Thanks! Enjoyed as usual, even though I couldn't identify with any of the people or events mentioned. I wondered about James Findley who wrote the poem about the history of Olney. There was a very nice couple named Findley who worked with the youth group at the Olney Methodist Church.
Linda (Stanford) Petterson
Class of ‘51
Hello, This is Una Tarpley in Olney Illinois. I graduated 1956 and got married April 19th 1957 to Raymond Tarpley in Olney Ill., which will soon be 50 years in 2007. I have worked at Burgin Manor since 1952 and still at Burgin Manor.
Raymond worked at AMF & Road Master since 1960. He was in the Air Force 4 years.
We moved to the Olney Borah Lake 1967 and still here on the Lake. It is a beautiful retirement place. We have one daughter, Rose Mann. She and Ron live in Odem, Texas and we have 2 grandchildren, Jack Allen and Brittney.
My hobby is playing music --- Piano and Guitar and now learning the Mandolin at age 68! Wow ha ha
My favorite song is "One Day At A Time". That is what we have to learn right?
We attend the Calvary Baptist Church in Olney. One other thing we have 2 new 4 wheelers to ride on our 40 acres in Berryville. At our age, can you believe!! We got a 4 wheeler to ride on flat ground only. haha No hills. My twin sister is Alice Brooks we sing together at Church and at Burgin Manor.
I can remember all the Olney Memories 1952- 1957. 1962 was a good year and Olney is changing a lot. In 1964 the building a new Nursing Home in Olney was keeping Mother and Dad busy. Burgin Manor opened up 1965 and is still 1 block behind the Olney High School. It is now 2006 and time marches on and we can keep all the old memories alive and not forgotten.
Una Burgin Tarpley
1952-1956 Olney High School
Television today has Judge Judy, but Olney had Honorable Carrie Winters. I think more scared straight citizens found their peace with God when they stepped into Miss Carrie Winters courtroom. Just thought I would mention a notable icon in Richland county government.
Of course Rock Hudson was born in Olney but never got the heroes welcome after he faded away with AIDS.
Who could never forget WVLN-WSEI's own, Jimmy Clinton on "SWAP Shop" who I thought was everyones neighbor in Olney.
I was your friendly Kroger cashier and carryout boy from 1971 to 1974. Bill Simpson was the manager then who closed the store and moved it to Vincennes Superstore at Kmart plaza off the Vincennes bypass. Bill Simpson lives near Louisville, KY and still manages to yuk it up on his Ham radio.
I will name some of my co-workers which many of you may remember. Twitter Bunting, Evelyn Bowlby, Joanie Robinson, Floyd Yingst, Bob Brady, Homer Reed, Jerry Boley, Jay Sizer, James Judge, Wayne Hahn, Jeff Kocher — sorry if I couldn’t recall everyone. We had a couple of Kroger/A&P reunions since the closing of the Olney store. The First Kroger store was across the street from the Courthouse on Main St. The second store was built just North about two blocks then moved to East Main or the A&P store consolidated then further out east till it moved to Vincennes.
My uncle, Hack Mitchell, opened the first Sears store on East Main then moved into old A&P store currently Bobe's Pizza behind the old Carnegie Library. His wife Margaret and him still reside in the Watergate addition at East Fork Lake.
His son, Loren Ray Mitchell, grew up there till they moved to Defiance, OH, to open up a new store. Loren Ray had a soap box derby car he raced on Elliot St. railroad bridge when I was very small. I remember how many people turned out for the Soapbox racing in Olney back then, Even the White Squirrel Raceway can still be seen from US 50 bypass near B&O Railroad overpass. I remember watching the men unload the wrecked train cars in the big train derailment just west of the Whittle St. Station.
I remember the '60s-era dance hall "The Cellar" across from the Avalon. My grandfather Lewis was a tough challenger at the Richland County Fair in the sled pulling contests. Before tractor pulls they had a team of horses or several types of livestock that pulled sleds in serious competition. I think there were goats that pulled sleds, I think the expression "I got your goat" was said there often. All my family there were in oilfield, farming, teaching, nursing. I was the guy who delivered your pizza products to Monical's, Bobe's and Joe's until recently. Every 7th person you meet in Olney - rather the entire Southeastern Illinois region- is my cousin My father delivered Texaco gasoline throughout the area. We are a family of Freemasons who still have family ties to Richland County.
