At Work in the Grocery Store

At Work in the Grocery Store

For most of us we spend more time at work than any other activity except sleeping. I spent 37 years as a teacher and then school librarian. I also worked as a substitute teacher for 5 years both before and after being a regular teacher. I was a referee high school hockey, basketball and softball for about 10 years while working at my other jobs. But, before all that I worked four years in a grocery store working my way through college. I wish I kept a journal all those years – so many memories lost.

I worked at Two Guys grocery store in Cherry Hill where I stocked shelves. Mary Matolla, an older lady, and I were the only female stock “boys”. The guys were a variety of young and old. I don’t remember all the names. Jack Cassidy was about my age. He was a typical young guy of that era, long hair, drugs, former college student. He was a pleasant guy to work with. Another one whose name I can’t remember was about the same age and went to the Rochester Institute of Technology. Reds Gilbert(?) worked part time at Two Guys and full time at another grocery store with my mom. He got me the job. John Slane was the assistant manager of the stock bunch. He was a homosexual whose adversity made him a little negative. The guys were so intolerant. He was always nice to me and I counted him a friend. Myrtle Kennedy, Chris and Shirley Dill were some of the cashiers. Myrtle was older and a little tough but nice too. Chris was about my age and like Jack Cassidy was a child of the hippie generation. Shirley was a nice person, basically happy while raising a family and working full time. Later my mom would occasionally see her at bingo. Earl was the produce man who lived in Westville. Minnie Rosencrantz worked in the meat department. I grew up in an Irish Catholic town and unbelievably I didn’t know Minnie was Jewish until after several years she was talking about a holiday. She laughed when I told her I thought she was Italian. Mr. Hanigan was the receiver. Mr. Pratt was the area supervisor. He was a large heavy man who had been an Army officer and ran and treated us like we were his soldiers. Eugene Salzgruber worked in the department store side. I dated him a few times and was on a company bowling team with him. He was a big happy guy. I think he eventually married an older woman with children and died somewhat young.  My job was mainly the “candy aisle”. It ran the entire length of the row, quite long. I’ve never seen that much in any other store. Also, there would be displays on the endcaps. I also stocked other things as needed. The worst was the sugar. The pallet weighed 1 ton or more and you would have pull it out with a manual hand truck that had the forks of a forklift truck. The aisles were wide enough that the pallet could be pulled down it. Occasionally I was puzzled when a customer would call you boy when my hair was to my waist and I wore a pink smock. OK, the guys at that time had long hair. I hated the beginning of the month when food stamps came out and I would have to jump on the register. No scanners in those day and items would be marked like 3 for 59 cents and you would have to figure out how much the one can they bought cost. That way if they bought just one the price would be a penny more. Registers didn’t calculate change.

I worked there for 4 years. At the time I didn’t always think it was the best job but looking back it was a good job. The pay was good. I graduated from college not owing a dime. It was an introduction to the working world and working with a variety of people. Sometimes I think I should have kept that job a little part time one after becoming a teacher. Teaching paid less than being a grocery clerk and would have been a supplement.

#Grocery Store, #Work, #First Job, #52 Ancestors, #52 Ancestors-At Work

My Ancestors Jobs

Earl left officer

My dad, Earl Moore was a policeman. After WWII he worked in a wood working job for a short time before joining the Gloucester City, NJ police department. In those days 2 officers rode in a car. His first partner was Bud Lane. He was a good guy and a good partner. One day they drove into the alley at the department and he went inside. Bud stayed in the car. When my dad came back out Bud had suffered a heart attack and died.
A few years later he became a sergeant. His partner was Steve Farrell. Our families would do things together like going to an amusement park. Then he became Chief of Police about 1961. My dad had a good heart and I think he was respected.

Midge on far rt.

My mom, Millicent "Midge" (Wiedrich) Moore worked many years in grocery stores including ACME markets and Thriftway. Once she was held up with a gun held to her head. Later she worked for Oakwood Uniform in their office. But before all this she worked as a waitress in a diner. She started work at 12 years old after school. The diner was Security on Crescent Blvd. (Rt. 130) in West Collingswood Heights, NJ.

Ed on ice wagon

My grandfather, Edward Wiedrich was many things. He was a merchant sailor in WWI and in WWII. He was an iceman when he met my grandmother. Then he worked in the Wierd Plow factory. After work he cleaned up at the bean factory, bringing home the sweepings for his kids to pick out the stray beans. (It was the depression.) After moving to Florida he worked in a boat yard building boats.

Hazel's Doll Hospital

My grandmother, Hazel (Bristol) Wiedrich learned the trade of men's tailoring and haberdashery. After she married and had children she had a doll hospital. There were boxes with various color eyes, things to restring dolls, paints to restore china dolls, different color hair. She would even give dolls hair from the person.

Charles' crew

My paternal grandfather, Charles S. Moore was a waterman. He built wharfs, piers and bridges over water. Much of his
work was done in Camden, NJ but he did work other places. Later he was the foreman. One of the bridges he built was a train bridge either to or from Westville, NJ.




