The Hosti sisters are the daughters of Ernest and Dot Hosti. Ernest was one of 9 children of Henri Leo Hosti of Strasbourg and Helen Elizabeth Hohnerlein of Berlichingen, Germany.

Henri/Henry allegedly jumped ship in Savannah where he eventually met Helen. Henry was known to be a talented pianist and cook who was eventually employed by the Savannah Police Department. At the time of his WWI draft registration at 38 years old he was a naturalized citizen and working as a ship fitter. and Helen was largely a homemaker but also ran a neighborhood grocery store at times.

The couple were devoutly Catholic and lived in Savannah but did come to Tybee at least once in their young adulthood. Many of their surviving children settled at Tybee following the post-WWII housing shortage and family business ventures with one brother establishing the Tybee Market. The family continues to live in the area today.

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Theme Music: "Tybee Where the Georgia Peaches Go"

This rendition of the 1926 song by Samuel B. Miller, originally sung by Dewey Holm and His Savannahians on Tybrisa Pavilion, was rerecorded by Turner Horton, TV and Film Composer for the “Tybee Remembers When” podcast in 2024.

Tap HERE for images of the original sheet music from the archives

All recordings in this podcast are the thoughts and opinions of the speakers and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the Tybee Island Historical Society. Oral histories are, by nature, subjective accounts and should not be taken as unbiased fact without further verification.

FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Podcast Intro

00:43 Meet the Hosti Sisters

02:22 Why the Family Moved

04:38 Inside Tybee Market Days

05:40 Animals and Home Life

07:28 First Tybee Memories

10:58 Bonfires and Old Neighbors

14:04 Fort Play and Hurricanes

17:12 Attic Bands and Parties

20:41 Getting Around and School

22:53 Life at St Michaels

25:59 City Fun and Brass Rail

28:30 Triangle Drive In Hangouts

30:18 North End vs South End

32:13 Music Spots and Girl Scouts

39:09 Black Families and Aunt Bertha

44:07 Crabbing With Neighbors

44:56 Family Tales And Aunt Faye

46:24 Grandma Hosti Memories

47:26 Triangle Nights And Uncle Jack

49:28 Old Phones And Island Families

50:18 Mary Jones And Close Calls

51:24 How Tybee Changed

52:28 Bars Shrimpers And Lazaretto

57:01 Best Memories Cook Shack

59:24 Remembering Tybee Characters

01:04:55 Old Restaurants And Local Lore

01:07:09 Rules Crowds And Community

01:16:13 Tybee Identity And Rising Costs

01:20:48 Final Thanks And Support