I am Diana Kaskabas (Red Shirt) my father Demetrios Paxinos, Liris, and my mother was Lorna Paxinos,(Crossingham).
Great grandfather Demetrios Paxinos, Liris
left Lefki Ithaca around 1879-1880 and married Nicoletta from Anogi they had two sons:
EfStathios Paxinos Liris
bone 11/01/1881
died Monday 9.45pm 27.2.1978
Kemnos Paxinos Liris
bone 1888
died 13.7.1960
Stathi, married Diamantina Syrmis in 1912-13
Keminos went to south Africa 1st around 1903-04 where he had some trouble, so Demitri Paxinos 1st sent his older son to look after his brother.
They both worked in the diamond mines, had a brick factory, and had a store where they sold food to the natives.
They stayed there 8 years.
I think this is when they purchased a clinic in Amonia, Kanikos 22 Athens and turned it into a hotel.
Kimono run the hotel Stathi was a silent partner. Stathi built his house and married Diamantina in 1912.
Stathi and Diamantina had five children:
Demitrios Paxinos bone 5.5.1914 (my father)
Nicholitta Paxinos bone 1916
Evennia Paxinos bone 1918
Menelos Paxinos bone 1922
Spyro Paxinos bone 1926
After all his children were bone Stathi returned to south Africa for another 8 years.
Not sure of the year 1912 or 1926-27 the church in our village needed a larger cemetery as the land around the church was full.
My grandfather gave them a small piece of land from the vineyard he had just under the road (Kabouse) but the church didn’t think that large enough and the church exchanged a piece of land (saint john’s) where there was an old monastery for a very large piece of his land where the cemetery is presently situated. (this land was larger it went further back but the church fenced if off.)
The original piece of land was never returned to Stathi but someone in the church or community took it as his.
Stathi and Diamantina’s family:
Demitrios Paxinos was a carpenter in Anogi before he left for Australia in 1937
He met Lorna 1938-39 married in 1941, Diana arrived ,26.11.1943.
Demitri came to Brisbane as he had an Uncle George (George was the youngest brother of Diamantina. She was pulled out of school to look after him as a young boy thus she was never educated much to her disappointment as she was a very intelligent lady) here that wanted him to look after the shop while he went to Greece to see his family.
Demitri left Brisbane and went to find his other uncles in Aire /Townsville.
He stayed with them for a while but returned to Brisbane where he worked in fruit shops in the city George St.
Before he married dad was asked to join the army where he worked as carpenter as he had flat feet and they did not send him to fight.
Once he was married Demitri and Lorna had a partner George Stathis, and they purchased a shop in Stone Corner Brisbane. Dad was in the army, mum and George ran the shop, but mum was expecting me and George volunteered to join the army where they sent him to Papua New Guinea. He went and returned but volunteered again but this time he didn’t return.
Mum was going to the fruit market in the city summertime in fur coat so no one would see she was expecting in those days.
They sold the shop as she would live at home with her mother so as she would pay her mother board and employed her brother and sister to help them out.
This became too much so she sold the shop.
The next shop they bought, I was 18months old, from a man named Bill Perious on the corner of Leichhardt St and upper Edward St Spring hill.
We lived behind the shop until I was 5yrs old then moved to 41 Fortescue St Spring hill.
Xmas eve of 1953 mum dad and Uncle Jerry bought dad’s sister to Australia Uncle Jerry and Aunty Vinnia had 3 children then Elefteria bone 1941.
Leo was born in 1944 and Bobby around 1949. They arrived and woke up the next day to find a Xmas tree with five presents, one for each to us. I still remember the day.
1955 dad mum and I sailed to Greece so dad could see his parents after 19 years and to fix the house after the 1953 earthquake.
We stayed 2.5years no running water no electricity (we were very privileged as (my grandfather had built a toilet up the back of house no one else had one in the village.)
They were wonderful years i learned to speak village Greek, harvest the wheat, and separate it, pick the grapes, and make wine, pick the walnuts, pears, apples, I knew everyone by their nick names I was free.
In 1963 we went again for 2.5 years but this was much harder as I was in late teen years. They just wanted to marry me off.
Dad returned to Greece for good in 1970 in 1971 he married 2nd time to Kiki Spihoyos. He and Kiki had many trips to Brisbane Melbourne over the 41 years they were married. Dad Demitri passed away 12.4.2012 Kiki passed away January 2013.
Dad’s brothers and sisters:
Nicholetta married private secretary to American ambassador and had 3 children in Athens.
Vennia married jerry Raftopoulos from Frikes lived to 101years old.
Menilos went to America for 60 years died in Athens
Spyro married Mary Metaxas from Melbourne they had 3 children tina (Diamantina) Aphrodite and Stathi. Spyro passed away after he visited Greece in 1999 to see his brother Demitri died 29.11.1999 his wife Mary died in august 2000.
This is very short story of very special people who lived and strived to make a living in Greece and Australia. Cared about the people they left behind and chose to go back and look after the parents until they passed away. Each and everyone of them will be remembered for as long as we all live.
Left Jack Lintakis Right Jim Mitsou Lyris Paxionos
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