Hello. My name is John Nanoff. I am the grandson of Louis (Louie) Nanoff. Louis was born on August 23, 1893, in Bulgaria. At the young age of about 18, he made his way to Rotterdam, Holland. In 1912, he boarded the ship "Rotterdam" and made his way to New York, USA. From there, Louis made his way to the Midwest and eventually settled in Minnesota.

In the time from 1912 to 1918, he registered for World War 1, met and married Greata Mae Strickler, and gained employment in a cafe in Minneapolis. In the 1920s, he and Greata had 5 children. Louis became the proprietor of Gateway Cafe, 23 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Then, on June 12, 1930, a customer of the cafe was upset that he felt Louis was watering down the drinks too much and wanted some of his money back. When Louis refused, the customer left. He went and pawned his watch for a gun and bullets, returned to the cafe, and shot Louis, striking him in the chest. Louis died immediately. Louis left behind a wife and 5 young children, including my father, William Nanoff, in the time of the Great Depression. Louis was buried in an unmarked grave in Crystal Lake Cemetery in Minneapolis. His grave remains unmarked.

Sometime around 1989, I was able to locate the grave and was given good information as to the location of his grave. Fast forward to March 2024, on a trip back to Minnesota, I went to the cemetery to visit his grave, only to be told that he was not in that cemetery by the clerk working there. I returned home to Dallas, GA, and found the information on his grave site. Upon providing this information to the cemetery clerk via phone, I was told that he got overlooked when they digitized the records of the cemetery. No one should be forgotten or lost. It is my desire to place a marker at his grave so he will be remembered and can be visited by family members. I am seeking help in funding this venture as I am retired and do not have the means to cover the total cost of placing a marker at his grave site. I greatly appreciate anyone who can help!