My paternal great grandfather, Charles S. Moore was a cooper and a carpenter. My maternal 2nd great grandfather had a public house (saloon) in Grafton, Dakota Territory in the 1880s and then went to Great Falls, Montana and had a hotel. Most everyone else on my mom's side were farmers.

#Earl Moore, #Policeman, #Millicent Moore, #Millicent Wiedrich, #Waitress, #Edward Weidrich, #Sailor, #Iceman, #Hazel Wiedrich, #Hazel Bristol, #Haberdashery, #Dolls, #Charles S. Moore, #Waterman, #Carpenter, #Cooper

At Work In the Grocery Store

For most of us we spend more time at work than any other activity except sleeping. I spent 37 years as a teacher and then school librarian. I also worked as a substitute teacher for 5 years both before and after being a regular teacher. Before that I worked four years in a grocery store working my way through college. I refereed high school hockey, basketball and softball for about 10 years while working at my other jobs. I wish I kept a journal all those years – so many memories lost.

I worked at Two Guys grocery store in Cherry Hill where I stocked shelves. Mary Matolla, an older lady, and I were the only female stock “boys”. The guys were a variety of young and old. I don’t remember all the names. Jack Cassidy was about my age. He was a typical young guy of that era, long hair, drugs, former college student. He was a pleasant guy to work with. Another one whose name I can’t remember was about the same age and went to the Rochester Institute of Technology. Reds Gilbert(?) worked part time at Two Guys and full time at another grocery was with my mom. He got me the job. John Slane was the assistant manager of the stock bunch. He was a homosexual whose adversity made him a little negative. But he was always nice to me and I counted him a friend. Myrtle Kennedy, Chris and Shirley were some of the cashiers. Myrtle was older and a little tough but nice too. Chris was about my age and like Jack Cassidy was a child of the hippie generation. Shirley was a large lady and a nice person, basically happy. Later my mom would occasionally see her at bingo. Earl was the produce man who lived in Westville. Minnie Rosencrantz worked in the meat department. I grew up in an Irish Catholic town and unbelievably I didn’t know Minnie was Jewish until after several years she was talking about a holiday. Mr. Hanigan was the receiver. Mr. Pratt was the area supervisor. He was a large heavy man who had been an Army officer and ran and treated us like we were his soldiers. Eugene Salzgruber worked in the department store side. I dated him a few times and was on a company bowling team with him. He was a big happy guy. I think he eventually married an older woman with children and died somewhat young.  My job was mainly the “candy aisle”. It ran the entire length of the row, quite long. I’ve never seen that much in any other store. Also, there would be displays on the endcaps. I also stocked other things as needed. The worst was the sugar. The pallet weighed 1 to 2 tons you and would pull it out with a manual hand truck that had the forks of a forklift truck. The aisles were wide enough that the pallet could be pulled down it. Occasionally it was puzzling when a customer would call you boy when my hair was to my waist and I wore a pink smock. OK, the guys at that time had long hair. I hated the beginning of the month when food stamps came out and I would have to jump on the register. No scanners in those day and items would be marked like 3 for 59 cents. That way if they bought just one the price would be a penny more. Registered didn’t calculate change. Sometimes I think I should have continued to work part time after I started teaching since I made less teaching. It wasn’t such a bad job.

#Work, #Grocery stores, #52 Ancestors, #Two Guys store, #Arlene Baker, #Arlene Moore, #52 Ancestors - Work

Tragedy

Tragedy

While visiting Maple Lawn Cemetery in Elba, New York, I noticed three small headstones. This cemetery published a booklet of obituaries for people buried there. I learned the story of these small headstones.

A family had three small children. An epidemic occurred and one of the children died. The parents went to the cemetery to bury their child and when they returned home a second child had died. Then only a short time later a third child died.

I can’t even imagine surviving that loss and remain sane. This was probably not a really rare occurrence one hundred years ago and fortunately today this would be a rare occurrence. The loss of even one child is tragic but to lose more in such a short time had to be unbearable.

This cemetery was so beautifully maintained and to make a booklet with the obituaries is such caring project.

#Loss of child, #52 Ancestors, #52 Ancestors - Tragedy, #Maple Lawn Cemetery, Elba, NY

Weirdly Comical

Weirdly Comical

There were two incidents in my grandmother, Hazel Bristol Wiedrich’s life that relate to the fact she only had one leg. Her leg was amputated when she was a teen after about 19 operations stemming from a bone issue that wouldn’t heal.

Once when on a family outing she was in a car crash. My grandfather was driving a station wagon along a highway in Florida. This was about 1963. In the car besides my grandfather and grandmother were my aunt Yvonne, cousin Patsy and her daughter Cindy and Mrs. Thorp, a family friend from NJ. There were no speed limits or at least they weren’t enforced at that time. My grandfather was going at a high rate of speed when he went off the side of the highway. The car was thrown. My grandmother was thrown from the front passenger seat into the back seat. Everyone had some injuries, some minor and some serious. My grandmother was almost scalped. Of course, head wounds bleed a lot and my grandmother was covered in blood. People stopped to help and when they pulled my grandmother out of the car they all got very upset shouting “She’s lost her leg. Look for it.” My grandmother was somewhat in shock, but she said in her mind she was laughing that people were running around looking for a leg she had lost 40 years before.

