Today I received a DVD of Momma's funeral service. I listened carefully to the words of Rabbi Wohlberg, Alex and Amy. They talked about Momma, the kind of person she was. During our 65 years together, I never thought about that. We just lived our lives. I suppose it is like when you go on a trip or you go on vacation. Once you come home and think about it, you remember the enjoyment you had and you enjoy it over and over again. I cannot count the times that I have fondly remembered the trips we took to Israel, the many times we went to Chicago and Reno. I recall sneaking Emily to Burger King and sleeping in the motel office when we went to visit Lauren at camp. I remember taking Sheri and Lauren to Penn Dutch country to ride that old train from Intercourse to Paradise. So many memories and each one sweeter than when we actually did them.
So it is with our marriage; the great things, the good things and the not-so-good things. That first night we slept in the apartment over the store at 238 South Stricker Street, Risa in her carriage and Momma and I on a blanket on the floor; Larry and Arnold's bris in that same apartment. The move to 1512 McHenry Street when we outgrew the apartment with the birth of Marc and Phyllis. The trip to St. Agnes Hospital with Larry in my arms when he was hit by a car. The many meals Momma cooked and served at 1512 and thereafter. The fire at 1512. So many great, good and not-so-good things.
Now, sixty-five years later, our children are married and they have children of their own who have children. And then our other grandchildren will marry and have children. I have thought of some, not all, of the reasons that we have had such a good life and I will share them with you. Between Momma and I there was unconditional trust and loyalty. We knew that we could count on one another no matter what. We talked to one another, openly and candidly, and listened to what the other said. We were optimistic and had a positive attitude which gave us the strength to overcome the not-so-good things and obstacles that we encountered. We agreed that our primary goal was to raise good children and we certainly did that!
There will come a time when our grandchildren will marry. We hope that you find a mate such as Grandma and I found. In addition we wish you several other things. We wish that you have many children and grandchildren who actually like their siblings and cousins. We wish you enough wealth to accomplish what you want to accomplish and to live the life that you want to live. With these things Grandma and I know that you will lead wonderful lives, it worked for us!
When you find and marry your mate I may not be here to send you a card. I would like you to keep this writing and when that time comes, read it. And if I am here, I will write on the card, "See Life With Marcie."
– Addendum –
I wrote this at three o’clock in the morning but that is no excuse. How could I? How could I omit Lauren’s beautiful words at the funeral service. I am so sorry. I am so sorry.
Showing posts with label kids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kids. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Saturday, June 2, 2012
My Father sang a song ‘Did You Ever go Fishin’ on a Hot Summer’s Day” to his grandchildren (my children) and I sang it to my grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I sang it to Jacob when we were in Baltimore for Rosh Hashanah last September. Perhaps Jacob will sing it to his grandchildren and great- grandchildren.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Patterns
It is amazing how we pattern our lives to live like our parents and grandparents. We observe their behavior, their traits, their ideals, discard that which we do not like and mimic those which we admire. There are traits that we do not admire yet we do not discard them. Often child abusers have been themselves abused and alcoholics have had an alcoholic parent. There are traits that we do not admire and do not mimic but later in our lifetimes, we come to the realization that they were correct.
My Father, William, was a strong individual with strong convictions. He insisted that I attend Baltimore Hebrew College after Bar Mitzvah. I did not have the basics for it and failed miserably after one year. He relented. He insisted that I attend University of Maryland, School of Pharmacy. I hated it; did well, finished the year but I hated it. Therefore I did not insist that my children attend college and stay there. Fortunately, they all turned out well, very well. But I should have insisted. He was generous with his time and his material possessions. Family was very important to him and we had relatives living with us, at no cost to them, until I was 13 years old. My grandmother and two maiden aunts had to go so my father and Uncle Dave rented and apartment for them and later bought a duplex on Wylie Avenue for them. He insisted that we children contribute to the household. I did not get paid for cutting the grass! Sound familiar?
William was honest. During World War II, he was manager of the Baltimore branch of the Independent Lock Company which manufactured locks and keys. They were in very short supply during the war, and he was offered bribes to sell them more than they were entitled to. He did not and sold the products evenly. Many times he stopped at a hardware store on his way home to adjust a key cutting machine at no cost to the hardware store. He was active in his synagogue, first Petach Tikvah on Denmore Avenue and then Beth Jacob. He gave ten years as a volunteer to Bais Yaacov School for Girls on Greenspring Avenue. My Mother, Esther, volunteered at Sinai Hospital, first on Baltimore Street and then on Greenspring Avenue for many, many years. (Ask Harry Zemel). She rode three different streetcars to get to Baltimore Street.
Many lessons my parents taught me stick in my mind. “If you are going to do something, do it right. It is no easier if you do it wrong.” “Do a little more than the boss expects you to do.” “Do not say or do something if it does not accomplish anything and self-satisfaction is not an accomplishment.”
My parents were thrifty. They were able to spend their retirement years without seeking financial help from their children.
So look at your parents and grandparents. You will eventually be their age and have similar circumstances. You will have a pattern to guide you; to mimic or reject.
Choose wisely.
My Father, William, was a strong individual with strong convictions. He insisted that I attend Baltimore Hebrew College after Bar Mitzvah. I did not have the basics for it and failed miserably after one year. He relented. He insisted that I attend University of Maryland, School of Pharmacy. I hated it; did well, finished the year but I hated it. Therefore I did not insist that my children attend college and stay there. Fortunately, they all turned out well, very well. But I should have insisted. He was generous with his time and his material possessions. Family was very important to him and we had relatives living with us, at no cost to them, until I was 13 years old. My grandmother and two maiden aunts had to go so my father and Uncle Dave rented and apartment for them and later bought a duplex on Wylie Avenue for them. He insisted that we children contribute to the household. I did not get paid for cutting the grass! Sound familiar?
William was honest. During World War II, he was manager of the Baltimore branch of the Independent Lock Company which manufactured locks and keys. They were in very short supply during the war, and he was offered bribes to sell them more than they were entitled to. He did not and sold the products evenly. Many times he stopped at a hardware store on his way home to adjust a key cutting machine at no cost to the hardware store. He was active in his synagogue, first Petach Tikvah on Denmore Avenue and then Beth Jacob. He gave ten years as a volunteer to Bais Yaacov School for Girls on Greenspring Avenue. My Mother, Esther, volunteered at Sinai Hospital, first on Baltimore Street and then on Greenspring Avenue for many, many years. (Ask Harry Zemel). She rode three different streetcars to get to Baltimore Street.
Many lessons my parents taught me stick in my mind. “If you are going to do something, do it right. It is no easier if you do it wrong.” “Do a little more than the boss expects you to do.” “Do not say or do something if it does not accomplish anything and self-satisfaction is not an accomplishment.”
My parents were thrifty. They were able to spend their retirement years without seeking financial help from their children.
So look at your parents and grandparents. You will eventually be their age and have similar circumstances. You will have a pattern to guide you; to mimic or reject.
Choose wisely.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Cure for Depression
I was sitting at my desk very depressed. I had just had a very bad day. I was full of self-pity, feeling sorry for myself. “I am going to be eighty-six years old; what in hell have I accomplished in all those years?” I thought.
I began to straighten up my desk and found a large manila envelope bulging with old photographs. There was one of Larry and Arnold at their second birthday party in the kitchen behind the store at 238 South Stricker Street, their faces smeared with icing and a glazed look in their eyes from too much birthday cake. There was one of a twelve year old Risa sitting on the Wishing Well at Peter Pan Inn in Frederick. There was Momma fixing sandwiches at a picnic in Leakin Park. There was a photograph of a six year old Lauren with missing front teeth. I gathered them all up and walked out of the office past the sofa table holding all the photographs of the children, the grandchildren and the great-grandchildren and sat under the three pictures of Daniel’s and Debra’s Bnei Mitzvohs. I picked up the book that Sheri had made us for our sixtieth wedding anniversary and leafed through it. I then knew what I had accomplished in eighty-six years and my depression vanished.
Take a lot of pictures and videos of your children and grandchildren. Works better than Effexor for depression!
I began to straighten up my desk and found a large manila envelope bulging with old photographs. There was one of Larry and Arnold at their second birthday party in the kitchen behind the store at 238 South Stricker Street, their faces smeared with icing and a glazed look in their eyes from too much birthday cake. There was one of a twelve year old Risa sitting on the Wishing Well at Peter Pan Inn in Frederick. There was Momma fixing sandwiches at a picnic in Leakin Park. There was a photograph of a six year old Lauren with missing front teeth. I gathered them all up and walked out of the office past the sofa table holding all the photographs of the children, the grandchildren and the great-grandchildren and sat under the three pictures of Daniel’s and Debra’s Bnei Mitzvohs. I picked up the book that Sheri had made us for our sixtieth wedding anniversary and leafed through it. I then knew what I had accomplished in eighty-six years and my depression vanished.
