Louis Yanak Sr. was born in Salzburg, Austria, Nov. 12, 1884. He came to New York City in 1905 with his parents and three sisters. Having an uncle in Benwood, he settled there with his old country sweetheart, Ernestine Kubina, whom he married June 25, 1906. They both came from Austria, but at different times.

Mr. Yanak worked at the B&O Railroad, until 1918, then in 1919 worked for the post office, carrying the mail by foot and later by horse. When he could afford it, he bought a buggy. His horse, a dapple gray, was named "Sam", for Uncle Sam's mail. The first route (#3 Benwood) was up Reilly Hill Road, then via what is now State Route# 86, down Markey's Lane to Little Grave Creek and on to what is now St. Jude's Park. At the time, he lived on Little Grave Creek and later bought the 84 acre Fisher farm, located east of Marshall Meadows.

After the death of his wife, Ernestine, in 1943, he returned to the B&O Railroad roundhouse in Benwood. He worked until his 77th year as a boilermaker's helper. He died July 20, 1969.

Louis and Ernestine had 10 children; Frances (Yanak) Yeager, Annie (Yanak) Urbanick, Margaret (Yanak) Pozen, George Louis, Joseph, Mildred (Yanak) Kolz, Albert John, Eva Ernestine (Yanak) Scherrer, Louis Jr. and Elizabeth, who died at the age eleven.