Part 7: Peter and Pota Cokinos: New Beginnings Together 1914-1924

Pete and Pota were married in August 1914 in Elizabeth, NJ. Pete brought his bride back to DC to live above the Cokinos Brothers candy shop at 1203 H Street NE. Their first child, Catherine, was born there at home in April 1915, a discreet nine months after their marriage the previous summer. Her Greek baptismal name was for her mother, Panayota, but I imagine her parents thought an English name would be a better fit for life in America.

By 1916, another child was on the way. Pete bought a new three-bedroom row house two blocks from his brother Adam at 909 11th Street NE. The house had a mansard-style tin roof and a kitchen in the basement, which was typical at the time. My father, George, recalled that Pete liked the “Greek” columns holding up the porch roof. George was born here, in this house.

The 11th Street house is still standing today. Below is a photo from about 1919 and another from about 70 years later.

As the firstborn male, George Peter Cokinos was named to honor his paternal grandfather and his father. This was the Greek tradition and explains why so many names repeat in Hellenic families. Here is a photo of Pota with Catherine on her left and George on her right. I am not sure who the other children are.

1918.

George and Catherine c 1920

The 1920 census shows Pete and his brothers, Adam and Alec, all living near or above the H Street candy store. Alec moved between the brothers’ households, but my father remembered his uncle living with them most of the time. William, the brother who appeared in the 1910 census, seems to have returned to Greece.

Pete, Pota, Katy and Adam with little George @ Hains Point 1920

In 1921, St. Sophia’s finally began holding services in its own building at Eighth and L NW. The congregation included a robust Sunday school. Catherine is standing in the front row, second from the end.

In other family news, Pete’s cousin and business partner, the ever-adventurous James Cokinos, pulled up stakes in 1921 and moved his family to Red Oak, Iowa, to open a candy store there. His brother Daniel Cokinos remained working and living on 8th Street SE. Daniel’s first wife, Angelika, died—probably during childbirth with their second child. Daniel married again in June of that year and started a second family with Pota Kapsalis. Pete’s brother Adam bought a house at 1217 11th Street NW.

The candy business was booming.

That fall, George started kindergarten at Wheatley Elementary on Neal Street NE. He remembered his older sister Catherine dragging him to school by the hand; he cried all the way. Once there, the teacher repeatedly asked George his name, and he kept telling her “Yorgo.” He was the only Greek boy in the class and had to catch up quickly in the language department. The only friend George could recall from those early school days was Harry Chase, who lived up the street and put on scary shows in his basement (there is always one). Another boy named Paul used to chase George home from school every day and would beat him up when he could catch him. When Pota figured out what was happening, she somehow lured Paul into the house and gave him a good going-over herself. That was the end of that.

Nick Kendros, another relative from Agoulnitsa, was still living on 8th Street with his uncle Daniel, Aunt Bertha, and their four children. Nick’s daughter Ruby later told me that he slept on a cot in the back of the candy shop. When Nick was almost thirty years old, my grandmother Pota decided to play matchmaker. She introduced Nick to Angelika, a girl from her home village, St. John, near Sparta. “Kiki” was just out of high school and living in Annapolis with her parents, Harry and Bertha Tagalos.

Nick brought St. Sophia’s priest to Annapolis, and the two were married in September 1922 at Odd Fellows Hall. I’ll bet our entire Cokinos family was there. Not only did my grandmother take credit for the match, but Alec Cokinos was one of the groomsmen. Nick, his wife, and her parents, Harry and Bertha Tagalos, came to live at 808 K Street NE, two blocks from Peter and Pota. Nick went on to own the Woodward Sandwich Shop at 1422 H Street NW, and our families remained close for many years.

Nicholas Peter Cokinos, Pota and Peter’s last child, came along in April 1924. All of their children were born in April. Either my grandparents were feverishly patriotic, or they religiously celebrated their wedding anniversary, which was also in July.

The Greek population in DC was growing, and our family was part of that boom.

from left to right Pota (Daniel's wife), Nick Kendros, Kiki, Pota, Pete, Katy, unknown

Catherine Cokinos standing with bow, George P Cokinos

Penelope. Koula, Thelma, Mary ( Daniel's children) Bill Maofis with Nick Cokinos in lap,

Kiki's father Harry Tagalos with Ruby in lap- probably Hains Point 1925 or so.