My great ancestors who migrated from Deutshelund are buried in Stoltz Cemetary north of Bob Ulm's store or just atop the big hill north of the German Township town hall. On Prairie Hall Rd. My lil’ brother Dana worked for Racklin Paint for many years. My brother David worked at AMF and my sister Libby was the receptionist at Weber Eye Clinic for many years. She married Gary Lathrop who was the strict Math teacher at Junior High. I left the area in 1985 moving my young family to Indianapolis.
Curtis Stoltz
Class of 1973
I have already learned some things from the past editions of OM. I worked at the White Spot on 130 during my junior and senior years in high school, but I never knew how that restaurant got started. Also, reading OM brought back more memories for me from way back in the 1960s. I had forgotten that Weber Medical Clinic used to be up on Main Street back then, but I was only about 10 or so when we used to go there to see Dr. Benson. Then my older brother, Bill Keller, got his foot crushed by a tree when he was 12 years old and thank God for Dr. Frank Weber (I think). Anyway, Bill almost lost his foot, but Dr. Weber took care of him and he healed and went on to play football at ERHS for a couple of years. Needless to say my mother's favorite doctor in the whole world was Dr. Frank Weber. Thanks for all the Olney history and memories, they are so very interesting.
My favorites are from 1970 to 1976, dragging Main, eating pizza burgers for lunch at the Tiger's Den (I wonder where they got those things, they were so GOOD), and no weekend was complete without going to the skating rink even if you didn't stay and skate. One final mention, the Richland County Fair in July was the highlight of my summers back then. Those were the days, no worries except how to get gas money for the weekend. I grew up out near Calhoun, so I had to figure a way to get to Olney before I could have any fun.
Thanks for coming up with this neat idea. It is always nice to take a minute now and then to reminisce. I love reading the stories from past years, and trying to figure out who all the people mentioned in them are or who they are related to.
Kay Sumpter
DST Systems, Inc.
Legal Assistant
I grew up in Olney but left in 1975. I was in the class of 1973. I live in Nashville, TN but I still come to Olney as I have a lot of family there. I was there when the fall festival was going on this year. This was the first one I had been too. Thanks for the memories.
Cathy (Gantenbein) King
Class of 1973
I'm certain many of your readers would enjoy getting information about Olney from my perspective.
I have a special story about Charles Vaughn, Sr., he was self admitted to Anna for whatever that had ailed him, many intelligent minds have a fine line between normal and indifference in society.
I saw an article in the Sumner Press about his stay at Anna from Roscoe Cunningham another lawyer and legislator who owns the Sumner Press.
About sending cards to him while he was dealing or recuperating from whatever.
I sent a card showing a picture of my family and thanked him for his tireless efforts to give citizens for a special break in small matters of the law. Without his honorable duties as States attorney under the rigid domain of Hon. Carrie Winters many young men and women would have been lost to the court system and sad lives dues to infractions that could have ruint many Richland county homes and families without his honorable efforts.
I never heard anything until later when I got a letter from his daughter in Newton thanking me for unlocking his mind with my heartfelt story of gratitude. It was my story she said that he broke down in tears and began his reverse turn and she told me that she brought him home to Newton to stay with her and praised me for giving her father back. I'm certain that the entire Vaughn family was grateful for my simple act or gift that caught his attention and re-awaken his knotted up mind.
You should read the story of J.C.Penney, he experienced similar situation at an young age and left the hospital to embark on his fame and fortune, where 90 cents on every dollar of profit went to a worth while charity. After a local church choir came and sang to the residents, Mr. Penney was hearing the music from his padded room when he thought he heard angels singing and had a reversal of his illness or I say a brush with God or a hindsight view just like Moses at the burning bush at 76 yrs.