Take a lot of pictures and videos of your children and grandchildren. Works better than Effexor for depression!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Career Path
It has come to my attention that there has been those in our family who have been ambivalent and uncertain when choosing a major in college and subsequently a career. I believe that most people “fall in” to a career or have one chosen them by their parents. I do not believe that many, at the age of twelve, say, “I want to be a doctor” and become a doctor. I do believe that the newborn whose father is the managing partner in a prestigious law firm will eventually become a member of that law firm. But for the rest of us, we “fall in.”
Larry was at loose ends when his friend, Arthur Lawrence, decided to sell his florist supply business. Larry was ready to “fall in.” When David’s friend, Michael Rombro, began his business supplying single dosage drugs to institutions and needed some to manage it, David “fell in.” Momma and I chose once and “fell in” once. Let me explain.
When I finished my work for a Masters degree in marketing and market research there was a recession and I could not find a suitable job. I knew how to cut meat and with my business education, we borrowed five thousand dollars and purchased the soon to be known Kenmar Food Market. It was a dingy, dark, old-fashioned mom and pop grocery at 238 South Stricker Street. We set to work modernizing the business. We cleaned up the place, purchased a self service refrigerated case and made the store semi self service. Business boomed and before long we had a major portion of the neighborhood business. We paid the loan even though Risa, Larry, Arnold, Marc and Phyllis arrived within the next four years. We purchased the building at 301 South Stricker Street and moved when the lease at 238 expired. We purchased new shelving and fixtures for 301 and when the tenant who lived in the room behind the store moved, we doubled the size of the store. Our sales circular each week drew in even more customers. The store bulged with merchandise, even to the point of hanging some from the ceiling. We purchased a house at 1512 McHenry Street and moved in 1953. We moved to Merville Avenue in 1959. We were busy, productive; life was good and interesting.
Then came the letdown. We had most of the business in the neighborhood. We even went so far as to look to purchase a larger store. But an examination of the records revealed that although the revenue was ten times that of the Kenmar Food Market, the headaches were also tenfold and the net profit was the same. There was no more challenge. I was bored.
Then came Charlie Oberman! Charlie was a detail man for a food broker. His job consisted of visiting food stores and convincing them to buy and feature the food products sold by his employer. As with most salesmen who came into the store, we became friends. Charlie’s brother was a chauffeur and go-fer for Congressman Samuel N. Friedel (D. Md. 5th Congressional District). Congressman Friedel and Delegate Marvin Mandel (D. Md. 5th Legislative District) were members of the Crosstown Democratic Club whose sole purpose was their election and re-election. It was in the early 1960s that Charlie Oberman introduced me to the Crosstown Democratic Club. I was fascinated! When the President, David Kramer was forced to resign because he became a Federal employee forbidden to be and officer of a political organization by the Hatch Act, I became President. Every office seeker came to the Crosstown and I introduced them. When Willy Don first ran for the Baltimore City Council, I introduced him. He later became Baltimore’s Mayor and Maryland’s Governor and Comptroller; William Donald Schaeffer. Benjy Cardin ran for the Maryland Legislature from the 5th District; he is now Senator Benjamin Cardin (D, Md.). I knew them all and they knew me. Pretty heady stuff for a thirty-some year old grocer from Stricker Street!
I asked Speaker Marvin Mandel if I could work during the 1965 Session of the General Assembly and spent the session working as Administrative Assistant to the Speaker. I learned so much about the operation of the Legislature and the State of Maryland. Even though Momma and I continued to operate the Kenmar Food Market, my boredom had vanished. When I decided that I wanted to work for the State of Maryland, Marvin Mandel steered me to Henry Miller, Commissioner of Labor and Industry. And when my job necessitated some legal knowledge, Momma encouraged me to go to law school at night, “Just take a couple of courses.” One course led to another and another and before I knew it, I was sworn in as an attorney in 1976.
It all started with Charlie Oberman; he was my “fall in.”
So do not despair. If it doesn’t come today, some day you will “fall in.”
Larry was at loose ends when his friend, Arthur Lawrence, decided to sell his florist supply business. Larry was ready to “fall in.” When David’s friend, Michael Rombro, began his business supplying single dosage drugs to institutions and needed some to manage it, David “fell in.” Momma and I chose once and “fell in” once. Let me explain.
When I finished my work for a Masters degree in marketing and market research there was a recession and I could not find a suitable job. I knew how to cut meat and with my business education, we borrowed five thousand dollars and purchased the soon to be known Kenmar Food Market. It was a dingy, dark, old-fashioned mom and pop grocery at 238 South Stricker Street. We set to work modernizing the business. We cleaned up the place, purchased a self service refrigerated case and made the store semi self service. Business boomed and before long we had a major portion of the neighborhood business. We paid the loan even though Risa, Larry, Arnold, Marc and Phyllis arrived within the next four years. We purchased the building at 301 South Stricker Street and moved when the lease at 238 expired. We purchased new shelving and fixtures for 301 and when the tenant who lived in the room behind the store moved, we doubled the size of the store. Our sales circular each week drew in even more customers. The store bulged with merchandise, even to the point of hanging some from the ceiling. We purchased a house at 1512 McHenry Street and moved in 1953. We moved to Merville Avenue in 1959. We were busy, productive; life was good and interesting.
Then came the letdown. We had most of the business in the neighborhood. We even went so far as to look to purchase a larger store. But an examination of the records revealed that although the revenue was ten times that of the Kenmar Food Market, the headaches were also tenfold and the net profit was the same. There was no more challenge. I was bored.
Then came Charlie Oberman! Charlie was a detail man for a food broker. His job consisted of visiting food stores and convincing them to buy and feature the food products sold by his employer. As with most salesmen who came into the store, we became friends. Charlie’s brother was a chauffeur and go-fer for Congressman Samuel N. Friedel (D. Md. 5th Congressional District). Congressman Friedel and Delegate Marvin Mandel (D. Md. 5th Legislative District) were members of the Crosstown Democratic Club whose sole purpose was their election and re-election. It was in the early 1960s that Charlie Oberman introduced me to the Crosstown Democratic Club. I was fascinated! When the President, David Kramer was forced to resign because he became a Federal employee forbidden to be and officer of a political organization by the Hatch Act, I became President. Every office seeker came to the Crosstown and I introduced them. When Willy Don first ran for the Baltimore City Council, I introduced him. He later became Baltimore’s Mayor and Maryland’s Governor and Comptroller; William Donald Schaeffer. Benjy Cardin ran for the Maryland Legislature from the 5th District; he is now Senator Benjamin Cardin (D, Md.). I knew them all and they knew me. Pretty heady stuff for a thirty-some year old grocer from Stricker Street!
I asked Speaker Marvin Mandel if I could work during the 1965 Session of the General Assembly and spent the session working as Administrative Assistant to the Speaker. I learned so much about the operation of the Legislature and the State of Maryland. Even though Momma and I continued to operate the Kenmar Food Market, my boredom had vanished. When I decided that I wanted to work for the State of Maryland, Marvin Mandel steered me to Henry Miller, Commissioner of Labor and Industry. And when my job necessitated some legal knowledge, Momma encouraged me to go to law school at night, “Just take a couple of courses.” One course led to another and another and before I knew it, I was sworn in as an attorney in 1976.
It all started with Charlie Oberman; he was my “fall in.”
So do not despair. If it doesn’t come today, some day you will “fall in.”
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Snowballs
Snowballs are uniquely Baltimorean. I have never seen them in any part of the United States. Along with the arrival of warm weather came hundreds of snowball stands, many of them in the basements of row houses.
Basements had windows which opened up to the sidewalk about two or three feet above the sidewalk level and voila, there was a business location. The capital requirements were minimal; for less than $25.00 you were in business.
A metal box about 3x3x6 with a hinged lid on the top and a blade in the bottom was the device used to shave the ice. The bottom was scraped across a block of ice and the shaved ice was deposited in the device. The hinged lid was opened and the shaved ice was deposited into a paper boat. Flavored syrup was shaken into the shaved ice, a flat wooden paddle-like spoon was added and a five cent snowball was ready.
Syrup was made by mixing a five pound bag of granulated sugar with five gallons of hot water. This made twenty quarts of simple syrup. A tablespoon of concentrated flavor extract was added to each quart to complete the process. A tablespoon of concentrated citric acid was added to the fruit flavor. Chocolate flavor was made with half chocolate syrup and half simple syrup.
Sugar cost about fifty cents for a five pound bag and flavor extract was thirty-five cents for an eight ounce bottle. I don’t remember what the paper boats and spoons cost, but it was minimal. The total cost of the snowball was less than two cents.
