As I remember it, their marriage didn't always run smoothly. There was never any yelling but I remember hearing occasional grumbling. Grampa was very strong-willed, perhaps even stubborn. Gramma may have been just as stubborn. But in the days of their marriage the wife generally bent to the wishes of the husband, and I believe that was probably so for them, at least in most cases.Love doesn't always run smoothly. But smooth isn't one of the bywords of marriage. I'm not even sure love is one of the bywords, though movies would have us believe it is the beginning, middle, and end of marriage. For my grandparents (and my parents, too) commitment, sacrifice, and dedication were some of the bywords (and actions) of marriage. And love was the result of living a life together.
These are my grandparents, William Carl Robert "Bob" and Emma Bickerstaff Meinzen. This photo probably dates to the late 1950s or early 1960s when they would have been in their late 60s or early 70s. They were married 97 years ago on this date.
Happy Anniversary, Gramma and Grampa.
Hi Nancy, I've been facinated by your writings. Your Grandfather gave me many haircuts. A regular haircut was 25 cents but a butch was a little more. The dry cleaning shop by his shop was Trio Cleaners. There was a Sinclair gas station right across Depot Street that was owned by Bob Morris. Thanks again, this is just great.
ReplyDeleteGary, thanks for reading and commenting. I remember that a haircut was a quarter but I didn't know that a butch cost more. Do you suppose it was the cost of change? (My grandfather was a person of habit who didn't like change.)
ReplyDeleteThanks for reminding me about Trio Cleaners. In the comments on another post about the Ridge someone asked the name of the dry cleaning shop. Neither of us could remember.
And then, remind me, please. Wasn't Beazel's/Young's on the corner of Depot and Main Streets? I remember that Bob Morris had a gas station but I didn't remember that it was on the corner opposite the grocery store. I'll have to think on that a while and maybe it will come back.
How I wish there were photos of some of the stores in the Ridge from that time period.
Thanks again for coming to visit and leaving kind comments, Gary. I appreciate them.
Hi Nancy,
ReplyDeleteYes, the grocery store was on the north corner and the gas station was on the south corner. I can remember the big dinosaur sign.
I'm not sure about the extra charge for the butch. Cost of the wax perhaps.
There was also another gasoline station in town. The Ashland station that was owned by Frank Smith.
The only industry that I can remember was the Globe Union Battery Company that was down at the bottom of Depot.
Do you remember the old railroad tracks that used to parallel Kelly Street? I believe they used to service the iron furnaces near where you used to live.
Ah, you have brought up so many memories.
Thanks, Gary
It wasn't the butch that cost more, it was the flat top. That was what you had to use the wax on- to make it stand up in the front making the top of your head look flat. A butch haircut just followed the contours of your head. My Uncle told me the flat top cost more because it was the hardest cut and took the most time.
ReplyDeleteGary and Jim -
ReplyDeleteI think I should do some research about haircuts of the '50s and write another post about my grandfather. I'm sure I was barely paying attention to men's hairstyles when I was a kid.
Maybe it's a guy thing about gas stations and factories and railroad tracks.... I don't remember railroad tracks on Kelly Street, nor the Globe Union Battery Company, but I do remember Frank Smith's gas station. My father called it Smitty's and I occasionally rode with him to get gas when I was 3 or 4 or 5. I think it was near County Line Road, right? I wrote a post about peanuts and my memory of him bringing little 5¢ bags of peanuts back to the car which we ate before we got home.
It's such fun to reminisce. It's interesting to me how we remember different things.
Thank you both for sharing. I appreciate it.