The same goodness with Mrs. Ray Croc of McDonalds does amazing philanthropies as well as Mrs. Sam Walton of Walmart fame. The Hershey family of Hershey, Pennsylvania is another worthy philanthropy
So I haven’ t gotten back much to Olney except when I visit my in-laws or family but haven’t had any time to visit the old regulars at Olney unless I go to McDonalds for Breakfast or the Hovey's is back open but not the same when it was when Mrs. Michels was leading the charge with her husband.
Kora & Kora Bakery were my favorites too.
Madeira, OH you could be shopping at Krogers and bump shoulders with Neil Armstrong or see him jogging around the neighborhood. Many of those old neighborhoods off US 50 in Cincinnati, OH metro look like Olney did in the '50s and '60s.Some restaurants are still there just as they were then.
I think one of the very first Skyline chili and Big Boy restaurants are on US 50.
One of the most Beautiful water fountains in the world is downtown Cincinnati at Fountain square. It’s a woman, I think its Queen Cincinnati holding up one hand above her head and the other by her side in a gracious pose with water coming out of both hands. My god I never knew such beauty was resting on US 50. The same with the White House. Before 9-11-01 you could actually drive by the White House and Washington Mall area in a truck. So when you are walking down Main Street Olney you are walking on Main Street USA or old US 50.
Fairmount in Cincinnati has a sign and memorial "Gateway to the West" when I see that I think someone probably didn’t even think of St Louis existed yet. The Bridge at Vincennes says the same on it on US 50. The farms of Bob Evans are not far away from US 50.
Larry Sonka has a restaurant in his hometown where US 50 and US 35 intersect.
If you ever get to Washington, DC, one of the most breathtaking bridges takes you from Annapolis to Queenstown on US 50 across the Cheakepeake Bay. You can over look the Naval Academy at Annapolis before and from the bridge on US 50. Doris Day got her first start in showbiz under aged in club at Cincinnati on US 50.
Roy Rogers was born on US 50 just west of Cincinnati. He was a flatbed truck driver on US 50, probably driven to St Louis points west many times before he changed his name to Roy Rogers and divorced his first wife. Many old truck drivers lost their wives and families back in the old days due to long trips, weeks or months away from family and home.
There's a small sign telling his real name and the town is about three to four miles east of the Indiana state line.
Seagram’s distillery is on US 50. Bicycle Playing cards is on US 50. The new Freedom center is on the Riverfront at Cincinnati.
If you ever get to Union Station shopping mall in St Louis there's a beautiful stained glass motif of two Grecian era women sitting on a bouffant couch touching each others hands with the words, "East meets the West" above it. There's some really cool celebrity photos posted through out the mall and interesting factoids.
For many years the "Bluebird" flew through Olney taking celebrities and notables to points east and west. The Bluebird is still seen at the B&O Museum in Baltimore, MD to date. I remember a 1972 article about many Shoe factory workers will have to drive to work since they closed passenger service through Olney. I remember President Eisenhower’s funeral train passing through too.
Are there still taxi cabs in Olney?
The first operational US Jet fighter was built in Evansville where the Whirlpool building exists today. Republic Aviation off US 41.Of Course Charles Lindbergh was born on US 50 too.
Red Skelton was born on US 50, the one of very few comedians who never used profanity to get a laugh in public.
My friend Ann, when you step on the sidewalks of Main street of Olney you are walking on hallow ground.
Even Arlington National Cemetery touches US 50.
The Cross at Red Hill State park was started by local teenagers who prayed from the mount to a wooden cross to end World War II.
I've seen the sign at both ends of US 50 where it ends and begins. At Miami beach/South Beach at a ritzy pier US 41 ends. It’s an amazing moment when you see a sign that denotes an end of a famous highway.
Let’s not forget one of my all time favorite cowboys from Richland County, Otis Easterday of Calhoun, Illinois who had the Shetland show ponies and the pony rides. Everyone enjoyed getting to ride his ponies at the fairs, festivals and chowders, etc. I had family who attended many of the Horse shows throughout the area.
My son loved Boxcar Willie at the 1983 (?) Richland County Fair. Jim Ed Brown was there too as well as one of my favorites, Joey Chitwood and his Thrill ride show. Some of the best racing and fist fighting in the pits were at the Richland county fair and White Squirrel raceway with Harry McPheron at the Flag Podium. That was my father's neighborhood friend growing up with him and his brothers up by the Boy Scout Camp at Camp Em Wa Ko. Now church camp.