We began selling snowballs in the store about 1965. I bought a snowball machine for $250.00. This was basically a large blender about three feet tall with a circumference of about a foot with an electric motor to turn the blades. Ice chunks were deposited into the top and a six ounce cup was held under the spout. A lever started the motor and shave ice was deposited into the cup. Flavor and the flat spoon were added and the five cent snowball was ready. Chocolate flavor, ice cream, and marshmallow were each five cents extra. The snowball machine paid for itself in about two months.
We doubled the amount of sugar and flavor extract used which made for a much better snowball. The profit was still there. One summer, David ran the snowball business. He purchased the supplies, kept records, sold the snowballs and retained the profits. As I recall, he ended up with six or seven hundred dollars at the end of the summer; and that was 1965 dollars.
Today there are very few snowball outlets, all with a minimum price of a dollar for a ten ounce cup of shaved ice and a sprinkle of flavor. My, my!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
October 21, 2009
We moved into Delray Beach the day before Thanksgiving, 1999. Spyglass was just too small for us. It was some 1200 square feet as opposed to some 1800 square feet in Pine Ridge. Momma had wanted to move so I told her to do what she did when we decided to move before; find a place that you like and if I like it, we’ll buy it. The Seids, who lived next door to us in Spyglass had moved to Pine Ridge. Momma looked at several places there and found and liked the one at 7677 Mansfield Hollow Road. I looked at it, liked it, so we bought it.
Momma joined the Women’s Club and I joined the Men’s Club. We became active and participated in the events which were sponsored by the Clubs. I found the swimming pools which were a delight. We went to restaurants and the theater. We went on a cruise to Alaska after visiting Marc and Leslie in Reno. We spent a good deal of time with the Johnpolls and the Bergs. In 2001, I was volunteered into serving on the Board of Directors of the Homeowners Association. I was handed the checkbook and told, “You are the Treasurer.” I served for nearly seven years, being re-elected each year. We had a full and interesting life.
Disaster struck in October, 2004. When we went somewhere, I would let Momma off as close to the entrance as possible, park the car and then walk back to her and we would go in. I let her off in front of Big Lots and drove off to park. She stepped up, missed the curb and fell flat on her face. 911 was called and she was transported to Delray Medical Center. Over the next three years, she was in and out of three hospitals and two rehabilitation centers. I cannot count the number of hours that the Bergs, the Johnpolls and I spent in waiting rooms and patient’s rooms. Momma fell in one rehabilitation center and suffered a hairline fracture in her right femur, necessitating a stay in a hospital. She was transported in a wheel chair after her discharge from the final rehabilitation center until we discovered the four-wheeled walker which she presently uses. An Aide come in four hours each weekday morning and helps Momma in addition to light housekeeping. I have become the chef, launderer, shopper and accountant. By the middle of 2008, my diminished hearing and eyesight in addition to increased caregiver duties mandated that I give up my role on the Board of Directors and Treasurer. I resigned and am glad that I did.
We go out primarily to visit doctors. Yet we have still managed to get to Baltimore twice in the past year. Life is good. We have each other and we see our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I can’t believe that there are thirty-six of us. We are, and have good reason to be, so proud of their accomplishments and the way they lead their lives.
Friday, April 17, 2009
I was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1976 and shortly after, we sold the store and the building in which we spent more than a quarter century. Momma walked out of the store and swore that she would never work another day in her life. This lasted about two weeks and she let it be known that she was looking for a job. Arnold did business with a storage and moving company, Economy Delivery, Inc. The lady who worked in the office was pregnant and was leaving soon. Arnold spoke to the owner, Vincent Horan, who told Arnold to have Momma come in. She worked there until she retired in 1992. The office and warehouse was located off of Reisterstown Road where the railroad bridge crosses it. It was back along the road which runs East alongside the railroad tracks. It was small and cramped but Momma loved it. She accessed all of her knowledge about how to run a successful business and applied it to Economy Delivery, Inc. The business prospered and moved several times to larger and larger quarters. When Momma reached 65 years of age, she retired. We have remained close friends with Vince and Barbara Horan and keep in touch with then to this day. I suspect that Momma did not want to retire but I had retired two years earlier and this was our chance to do things that we never had time to do during our lives.
About 1989 (I am not certain of the date) all the children were out of the house on their own. It was time to dispose of Byers Court and move on. We were not certain that we would like apartment living so we decided to rent. Ingram Manor was an old apartment building at Park Heights and Slade Avenues owned by Howard Brown. He was rehabilitating the building, apartment by apartment. We looked at an apartment on the fourth floor which was perfect for our needs; living room, dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms, two baths, a den and a balcony. It was not completely rehabilitated but Brown promised to complete the work quickly. He did not keep his promises. We continuously had problems with the air conditioning and the stove and the refrigerator. There was one passenger elevator and one service elevator. They worked and did not work. I spent a good amount of time calling about the deficiencies. I finally went to his office and sat until he would talk to me. It did not help much. We had a lease that expired in June, but in March, we received a letter from Brown demanding that we move immediately. We did with alacrity. Shortly after, we received a letter from his attorney demanding rent for the months until June. I made a copy of Brown’s letter demanding that we move out and sent it to the lawyer. We never heard from him again.
We discovered that we liked apartment living but did not like renting. We discovered the Elmont 12 blocks South of Ingram Manor on Park Heights Avenue. It had the same number of rooms. We lived there on the fourth floor until 1997. Mott and Lucille Stanchfield lived in our villa in Tamarac until 1994. When they moved out and we completely rehabilitated the place, we would go down for various periods of time. We bought a used Dodge Lancer and kept it there so that we would have two vehicles. There were times when we would spend several months there during the years. I tried and tried to convince Momma to sell the Elmont and move to Florida permanently. She resisted. One night we ate Chinese and when we opened up the fortune cookies, they both contained the same message, “You will soon move to a warmer clime.” Claude was transferred to Coral Springs, Florida and the rest of his family would soon follow. Momma relented and we sold the Elmont and we became residents of Florida on January 2, 1997. We took the auto train with our two vehicles to Florida. The villa was small, 1200 square feet and we felt cramped. Momma wanted to move to larger quarters. I used the same formula; go look, find a place you like and if I like it, we’ll buy it. Our next door neighbor in Tamarac moved to Delray Beach. We looked at several homes there and found 7677 Mansfield Hollow Road. And best of all, it was a house. It was 1820 square feet and suited us perfectly. There was a living room, dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms, two full baths, a den and an office. There was a large screened patio which overlooked a lake. There was also a one-car garage. We moved in the day before Thanksgiving, 1999. Momma was 72 years of age and I was 74.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
We moved into Merville Avenue in May, 1959 and lived there until just before Thanksgiving, 1973. Amy was enrolled in Pamlico Middle School located at park Heights Avenue and Northern Parkway. Late one Friday afternoon Larry was driving home up Northern Parkway when he saw five black girls chasing two white girls. He saw long black hair streaming behind one of the white girls. It was his sister, Amy. He stopped the car and scattered the chasers. That evening when Momma came home and learned of the incident, she proclaimed, “We’re moving!” Sunday, a realtor that we knew, Richard Goodman, came to Merville Avenue and we put the house up for sale. I told Momma, “Look for a house and when you find one you like, I’ll go look at it. If I like it, we’ll buy it.” She found 3 Byers Court in Randallstown. When I walked in, I knew that this was it! It was located at the head of a court on ¾ of an acre. It had a full basement, a living room, dining room, kitchen, family room and den on the first floor and four bedrooms on the second floor. It also had two and a half baths. Sliding doors opened from the family room onto a deck. With what we received for Merville Avenue we were able to pay for the house without financing. Most of the children were on their own and did not live there. In warm weather, all gathered for Sunday brunch and to play volley ball in the back yard. I built a room in the basement where Larry and David returned to live periodically.
