Michael Bartish
(A biographical sketch from a Chester Times or Delaware County Daily Times newspaper clipping, "Know Your Police" from the collection of John C. "Snakes" Boyle, contributed by his granddaughters, Jane Boyle & Patty Boyle.)
Michael Bartish's introduction to the Chester area was exciting, dramatic ... but unpleasant. Bartish and his family were traveling by train from their home in Desloge, MO to Chester on the morning of April 10, 1917.
The train came to a sudden stop when an explosion ripped through the Eddystone Munition Co., Eddystone. The death toll amounted to 132, mostly women and girls, while hundreds more were injured.
However, it did not deter the Bartish family from settling here and Mike, then 9 years old, grew up to become a policeman, now an acting platoon sergeant.
Bartish has been a policeman for the last 17 years. Prior to that he worked for a few years at the Ford Motor Co. plant.
During World War II he served eight years, part of the time with the Combat Engineers and the rest with the Military Police. Altogether he spent six years in Europe.
He was married to the former Joan Soyka, who died in 1950. He has one son, John, 5 1/2. Basketball and football are listed as his hobbies. He lives at 2921 W. 6th St.
[Obituary]