My grandfather gave that acreage to the Boy Scouts to build their scout camp there. I vaguely remember my father taking us over to watch the activities when I was real small.
My great grandfather had lost the 10 acres of river when they passed the Intercoastal-water ways act. The story is that my grandfather Samuel made much of his living from trappers and river rats who mined the 10 acres where these blonde back mussels/clams were found to be premium price for button making at Mt. Carmel, IL which were found on Arrow men's shirts and fashion dresses of the Victorian era.
Somewhere, not never certain, the Blue Pearl in the Crown Jewels of England was found by Franciscan monks on one of the big rivers — White, Wabash or Embarras. They say you can find pearls in clams there but I'm certain nobody traps or hunts clams like they did back then. There's a small rest area south of Mt. Carmel, IL on Rte 1 detailing the story of the Blue Pearl.
My all time favorite TV show Route 66 crosses US 50 at St Louis.
Oh well I think I may have wore out a few minutes of your day with this info but I enjoy, genealogy and history.
Curtis Stoltz
Class of ‘73
My sister-in-law just sent me this link to old-picture postcards of Olney from a genealogy site Thought you might enjoy it, or maybe want to add the link to your next "Olney Memories"
Marilyn (Fawkes) Dilly
Class of 1960
I really like reading about Olney. Maybe there well be someone on it that I went to school in 1956 with that I can read about. My Mom (Ruth Nelson) ran the tiny dinner on Whittle Ave. At the little restaurant we were famous for the fish sandwiches. I helped out before I went to school.
I remember Bud Fessel from the Cleaners just 2 doors down, coming in for coffee. He was a real nice man. I must have been 14 at the time and he would come in for coffee and I would ask him if he wanted sugar in his coffee. He would say, “just stick your finger in it and that will be sweet enough.” I would get red as a beet but I loved it.
The cab company was across the street from us. It was run by Gordon Anderson in a little old building. The Seven Hills (Road) was fun! Who knew the danger at 15!! The highlight of the evening for us was being at the old drive-inn show out on West Main. The chicken house I worked there 1 day and I was out of there. But my mom & sister worked there for years. At the egg plant I cracked eggs all day long out on Whittle Ave. separating the yoke from the white. I wonder if anyone remembers the name of it ? The egg plant wasn't Kralis. It was in front of the ice house on Whittle that use to be there. I don't remember what it was called but maybe someone reading this will know.
Marilyn Sue Nelson Brock
Class of 1956
In reading through the Olney Memories, the mill in question west of Whittle on the B&O tracks was BOWER MILLS the owner( Frank Bower), I believe ended up being mayor of Olney in the late '60s.
Terry Willis
Class of ‘73
Recently someone wrote and asked me if I knew how Goosenibble got it’s name. I have had a lot of people ask me about how Goosenibble got that name. My mother told us when there was hardly anyone living in that area. Several people raised geese for one reason or another in that area. Many of the geese were free to nibble on the grass all day long and would return home at night. That is the only thing I ever heard about it.
Do you know of any other reason it was called, "Goosenibble"?
As I am sending this to others, maybe someone has a better explanation how "Goosenibble" got its name.
ANYONE CARE TO TRY?
George Roth
Does anyone remember Ralph Carter? (Class of 67) When I was 16 yrs old I met Ralph, he was fresh out of Viet Nam and was dating Pam Stacey ( class of 70). Ralph had a brand new 1970 Roadrunner and man-o-man would that thing run!! Back in those days draggin main was a MAIN EVENT. Sometimes it would take as long as a minute or two just to pull off of a side street onto Main!! And to be just 15 yrs old and draggin Main in a new Roadrunner was every young gear heads dream!!
