The Early Years - Chapter 2

I was about 10 or 11 when I got my first job at Hoffman's Grocery at the corner of Gilsey and West Liberty. It was a mom and pop grocery. I think I got about about 2 dollars a week. I swept the floor, cleaned the shelves and other menial tasks. Between Hostess Cup Cakes, candy bars and Royal Crown Cola there never was any money left to get paid. I probably still owe Mr. Hoffman some money plus interest. Like the National Debt. I also delivered the Enquirer for Geo Borgman. He had the largest route in the city, 2300 Sundays and 900 daileys. Geo insisted that we put the paper on the porch. Now days they put the paper on the sidewalk, that's only when they miss the gutter. I like the way they double bag the paper when it rains, only problem is both bags go the same way so the paper still gets wet. Jack, can't you teach those carriers the proper way to bag a paper?

I got my first real job working for Krogers for .75 cents an hour. For that I quit high school in my junior year. Show you how smart I was. I think that was the only time mom did anything wrong letting me quit. Going back to when I was in grade school at St. Lawrence I was on the football team. When I was in the 7th and 8th grade we won the CYO City Championship both years. Our pastor was Monsignour Wagner whose family owned the Wagner Bottling Co and Ft. Scott Camp near New Baltimore. The football team got to go to Ft. Scott for 2 weeks free. The first year the camp was over booked. The cabins held 4 campers in bunk beds, since they needed extra space they put an iron cot in the middle of the room. I was on the top bunk, on the first night I fell out of bed hitting the iron cot and scraping my leg from my ankle to my knee. I had a nice 18 inch gash. (that's an estimation) Needless to say I couldn't go swimming the first week. That was a two week vacation each year my family couldn't afford. It takes a lot of money to raise 6 children and 6 bartenders.

When I graduated from St. Lawrence all my friends went to Elder. We couldn't afford the high tuition ($40.00), of course I was wasting that much money from my part time jobs. Maybe if I went to Elder I might have got a little more disciplence from the Priest than I got from the teachers at Western Hills.

Growing up. The early years

Joe,Bill,Jack,Gene

The month of July 1934 was a hot one. 25 out of 30 days hit over 100 degrees. Can you imagine what is was like to be 8 months pregnant with 3 children, Gene 6, Jack 4, and Bill 2 years old with me on the way. The only air conditioning was a hand held fan. I was born in a house on Iliff Ave. on August 6th, 1934. If my memory serves me correctly the house had 4 rooms, 2 on the first floor and 2 on the second floor. The bad news is we only had the first floor. My God parents had the second floor.

In the first month of my life we moved to Dewey Ave. where we had 4 rooms for mom, dad, and 4 boys. I guess I'll never know or understand why we moved back to that same little house on Iliff 6 years later. I went to Ressurection school for the first 3 years and then we moved to Beech Ave., from the time I was 9 years old to 15 years old and I attended St. Lawrence School. When I was 15 we moved to Duebber Dr in Delhi Hills. We had 4 rooms down and 2 rooms up. We thought we died and went to heaven.

There are two of Jack's favorite stories I need to record for future generations.
Jack likes to tell at all family gatherings how he is only going to live to 102 years old and will not be available after 2032.

When I was growing up I had a friend whose name was Frank Braun, his nickname was Dutchy because he was always in trouble. Dutchy's parents owned Braun Bakery at the corner of Iliff and West Liberty. One day he decided to relocate (a better word then steal) 2 cigars. On Gilsey Ave. was an abandoned ice house. Back in the depression people had ice boxes instead of refrigerators. We decided to smoke the cigars in the ice house. I was 10 or 11 years old. Later that day Jack came home and said the ice house burnt down and guess who was seen leaving the ice house. Thank God they didnt turn us in.

Another time Dutchy took some money from the cash register. He was only relocating it. We went up on Glenway Ave. where a Chili parlor had coney islands 21 for a dollar. Dutchy purchased 21 of them and before we could eat any of them he remembered that is was Friday and we couldn't eat meat on Friday. It was alright to steal but don't eat meat on Friday.

By the way Jack said he needed me for a Pall Bearer in the year 2032. I don't know if I will be available I may have golf that day so we are looking for a volunteer to take my place.

Until I read Kathy's blog I didn't know about the squirrels in the attic but I remember a squirrel getting in the kitchen on Beech Ave. Mom came to the rescue and got him out. Another time on Duebber we had a rat come up the pipes and into the toilet bowl. Mom got a pot of boiling water from the stove and took care of him. Those were the only pets we had while we were growing up.