1950’s Pioneer Roundup Chainstitch Lee Sanforized Denim Jacket 101-J 42 Reg

Description: This Lee Denim Jacket is a piece of Texas History. Manufactured in the early 1950’s, this jacket features chainstitch embroidery on front and back of Walt Disney’s Pecos Bill character on horseback. The jacket was customized for Apostolos “Paul” Safos in 1958 for the Pioneer Roundup Sam Houston State Teacher’s College association. The jacket is in excellent collector’s condition with very minor wear pictured at the collar, and some oxidation on the brass button backs. There are also a few small rust stains on the lighter areas of chainstitch, as seen in photos. The tag reads “Lee Union Made, Sanforized, 101-J 42 Reg, patd-153438.” Measurements listed in the details and as seen in photos. It has a beautiful fit. I am proud to be the second owner of this historical piece and hoping it finds an amazing new home in the collection of someone who can preserve it for years to come. Currently in a clean, non-smoking home and not being used or worn. Paul Safos obituary here: it is rare to find something with so much history of its first owner, readily available. Apostolos “Paul" Safos, 87, of Houston, Texas, passed away with his daughter, Anthe, and his wife, Georgia, at his side on June 20, 2023. Born October 1, 1935 in the village of Perdiki on the remote island of Ikaria, Greece, he and his mother, Lemonia, fled the brutal German invasion in 1941 which starved hundred of thousands of Greek civilians. At this innocent age of five, he began a harrowing, difficult, and formative journey that took him to a refugee camp in Egypt for a couple of years, a brief return to Ikaria after the war, then a trans-Atlantic crossing in a crowded, sickly belly of a freighter, “Marine Carp”, which brought him and his mother to NYC in 1947, followed by a bus ride to Philadelphia to stay with his mother’s brother. The suffering, fear, searching, wisdom, and scarcity of a refugee at such a young age would indelibly shape his worldview. Apostolos is “Messenger” in Greek and this was his first intense dispatch. He spent his teenage years in Galveston, Texas where he reunited with his father, Alex, and his Uncle Steve. A Greek community thrived on Galveston Island with the Gulf of Mexico standing in for the Aegean. And true to the Greek path, his father, mother, and Uncle owned and operated the Two Bits Cafe on Seawall and 11th. Paul would help out on occasion behind the register or bussing tables. Uncle Steve was the cook and dad’s economizing went deeper as he saw his uncle perhaps add a bit more breading than advertised to the cod filet. Paul attended Rosenberg elementary in Galveston, Stephen F. Austin Junior High, then graduated from Ball High School in 1954. Some of his laborious odd jobs during his Galveston days included longshoreman duty on the docks, an oil rig moment that lasted but a day (one day was enough to digest the deadly dangers), and work at Todd’s shipyard during the summers (he wasn’t fond of heights, so scaling the scaffolding to paint the ships wasn’t his favorite task). He attended Texas A&M for a year in 1955, then a year at Sam Houston State in 1956 before joining the Air Force reserves in 1957—which took him to Lackland AFG, Shepherd AFB, and Ellington AFB. He returned to Sam Houston State shortly thereafter and graduated in 1961. While there, he often went to a bootlegger’s in Trinity Co. outside of Huntsville because Walker Co. was dry. He would drive his college friends to score a haul and, in turn, they would buy him a steak. A simple, transparent, honest transaction. Paul loved to drive and take a drive. And speaking of driving and cars…Paul worked for the General Motors parts division in Houston, TX from 1962-1987 and a member of the UAW. He elected to take early retirement in 1987 after the Houston operation was shuttered and he declined to move his family to a Wichita Falls, TX GM facility. This was backbreaking labor moving heavy pallets, and according to him in an oft-told story, when the floor manager (whose office had an a/c unit) was asked if the workers could get more fans due to the harsh Houston warehouse heat and humidity, he replied, “Work and walk faster and make your own air.” As a result of his long GM tenure and the open road of his youth, he loved collecting cars. He owned at least 17 during his lifetime. All American made. They included: ’49 blue Ford - 2 seater ’51 green Ford (“Fordamatic”) ’55 Chevrolet Bel-Air turquoise ’62 Pontiac 2 door sedan - white (previously owned by Bill Pappas) ’68 Chevy Supersport - gold “70s White Camaro ‘70s blue Chevy El Camino ‘70s maroon Chevy Malibu station wagon ‘70s green/blue Oldsmobile Cutlass ‘70s Pontiac Grand Ville dark green (450 hp) Silver Pontiac Grand Prix Red Pontiac 4 door sedan (Pontiac 6000) Silver Buick Regal ’61 Ford Bronco White Chevy Blazer White Saturn Aura Silver Equinox Paul was a blue collar man. Fat tie, no nonsense, straight shooter. Couponcutter. Miralax collector. Shlitz over microbrew. Dolmades over prix fixe. Humble and modestly proud. An immigrant who evaded death at the hand of the Nazis, sent his kids to private school with the goal of generational betterment, and owned his own home outright. Selfless and golden-hearted. Always hoping that Burroughs would just once catch a Pastorini pass for a TD but was most always disappointed—expressed with a volcano of expletives and burnt Sunday afternoon hamburgers from too much Ron Franklin on the dial and not enough attention in front of the Weber. But that was Ok. He also was gifted a sneaky wicked sense of irony and humor and game for disguising his voice and silly face-making when prompted (Lemonia was an ace at this too). He inherited this laid-back, slow-to-rise, no clock watching, multiple cups of morning coffee vibe from his Ikarian DNA but also from his parents and Uncle Steve who lived but a block away from Norris Dr. on Gannet. They would take their leisurely breakfast on the back porch: coffee, an entire loaf of bread, peanut butter, cream cheese, and honey. A view of grape leaves my grandmother planted to roll her own dolmades. Paul was the epitome of a devoted son. As an only son, the devotion was there to the very end of Lemonia’s 100+ years of life.

Price: 2000 USD

Location: Houston, Texas

End Time: 2024-11-05T10:46:54.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD