submitted by his daughter, Betty Leonard

When not living through tumultuous times such as war and famine, my town (Agios Ioannis) was a close-knit, loving community where everyone cared about each other and their neighbours. There were many well educated families. There were doctors, army officers, and many Sparti government employees.

The town was full of children. The boys would go swimming at the river or on hot scorching days we would venture to a neighbour’s property in Agios Ioannis. The neighbour was Nikitaras Varvitsioti. He was a prosperous farmer who had a man-made pond full of water for irrigation purposes. We boys spent many days swimming and enjoying themselves there. My dad would usually go with his brothers or his friends. This wasn’t anything that the girls participated in.

I remember the town fondly.