This is an excerpt from “Faith, Family & Music”, 150 Years of History and Tales of the Ed & Irene (Lamie) Fleis Family in Leelanau County by Ruth Anne (Fleis) Smith My great-grandfather, Tomasz Fleis, carried his treasurer violin — an Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno 1640 — on his back when he emigrated to the United States from West Prussia, Germany/Poland, settling in Isadore, Michigan, in 1875.
The old country-folk tunes Tomasz played on his violin were passed down to younger generations, beginning with his son, Thomas, my grandfather, then to his son, Edward (Ed), my father.
As a young boy, Ed loved occasions whenever his grandfather or father played violin. He was 10 years old when allowed to borrow the cherished instrument for one full year at Holy Rosary School, where a nun gave him lessons in fifth grade. He considered it an honor to play violin for mass at church and school functions.