I had my first heart attack in April, 1982. Momma’s Aunt and Uncle, Sarah and Lou Music owned a condo in Tamarac, Florida. They offered to allow us to use it. We went to Florida in the late summer of 1982. One morning, we drove to the shopping center at Commercial and University Boulevards. We walked around looking in the windows of the stores. We stopped at a real estate office and looked at pictures of properties that were for sale. A salesman came out and asked, “Would you like to look at some properties? I’ll be glad to show you some.” We had nothing to do so we got in his car. He showed us several condos which did nothing for us. We had no intention of buying anything. He drove down a road and pulled into a development to turn around. “We like these,” I said. The homes were villas: five one story row houses. He said, “There are none for sale now, but I sold one several months ago and I am certain that you could look at it.” The villa had a kitchen, living room, dining room, two bedrooms, two full baths and a garage. I gave him my card and said, “Call me when one is for sale.” I never thought I would hear from him again. Several months later he called to say that he had one for sale. I asked my brother, Marvin to look at it and if the price was good, to buy it. We bought it sight unseen. We went to dinner with cousins and told them about the purchase. I needed financing so I asked if they could recommend a bank. How much do you need?” he asked. “About $35,000.00,” I replied. “I’ll loan it to you,” he said. “No interest. Pay me when you can.” I was flabbergasted! Several weeks later we needed the money and after dinner, we went to their home. From the closet, he brought several shoe boxes full of ten and twenty dollar bills. Momma and my cousin sat at the kitchen table and counted out $35,000.00! We put it in a shopping bag and that’s how carried it to the settlement! The property came with a tenant and they wanted to live there. I wrote to them and told them that as long as they did not cause me any expense, the rent would not be increased. Mott and Lucille Stanchfield stayed until 1994. We never saw them or talked to them. Mott would write and say that the living/dining room needed painting and if I would pay for the paint, he would do the painting. I told him to buy the paint and take the price off of the rent check and put the receipt in with it. That is how we did it for twelve years. In 1994, Mott called and told us that Lucille had been transferred to Melbourne, Florida and they had to move. When we walked into the house, my heart fell. The carpet was threadbare, wisps of drapes hung from the windows and the appliances were a disaster. We cleaned everything out, from the concrete floors to the popcorn ceiling. We bought all new appliances and decided not to rent it. We furnished it and used it periodically until 1997 when we sold the condo in the Elmont and moved permanently to Florida.
I had my first heart attack in April, 1982. Momma’s Aunt and Uncle, Sarah and Lou Music owned a condo in Tamarac, Florida. They offered to allow us to use it. We went to Florida in the late summer of 1982. One morning, we drove to the shopping center at Commercial and University Boulevards. We walked around looking in the windows of the stores. We stopped at a real estate office and looked at pictures of properties that were for sale. A salesman came out and asked, “Would you like to look at some properties? I’ll be glad to show you some.” We had nothing to do so we got in his car. He showed us several condos which did nothing for us. We had no intention of buying anything. He drove down a road and pulled into a development to turn around. “We like these,” I said. The homes were villas: five one story row houses. He said, “There are none for sale now, but I sold one several months ago and I am certain that you could look at it.” The villa had a kitchen, living room, dining room, two bedrooms, two full baths and a garage. I gave him my card and said, “Call me when one is for sale.” I never thought I would hear from him again. Several months later he called to say that he had one for sale. I asked my brother, Marvin to look at it and if the price was good, to buy it. We bought it sight unseen. We went to dinner with cousins and told them about the purchase. I needed financing so I asked if they could recommend a bank. How much do you need?” he asked. “About $35,000.00,” I replied. “I’ll loan it to you,” he said. “No interest. Pay me when you can.” I was flabbergasted! Several weeks later we needed the money and after dinner, we went to their home. From the closet, he brought several shoe boxes full of ten and twenty dollar bills. Momma and my cousin sat at the kitchen table and counted out $35,000.00! We put it in a shopping bag and that’s how carried it to the settlement! The property came with a tenant and they wanted to live there. I wrote to them and told them that as long as they did not cause me any expense, the rent would not be increased. Mott and Lucille Stanchfield stayed until 1994. We never saw them or talked to them. Mott would write and say that the living/dining room needed painting and if I would pay for the paint, he would do the painting. I told him to buy the paint and take the price off of the rent check and put the receipt in with it. That is how we did it for twelve years. In 1994, Mott called and told us that Lucille had been transferred to Melbourne, Florida and they had to move. When we walked into the house, my heart fell. The carpet was threadbare, wisps of drapes hung from the windows and the appliances were a disaster. We cleaned everything out, from the concrete floors to the popcorn ceiling. We bought all new appliances and decided not to rent it. We furnished it and used it periodically until 1997 when we sold the condo in the Elmont and moved permanently to Florida.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
I Become A Lawyer
At this point, I would like to ask our children, all thirteen of them, to contribute their stories and not wait until they are eighty-four years old. I am certain that their children would find them interesting.
When Bill Welsh found me in the Speaker’s office in early 1966, he was there to ask that a bill be introduced. Each year, for the past several years, he attempted to enact a law which would give the Division the authority to collect wages for employees who worked and were not paid the wages due. I had become friendly with many members of the Legislature. Among them were Alex Resnick, the Delegate from the 5th District in Baltimore City and Joseph Long, the State Senator from Salisbury on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. With the help of the Speaker’s secretary, Grace Donald and Alex Resnick and Joe Long, the bill was enacted and signed by the Governor. It was assigned to the Employment Standards Service for enforcement. The Chief, Arthur Williams, had no idea how to do this. I was called into the office to devise procedures. I created two forms; one a detailed form which gave a wage-hour investigator all the information needed to investigate and a second form with the bare essentials. The short form was sent was sent to the employer together with a letter. The letter told the employer that a claim had been filed by an employee or ex-employee that he had worked and was not paid the wages due. If the employer agreed that the wages were due, send a check and resolve the matter. If a check was not received within ten days, a wage-hour investigator would be at the employer’s place of business on (date) and (time) to discuss and resolve the claim. The workload of the Service greatly increased. At the time of my retirement in 1990, more than a million dollars was collected annually for employees who had filed claims. I was anxious to get back on the street where I could be back in the store by early afternoon.
When I became Chief in 1969 one of my duties was to interpret the laws assigned to the Service. For example; the Wage Collection Law applied to employees and employers. I was required to decide who was an employee and who was an independent contractor to whom the law did not apply. When I had questions, I would call one of my friends who was a lawyer. I hesitated to do this. When I discussed this with Momma, she suggested that I enroll in Law School and take a few courses until I could make these decisions without the assistance of my lawyer friends. So I enrolled in the Law School at the University of Baltimore. I began by taking two courses twice each week, at night. I left the office on Preston Street at 4:30 and walked over to the University of Baltimore on Charles Street. Momma picked me up at 10:00 o’clock, two evenings each week. At the end of the semester, I took two more courses and then two more courses. Suddenly, in 1975, I had eighty credits, enough to graduate and take the Bar Exam. I was in no hurry: becoming a member of the Bar would not increase my employment status. I took the Bar Exam in 1976 and was sworn in later that year. The swearing in was conducted at the Court of Appeals in Annapolis. Each new lawyer was given two tickets for guests to attend. I took Momma and Amy. After the ceremony, we walked to the State House and the Governor’s Office. Marvin Mandel had become Governor and Grace Donald had become the Governor’s Secretary. Unfortunately Marvin was not there but Grace took Amy into the Governor’s office and Amy sat in the Governor’s Chair behind the Governor’s desk. I showed Grace the Certificate I received and she offered to have it framed. It hangs over my desk on Mansfield Hollow Road.
By 1976, most of the children had moved into their own homes and apartments. My salary was sufficient and we no longer needed the earnings of the Kenmar Food Market. We sold the store and the building at 301 South Stricker Street and a new door opened for Momma.
When Bill Welsh found me in the Speaker’s office in early 1966, he was there to ask that a bill be introduced. Each year, for the past several years, he attempted to enact a law which would give the Division the authority to collect wages for employees who worked and were not paid the wages due. I had become friendly with many members of the Legislature. Among them were Alex Resnick, the Delegate from the 5th District in Baltimore City and Joseph Long, the State Senator from Salisbury on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. With the help of the Speaker’s secretary, Grace Donald and Alex Resnick and Joe Long, the bill was enacted and signed by the Governor. It was assigned to the Employment Standards Service for enforcement. The Chief, Arthur Williams, had no idea how to do this. I was called into the office to devise procedures. I created two forms; one a detailed form which gave a wage-hour investigator all the information needed to investigate and a second form with the bare essentials. The short form was sent was sent to the employer together with a letter. The letter told the employer that a claim had been filed by an employee or ex-employee that he had worked and was not paid the wages due. If the employer agreed that the wages were due, send a check and resolve the matter. If a check was not received within ten days, a wage-hour investigator would be at the employer’s place of business on (date) and (time) to discuss and resolve the claim. The workload of the Service greatly increased. At the time of my retirement in 1990, more than a million dollars was collected annually for employees who had filed claims. I was anxious to get back on the street where I could be back in the store by early afternoon.
When I became Chief in 1969 one of my duties was to interpret the laws assigned to the Service. For example; the Wage Collection Law applied to employees and employers. I was required to decide who was an employee and who was an independent contractor to whom the law did not apply. When I had questions, I would call one of my friends who was a lawyer. I hesitated to do this. When I discussed this with Momma, she suggested that I enroll in Law School and take a few courses until I could make these decisions without the assistance of my lawyer friends. So I enrolled in the Law School at the University of Baltimore. I began by taking two courses twice each week, at night. I left the office on Preston Street at 4:30 and walked over to the University of Baltimore on Charles Street. Momma picked me up at 10:00 o’clock, two evenings each week. At the end of the semester, I took two more courses and then two more courses. Suddenly, in 1975, I had eighty credits, enough to graduate and take the Bar Exam. I was in no hurry: becoming a member of the Bar would not increase my employment status. I took the Bar Exam in 1976 and was sworn in later that year. The swearing in was conducted at the Court of Appeals in Annapolis. Each new lawyer was given two tickets for guests to attend. I took Momma and Amy. After the ceremony, we walked to the State House and the Governor’s Office. Marvin Mandel had become Governor and Grace Donald had become the Governor’s Secretary. Unfortunately Marvin was not there but Grace took Amy into the Governor’s office and Amy sat in the Governor’s Chair behind the Governor’s desk. I showed Grace the Certificate I received and she offered to have it framed. It hangs over my desk on Mansfield Hollow Road.