Another incident that involved here missing leg was when she had her Gaul bladder out. It was an emergency surgery and the doctor visited her each day following the surgery. They kept you in the hospital for quite a few days at that time. The day before she was to be released she asked the doctor if she could use her crutches. The doctor replied, “I operated on you stomach. Why would you need crutches?” She replied, “If I don’t it’s the first time in almost 40 years. I only have one leg.” The doctor through back the sheets and said, “Oh, my God, you only have one leg.” It took a long time for him to live that one down. It goes to show he only looked at what he was supposed to although this was the same hospital that years later amputated someone’s wrong leg not once but twice.

Thankfully there are sometimes a funny moment during difficult times to help us keep our sanity.

#Hazel Wiedrich, #Wiedrrich, Hazel, #52 Ancestors, #52 Ancestors Comedy, #Amputees

Sisters

Sisters

I’ve never had a sister, so I feel I know little of the topic. My knowledge is from my mom and her sisters. They were four, Yvonne, Bonnalyn, Millicent (my mom) and Constance. The older two were separated by a few years from the younger two. Still they were close but had what I assume to be the normal sisterly rivalries.

I hear of all their adventures in childhood. They roller skated in the second open floor bedroom of their farmhouse. Sounds like they were incorrigible, but this was during the terrible northwestern New York winters. They swam in the Tonawanda Creek at the back of their properties. Well, not my mother so much as she had a fear of the water. When I was young we went to their swimming hole for a swim. The water was freezing. Mom told of how she, Yvonne and Connie took lots belts and belted Bonnie’s bed so that she had to do a lot of unbuckling to get in bed. She was the bookworm and didn’t participate in all their shenanigans. At times they were all together in the same school room as they attended a one-room schoolhouse.

When they moved to New Jersey a year or so before WWII they lived in a truck that was converted into a trailer. This made for tight quarters. They my grandfather went to sea for a year and sent home no support. My grandmother only had one leg, and this was very hard on her. Yvonne was out of school and worked as a waitress. My mom was 12-yrs-old and worked at the diner with Yvonne after school. They supported the family.

In adulthood they continued to stay close. My family and Bonnie’s lived in southern New Jersey. Connie and Yvonne’s family lived in Florida. But we still would see each regularly. My family and Bonnie’s were together regularly. Thanksgiving was always celebrated together. My cousins went to Delsea Regional HS and my brother and I went to Gloucester City HS. Our schools played football against each other on Thanksgiving, so Bonnie made dinner if it was at Delsea and my mom made dinner if it was at Gloucester. 

They always kept a bond even though there was of course some competition, especially when it came to brag about their children. I loved all the stories, but sisterhood is still a bit of a mystery to me.

#Sisters, #52 Ancestors – Sisters, #52 Ancestors, #Wiedrich sisters

Brothers = David Cicero

Brothers – David Cicero

Not all brothers are biologic. Sometimes God drops a brother into the family because he knows it just completes it. That’s what happened to my family. We got Dave Cicero who could not be a better brother.

Dave became a part of our family when his mother died, and his father could not care for him. He became a foster child to my aunt. Our families were close, so Dave was always there. He was special to my mom and dad. When I was born Dave was a young teenager. I still have the donkey stuffed animal he gave me.

He is smart and worked as an engineer including designing things for the space program. If you’ve ever bought some honey in the little bear container you’ve seen something he designed. If you’re old enough you may remember chocolate syrup in a robot container (I think it may have been called “clanky”) you’ve seen something else he designed.

If he has a flaw it’s staying away from injury. He’s tussled with bikes, army gas masks, 5-ton trucks and big pots, not to mention motorcycles and tires falling off a car. I’m thankful a guardian angel has kept him around for his and our family.

When you’re a child you don’t know the reality of things. It took many years for me to know that my aunt didn’t treasure him as much as my family did. Dave was always being punished for some infraction that was usually the fault of my aunt’s adopted son. She passed up a chance to adopt a better son, but I think her prejudice prevented her from adopting Dave. It pains me to hear him refer to her as Mrs. Ludlum when he was her foster child for 17 years and she never let him call her mom or mother or any other maternal name.

After my aunt died, David lived with us until he got married. He worked for RCA and bought a color TV. His bedroom was upstairs, and my little brother and I weren’t supposed to go in his room. One night the Wizard of Oz was on TV. Dave brought us up to his room to watch his TV. I still remember my amazement when Dorothy opened the door and black and white turned to color.

After he married our families spent holidays together. When his children arrived, I was a babysitter for them. My mom and dad were God parents for their oldest child. When my dad was dying, Dave was by his bedside and when my mom was ill, not only was he for us but his daughter and son-in-law helped navigate the medical maze.

Dave is the most loving, compassionate, totally good person on the planet, and I’m blessed to have him as a brother.

#52 Ancestors Brothers, #52 Ancestors, #Brothers, #Foster children, #Cicero, David, #David Cicero