Ralph hadn't driven anything faster than a military Jeep in over two years, so he really made up for lost time in the Roadrunner. When he turned around at Dog-N-Suds everybody knew he was gonna be fishtailing all the way past the hotel out on West Main going East!!! That of course got all the other muscle at the restaurant going , of course there was always the guy that had a nice car that had a girlfriend that wouldn't allow him to show off-- POOR GUY!! Ralph was kind of a modern day JAMES DEAN back then, always a string of guys waiting to cruise with him, if you weren't in his car by 6 or 7 in the evening, chances are you weren't gonna be cruisin that night with him!! People used to actually come from Salem, Centralia, Vincennes, Robinson and all over just to drag Main back then. Nowadays the cruise does a partial drag down Main and cuts off onto Whittle AAAAHHHHH, FORGET THAT, whenever I get one of my cars out to cruise, I STILL go the FULL LENGTH of Main-- thanks to Ralph I've been a die hard MOPAR fan since I was 15 way back in "70"----- THANKS RALPH!!!! More on this subject later!!!!
Terry Willis
Class of ‘73
I think 1958 was some of the peak years for Olney, Oil Booms and Rock n Roll, US 50 was busy as well as Downtown Olney was bustling.
I remember dancing in front of the jukebox at Mike's West Side parlor across from Prairie Farms when the Neon lights dazzled Downtown Olney. Lights at the Avalon sparkled and the Dog n Suds neon actually was the mark for the west-side dragging Main turnaround to the Tip Top Motel East side turnaround. Doo Wop was king on the radio.
In NYC they still have the original Doo Wop station that plays Doo Wop since the late 50's when you visit there today.
I missed the radio shows that they replayed religiously in the 50's and early 60's,Especially the Lone Ranger on radio had a be spelling effect on the mind. I buy many and rent old radio shows just to capture the era of pre-television.
I remember watching Bobby Helms singing "Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree" on TV and my sister Libby going ape over Dick Clark's American Bandstand.
I remember meeting Lyndon Johnson at the Airport on a campaign spin at Lawrenceville Georgefield airport. He, Lady Bird, and Lynda Bird were walking along the fence shaking hands.
I saw the Glenn Miller Band perform at ERHS in 1978 and many of the older crowd couldn’t understand that I had such interest as well as Bob Ulm's Travelogue series of his narration.
Miss Coan was one of my music teachers and had high hopes for myself. My daughter Ginger is 6 time State champion, 3 times vocalist and 3 times pianist in the Indiana ISMAA music finals and scored perfect in all her districts. She will be the music director next season at Ben Davis High School summer Westside Community players version of "Jesus Christ Superstar".
Ginger has performed the Wizard of Oz, The King and I at the Indianapolis Civic Theatre/civic theatre.org as well as Carmel Community players "Bye Bye Birdie" and Madhatters in Lebanon, IN Jesus Christ Superstar and Once upon a Mattress. She's been pinned as one of Indianapolis's Top ten Pianist. She performed on the keyboards on the Canal walk with the IUPUI Jazz band during Summer series and Indy Jazz festivals.
One of my favorite sets was Indiana Artists such as Hoagy Carmicheal, Count basie and Dorsey Brothers. You should have seen her do TD's Boogie Woogie. Wow it was crisp through the whole set. Her Director Jack Gilfoy is an Indiana icon who played drums for thirty years with Henry Mancini and behind Sonny and Cher on their Show. Jack was a student with Al Cobaine of Indiana University fame and had worked with Hoagie Carmichael and many other greats
Ginger also studies through her six year stint with Indianapolis Children’s choir at Butler University in the Jordan school of Music. Ginger can pick up any piece of music and play it for you on the spot. She's currently a student at IUP UI Bio Sciences and will graduate this spring with Biology and Chemistry major, Minor in Math and Music, 2002 Ben Davis HS Directors award winner, French honors and one of thirty top students in her class of nearly 600 students.
Her cousin is Jamie Stoltz who's teaching/coaching at St. Joseph parish in Olney. Ginger spent her first 16 months in Olney before we moved to Indianapolis in 1985.
Mrs. Coan did so much with me, who I read about her family being such a profound influence in Olney in your Olney memories. One of my best friends will be in Vincennes signing books. Dr. Lee Martin who's married to Debra Goss of Olney heritage. His Book is nominated for 2006 Pulitzer Prize and was the 2006 Sumner Parade marshal at the fall festival last September. Dr. Lee Martin grew up near Berryville, IL and currently teaches Creative writing for Ohio State University in Columbus, OH
Look up at the header on this message, I will send him a copy too so you can email him directly and inquire about his literary career. As well as Rod Harmon, Olney Daily Mail alumni/ writer-editor. Currently Entertainment writer for Sarasota, New York Times.
