NAUJIENOS
The Lithuanian Daily News
Published by The Lithuanian News Publishing Co…
1739 So. Halsted St., Chicago 8, Ill.
Chicago, Ill. Sestadienis, Rugsejo – September 20 d., 1958 m.

Translated from Lithuanian to English by Alfred and Jonas Deckys

 

Laid to rest, a quiet and wise Countryman.

In Chicago, at the end of August, 1958, Jonas Deckys (Detzkies) was laid to rest. Jonas was a well known Lithuanian businessman, born in the Klaipeda area of Lithuania, in the village of Gedmina and the district of Dovilu. The old surname Detzkies was very well known in the surrounding areas. You would often meet farmers with this same last name. On the side of the Minijos River where Jonas was born, the village was called Deckiais. Jonas’ relatives considered themselves loyal and decent Lithuanians.  His close relative, Martin Reizgys and family were well known in the Klaipeda district.

Jonas’s father, Martin, was a farmer with a great sense of humor and good nature. The villagers nicknamed him Deckeliu.  Martin was a delightful storyteller and at almost every occasion he knew just the right and appropriate words to say and he enjoyed telling happy stories. Martin often remarked that his youth was a much more joyous and energetic time. He reminised about having a good time at the summer evening village gatherings.  He could often be seen returning home during sunrise and, without sleep, he would gather his tools and go directly into the fields to work. Martin attended his beehives often without wearing any protective garments. His only concern was his tobacco pipe. In his later years, religious women in his village tried to persuade him to abandon smoking his tobacco pipe, but Detzkies was too used to this habit. Smoking was considered by Lithuanians as an indecent habit brought to them by foreigners.

Jonas displayed artistic and musical talents which he inherited from his parents. While living at home he taught himself how to play the violin. During religious gatherings, he often played the organ and led the congregation in singing.

From farmer to successful wealthy businessman.

Working on the land, the farming life for Jonas Detzkies seemed to be too easy and too boring. Planting crops in the spring and then waiting till harvest time, wasn’t challenging enough for him. Besides, at the farm there was not much incentive and not much new you could learn. He was not satisfied with his farm life and thought that he probably would do better as a businessman.

One season after planting crops for his parent’s, Jonas and his younger brother, with the help of experienced and knowledgeable village men, built a wind mill. He foresaw an opportunity to provide rural farmers a way to grinding grain. But one night there was a great storm with high winds and the wind mill was destroyed. Jonas did not pursue nor have the aspiration to rebuild the windmill. His thoughts now elaborated further away from the village boundaries as he envisioned greater goals. After a while, he purchased a motorcycle which was very uncommon in those years especially for farmers. He started to develop an interest in pursuing city life. Jonas, along with his brother Michael, inherited his parent’s farm. Shortly thereafter they sold the farm and with his brother he moved to the city of Klaipeda. There they pursued furthering their education, learning about the business trade.

The brothers purchased a commercial automobile. Then in 1915 (1st World War) in the month of March, Russians invaded the Klaipeda region for 5 days. Jonas and Michael Detzkies ended up in Russian hands and together with their car they were deported to Siberia. During this time 458 people were deported from Klaipeda. At the end of WWI, after 4 years, the two brothers returned from Siberia back to Klaipeda.

Having returned from Siberia, Jonas and his brother started working in Klaipeda as knitting machinery agents. A little later, Jonas met and married Ona Milasiute of Kretinga. Together they started their own knitting and clothing company which was named Detzkies Kojinu Fabrikas. Ona had experience in knitting sweaters and working with knitting machinery. Work was successful. But, Jonas was not content with this.

In 1923, Klaipeda was annexed to Lithuania, and Klaipeda began to change for the better and so did Jonas’ business life.

Jonas Detzkies was extremely successful in his business. He constantly explored new ventures and did not let a moment go by. He decided to switch his business to the more expensive venture of manufacturing women’s stockings and hosiery. The nearest company involved in this type of manufacturing was a large company in Kaunas. Later, another manufacturing company was built in Siauliose. To create this type of company in Klaipeda required taking a big financial risk.

Of course the first steps were not easy. One stocking hosiery machine (valued in Lithuanian 1930 currency) cost close to one hundred thousand litas. Several machines were required to run the factory at full production. During the depression (around 1932), Jonas was quick to organize, negotiate, and get an extension on his payments from the equipment companies. He was under pressure but managed almost always to fulfill all sales orders. Because of the investment in the machinery and the good hosiery sales the company was able to continue making payments to the bank. The factory flourished in capital value. Toward the end of the depression, at times, orders could not be fulfilled quickly enough. Detzkies store agents sold merchandise in Klaipeda and the surrounding Zemaitijos region city stores. Deckys (Detzkies) stockings often were a few cents less than those of other merchants. For Jonas, it was important to have a turnover and make sales.

The wealthy hosiery merchants did not like this. They made him a very substantial offer to buy his business and sell his factory. Jonas did not accept the buyout. He felt that he had climbed over mountains and had overcome big obstacles to get where he was.

Nazis take over (confiscate) the factory.

The confiscation of the factory was an obstacle that Jonas could not overcome. In 1939, Nazi’s occupied the Klaipeda region, the factory like the rest of Lithuania’s enterprise was expropriated and the Detzkies family was exiled to Western Pomeranija. (Now Western Poland). Only Ona, his wife, occasionally returned to the factory to bring back goods for survival. During this time Jonas Detzkies was ordered to register for work in the village. For Jonas it meant returning to the rural life he experienced during his youth and start life anew. He did not have the energy to do this.

Just before the Nazis took over the factory all the company loans of approximately four hundred thousand Reichsmarks were paid off.  Arrangements were made to receive supplies and materials for the planned factory expansions all of which was prepaid in the amount of approximately fifty thousand Reichsmark. Converting it to Lithuanian currency, this would amount to one million and eighty thousand litas. Thus ended approximately 14 fruitful years for Jonas businesses.

It was possible in Lithuania to become a millionaire in a short time by knowing your business, expanding your business at the right moment, planning, organizing and taking calculated risk.

In his private life Jonas Detzkies was a quiet supporter of

Lithuanian workers. He was not boastful. He avoided and disliked business gatherings. He often did everything by himself. He helped his immediate family, relatives, his workers and country.

From the great wealth that he built, which the Nazis confiscated during the war, Jonas Detzkies did not receive any compensation. Arriving in this country (USA) he worked for a while in menial jobs. His heath started to deteriote and on August 27, 1958, after an illness he passed away. He left behind his grieving wife, two daughters, four sons, two son in laws, and other relatives and friends.

J. P-tis