By 1976, most of the children had moved into their own homes and apartments. My salary was sufficient and we no longer needed the earnings of the Kenmar Food Market. We sold the store and the building at 301 South Stricker Street and a new door opened for Momma.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Restless
Working in the General Assembly during the 1965 session introduced me to a new world. I became restless. The store was boring! There was no challenge. We had come as far as we could go with the store. Larry and Arnold were 15 years old and were a big help in the store. Momma said, “Why don’t you look into a State job?” So I called Marvin Mandel and he sent me to Henry Miller, Commissioner of Labor and Industry. Henry Miller sent me to William R. Welch, Deputy Commissioner. The Division was run by the Deputy Commissioner. The Commissioner came into the office a couple of times during the week. He had a thriving law practice and spent the vast majority of his time there. Bill Welch told me that I had to take a test. So I took the test and scored 105. A veteran got an extra ten points but they deducted five points because I spelled my name wrong; I left out the “d.” On the day before Thanksgiving, 1965, I reported for work at the State Office Complex on Preston Street, mezzanine floor. I was a wage-hour investigator. My duties, among others, were to visit places of business and examine the payroll records to insure that the minimum wage was being paid. The Chief, Arthur Williams was an old State employee who was Chief because he was the oldest Safety inspector and the only one who resided in the Baltimore area. The other three wage-hour investigators worked and lived in Hagerstown, Crisfield and Southern Maryland. The wage-hour investigators did not come into the office. All assignments and reports were sent to the office by mail. This was perfect! I would open the store at seven, Momma would get the children off to school, and come to the store about ten o’clock. I would go out and complete a day’s work by one o’clock and come back to the store. Momma would go home sometimes in the afternoon and I would stay and close the store at seven. Perfect!!!
One Monday afternoon in early 1966, I went to Annapolis to visit my friends, Marvin Mandel’s secretaries in the Speakers office. Who should walk in but Bill Welch, the Deputy Commissioner. “What are you doing here?” he asked. I stammered, “I finished up an audit and it was too late to start another here in Annapolis so I though that I would visit my friends in the Speaker’s Office. Let me introduce you.” To have friends in the Speaker’s office was a big, big thing because all legislation went through the Speaker’s office. When, a few years later, I wanted a bill heard, Grace Donald picked up the phone, called the Chairman of that committee, and said,” Marvin wants this bill heard as soon as possible.” Marvin never even heard of the bill! So I grew ten feet taller in Bill Welch’s estimation. Anyone who had the ear of the secretaries was a definite asset.
Then, in 1968, disaster struck for Arthur Williams and another door was opened for me. Arthur had diabetes and did not take care of himself. He was rushed to the hospital and he never returned. I was made acting Chief and on January I, 1969, became Chief, Employment Standards Service where I remained until June 30, 1990. This posed a problem because it was an 8:30 to 4:30 job. Momma had to come to the store earlier and leave later. I opened the store at seven, Momma came and I went to work. She stayed until I got back. I was late to work often and left early often. The Service now operated on complaints only and was very efficient. So as long as the Deputy Commissioner did not receive complaints from our complainers, I was left alone, especially with my influence in Annapolis. On Saturday, Larry and Arnold would come to the store with me. They would go to services at a store-front shul on Baltimore Street. Larry became 13 years old and when they found out, the next Saturday he was called to the Torah. The first time a boy is called to the Torah, he is Bar Mitzvah. So Larry was Bar Mitzvah in than store-front shul on Baltimore Street. Marc would come to the store with me on Sunday morning. Risa, Phyllis and Amy helped in the house. Everybody helped. They had to!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Change of Life
One event may make vast changes in our lives. Such an event occurred when Charlie Oberman walked through the door of the Kenmar Food Market. A food product moved from the Manufacturer to the Food Broker to the wholesaler to the Food Market to the Consumer. Charlie Oberman was a Representative of a Food Broker. He would travel to Food Markets and sell the food products represented by the Food Broker. Charlie had a brother, Irving (known as “Obie’). Obie was the driver and “gopher” for Samuel N. Friedel, United States Congressman for the Fifth Congressional District of Maryland. Samuel N. Friedel and Marvin Mandel, the Delegate from the Fifth District to Maryland State House of Delegates operated the Crosstown Democratic Club whose sole purpose was to elect and re-elect Sam and Marvin. Charlie Oberman introduced me to the Crosstown Democratic Club. We met every Tuesday evening in a long room above a saloon on Park Heights Avenue just south of Hayward Avenue. Every candidate for political office who ran in the Fifth District came to the Crosstown to seek support; from governors to United States Senators down through Baltimore City Councilmen, they all came to the Crosstown. Meeting these important people was pretty heady stuff for a grocer from Stricker Street. David Kramer was the President of the Crosstown. He wasn’t a white collar worker: he was a black collar worker. He worked for a rag processor and got pretty dirty. Dave was a smart, articulate man so Sam Friedel got him a Federal job promoting United States Government Bonds. But Dave now came within the jurisdiction of the Hatch Act which prohibited Federal employees to be officers of a political club. Dave asked me to become President of the Crosstown. I was terrified! I had never even spoken to a group but Dave promised me his full support. So I became president for two terms. Part of the job was to introduce the candidates who came to the Crosstown. Among many others, I introduced Governor Millard Tawes and Senator Sarbanes and a candidate for the Baltimore City Council, one William Donald Schaeffer. Pretty heady stuff for a grocer from Stricker Street. Sometimes I would bring Larry and Arnold to the meetings.
Sam Friedel began his campaign for re-election the day after he was elected. Whenever a Crosstown member spoke with a family member or friend he reminded them to vote for Sam. We put signs on our vehicles and in our front yards and in our friend’s and neighbor’s front yards and windows. One year I drove Sam to the many Democratic Clubs on Belair Road along the Eastern border of Baltimore. They were usually located in a tavern. Sam would go in, buy a couple rounds of drinks and shake hands with everyone. He would, of course, also have a couple of drinks. By the end of the evening, Sam was feeling no pain. He was feeling nothing! On Election Day, we would man the polls, distributing literature to the voters. On election night, we would gather at the Crosstown to monitor the results. It was so different from the Kenmar Food Market.
The Kenmar Food Market was very successful. We had pretty much all the business within a radius of about three blocks and had expanded as much as was physically possible. I had looked into buying a small supermarket, but when examining the financial records, I found that the net annual profit was no greater than that of the Kenmar Food Market. It was simply a lot more work for the same money. The operation was now almost automatic. I was restless.
I asked Marvin Mandel if I could work for the Maryland Legislature during the 1965 Session. Marvin had been elected Speaker of the House of Delegates. A loyal member of the club was awarded “time” as a reward for his work. He would go to Annapolis, swear in as an employee, never go back and receive a check for 10 days work, $100.00. Marvin said, “ Sure, I’ll put you on for ten days.” “No”, I replied. “I want to work.” “Okay,” he said. “Come to my office on opening day and we’ll work something out.” So on opening day, I went to the office of the Speaker of the House of Delegates and met Grace Donald and Laura Rowell, secretaries to the Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates. I became the Administrative Assistant to the Speaker.
And through all this, the Kenmar Food Market operated. Momma spent many hours in the store as did Larry and Arnold. The other children helped in the house. We all worked together. I don’t believe we knew what we were doing; we just did it!
Sam Friedel began his campaign for re-election the day after he was elected. Whenever a Crosstown member spoke with a family member or friend he reminded them to vote for Sam. We put signs on our vehicles and in our front yards and in our friend’s and neighbor’s front yards and windows. One year I drove Sam to the many Democratic Clubs on Belair Road along the Eastern border of Baltimore. They were usually located in a tavern. Sam would go in, buy a couple rounds of drinks and shake hands with everyone. He would, of course, also have a couple of drinks. By the end of the evening, Sam was feeling no pain. He was feeling nothing! On Election Day, we would man the polls, distributing literature to the voters. On election night, we would gather at the Crosstown to monitor the results. It was so different from the Kenmar Food Market.
The Kenmar Food Market was very successful. We had pretty much all the business within a radius of about three blocks and had expanded as much as was physically possible. I had looked into buying a small supermarket, but when examining the financial records, I found that the net annual profit was no greater than that of the Kenmar Food Market. It was simply a lot more work for the same money. The operation was now almost automatic. I was restless.
