Stella of Greektown found!

eye2eyepi · January-11-10, 08:48 PM

Greektown Stella found!!!!

STELLA of Greektown FOUND!! yes, she is alive and living East Grand Nursing Home. She is in need of a medical procedure, we are desperately searching for anyone who could shed some light on any relatives, and or her immigration status. Anyone who is interested in visiting her can contact East Grand Nursing Home on East Grand Blvd. In my efforts to locate her, an amazing life story is unfolding as well as part of Detroit History.

**RickBeall** · January-11-10, 09:08 PM

That's pretty fascinating eye2eyepi!

I remember once WJR interviewed her for some event. Everyone knew who she was and no one expected her to make any sense, and of course she didn't. The rumor was that she used to be a business owner there in Greek Town. Maybe you can shed a little of your light on the subject, to keep this thread up top? Dribble it out when the thread dips.

**gnome** · January-11-10, 09:12 PM

This sounds like a case for Ray1936

eye2eyepi · January-11-10, 09:28 PM

YES ..WE ARE TRYING TO LOCATE RAY1936 AS WELL, IF ANYONE HAS ANY CONTACT INFROMATION ON HIM WOULD YOU PLEASE CONTACT ME ....eye2eyepi@sbcglobal.net...
Pat....248-302-7893

**jgavrile** · January-11-10, 11:15 PM

Why not contact the Greek church in Greektown,as they might have info on her?
Also maybe the owners of some of the restaurants in Greektown may have some info?
She was pretty popular in Trappers Alley, and you would find her in there quite often.

**Ray1936** · January-11-10, 11:48 PM

I'm here. You sure you have the right Stella? She has to be a hundred and eleventy-five by now.........

**RickBeall** · January-12-10, 12:08 AM

Maybe she led a rough life and when she was living on the streets in Greektown she was really only 22. ;-)

eye2eyepi · January-12-10, 12:49 AM

Thank goodness Ray....yes it is her...please contact me....248-302-7893....thank you so much

Ravine · January-12-10, 12:59 AM

Eye2: As soon as Ray contacts you, I think you should take that number down. Just my advice.

**Meddle** · January-12-10, 01:54 AM

Originally Posted by Ray1936

I'm here. You sure you have the right Stella? She has to be a hundred and eleventy-five by now.........

That's what I was thinking. She had to be 100 or so last time I saw her 20 years ago.

**rid0617** · January-12-10, 04:12 AM

Ray if you don't mind share what you can and how your connected. Nothing person, it just sounds like this could be a very interesting story of someone that historical.

LodgeDodger · January-12-10, 07:40 AM

Yes, Ray, I'd be interested to hear about your "Stella" connection. Also, if she is in need of anything, would you let us know? If she's alone, I'm sure quite a few of us would be willing to stop in and visit. Perhaps supply her with needed items that might make life a little easier for Stella? Please let us know.

eye2eyepi · January-12-10, 07:41 AM

yes... it is Stella and she is very elderly, however instead of carring the police baton and yelling at car's in Greek she is blowing kisses, anxious to here from Ray...we need information to help her...the small ammout of verifable information concerning her identity status has vanished..
If anyone would like to visit her please contact East Grand Nursing Home on Grand Blvd.
Thanks for helping get the word out ....on the street's is where the answers are is this instance.
Pat

**Fury13** · January-12-10, 11:29 AM

This is interesting. If Stella was in her 50s or early 60s during her heyday, she could easily still be alive... she'd be 85 or 90 now.

I remember her well. She may have looked much older than she actually was.

**Meddle** · January-12-10, 11:41 AM

Wow, thinking of Stella reminded me of Emily's.

Strange place that was.

Buy American · January-12-10, 11:50 AM

Stella Pappas??

**Catman** · January-12-10, 11:59 AM

Can anyone give a bit of background on who Stella is and what she's known for?

**slick** · January-12-10, 12:46 PM

Catman and the rest.

Stella was a Greektown landmark, yes yelling at folks or just ignoring you.

She kind of lived at Police HQ, I remember her hanging her laundry on the lawn.
Basically harmless just a street person.

The Free Press did an article on her, her family lived in Bloomfield??
They tried to help her but she preferred the streets.

Good luck on getting her assistance.