Pam Frazier-Evans from Sumner/Evansville/Lawrenceville who just had a book signing at Lawrenceville Library on 9-9-06 releasing her current publication.
Ann Weesner King has taken a venture in writing and has taken off like wildfire of interest and curiosity among citizens of Richland county hopefully spilling this enthusiasm over into Lawrence county. With her Olney Memories written by many citizens and shared like at a social or chowder. It’s a great usage of the internet and a delight to read.
Curtis Stoltz
Class of ‘73
I'm from the ERHS Class of 1971.George E Shipley Jr (aka: Buddy). For those that are old enough to remember, I come from a long time Olney/Richland County family. My grandmother, Mamie Jones was born in Bonpas Township in 1895 and married Jesse Shipley in Aug. 1913. Some of you may remember my grandma Mamie was the salad lady in the kitchen at the Elks for years. My grandfather, Jesse Shipley, was a teacher and a preacher back in the early years. Later he became a motorcycle officer for the Illinois State Police and was also Sheriff of Richland County, I believe in the '40s. My father, George E Shipley, would have graduated about 1945 had he stayed in school but as mom tells me, the war was going on and he and six of his friends went to Chicago to join the Navy. (A few of those friends were George Brinkley, Gus Stoltz and John Mundy, mom said she'll think of who else was along) and somehow dad wound up in the Marines. Dad served as a Deputy Sheriff of Richland County for his father Jesse and was elected to Sheriff in 1954. I remember the old Richland County Jail which was next to the hospital and right behind the courthouse. We (mom & dad, my older sister Cindy and myself) lived in the jail during some of the four years dad was sheriff. I remember it being much like "Mayberry" in that we had our town drunk who always had to come in and "check on his kids" (my sister and I) before he would go to his cell to sleep it off. Dad often got calls from the local taverns to come pick up the guy. One time it was my sister's birthday and he asked dad to let him out so he could get her a present with a little money he had saved up. My sister Cindy got a nice new camera that year for her birthday. A few hours later, Gaffner's called dad and said they had a camera missing and that the guy had taken it. Of course dad paid for it so that my sister's present didn't get taken away from her. I also remember the blind man that sold the newspapers. I remember his name as Rollie and I've often been told a story of how I used to take a stick and walk up and down the street tapping it on the ground and yelling papers for sale. Someone, probably my Grandpa Jesse, had my own little bamboo cane made with my name on it so I could go "sell papers" with Rollie. One time there was a bad storm and it was tornado season. Mom took us to the basement and thought, if this old building falls we'll be buried, then would drag us up to the 3rd floor, where women prisoners were kept, and think, now if this building gets blown away, we'll be out in the open on top and then drag us back to the basement. I think we spent the night going up and down stairs. My father. George, was elected to the US House of Representatives in 1958, retired in 1978 and I know that he was very grateful for the support that he received all those years he was chosen to serve the people of SE Illinois. In 1978, mom and dad moved to the Florida Keys and he and my younger brother Robb started a lobster/stone crab fishing business for 18 years. Dad passed away from lung cancer in June, 2003. Mom still lives in Olney in the building downtown that we lived in when I was in high school my senior year. That building now houses Stiver's Barber Shop in the front on the corner of Boone & Main. I believe that building may have been a Kroger or IGA store at one time when my dad was in his teens because I remember him telling me he worked there. He was born in 1927.
My mom's family came from Higginsville MO in 1941 when my grandfather, Hugh Watson, was transferred to Olney by the Shoe Factory to be the third floor foreman. Mom, Gloria Ann (Watson) Shipley, graduated from Olney HS in 1948. She remembers moving in their brand new house on Monroe Street on Halloween night 1942. My Grandpa Watson served on the Olney City Council at one time and was owner of the Little Farm Market for several years. I remember how the store had great big windows that opened up and all the produce was in boxes and placed in front along the sidewalk in front of the windows. The two old ladies (they were old to me back then anyway... were known as Butch and Toots and were from the Kapper family. They had a brother Neil. I also remember the TV tube tester machine that was mentioned in an earlier story and the penny candy and the big case full of cigars and how they smelled. Someone mentioned Allen Welker in an early issue, he was my uncle and Postmaster for some years. Also Charlie Jones ... I got my first bicycle at Jones Cycle Shop on Whittle. Believe it or not, it was a purple sting ray with a leopard seat.
