Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Christmas in the Big Room 1991

I have just finished decorating the "big room" for the holidays and while putting away things in the closet came across some pictures from 20 years ago. 

The addition to the house was just added and the old two-car garage was converted into a dining room. 

Notice the doorway and pass-through window to the back hall.


We always had family gatherings and this year was no different, except that we had no walls, carpet, furnishings or much heat.  Still that did not stop us from having our annual Christmas morning breakfast!


Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Glewwe Store Fire - 1971

Loss Near $1/2 Million

  Glewwe's Will Be Back . . .

   "A fire apparently cause by lightening destroyed the Glewwe Food market at 511 Marie Ave. early Thursday.
   Elmer Stassen, owner of the firm, tentatively estimated the loss between $400,000 and $500,000.  He said he thought most of the amount was covered by insurance.
  THE BLAZE was the worst in South St. Paul in over three years, according to Fire Chief Frank Kosowski.
   The alarm was turned in at 3:01 a.m. by two city policemen - Harvey Roth and Earl Nies - who reported they saw smoke billowing out from under the eaves at the one-story 12,000 square -foot store.
   Kosowski called the 18 available members of the Fire Department to the scene along with every piece of city equipment - three pumper engines, an aerial ladder truck, and a hose wagon.
  HE ALSO called in the Thompson Grove Fire Department from Cottage Grove to provide a pumper engine to cover the rest of the city in case of another fire.  The Thompson Grove Department sent six men with the engine, half of whom went to the scene of the fire at Glewwe's.
   KOSOWSKI SAID the store was beyond saving when firefighters arrived.  The entire are above the false ceiling in the building was in flames, he said, and the fire had also penetrated down into some parets of the store.  Moments later, the chief said, flames started shooting out of the roof.
   "It sounded like a popcoprn popper only a little bit louder," Kosowski said.  This noise probably was caused by explosions of heated aerosol cans and bottles in the store, he added.

   THE FIRE chief said he decided it was useless to send any men into the building and concentrated on keeping the blaze from spreading to nearby structures.  Over 4,000 feet of hose, hooked to four hydrants within two blocks of the burning building, were used in pouring wter onto the area of the fire.  By 6:30 a.m. the store was reduced to little but rubble, and firefighters considered the blaze under control. 
   After that the only concern, Kosowski said, was to protect three electric transformers on a power pole nearby and to keep a store and garage across the alley from the fire site wetted down.
   IN MID-AFTERNOON Thursday, one of the three pumper engines was ecalled from the scene: the other two remined until 8 p.m.  Barricades which had been placed at three intersections on Marie and one on Southview Blvd. were not taken down until 9 p.m.
   Kosowski said the smoke was so heavy on 5th Ave. in the early-morning hours that it was impossible to see.  He sent police to evacuate people from homes on the east side of 5th Ave. in the block across from the store prior to dawn when the danger of wind spreading the fire was greatest.
   A large crowd was already at the scene when firemen arrived, and many people remainded throughout the day.
   Kosowski said he talked with Stassen, Store Manager John (Red) Anderson,  and City Engineer Tom McMahon and decided the building should be razed.  A crane arrived about 1 p.m. Thursday and started clearing away the rubble.
  FIREMEN WERE recalled several times Friday to put out small fires that had been rekindled in the wreckage.
   The cement-block building with brick facing was one of two large Glewwe food stores in South St. Paul.  The other is at 1319 Thompson Ave.  Glewwe's had operated a store at the Marie location for 39 years, Stassen said.
    The owner set up an office in a shop at 515 Marie after the fire and said Friday he expected to start planning for a new store within a day so.  He said his current thinking is to build on the same site.
   Kosowski said he believes the fire started when a bolt of lightening struck a place on the west side of the store where service wires enter the building during the severe storm early Wednesday evening.
   A NEARBY resident reported she heard a loud crack of thunder about 7:30 p.m., looked outside, and saw what appeared to be a big ball of fire giving off sparks on the west, or alley side of the store.
   She said she was going to call the fire department but let it go when the ball of fire disappeared.  Kosowski sid the fire probably entered the building through the service lines and progressed through the upper part of the ceiling until it was discovered and reported by police.
   The fact that some items of merchandise in the lowest area of the building were found undamaged in the rubble supports the theory that the fire started in the upper part, the chief said.  He added he planned no further investigation unless he receives new information, explaining that there is nothing left at the site for experts to examine.
   "SOME FIREFIGHTERS worked 18 hours straight Thursday as a result of the Glewwe blaze," Kosowski said.  He expressed gratitude to people in the area for their cooperation and their kindness in bringing refreshements and a lunch to the firemen.
  The most recent fire that came anywhere near causing damage on the scale of Thursday's blaze was the one which destroyed a Coast-to-Coast store on Concord St. in 1968, resulting in a loss of $155,000, according to Kosowski.