**Ray1936** · January-12-10, 12:52 PM

Catman, Stella was somewhat of an icon in the Greektown area from around 1970 to at least 1984 when I retired and got outta Dodge. She claimed to be some kind of Greek princess, or that her late husband was the King of Greece, or some other similar story depending upon the time of day or whatever.

She was your basic homeless bag lady, and unfortunately her mind was not quite there. She would hear voices and stand on a street corner and yell at the voices. Yell? If 95 decibels is yelling, she yelled. You could hear her a half mile away on a calm day.

Stella's favorite motel was Police Headquarters at 1300 Beaubien, just up the street from Greektown. Her room was the ladies' lavatory on the first floor, and it was common for some woman to enter and find Stella stark naked [[omg!) taking bath in the sink. Among the police officers who worked at 1300, some took her in as a mascot, providing her with some old police marksmanship badges or chevrons, and a nightstick [[billy club) that she carried faithfully. Others found her to be nothing but a pain in the ass. Put me in the latter category, only I'd say she was an "amusing pain in the ass".

On more than one occasion, the lieutenant or sergeant on duty at the first precinct desk [[first floor, around the corner from the washroom) would have it with her and arrest her for vagrancy. She'd go to [[what was then) Recorder's Court -- early sessions, where the judge would be amused to see Stella [[everyone knew her) and simply dismiss the vagrancy charge.

I do know that many of the merchants in Greektown took pity on her regularly, and provided food for her as needed. As I said, she was an icon. Actually, she was a perfect representative of so many mentally challenged homeless people in the US today. So while I'm not in that "accept her as a mascot" group, I hope she has warmth and comfort in her final years.

But don't get me involved, thank you.

**Gambling Man** · January-12-10, 02:50 PM

I don't think it was any secret that Stella is in a nursing home....certainly not here in Greektown. She has children, and some of the people here in Greektown still go to visit her. So let's not get all fired up about "help Stella cause she was lost" or something.......

**jackie5275** · January-12-10, 03:19 PM

Originally Posted by Ray1936

Stella was somewhat of an icon in the Greektown area from around 1970 to at least 1984 when I retired and got outta Dodge.

I remember seeing her there into the late 80s when I was visiting Greektown as well.

eye2eyepi · January-12-10, 07:22 PM

Thank you for all of the responses concerning Stella, much information is coming forward, so much urban legends, memories, ect.... however we are trying to obtain verifiable information...it appears that some of you folks have personal knowledge of her.... there is talk of her last name being Pappas or Paris? The information I have obtained thus far is that her last name is Paris and her husbands name was Nikali, the most important factor is the discovery of children. The facility she is in needs to verify her citizenship so that she will be eligible for aid and receive the medical attention she requires thru the state of Mi. health resources. Without verification of citizenship this is not possible, and without the necessary identifiable information this is again unattainable. The facility she is in has taken her under their wing so to say, however she needs a medical procedure they simply are not in a position to provide.
Please contact me if you have any information.
Patricia Wheeler-Phillips
eye2eyepi@sbcglobal.net
248-302-7893

**Ray1936** · January-12-10, 09:00 PM

I think her vagrancy arrests listed her last name as Paris, but I'm not 100% sure of that. I'll inquire at some other web forums and see if I can confirm it.

**lalynch** · January-12-10, 10:20 PM

Originally Posted by eye2eyepi

Thank you for all of the responses concerning Stella, much information is coming forward, so much urban legends, memories, ect.... however we are trying to obtain verifiable information...it appears that some of you folks have personal knowledge of her.... there is talk of her last name being Pappas or Paris? The information I have obtained thus far is that her last name is Paris and her husbands name was Nikali, the most important factor is the discovery of children. The facility she is in needs to verify her citizenship so that she will be eligible for aid and receive the medical attention she requires thru the state of Mi. health resources. Without verification of citizenship this is not possible, and without the necessary identifiable information this is again unattainable. The facility she is in has taken her under their wing so to say, however she needs a medical procedure they simply are not in a position to provide.
Please contact me if you have any information.
Patricia Wheeler-Phillips
eye2eyepi@sbcglobal.net
248-302-7893

Why don't you contact the media? With TV and newspapers focusing on your search you might find her family.