I remember Tressler's and running down there for lunch when we were in Jr. High... and that was usually only when we missed getting a table at Hovey's. Many of the things mentioned I remember... Sherman's, Penny's (and the way they made change), Dale's Office Supplies (where we bought all of our school supplies), the Oasis, New Yorker, Charlie's Pool Hall that was next to the Oasis, Montgomery Ward's, Bower's, Schmalhausen's, Merle Norman and the Baby Shop, Ealy's Jewelry, Gaffner's, and the Pure gas station at the corner of Main St and 130... and I can only remember his first name, Russ, that was the owner.
Charge cards... didn't exist in those days. We had charge accounts that were as someone recalled, written in a tablet book and each month dad got a statement from whoever it was. I remember the old hardware store with wood floors next to Eaely's Jewelry. They had a giant ladder that went to the ceiling and rolled across the floor when they moved it. I also remember my mom waking us kids up one night very late because she wanted us to come outside and watch, Olney was burning. We lived in the house that dad built on what is now Shipley Road, 3 miles west of town off old 250. We could see the glow from the fire and mom got us all in the station wagon and brought us to town in the middle of the night to watch the fire. It was Dever's Men's Wear (?) and the hardware store (which I want to call Bauman's Hardware but that may have been the name in later years).
Olney was a wonderful place to grow up. I'll never forget when I was in sixth grade, we sat down for dinner one night and my dad asked, did you go feed the ponies? Of course my answer was no and his reply was "don't touch one piece of food on that plate until you've taken care of those ponies". I had to ride my bike from the house we lived in at the corner of Cherry & Morgan all the way out on S. East Street past Monroe... in the dark! Most parents would never think of sending a child out to do that today. But I learned a very important lesson and my pets have always had the best care they deserved. Speaking of the ponies... I attended Cherry Street School for most of elementary. I remember playing with our little cars (someone told a story earlier about knives and cars at school) around the big old tree that had roots coming out of it and we would "drive" in and out of the roots and make them stores and garages and homes. The boys had their playground and the girls had their playground back in those days. In fifth grade I had Earl Holtz for a teacher. He made a very lasting impression on my life and I wanted to be a teacher because of him. And I did even though I only taught four years. It was lunch hour when JFK was assassinated and I remember him coming to me and telling me that I needed to go home as my family would want me there. I guess because of my dad being the congressman. Mr. Holtz would take the kids out to his farm west of town for hay rides and to collect pumpkins and watermelons. We'd come back to the house and have watermelon and ride his two ponies: Fritz and Jackie. Back in those days our family would start school in Olney and then at the Christmas break we would move to Washington DC (actually the suburbs) and finish the school year there. When we were leaving that year, Mr. Holtz asked my dad to bring me out to the farm, he had a present for me. It was his pony Jackie.
So, I've rambled on enough for this time and will share the copies of the past memories issues with my family. I know that my mom will enjoy reading them and telling me some stories to send in and share. And thanks to all of you who have shared your memories as it has been a real pleasure to read these. I have a lot of reading to catch up as I'm only on issue #11 but I'm looking forward to it. Yes, Olney was a wonderful place to grow up, we never locked our doors, the keys to the car were in the ignition, you sent your kid across town at night without worry, and you knew your butt had better be in the house when the curfew siren went off or Neal Beamont was gonna get ya! If you got in trouble at school that was nothing compared to what trouble you would be in when you got home; and they knew already when you got home what you had done at school. I've noticed some of the high school class years around my older sister's age and will pass these along to her also. She was Lucinda (Cindy) Shipley and would have graduated in 1966. Those were wonderful days to remember. Thank You!
George E Shipley Jr (Buddy)
Class of 1971
Sunday, November 5, 2006
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