I asked Marvin Mandel if I could work for the Maryland Legislature during the 1965 Session. Marvin had been elected Speaker of the House of Delegates. A loyal member of the club was awarded “time” as a reward for his work. He would go to Annapolis, swear in as an employee, never go back and receive a check for 10 days work, $100.00. Marvin said, “ Sure, I’ll put you on for ten days.” “No”, I replied. “I want to work.” “Okay,” he said. “Come to my office on opening day and we’ll work something out.” So on opening day, I went to the office of the Speaker of the House of Delegates and met Grace Donald and Laura Rowell, secretaries to the Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates. I became the Administrative Assistant to the Speaker.
And through all this, the Kenmar Food Market operated. Momma spent many hours in the store as did Larry and Arnold. The other children helped in the house. We all worked together. I don’t believe we knew what we were doing; we just did it!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Post-1959
1959 became the beginning of many changes in our lives. We had decided that it was desirable that our children grow up in a Jewish environment. Momma started to look. One afternoon in early 1959 our friend, Irv Abramowitz stopped in the store between appointments. We discussed moving. That evening, his wife, Grace, called Momma. Her parents were empty nesters and lived in a six bedroom, 2 ½ bath house at the corner of Merville Avenue and Ken Oak Road. This is one block north of Rogers Avenue and six blocks east of Park Heights Avenue. Grace told us that they were anxious to move to a small house on Glen Avenue. We made an appointment to see her parents and the house. The house sat on a ¼ acre with a two car garage behind it. There were four porches, three covered, in front and in back, of the first two floors. There was a very large entrance hall with a breakfast room, kitchen, pantry and half bath behind it. To the left was a living room with a fire place (gas) and a dining room behind that. The living room had parquetry wood floors. The walls were plaster covered by linen cloth and painted. There was molding on the walls to make a center frame. Grace’s mother said that she had had a seated dinner for 100 guests in that house. From the entrance hall, stairs led to the second floor. Three bedrooms, a den and a full bath were on the second floor. The den opened up to the covered rear porch. The front bedroom opened up to the uncovered front porch. Momma and I were in the front bedroom, Risa had one bedroom and Phyllis and Amy shared the other bedroom.
The third floor held two bedrooms and a full bath. There were eaves alongside each bedroom. Marc had the small rear bedroom and Larry, Arnold and David had the front bedroom. Marc established a workbench under the eaves where he promptly disassembled anything he could spirit upstairs. When the toaster went missing, it appeared disassembled on Marc’s workbench. There was a full basement with two rooms. I used one for and office and we used the other one for storage. The walls were two feet thick made of stone.
The Zervitzes asked $12,500.00 for the house. Momma and I walked out onto the front porch, looked at each other, nodded and knocked on the door. We moved in May, 1959. Northern Parkway was due to be built alongside the house, but it only took a small triangle from the southwest corner of the property. One night about four o’clock in the morning, we heard a loud crash. Am employee driving to work at Koontz Dairy, located at Northern Parkway and Reisterstown Road failed to make the turn and ended up against the tree in the front yard. Both the tree and the employee survived; the vehicle did not.
One afternoon, Marc came running down the stairs shrieking, “They got pictures of naked ladies hanging up.” Momma and I trudged up to the third floor and saw no such hangings in the front bedroom. Marc reached up and pulled down the window blind. Larry had taped a Playboy centerfold to the inside of the window blind. When it was up, the picture was not visible. I seem to recall that we permitted them to keep it there. The boys bathed in the tub on the third floor. Arnold hated to take a bath so he threw dirt in the water. “Of course I took a bath and washed,” he said. “Can’t you see how dirty the water is?” David did not go to summer camp but spent uncounted hours in the backyard with Glenn Gibson building roads for the many matchbox cars that they had accumulated. There was always a pool in the backyard and the neighborhood children always found their way there. We always had animals. I recall a dog, Lucky, who ran out into Northern Parkway and was struck by a vehicle. He did not live up to his name. I believe that our children feel that Merville Avenue was among the best years of their lives.
Risa transferred to Arlington Elementary School where I had attended some twenty five years before. One of her teachers, Mrs. Wallenstein was my sixth grade teacher. Small world! Larry and Arnold and Marc went to the Talmudical Academy. Phyllis and Amy went to Arlington. I spent nearly an hour commuting to the store, but it was worth it. We lived in a Jewish environment. Ben Leibowitz, my sister Ruth’s husband, taught Momma how to drive and we acquired the “tired monster.” After the children came home, Momma left them with Risa and came to the store. Sometimes she came down to the store after they left for school and came back when they came home. Everyone pitched in and helped. With seven children, there was just too much to do for just one mother and one father.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
1954 through 1959
The five year period between 1954 and 1959 was a very busy one and produced profound changes in our lives. David appeared in 1955 and Amy Gail came in 1958. She was such a beauty that she became known as the “ugly child.” The store prospered and the volume of business grew. This was a neighborhood business. Customers did not drive to shop, but walked. They could come to the store a half dozen times a day. They would come in the early morning to buy food for breakfast. We would break a 19 cent loaf of bread in half and sell each half for 10 cents. Many stores would sell one egg or one cigarette. Donuts would be delivered fresh each morning and customers would buy one or two donuts. Milk was sold by the quart; not by the gallon or half gallon. Many people did not have refrigeration or if they did, it was not efficient. There was no such thing as frozen foods. The first frozen food was frozen orange juice and Minute Maid sold grocers a freezer for $100.00. I borrowed the money from Uncle George Poloway. Groceries were purchased for the next meal; a customer who came in on Saturday and purchased a $15.00 order was a customer to be treasured. Meats were cut to order. When a customer wanted ground beef, out came the chuck and out came the meat grinder. A half pound of beef was cut off the piece and ground right there and then. When a customer wanted something and we did not stock, we got it and stocked it! Whatever they wanted, we got! At Christmas toys were hung from the ceiling and orders taken. We sold Christmas lights, tinsel, wrapping paper and ribbons. We took orders for Thanksgiving turkeys. They were delivered Tuesday and we stayed up all night cleaning them to be picked up by customers on Wednesday. Turkeys came with the head and feet on and the entrails inside. We sold billions of Easter eggs and jelly beans, baskets and green paper grass to put in the baskets. We sold socks, sheets and pillow cases. I suppose we were a convenience store…Plus!
We needed more room desperately but Mrs. Waters lived in the room behind the store. She is not to be confused with Mrs. Wilhelm who lived in the second floor rear room. Mrs. Waters saved newspapers. Her room was literally crammed with newspapers. During this period, Mrs. Waters died and we did not rent the room. W broke through the back wall and extended the store to the rear of the building. Additional shelving was purchased and we became a miniature supermarket. We hired a neighborhood youth to work afternoons after school. We led full lives.
Misfortune struck with the fire at 1512 McHenry Street in 1957. Fire damage was confined to the second floor front room but the whole house reeked of smoke. Mama took Risa, Marc, Phyllis and David and went to live with her parents on Park Heights Terrace. I took Larry and Arnold and went to my parents on Ingleside Avenue. Time was compressed because of the commute. By the time Amy was born in March, 1958 the renovation was not complete but we all moved back into McHenry Street. Renovations were finally completed but before the end of the year, Momma and I decided that our children needed to be raised in a Jewish environment and this could not be found at Stricker and Mchenry Streets. Momma began to look.
We needed more room desperately but Mrs. Waters lived in the room behind the store. She is not to be confused with Mrs. Wilhelm who lived in the second floor rear room. Mrs. Waters saved newspapers. Her room was literally crammed with newspapers. During this period, Mrs. Waters died and we did not rent the room. W broke through the back wall and extended the store to the rear of the building. Additional shelving was purchased and we became a miniature supermarket. We hired a neighborhood youth to work afternoons after school. We led full lives.
Misfortune struck with the fire at 1512 McHenry Street in 1957. Fire damage was confined to the second floor front room but the whole house reeked of smoke. Mama took Risa, Marc, Phyllis and David and went to live with her parents on Park Heights Terrace. I took Larry and Arnold and went to my parents on Ingleside Avenue. Time was compressed because of the commute. By the time Amy was born in March, 1958 the renovation was not complete but we all moved back into McHenry Street. Renovations were finally completed but before the end of the year, Momma and I decided that our children needed to be raised in a Jewish environment and this could not be found at Stricker and Mchenry Streets. Momma began to look.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Regrets
At this point I would like to relate two incidents which, although occurring at two separate times many years apart, taught me the same valuable lesson. I never learned anything about my Father’s life prior to his arriving into the United States in 1914. I know that he came from the Ukraine in Russia and that is about all I know. I do not even know the city or town or village where he was born and lived. I know very little about his family. Did he have aunts and uncles and cousins? What did they do? What kind of people were they? I did not press him for that information and I probably did not ask very much. Today I deeply REGRET this.
