lferg Post Number: 64 Registered: 07-2008 |
Yep - that was them, thanks Bob! | |||
Alexander72 Member Username: Alexander72 Post Number: 2 Registered: 02-2009 |
I operated a plant store in gREEKTOWN FOR 27 YEARS ,UNTILL THE sAULT sTE. mARIE TRIBE OF cHIPPEWA iNDIANS DROP KICKED ME OUT IN THE STREET FOR THIER CASINO. Got that off my chest! Having said that, I know Stella real good .I got tons of photos. When I figure out how to put them on this site ,I will. Stella...Queen Stella,claimed that she was married to King George,and that her sons were being held hostage some where upstairs in Greektown.This was to keep them from claiming thier rights to the throne.Back in the late 70's I remember The younger kids that spoke her language,would tease her ,faking the voices of her sons calling her. When she was hollering on the streets ,It was usually at her sons ,or the people she thought were holding them captive. I was told she used to work in Greektown before she lost it. Oh yeah , By her ...all red heads are Prostitutes. Every single merchant in Greektown looked after Stella. When ever she ate,she would pay for it with a quarter. Sometimes she would fall asleep in the plant shop and I would close up not aware that she spent the night .She was O.K. she took care till someone let her out the next day. She would usually spend the night in one of the resturants,or asleep in one of the doorways regardless of weather. We were friends all those years ,but I must admit, she had on occations come after me with her night stick. The last time I saw her,she was in PlaKA ,the Coney Island and she had a major nose bleed. EMS came got her and no one went to sign her out .They put her in a home. Next time I'm in Greektown I'll ask Nick if she's still alive. I was told that she started speaking englishat her new place. By me she is or was good people.
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stella