Monday, November 21, 2011

1981-Cookie Corner Cutie


Remember when Barbara held more jobs then months in a year.........

(I still don't know how you have more newspaper interviews than anyone else in the family!) 

Friday, November 18, 2011

Junior Champs June 1964

     I was looking through some old newspaper clippings last night and I came across a file with cuttings of my siblings when they were pictured in print.  Our town used to have its own daily paper paper called "The South St. Paul Reporter", an independent newspaper.  The South St Paul Jaycees ran their local competition for Jaycee Junior Champs in 1964 with our favorite athlete, competing in the broad jump and 50 yard dash, Miss Rae Marie Glewwe, age 10. 

Kids could compete in the following events: (Numbers following event indicates age span)
_____50 yard dash (10-13)                   _____ 220 yard relay (10-11)
_____75 yard dash (10-13)                   _____440 yard dash (12-15)
_____100 yard dash (14-15)                 _____running broad jump
_____220 yard dash                              _____high jump
_____440 yard dash (12-15)                 _____pole vault
_____120 yard low hurdles (14-15)      _____shot put (12-15)
_____baseball throw (10-11)                _____pentathlon (12-15)

Jaycee Junior Champs

The above picture was featured on the front page of the newspaper with the accompanied story and another picture on the inside sports page.  Rae Marie, always a faster runner than I, (as the bruises can attest) did well for herself at the event held Saturday, June 27, 1964, she came in second place at the 50 yard dash.  The news blurb states that the boys were going to advance to the state competition, but the girls, who also competed, were not eligible for the state meet.  Obviously before Title IX (1972) and laws requiring girls equal opportunity with athletics.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Glewwe Grocery Store 1938

     Glewwe's Grocery Store played such a big part of our growing up in South St Paul.  It's final location ended up on the corner of 5th and Marie Avenue.  Center of town, close to the high school, down the street from the rest of the businesses and up the hill from City Hall, fire station and library, and Concord Street.  Everyone in the Glewwe family was expected to work there or as the family tree expanded, thought they would like to work there.  I even applied for a job there and was trained to be a checkout clerk, but the job never materialized, the old store burnt down due to a lightening/electrical fire, rebuilt, sold to others and eventually shut down.  It currently is home to Pro Pharmacy and the South St Paul Special School District #6.  But back then........

     From a photo taken in 1938 is Alma, Wesley and Ida Glewwe. Also a newspaper ad from about the same time.
   
 


Thursday, November 3, 2011

S&H Green Stamps

Shop Where You See These Signs -
 'We Give Green Stamps' 
                                                      





    And so read all the ads put out by Glewwe Grocery Store.  I remember Green Stamps.  Dad would bring them home from Glewwe's Grocery Store or with gas purchases.  You could even get them at Cameron's Liquor Store down on Concord Street.  I think you received one stamp for every 10 cents you spent.  We would lick the backs and put them into stamp books which would be redeemed for other items, household items big and small, gifts, even trips.  I don't remember what we redeemed books for, but I'm sure that Christmas gifts played a role. If you find some old stamp in the back corners of Grandma's kitchen drawers, they are still valid and can be redeemed for points!  

     When I asked my dad about Green Stamps, he also told me about Gold Stamps.  Gold Stamps were started by Curt Carlson of Minnesota, who turned his fortune into Carlson Companies and  the international renowned Radisson Hotels, Country Inn & Suites, T.G.I F., and Carlson Wagonlit Travel. 

      All from a little stamp.

      

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

October 10 or more list - Babies - one last time!

     Funny how Halloween creeps up on you and all other thoughts, tasks and general life vanishes into the evening, all because you promise to make another Halloween costume!  Sewing takes over my life for a week as I procrasinate and finally settle down 2 days prior and expect myself to magically produce another costume.  I've been sewing costumes for my brood since they were toddlers and now that they are all in their twenties, I still continue to sew these seasonal outfits.  This year it was a "PanAm stewardess, done up so daughter number three could wear it at work. 

     I wanted to close out this list of 10 or more items for the tenth month by listing the most current family relative with 10 or more children:  my mother-in-law!

So as a standing ovation to my in-laws and the efforts put into raising 13 children:

James
Jeanne
Peter
Patricia
Mark
Edward
Michael
Monica
Gregory
Paul
Clare
Robert
Elizabeth


I applaud you.

Having raised five of my own, I consider my mother-in-law a saint!
So raise a hand and salute to all those moms who had their hearts, heads and hands full.