Marc decided to move to Reno from Washington D.C. where he had been employed as the locksmith at George Washington University. Momma and I were helping him pack his belongings in a U-Haul trailer when I asked, “Would you like me to drive with you?” It would turn out to be one of the best questions that I ever asked. The experience was a great one for both of us. And surprisingly, I do not remember much about the trip. I remember that the trailer tipped over on the Capitol Beltway minutes after we started the trip. I remember running out of gas at night in Wyoming.(Marc blamed me although he was driving.) I remember checking the trailer hitch on the shores of the Great Salt Lake in Utah. And I remember wrestling that ungodly heavy sofa up the stairs to his second floor apartment in Reno. We left on a Friday night and arrived in Reno on Tuesday afternoon. Those four days had a deep effect on our relationship ever since and for the better. I have no REGRETS about accompanying Marc on his migration to Reno.
If there is something that you want to do or should do and can do, do it! Give it serious consideration (or conserious sideration as Risa used to say) and if the answer is “yes”, do it! There will come a time when you will not be able to do it. Don’t put yourself in the position where you must say, “ I wish I had……” For that time will surely come and you will have REGRETS.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Kenmar Food Market moves to 301
The lease on 238 South Stricker Street ran out in 1954. There was no intention to renew the lease. We had purchased the building at 301 South Stricker Street and had prepared for a move. The store was painted and a tile floor laid. A freezer, a refrigerated vegetable case and a refrigerated reach-in box were added. Completely new shelving was in place. A window air conditioner was installed over the entrance door. All that was left to do was move the meat display case and the inventory. This was accomplished in one day and we were open for business. And remember, I was 29, Momma was 27 and we had five children all five years old or less.
Meanwhile, the children were getting older (as is usually the case) and Risa was ready to start school. The public schools in the area were bad, very bad and we needed a good school for our children. She was enrolled in the Louisa May Alcott Elementary School at Reisterstown and Keyworth Avenues. We gave our home address as the home address of Momma’s parents on Park Heights Terrace. Momma’s paternal grandmother, whom we know as Super Bubbe, lived across Keyworth Avenue from the school. I would drive Risa to school each morning and pick her up most afternoons. There were times when Momma’s mother, Grandma Esther Hoffman would pick her up and we would retrieve Risa after the store was closed. When it was time for Larry and Arnold to go to school, we chose the Talmudical Academy on Cottage Avenue. I would drop off the three of them in the morning and the School Bus would deliver the boys in the afternoon.
The boys began to work in the store in the afternoon. They would wait on the children who came in to buy penny candy. There were probably 30 kinds of penny candy like those little half balls of hard candy pasted on a strip of paper, sweet liquid juice in tiny wax bottles and giant licorice sticks; all a penny each. There were no throwaway soda bottles but there was a two cent deposit on the bottles. The children redeemed the bottles for penny candy. The boys probably ate as much candy as we sold but it kept them busy. Buzzy Berg would stop in with Richard and guess where Richard immediately went. That’s right, the candy case. Life was good; the store prospered and produced enough income for the seven of us to live a middle class life.
Problems arose but nothing serious and nothing out of the ordinary. Then two disastrous incidents struck. Larry ran out into McHenry Street and was struck by a vehicle. A visor over a headlight caught Larry in the mouth and tore open his upper lip and knocked out his two front teeth. At first we thought that his entire lip had been torn off, but it was only split. A good plastic surgeon made repairs but left a scar. This is probably one of the reasons that Larry has always had a mustache. Arnold was different. His philosophy was, “You go along with the program.”
Several years later, when Marc and Phyllis were about three years old, Phyllis found some matches and gave them to Marc. He crawled under our bed and lit one. As the smoke billowed out of our second floor bedroom windows, neighbors called the Fire Department and ran to tell us at the store. I ran to the house. It was only a half block away. It has been said that my first action was to call the insurance company. That is not true! My first action was to see that Marc and Phyllis and anyone else were out of the house and safe. My SECOND call was to the insurance company. The room was completely gutted but the insurance covered the costs of refurbishing the room.
Vehicles were important in our lives. Our first vehicle was a 1939 Plymouth which we purchased from Momma’s Uncle Lou Music. That’s the one that we pushed more than we drove. In 1950, we bought a 1948 Dodge from a salesman, Bob Hoenes who worked with my father at the Independent Lock Company. Our next vehicle was a used 1950 Chrysler nine passenger station wagon. We needed the size because everyone wanted to sit near a window. Our first new vehicle was a 1952 Plymouth station wagon, then a new 1955 Plymouth station wagon. When we moved to Merville Avenue in 1959 we needed a second vehicle because Momma learned to drive. We spent $20.00 on a two door 1952 Plymouth from Sam Berg’s junk yard. We called it the “tired monster” because the shocks in the front were bad and the vehicle tilted low in the front. But it ran and ran and ran. And guess who drove it; and it wasn’t Momma. We had a 1959 Rambler and then another Rambler. We had a 1968 Dodge Dart and a 1973 Dodge Dart. We had a 1977 Pontiac which was a total disaster. Our next vehicle was a 1978 Volvo which became known as Mom Marcie’s little red bus. David worked at Michaelson Motors where there was a Mazda franchise. We thereafter bought Mazdas.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
1512 McHenry Street
1512 McHenry Street was built in 1834 according to a map in Baltimore’s Peale Museum. It was the last of a group of row houses which ran from behind the store at 238 South Stricker Street to Parrish Alley. It was originally a three story house with two rooms on each floor. Subsequent owners built a large kitchen on the first floor, two bedrooms, a bath and a back porch on the second floor and partitioned one of the bedrooms on the third floor to form a bedroom, kitchen and bath. There was an outhouse in the back yard. In the kitchen, there was a large fireplace which we converted into a pantry. There were no improvements to the property in many years so Momma and I got to work. We would close the store at seven o’clock, have dinner and get the five children into bed. Then we would get to work. We laid asphalt tile in the kitchen, dining room and up the stairs into the second floor hall. Asphalt tile is not flexible but is hard. It is cut by scoring it and snapping each end, hoping that is breaks at the scored line. A black adhesive is spread on the floor and the tiles are placed on the adhesive. The adhesive is not water soluble and must be cleaned up with paint thinner or turpentine. It can make a real mess. It is not difficult to lay the tiles. You measure to the exact center of the room and make a cross. You put one tile in each part of the cross and go from there. When you get to the edge of the room, the tiles must be cut to fit. The kitchen was tin; the walls and the ceiling were tin. It was not a smooth surface and had small bubbles all over it. It was very time consuming to paint. There were no rollers then; only paint brushes. We hung paper in the living room and laid wall to wall carpet. We converted the back bedroom on the second floor to a laundry room and installed a washer and a dryer. The drain line ran down the outside of the house. One winter the drain line froze and the water backed up and overflowed. It ran through the floor into the kitchen and into all the cabinets. What a mess!
We enclosed the back yard with a cinder block fence and the children played there. It was here that our only broken bone happened. Larry was walking on top of the fence and fell off, breaking his arm. Prior to that, Larry decided to test our admonition about running into the street. He was struck by a vehicle and had his upper lip torn open and his two front teeth knocked out. But Molli married him anyway! During the summer we would turn on the hose and the neighborhood children had a grand time playing in Parrish Alley. Vehicular traffic was practically non-existent in Parrish Alley. There was a row of houses which ran down Parrish Alley inhabited by blacks. Old Lady Sadie lived behind our house and was always hollering at the children playing in the alley.
We had help in the house from the time Larry and Arnold were born until we moved to Merville Avenue. Mitch was with us for two weeks from the birth of the first set of twins. Then came a succession until we found Delores. She worked five days per week and was paid $20.00 per week. She lived on Carey Street and I would frequently pick her up and take her home. We lived on McHenry Street until 1959 when we moved to 5601 Merville Avenue.
We enclosed the back yard with a cinder block fence and the children played there. It was here that our only broken bone happened. Larry was walking on top of the fence and fell off, breaking his arm. Prior to that, Larry decided to test our admonition about running into the street. He was struck by a vehicle and had his upper lip torn open and his two front teeth knocked out. But Molli married him anyway! During the summer we would turn on the hose and the neighborhood children had a grand time playing in Parrish Alley. Vehicular traffic was practically non-existent in Parrish Alley. There was a row of houses which ran down Parrish Alley inhabited by blacks. Old Lady Sadie lived behind our house and was always hollering at the children playing in the alley.
