Eastlake Celebrates Its Seniors--Julia Bediant, March 2010

Julia Hada was born November 22, 1917, in Campbell, Ohio to Frank and Julia (Lakatos) Hada. She had three brothers and one sister, and grew up in a neighborhood full of boys. She was a typical tomboy, or what she called a “blue-jean girl.”

Her family supported her in all that she did. She learned to drive the family Model-A car at the age of 13. This was very helpful to her mother who never learned to drive.

Her father lost his job and a family friend recommended they move to Painesville, where he found work for the railroad.

Julia attended Harvey High School and graduated from there in 1935. At 5’6” she played on its basketball team. Even more interesting is the fact that Julia played a mean game of baseball. She played on a county league in the positions of first base or shortstop. She was so successful that she was invited to try out for the girls All American League Baseball team, but ties to home caused her to decline.

Julia was one of the first women in Northeast Ohio to work for Standard Oil (Sohio). She was a gas station attendant in Painesville. She pumped gas, checked oil, washed windshields and could even repair a flat tire. As the boys came home from the war Julia started bookkeeping duties. One of those boys was named Clayton Wright Bediant. He began working at the service station as a mechanic. Love took its course and the couple was married at the Painesville Congregational Church, July 19, 1952.

Both sides of Julia’s family were of Hungarian descent. She misses the old fashioned way of Hungarian cooking and how it tastes, especially Chicken Paprikash, Balish and nut and poppy seed rolls.

Their home had been located right where the Fairport exit ramp off of Route 2 is today. The family was displaced when the property was needed to build the freeway. This is how they came to live on Sylvia Drive in 1960.

Clayton and Julia had two children: Mrs. Janet Wolf, who currently resides with and cares for her mother, and son Clayton Bediant. One of the fun things about living on Sylvia was the location of the elementary school called George Washington. Because of the school’s proximity to the home the children were able to come home for lunch. This is a practice the school system has done away with. Once a year the family would have the children’s classes come to their home for a special activity – taffy pulling, picnic on the lawn, churning butter, etc. Mrs. Bediant was very active in helping to set up the school library. At age 55, Julia Bediant began driving a school bus. She did this up until her middle 60s.

The family was very big into camping and fishing. Every summer they seemed to go somewhere. Pymatuning was one of their favorite spots. They also enjoyed taking in the Sportsman Show held in the convention center in down town Cleveland.

Julia was asked how she spent Easter. As a young girl she and two other friends would attend each other’s church for Sunrise Services. They were able to make it to all three. They did this quite successfully for a number of years. Ladies always wore dresses to church accompanied by a hat on their head. At Easter they would wear a corsage made of orchids. For a girl, wearing pants to church was never even thought of, let alone wearing jeans.

This article is brought to you by the Eastlake Historical Society. If you are or know of someone who is 80 years old or older, and have lived in Eastlake for at least 50 years, please contact us through Eastlake City Hall, 35150 Lakeshore Blvd.

EASTLAKE CELEBRATES ITS SENIORS