We had help in the house from the time Larry and Arnold were born until we moved to Merville Avenue. Mitch was with us for two weeks from the birth of the first set of twins. Then came a succession until we found Delores. She worked five days per week and was paid $20.00 per week. She lived on Carey Street and I would frequently pick her up and take her home. We lived on McHenry Street until 1959 when we moved to 5601 Merville Avenue.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Continuing Saga
1949 came to an end and we had a great New Year’s Eve. Laurence and Arnold appeared on the scene September 30, 1950, nine months later. Two cribs made their appearance in the tiny apartment above the store. Eight days later the Bris occurred in the apartment. It was traumatic for the boys; they did not walk for a year! Sales slowly increased as our customers got used to us and we provided many services in addition to selling them groceries. We sold postage stamps and money orders. Our customers did not have bank accounts so we cashed their pay checks and sold them money orders (checks) when they needed to send a check to pay a bill. If someone came in and asked for an item which we did not carry, we added it to the inventory. Our fathers, Willie Golberg and Sam Hoffman visited the store daily. They were very helpful. Remember we were 24 and 22 years old. Sam Hoffman had a cake route. He sold cake, cookies, potato chips, candy and other snack items to groceries like ours. He sold cakes from the Kunkel and Haverstick Bakery Willie Golberg left work at five o’clock and swung by the store on the way home.
Daily deliveries of bread and milk were made. Transactions were cash on delivery. You had to check everybody. The soda delivery men had a favorite trick. Sodas came in wooden boxes with 24 compartments and one soda fit in one compartment. They would bring in a stack of five cases. From the center of the bottom four cases they would remove four bottles, leaving 20 bottles in each case and charging for 24. It could not be seen until the top case was removed. That stopped after the first inspection caught it.
One evening Willie Golberg came in and found two insurance salesmen trying to sell me life insurance. He chased them out and said, “If you want to buy life insurance, I will send you someone.” So, one evening after I closed the store, J. Max Abramowitz came along with his son, Irving J. I was to be Irving’s client. I came in from the store, took off my bloody, dirty apron and washed my hands. We all sat down at the kitchen table. Irving was a stiff, serious young man. He continuously toyed with a ring on his finger. When I asked what that was, he replied, ”This is my school ring. I graduated from the Johns Hopkins University.” I said,” I have one like that.” I reached into the cutlery drawer in the kitchen table. “Mine has 1948 on it.” We became very close friends and remain so to this day. He would stop at the store during the day when he had some free time between appointments, sometimes for lunch. He would eat in our home because we kept Kosher. He married Grace Zerewitz who Momma knew since they were eight years old. Grace’s mother was Annie Pariser, daughter of Joseph Pariser who bought Morganstern’s Bakery on Christian Street where Esther Poloway lived and above where Abraham Poloway rented a room to sew pants. Small world, isn’t it?
Irving had a friend, Norbert Grunwald, a stockbroker, who began an investment club. Irving brought me into the club. We invested $10.00 per month and bought stocks with it. We met once each month for breakfast and discussion. I met many other young men my age, among them, one Buzzy Berg who later married Elayne Plimack and sired one Richard Stuart Berg. Small world, isn’t it?
We had a five year lease which would expire in 1954. The landlord was reluctant to maintain the property and problems arose. The property known as 301 South Stricker Street, caddy corner from the store, came up for sale. Willie Golberg managed to secure financing and we bought the property as joint tenants. The first floor was rented as a warehouse and the upper two floors were rented as apartments. The rents paid the mortgage and expenses.
On April 19, 1953 Marc AND Phyllis Sue arrived. Surprise, surprise!! We expected only one. Five children within 47 months. The apartment above the store became much too small. A three store house at 1512 McHenry Street became available and we became homeowners with a mortgage. We put down $2,500.00 and borrowed $3,000.00. We were almost the typical American family; children, a used car and a mortgage. All that was missing was a dog.
Daily deliveries of bread and milk were made. Transactions were cash on delivery. You had to check everybody. The soda delivery men had a favorite trick. Sodas came in wooden boxes with 24 compartments and one soda fit in one compartment. They would bring in a stack of five cases. From the center of the bottom four cases they would remove four bottles, leaving 20 bottles in each case and charging for 24. It could not be seen until the top case was removed. That stopped after the first inspection caught it.
One evening Willie Golberg came in and found two insurance salesmen trying to sell me life insurance. He chased them out and said, “If you want to buy life insurance, I will send you someone.” So, one evening after I closed the store, J. Max Abramowitz came along with his son, Irving J. I was to be Irving’s client. I came in from the store, took off my bloody, dirty apron and washed my hands. We all sat down at the kitchen table. Irving was a stiff, serious young man. He continuously toyed with a ring on his finger. When I asked what that was, he replied, ”This is my school ring. I graduated from the Johns Hopkins University.” I said,” I have one like that.” I reached into the cutlery drawer in the kitchen table. “Mine has 1948 on it.” We became very close friends and remain so to this day. He would stop at the store during the day when he had some free time between appointments, sometimes for lunch. He would eat in our home because we kept Kosher. He married Grace Zerewitz who Momma knew since they were eight years old. Grace’s mother was Annie Pariser, daughter of Joseph Pariser who bought Morganstern’s Bakery on Christian Street where Esther Poloway lived and above where Abraham Poloway rented a room to sew pants. Small world, isn’t it?
Irving had a friend, Norbert Grunwald, a stockbroker, who began an investment club. Irving brought me into the club. We invested $10.00 per month and bought stocks with it. We met once each month for breakfast and discussion. I met many other young men my age, among them, one Buzzy Berg who later married Elayne Plimack and sired one Richard Stuart Berg. Small world, isn’t it?
We had a five year lease which would expire in 1954. The landlord was reluctant to maintain the property and problems arose. The property known as 301 South Stricker Street, caddy corner from the store, came up for sale. Willie Golberg managed to secure financing and we bought the property as joint tenants. The first floor was rented as a warehouse and the upper two floors were rented as apartments. The rents paid the mortgage and expenses.
On April 19, 1953 Marc AND Phyllis Sue arrived. Surprise, surprise!! We expected only one. Five children within 47 months. The apartment above the store became much too small. A three store house at 1512 McHenry Street became available and we became homeowners with a mortgage. We put down $2,500.00 and borrowed $3,000.00. We were almost the typical American family; children, a used car and a mortgage. All that was missing was a dog.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
More Early Years
We bought the store in August, 1949 and moved to the apartment in September, 1949. When Rosh Hashana rolled around we went to my parent’s to spend the two day holiday. We came home the night of the second day (we would not drive on the holiday) and I took Risa’s bottles into the store to put in the refrigerated case (remember. We had no refrigerator in the kitchen). The case was warm; no refrigeration. To get to the basement, you went through two heavy steel doors set into the sidewalk along side the store. I opened the doors, took one step down, and hit water. Disaster had struck! While we were gone, a pipe burst and water filled the basement to a depth of five feet. The tenant on the third floor noticed a drop in water pressure but did not report it to the landlord. The water gushed for two days.The motors and compressors which operated the refrigeration in the store were ruined; beyond salvage. All the perishables in the refrigerated cases were garbage. The fire department was called and pumped the water out of the basement. It was a tremendous financial blow. We had been open for a month with a $5,000.00 debt and no capital. But we managed to replace the motors and compressors and were back in business the next day.
Several months later, the second shoe dropped. The building was heated by a coal furnace. I knew almost nothing about the operation of a coal furnace. I knew that coal was deposited in a coal box and a fire was lit. The coal burned and heated the air around the coal box. The poisonous fumes produced by the burning escaped through the chimney. The heated air rose through ducts into the rooms above the store which were heated by the hot air. This system of heating the building was not efficient and the building was always cold, especially the first floor where the store and our kitchen were located. I did not know how to bank the furnace at night so that the coal would continue to be burning until the morning. When the coal stopped burning during the night, I went outside through the heavy steel doors and into the basement to start the fire again. One night, we awoke coughing and choking. We ran to the windows and opened them to be able to breathe. There was a crack in the coal box and the poisonous coal fumes mixed with the heated air and rose into our apartment. We were taken to the hospital and fortunately, we suffered no permanent damage. The next day we made a deal with the landlord to pay half of the cost of tha installation of an oil burner.
The store hours were 6 A.M. to 9 P.M., Monday through Saturday and 9A.M. to noon on Sunday, a total of 93 hours per week. On Sunday I opened the store and Momma got Risa ready and packed a picnic basket I would close the store at noon, wash up, change clothes and we would get into our 1939 Plymouth (which we pushed as often as we drove) and we were off to somewhere. I can recall warming Risa’s bottle on the motor of the car. One Sunday afternoon week each month I worked in the store doing things that could not be done while the store was open. I soon discovered that there were very few sales during the first hour of the day or during the last two hours of the day. The hours were reduced to 7 A.M. to 7 P.M. and three hours on Sunday, a total of 75 hours. I was like being on vacation. We did not have funds to hire help in the store or in the house so we did it all. We worked hard and we were very happy. I suppose that we didn’t know any better.
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